Butter Bean Blondies! {Flourless, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free}

I’m realizing that a lot of my recipes revolve around experimenting with beans and/or the liquid within a can of beans, haha.  What can I say – I’m a lover of legumes.

I saw a post about flourless chickpea brownies on the Ambitious Kitchen blog recently and knew that I wanted to attempt some version of that.  When Devon refused to nap yesterday, it gave me a perfect excuse to let him crawl around my feet in the kitchen while I whipped up these bad boys.

There were no chickpeas in my pantry, but I did have some butter beans – so I figured, what the heck?!  These should work.  And they did, beautifully.

Speaking of which:  am I the only one that didn’t know that butter beans are a version of lima beans?  I feel like my only experience with lima beans was growing them in 3rd grade in a plastic cup by the windowsill, and of course I remember them as green.  While I was googling them to compare their nutrition info to chickpeas, I found out they are just a large, flat, whitish type of lima bean.  Who knew?!

Anyhoo, I really liked these.  Terry said they weren’t his favorite, but still ate some right outta the pan, so I’m going to venture to say he meant “not my favorite when compared to super sugary calorie laden blondies.”  I seriously thought they came out great.

Admittedly, they’re not like a super sweet blondie like you’ll get for dessert out at a restaurant (being real with you here) – but they’re still rich and chewy.  They’ve got a nice peanut butter flavor to them, but not too overpowering.  I feel like they’re a perfect sweet treat to indulge in guilt-free (4 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein in one?  Woohoo!). 

And they are SO easy to make.  Just 8 simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry, mixed up in the food processor and baked for 20-25 min.  That’s it!  

A note on the cooking time – if you prefer more gooey blondies, go on the 20 min end of cooking time.  If you prefer firmer, go a little longer for around 25 minutes.  

Give ’em a try and let me know how you like them!

*2017 Update – I’ve made these for a ton of people and they’re always a hit.  In fact, I’ve cooked them the last few semesters with my students for guests at the college where I teach.  They’ve become so popular that they’ve been added to the regular recipe repertoire for our hospitality department!  I think that says something about this delish treat. 🙂

Print

Butter Bean Blondies

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

These butter bean blondies are the ultimate healthy dessert! They’re flourless, gluten free, and vegan friendly - but still rich and delicious. Easy to make with just 8 simple ingredients.

Course: Dessert

Servings: 9

Calories: 221 kcal

Author: Snacking in Sneakers

Ingredients

Ingredients:

• 1 15-ounce can of butter beans, drained
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
• 1/3 cup maple syrup OR honey (note honey is not vegan)
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/3 + 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (double check label if diet restrictions; Enjoy Life chocolate chips are dairy free/vegan)

Instructions

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 baking dish or a pie plate.

2. In a food processor, puree butter beans until they form a smooth paste. 

3. Add peanut butter, maple syrup (or honey), vanilla, salt, baking powder, and baking soda to the bean mixture in the processor. Turn on processor for about 5-10 seconds until everything is well combined. Fold in 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips.

4. Place batter in baking dish and top with remaining chocolate chips.

5. Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until a knife/toothpick comes out clean. {If you prefer more gooey blondies, go on the lower end; for firmer blondies go on the higher end.}

Recipe Notes

Nutrition Analysis (approximate per serving):

221 calories, 10 g fat (4 g sat fat), 311 mg sodium, 27 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 18 g sugar, 6 g fiber

Share with me:  Have you ever made butter bean blondies or chickpea blondies?  Are you a fan of bean desserts like me?!

• About
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Chrissy Carroll

Chrissy Carroll is a Registered Dietitian and USAT Level I Triathlon Coach. She specializes in sharing nutrition and fitness tips, as well as recipes, for runners, triathletes, and active women.Chrissy holds a Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition, a Masters Degree in Public Health, and is also an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer.

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