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I think I might love blondies more than I love brownies.
Although, don’t hold me to that because normally I really love brownies– it might just be my pregnancy talking. Dark chocolate sounded totally unappealing to me during my first pregnancy, and this time around I’m pretty much feeling the same way. It could be due to the fact that even the small amount of caffeine in chocolate leaves me feeling jittery these days!
So, this blondie is totally up my alley right now. It packs the perfect combination of sweetness and saltiness, and when topped with a dairy-free Maple Pecan Glaze, it’s decadent enough to serve to company. Just don’t tell them about the secret ingredient I snuck inside: white beans!
After my success with the Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookies last week, I just had to give this adding-beans-to-a-dessert-thing another try. Since pureed beans tend to add more moisture to a recipe, not to mention an extra dose of fiber, protein, and minerals, a rich blondie seemed like the next best step. As I was tasting the batter, the flavor reminded me a little bit of Nordstrom’s Maple Pecan Cookies, which I used to be slightly obsessed with around Christmas time. They are melt-in-your-mouth delicious. So, I added handful of pecans to the batter and took it an extra step further by adding a naturally-sweetened Maple Pecan Glaze over the top.
I love the result, and I hope you do, too.
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Vegan Maple Pecan White Bean Blondies
Makes one 9×9 pan
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups cooked white beans, or 1 can, drained and rinsed
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup gluten-free oat flour
3/4 cup coconut sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon raw apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup raw pecans
1 batch Maple Pecan Glaze
Crushed pecans, for garnish
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 and line a 9-inch square dish with parchment paper. Process the white beans, coconut oil, and vanilla in a large processor until relatively smooth. Add in the coconut sugar, oat flour, salt, baking soda and vinegar and blend until until a smooth batter is formed. Add in the pecans and pulse briefly until incorporated.
Pour the batter into the lined baking dish and use a spatula to smooth the top. Bake at 350F until the top begins to crack, about 25 minutes. Allow to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Top with the Maple Pecan Glaze just before serving, along with an additional sprinkling of crushed pecans, if desired.
Ingredients
For the blondies:
- 1 1/2 cups cooked white beans , or 1 can, drained and rinsed
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup gluten-free oat flour
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon raw apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup raw pecans
1 batch Maple Pecan Glaze
Crushed pecans, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 and line a 9-inch square dish with parchment paper. Process the white beans, coconut oil, and vanilla in a large processor until relatively smooth. Add in the coconut sugar, oat flour, salt, baking soda and vinegar and blend until until a smooth batter is formed. Add in the pecans and pulse briefly until incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the lined baking dish and use a spatula to smooth the top. Bake at 350F until the top begins to crack, about 25 minutes. Allow to cool completely before slicing and serving. Top with the Maple Pecan Glaze just before serving, along with an additional sprinkling of crushed pecans, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Per Serving: Calories: 110, Fat: 5g, Carbohydrates: 15g, Fiber: 2g, Protein: 2g
I hope you’ll enjoy these blondies as much as I do. Keep in mind that when you enjoy one, you’ll also be one step closer to participating in the Pulse Pledge, which is a simple commitment to eating one serving of pulses (i.e. beans, lentils, chickpeas, and dry peas) each week. I’m proud to be an ambassador for the 2016 International Year of Pulses, because pulses are a sustainable and affordable way to get more people the nutrition they need– and I want to help spread the word. Sign up to take the Pulse Pledge with me today!
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by USA Pulses and Pulse Canada as part of my ongoing partnership to help promote the International Year of Pulses.
Reader Feedback: Do you have a preference? Blondies or brownies?
You have converted me! Your Blondies are incredible! I never thought I would like any bar as well as I like brownies, These blondies however have won me over. I finished the first pan yesterday and will make another pan of blondies today.
I didn’t have coconut sugar. I used 1/2 cup honey as a substitute. The batter was more watery. So I needed to add 1 Tbsp chia seeds and 1 Tbsp flax. I think it needed a little more flax, chia, or oat flour because the brownies were slightly mushy int he center. But they are very good!
Thanks for sharing your modifications, and I’m glad they still tasted good! 🙂
Another winner! Yum, kids and hubby loved them!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Is there anything you can substitute for the oat flour like almond?
Maybe? I haven’t tried it using another flour, so I can’t say for sure, but let us know if you have any success!
would cashews work in place of pecans?
Yes, it will just change the flavor a bit.
I wonder if u can soak beans in bulk overnight. Then dehydrate them .,, if that would reduce time in the kitchen if u don’t use canned beans. .. I know u can cook beans then dehydrate them if ur a camper as an instant meal. But if bean texture would hold up better by dehydrating after soaking. Not cooking. I guess it wouldn’t matter in this case tho. But I might try it… Kitchen experiment ..
These look delicious- can’t wait to try them! I’m always curious about the decision to mix something (when it’s getting fully blended) in a food processor vs a blender. Could you speak to this, or do a post in the future? It’s a somewhat selfish question because I have a blentec but not a food processor (other than a really small, low quality one) so my temptation is always to just use my blender regardless, but I’d be curious to hear if that’s detrimental to the recipe. Thanks so much!
I use a food processor for thicker batters (like cookie dough) and mixes that I don’t want to be super-silky-smooth, such as hummus, a date ball, or a veggie burger. If you want texture, and the mixture is going to be thick, a food processor is the way to go. I use my Vitamix for everything else, but my food processor definitely comes in handy!
This recipe is fantastic (I made it last night). I think next time I’ll cut back on the 3/4c of coconut sugar since the glaze is so sweet.
Thanks!
Could I use regular flour and substitute maple syrup for the coconut sugar?
Blondies all the way! Love this recipe.
Agreed! But this is the first recipe I’ve seen using white beans. I’ve seen the black bean versions and they are good but now I most definitely want to try this one. The Maple Glaze really makes it unique as well. I love being able to satisfy my sweet tooth cravings in a healthier way. White flour makes me look AND feel like the Philsbury Dough Boy. No thanks. I’m too old for that!