Sharon Palmer RD

Published on April 11, 2026

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chickpea Bars: Healthy 7-Ingredient Vegan Blondies

These peanut butter chocolate chickpea bars are a wholesome twist on classic blondies, delivering rich flavor with better-for-you ingredients. Made with blended chickpeas, creamy peanut butter as the natural fat, and aquafaba for structure, these bars are soft, satisfying, and surprisingly simple. With just 7 ingredients and minimal added sugar and oil, this vegan treat is perfect for snacks, desserts, or meal prep when you want something sweet yet nourishing.

Make an amazing, healthy, plant-based blondie-style bar with an entire can of chickpeas (even the liquid in aquafaba is used to replace eggs), along with peanut butter (the main source of fat in these gooey bars), maple syrup (the sweetener), flour, peanuts, and dark chocolate. These vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chickpea Bars honor one of the best food love affairs of all time—peanut butter and chocolate. And best of all, the ingredients come together in a healthy vegan bar, low on sugar and refined oils, and packed with plant power. In fact, these 7-ingredient (not including pantry staples) bars are healthy enough you can include them as a treat you can feel really good about.

Watch me make this recipe in my Instagram Live Plant-Based Cooking Class here.

Step-By-Step Guide:

Drain liquid from 1 15-ounce can of chickpeas and reserve.

Place chickpeas and 1/3 cup peanut butter to the container of a blender or food processor.

Add vegetable oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract and process until smooth—about 3 minutes.

Place reserved chickpea liquid in a standing electric mixer bowl (or a mixing bowl with handheld mixer) and whip until peaks form.

Gently fold in chickpea mixture, flour, and baking powder, being careful not to break emulsion. Fold in peanuts and chocolate chips gently—just until combined.

Spread batter into a 9 x 9-inch baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

Bake at 350 F for about 50-60 minutes, until firm. Garnish with chopped peanuts and chocolate chips, if desired. Let cool and then slice into 16 servings.

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chickpea Bars

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Author: The Plant-Powered Dietitian
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 16 bars 1x
Diet: Vegan

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Description

These completely plant-based, vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chickpea Bars are filled with a whole can of chickpeas! Low in added sugars and oils, and rich in whole plant food ingredients, these healthy bars offer a naturally delicious taste.

Ingredients

Scale

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained (reserve liquid)
1/3 cup natural peanut butter, creamy
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup coarsely chopped peanuts
¾ cup dairy-free dark chocolate chips

Garnish (optional):

Chopped peanuts
Dark chocolate chips or chunks

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Drain chickpeas, reserving liquid. Place reserved chickpea liquid (aquafaba) in a kitchen mixer bowl (or use an electric mixer) and whip until thick and foamy. Set aside.
Place chickpeas, peanut butter, oil, maple syrup, and vanilla in the container of a food processor. Process until smooth—about 3 minutes.
Remove chickpea mixture from food processor and add to bowl with whipped chickpea liquid. Add flour and baking powder. Gently fold into the whipped chickpea liquid with a rubber spatula (so as not to break the emulsion) until smooth. Do not overmix. Fold in peanuts and chocolate chips.
Spray a 9 X 9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Pour batter into pan and bake in the center of the oven for 50-60 minutes, until golden brown and firm.
Remove from oven and let cool for about 15 minutes. Do not slice while warm, as the bars will crumble. When cool, slice into 16 bars.