Chickpea Brownies

Name: Chickpea Brownies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 can Chickpeas (drained, liquid reserved, not rinsed); ½ cup Smooth peanut butter (100% peanuts only); 4 jumbo Medjool dates (pitted, ~100g); 3 tbsp Maple syrup; 1 tbsp Aquafaba (reserved chickpea liquid); ¼ cup Cocoa powder (aka cacao powder); 1 tsp Vanilla extract; ½ tsp Baking powder; ¼ tsp Baking soda (aka bicarb soda); 1 pinch Salt; ½ cup Dark chocolate chips (divided)

Published: Jun 24, 2026 by Janelle Hama *This post may contain affiliate links. Disclosure

Jump to Recipe

These chickpea brownies will leave everyone guessing how you made them. The chickpeas are not detectable and there is no flour in this recipe whatsoever. These brownies have the most indulgent fudginess.

When I was asked to help a reader create chickpea brownies, my curiosity was immediately piqued.

Chickpeas in brownies, hmmm.

Well, lo and behold, these chickpea brownies are incredible. Fudginess is a 10 out of 10, the level of sweetness is bang on, and I really love that I made them without any flour, which feels lighter on the gut.

If you're a fellow brownie lover and like the boxes this recipe ticks, naturally plant-based (vegan) and flourless (gluten-free), you will definitely want to make my sweet potato brownies. They have that cakey brownie texture you're after, trust me, you won't be disappointed.

Flavor Profile

If you're wondering what these chickpea brownies taste like, they are deeply fudgy, rich in chocolate, and naturally sweetened with dates and maple syrup - making them not sickly sweet.

The peanut butter adds a subtle nutty warmth in the background without overpowering the chocolate. You would never guess chickpeas are the base.

Ingredients

chickpeas, cacao powder, peanut butter, medjool dates, choc chips, and liquids all laid out in bowls

The complete list of ingredients with measurements, can be found in the full recipe card below.

The star here is chickpeas, blended completely smooth until they disappear into the batter. Use canned chickpeas and don't rinse them, just drain and keep that liquid aside. That reserved liquid is aquafaba, and a tablespoon of it goes straight into the batter to keep the dough from turning too dry. It also doubles as a natural binder, doing the job an egg would in a traditional brownie.

Peanut butter is the second pillar, smooth and well-stirred for the easiest blending. Medjool dates and maple syrup work together as the sweetener, with the dates adding moisture and natural caramel notes. If your dates are a little dry or stiff, soak them in warm water for 10 minutes before blending, draining excess water. If you do this, hold off adding the aquafaba as the batter should be stiff, see below pic.

Blend, Spread and Bake

The full set of instructions are found in the below printable recipe card.

chickpea brownie batter in a food processor bowl

Blend the ingredients in stages, as instructed in the recipe card below.

chickpea brownie batter spread out in a baking tray with choc chips on top

Spread the batter into a lined 8x8" pan and top with the remaining chocolate chips.

Janelle's Tips

The batter is thicker than a typical brownie batter, closer to a cookie dough texture, yet denser. That's exactly right, don't be tempted to thin it out.
Chickpeas must be blended completely smooth, or the brownies will have a grainy texture. Blend longer than you think you need to.
The toothpick test doesn't work well here. Go by the edges setting and the top losing its gloss.
These must cool completely in the pan before slicing, or they will fall apart.