(Variation 1: Melted chocolate spread on top)
I walked towards the nut butter aisle. Of course I would know where it is. My eyes immediately scanned the rows: almond butter (absolutely divine), peanut butter (my comfort food), cashew butter, tahini….my hand instinctively went forward to turn the jar to the labels. I only like unsalted, natural nut butters made of only one ingredient: peanuts (or almonds). After carefully inspecting, I grabbed 3 tubs of peanut butter and a tub of tahini. I could see a few people staring. My excuse? I’m “stocking up” for the coronavirus, but lets be real – most of it will be gone within 2 weeks. One spoonful of peanut butter for snack, a dollop of peanut butter on my pancakes, half a cup into my baking = 3/4 of the jar would be gone by tonight.
(Variation 2: Melted chocolate and peanut butter drizzled on top)
My peanut butter intake is insane. And being stuck at home all day does not help with my nut butter addiction. I decided that in order to control my peanut butter intake, I needed to start making “peanut butter” treats to satisfy my “pb”craze. Mixing in a bit of chickpeas, oats definitely makes it a lot more filling so hopefully….the jar will last longer.
With this thought in mind, I thought about it for several days. Last week, I was randomly scrolling through Instagram and discovered a delightful recipe for peanut butter chickpea bars. Oooo it looked so good I knew I had to make. The first batch was lovely, but honestly too chickpea-ish for my liking. I still finished the whole tray (because thats how much I love peanut butter). We did some research and made a few tweaks. The second time it came out amazing.
**Zoe’s fiance was sitting next to her while she was editing these pictures. He immediately asked where these bars were. “Dang it, I thought. We got caught.” We reluctantly had to share these bars. Ok but truth be told I love sharing and having people taste my food – so it was fine. 🙂 I guess these won’t be lasting for long.**
The key to making this taste “un-chickpea like”?
Number One. Drain and rinsing the chickpeas well. This is to remove excess starch or salt as well as the metallic flavor that sometimes comes with canned beans. Number Two. Peel off the chickpea skins. You do this by rubbing the chickpeas to remove the tie outer layer. The skin leaves a lumpy texture that is often unpleasant.
So guys, here it is our perfected peanut butter chickpea bars after several weeks of testing. I got an approval from my sister and both our fiances’. It is low in calories, delicious and fudgy. Packed full of nutrients (I’m all about getting in as much nutrients as possible!) and sweet. Easy peasy recipe!
And if you want any new ideas:
Chocolate Chip Blondies: Mix in Chocolate chips!
Fruit & Nut Protein Bar: Mix in dried fruit, shredded coconut, nuts
Fancy “Cliff Bar” (Energy Bar): Drizzle peanut butter, melted chocolate on top
- 15oz can chickpeas
- ⅓ cup peanut butter (natural)*
- 4.5 tbsp maple syrup (or any liquid sweetener of choice)
- ¼ oat flour/oats (gluten-free, if needed)
- ⅛ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp vanilla
- Optional add ins:
- Chocolate Chips, Peanuts, Coconut, Dried Fruit
- Toppings:
- Melted Chocolate, Peanut butter, Cocoa powder mixed with water
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Line a large loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Drain chickpeas and rinse with water.
- Rub the chickpeas between your fingers to remove the outer skin. This is step is optional but highly recommended to get a smoother texture (also helps with the flavor). This will take 5 minutes or so.
- Place oats in a blender/food processor and blitz till fine. (I would recommend doing this in a food processor)
- Add in the remaining ingredients and blend. Be patient it'll take a while. Keep stopping to scrape down the edges.
- Carefully distribute the batter in the loaf pan. It is quite thick so i find it easier to dollop the spoonfuls of the batter across the pan evenly and then spread.
- Bake for 20 mins. Cool and cut. Store in the fridge. They taste amazing cold from the fridge!
Is it possible to use a granulated sugar?
Hi K,
We haven’t tried but I believe you can. If you do, the mixture might be more dry so you will probably need to add some of non-dairy milk (or possibly more peanut butter) to make the batter more smooth.
Could you use great northern beans
Hi Tracy! I have never tried using great northern beans in this recipe, but I believe it could work! You may have to add more oats to help retain its shape because chickpeas seem to be a bit firmer and hold their shape better! Let us know how it goes!
Do you think it would be possible to sub chia seeds for the oats? Can’t have grains. Thanks!
Hi Amy!
If you want to use chia seeds, I think it is best to use a mix of flours. Grinding up chia seeds to use can result in different textures.
I’m actually thinking maybe almond flour could work. Since moisture levels are different you will need to adjust how much flour you add to the batter and baking time!
Let me know if you have anymore questions!