Chickpea Double-Chocolate Brownies

Apparently I'm into brownies lately. I think that's OK. And because it's late September, I of course have done my obligatory first pumpkin baking session. I made pumpkin bread, swirled with chocolate and almond butter, for the adults, and pumpkin muffins for baby. More on that later.

Most people have heard of black bean brownies (no? that's OK), but what about chickpea brownies? I sensed a challenge.

These are creamy/fudge-y, chocolaty and rather dense. I prefer to eat mine cold straight from the fridge.

So, how do these stack up against the cashew-butter brownies? Well, they're a bit more chocolaty. I think I prefer these.

This recipe was adapted from these vegan, gluten-free black bean brownies from Minimalist Baker. Mine are still vegan and gluten free, if you use gluten-free oats.

The Recipe

makes about 9 medium-sized bars in a 9x9-inch pan

2 tablespoons flax plus 8 tablespoons water
1/3 heaping cup oats
1 can chickpeas (15 ounces) drained and rinsed
1/4 cup coconut oil
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 heaping cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
additional chocolate chips, optional

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line a 9x9-inch pan with parchment paper and oil very lightly.

Combine flax and water in a small bowl and set aside. Meanwhile, pulse oats in food processor until they become a flour-like consistency. Add chickpeas, oil, sugar,cocoa, vanilla, salt and baking powder. Pulse for a minute or two. Add the flax and water. Process until the mixture is very creamy. You don't want any chunks.

If your mixture seems dry, add water a little bit at a time. The batter should be thick so that you have to scoop it out. It shouldn't be pour-able. Stir in chocolate chips and then spread batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle additional chips on top and press down gently.

Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely and refrigerate leftovers.

Cashew Butter Chocolate Brownies

These are super creamy and stay fresh for several days. I highly recommend storing them in the refrigerator and eating them cold.

Cashew butter is wonderfully neutral and really allows the chocolate flavor to come through. However, I think you could substitute peanut or almond butter.

You could cut back on the flax seed if you want a slightly less grainy texture. Also, I'm pretty sure these would be great, and even more chocolate-ly, with the addition of some cocoa powder. I was out when I created this recipe.

The Recipe

makes about 15 bars in a 13x9-inch pan

1 1/2 cups flour (I used almond and oat flour)
2 tablespoons ground flax seed
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup oil (I used coconut)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chocolate syrup (I used this non-dairy kind)
1/2 cup cashew butter
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips - divided

Preheat oven to 325F degrees. Line a 13x9-inch pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Oil lightly.

Beat eggs in a large bowl. Add sugar, oil, vanilla, salt and chocolate syrup. Mix well.

Melt half of chocolate chips in a medium-sized bowl. Once melted, stir in cashew butter until well blended. Add this to the egg mixture.

Beat in flour and flax. Stir in the rest of the chocolate chips. Spread into prepared pan and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes. Do not overcook!