My husband drives to Connecticut every morning for work and is always looking for quick and easy breakfasts to take with him on the drive. We’ve experimented with protein smoothies (I like this protein powder), brown rice cakes with almond butter (which are delicious but make a total mess in the car), and healthy muffins.
Recently, though, he got into the habit of going to a nearby juice spot around the corner from where we live. Every morning, he picks up the same thing: 1 blondie and 1 green juice.
In nutrition school, I learned never to tell a person (especially your family members and boyfriends, girlfriends) what to eat and what not to eat…unless they ask. Instead, just be power of example.
So, I briefly mentioned to him that I wonder what they make the blondies with at the store. I’ve learned that just because it looks like a healthy restaurant (or store), doesn’t necessarily mean that everything in it is going to make you feel good. Well, I never did my research on the ingredients and I don’t think my husband has ever asked, either.
Instead, I just went ahead and experimented on my own!
These healthified blondies actually look and taste so similar to the one my husband purchases. It’s been a total success in our house, and not to mention, a total money saver too. He was paying $4 every morning for one blondie and I paid about $10 in total to make 16 of them!
So let’s get into what they’re made with…
1- Chickpeas. Yes, chickpeas!! I’ve heard of people using them in baked goods, and this is the second time I had a successful run with them. They add density, just like flour, and are loaded with protein and fiber, making it a more nutritious baked good, and even breakfast. Get excited for my healthified baked good – Black Bean Brownie Donuts! Sign up for my newsletter to be the first to get the recipe.
2- Almond Flour. A great alternative to flour. It’s just ground up almonds. Adds good fat and protein to fill you up (without filling you out).
3- Brown Rice Syrup and Maple Syrup. I’m always looking for ways to “healthify” our favorite indulgent foods without comprising taste or texture. Most baked goods that you find in grocery stores and restaurants (and even recipes online) are made with white sugar or corn syrup, and some even are sweetened with banana, which just doesn’t do it for me. So in this recipe, I swapped the processed stuff for brown rice syrup and maple syrup which give it the perfect sticky texture and sweet flavor.
To fluffen them up a little, I added the best quality eggs I could find — pasture-raised and organic.
For breakfast, I suggest swapping the chocolate chips for something even healthier, like cacao nibs, which are pure chocolate (crushed up cacao beans with no sugar added).
Healthified Chocolate Chip Blondies
Ingredients:
1 can/box organic garbanzo beans (approx 2 cups), drained and rinsed
4 pasture-raised eggs
1 1/4 cup brown rice syrup
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 cups almond flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 cup mini dark chocolate chips
1 Tbsp coconut oil
Instructions:
1. Heat oven to 350 F degrees
2. In blender, blend chickpeas and eggs
3. Add brown rice syrup and maple syrup slowly
4. Add almond flour, baking powder and sea salt and blend until smooth
4. Pour chocolate chips into blender and don’t blend — just mix with a spoon
5. Grease a 9×13” glass pan with coconut oil, or lay down some parchment paper. Pour chickpea batter in the greased pan
6. Bake for 45 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes and cut into large squares and serve. Store in fridge in a glass container with lid for 1 week.
Voila!
* Makes approx 20 squares
Enjoy!
For more healthy recipes, sign up for my newsletter here. And be sure to follow me on instagram (@bewellwitharielle) for more recipes and healthy lifestyle tips.
