I have a feeling these Almond Butter Blondies might soon become your new go-to dessert.
They are incredibly easy to prepare and taste like a cookie from Mrs. Fields. (Those cookies from the mall were always my favorite as a kid!) Who needs a brownie when you can have a buttery, chewy bar that is speckled with dark chocolate chips?
What I love about these blondies is that they are easier to prepare than cookies– since you just pour into a pan and bake– and they are nutritionally dense enough to actually leave you feeling satisfied. I’m pretty sure you couldn’t eat the whole pan in one sitting if you tried! (It would be tempting…) These decadent-tasting treats are loaded with healthy fats and fiber from the almond butter and chia seeds, and I love how they don’t leave me feeling bloated or exhausted with a sugar crash later.
These blondies are sturdy enough to bring to a potluck or party, so I hope they are a hit with all of your friends and family members, too.
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Vegan & Paleo Almond Butter Blondies
Makes one 9-inch pan
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon ground chia seeds (I grind mine in a coffee grinder)
3 tablespoons water
1 cup creamy almond butter*
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
*I used Trader Joe’s raw almond butter when testing this recipe, which has a more mild flavor when compared to the roasted variety, and no added oil or salt. You can make your own, if you prefer.
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper. In a large bowl combine the ground chia seeds and water, and stir well until a gel-like texture starts to form. Add in the almond butter, coconut sugar, vanilla, baking soda, and salt, and stir again until a thick batter is created. Fold in the dark chocolate chips.
Transfer the batter to the lined baking sheet, and use a spatula to spread it evenly into the bottom of the pan. Because the batter is so thick, you might want to use your hands to press it in. (Get them wet to help prevent sticking.)
Bake until the top is lightly golden, about 20 minutes, then cool completely before cutting and serving. The blondies become more sturdy as they cool. Slice into 16 squares and serve at room temperature.
- 1 tablespoon ground chia seeds
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 cup creamy almond butter
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper. In a large bowl combine the ground chia seeds and water, and stir well until a gel-like texture starts to form. Add in the almond butter, coconut sugar, vanilla, baking soda, and salt, and stir again until a thick batter is created. Fold in the dark chocolate chips.
- Transfer the batter to the lined baking sheet, and use a spatula to spread it evenly into the bottom of the pan. Because the batter is so thick, you might want to use your hands to press it in. (Get them wet to help prevent sticking.)
- Bake until the top is lightly golden, about 20 minutes, then cool completely before cutting and serving. The blondies become more sturdy as they cool. Slice into 16 squares and serve at room temperature.
Substitutions: I have a feeling that most nut and seed butters would work well in this recipe if you’d rather not use almond butter. Keep in mind that if you use sunflower seed butter to make them nut-free, the results might turn green as a reaction to the baking soda. (Still safe to eat, just a surprising color!) The texture is definitely the best when using coconut sugar, so be prepared for drastically different results if you use a liquid sweetener such as maple syrup or honey.
Enjoy!
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Reader Feedback: What’s your current go-to dessert to serve to company?
Susan Yates
Should chia seeds always be ground when using them in a dessert, etc.?
Also, congrats on your soon to be baby arrival!
Megan Gilmore
Thanks! They don’t have to be, but I prefer them ground so that there is no trace of their texture… otherwise they remind me of little tapioca pearls.
christine
Thank you! Thank you so much! When you talked about these bars the other day, they sounded so good. I was afraid you would go into labor before you had the chance to share the recipe. Of course, I am out of almond butter so I have to wait until I go shopping to make them. I think my kids will love these for a Labor Day treat. I hope all of those dates you have been eating will pay off during your labor!
Megan Gilmore
Nope, still pregnant over here. I hope you and your kids enjoy the blondies this weekend! 😉
tere c.
these look amazing! though I’m currently in low THIOL diet that restricts chocolate! I’m assuming that the chocolate chips are not acting as a bonding agent but more for extra flavor? have you ever made this recipe without chocolate chips? thanks! ?
Megan Gilmore
Yes, the chocolate chips are just for flavor. You can leave them out if you like, or use something else for some added texture, like raisins or chopped nuts.
Tina
Can it be done in a food processor?
tere c.
lovely – thank you!❤️
Yolanda
I made these and they were delicious! I love them! Thank you for this great recipe, I plan on trying some of your other recipes as well. ?
Chau
Could you use eggs instead of chia seeds?!
Megan Gilmore
I haven’t tried that for this particular recipe, but I find that eggs usually make the result a little drier in texture, so they won’t be quite as moist and chewy. I think they would still taste good, though!
Hannah
I’ve only made them with eggs and they turned out yummy and moist.
Karen
Help! I’m at the end of my grocery budget and have 20.00 left for the rest of the month. I don’t want to go over my budget. Trying to be disciplined. Any suggestions? What are some ideas that are flexible that you could add whatever you have on hand to make something? I made a frittata earlier on and a chili since anything can go in there. But my new budget doesn’t start till Thursday…. So far I have tomato soup and grilled cheese and broccoli cheese quinoa/rice casserol…
Megan Gilmore
It totally depends on what is already in your fridge and pantry– perhaps a stir-fry made from rice and frozen veggies? A frittata leftover sounds like a delicious meal anytime. Soups are a great way to stretch any veggies left in your fridge, too, and beans or lentils are a great filling option if you have those on hand.
Karen
Thanks! Gah! I know. It means I need to find easy and flexible recipes that don’t call for overly specific ingredients. -soups, sheet pan suppers, chili, sloppy joes, frittatas are some of my go to ideas when it’s the end of the month. I like your stir fry idea! That’s easy and simple. I call these things “everything but the kitchen sink” meal ideas.
Melanie Farrar
I’m wondering if you could replace the ground chia with ground flax for a flax egg instead?
Megan Gilmore
Flax should work the same, I just find it leaves more of a “flax flavor” than chia seeds do.
laura
These sound great, going to make some this afternoon! Do they need to be stored in the fridge?
Megan Gilmore
I didn’t store mine in the fridge, and they lasted about a week in an airtight container. If you want to store them longer than that, I’d use the fridge!
Fiona
Are they ok to freeze in a container, I tend to have a few different snacks in the freezer so I can alternate lunch boxes. Thx
Lorena
Hi Megan.. I don’t have a coffee grinder so I was wondering if I should leave the chia seeds whole or not. Thanks I can’t wait to make this..tomorrow!!
Raye Parks
I just used a blender and it was fine don’t leave the whole
Nicole
Hi Megan!
I just made this and it puffed up a lot during baking. It seems that the middle didnt cook as well as it should because it was so puffy. I tried to pat it down a few times and continue baking but was afraid to burn it. This has happened before with other recipes I try! Do you know why that could be happening?!
Thanks so much! They still tasted really good btw 🙂
Best,
Nicole
Megan Gilmore
It’s normal to puff up while baking, and it’s also pretty normal for a brownie or blondie to be a little softer in the center, since the edges will bake faster– that’s what usually makes the centers the best part! Just make sure they cool 100% before cutting into them, because they will be gooey until completely cool. You don’t really have to worry about under-baking these, since they’re egg-free, too.
Maegen
I have blood sugar issues and do better with honey & maple syrup(and ommit chocolate), any tips when using liquid sweetener instead? Thank you Megan! Congrats on your upcoming arrival, wishing you a smooth delivery & transition!
monika
Would this recipe still work in terms of structure without the 1/2 cup of sugar?
Megan Gilmore
I have no idea– you’ll have to let us know if you try it!
Julie
Wonderful. Easy & delicious. A bit crumbly but I’ll put up with that! Made almond butter at home (I do this anyway – part roasted and part raw).
Monica Carten
has anyone tried this with sunflower butter? I have this and no almond butter
Erica
These were delicious! I made them as soon as I saw the recipe posted and wow, they were a hit with my husband and my coworkers today. I even snuck one this morning at breakfast time. Thanks for always introducing your readers to great food and ingredients – I had never used coconut sugar before, and now it will be a staple in my house.
Stacey
I just made these yesterday with what I had on hand. I used an egg instead of chia and added some coconut oil ( about 2 tbsp). I thought they turned out really good, but my family thought they were a bit crumbly ( maybe a bit more oil or chocolate would help to hold them together more). They aren’t big almond butter fans……..so I might try peanut butter. Thanks for the yummy recipe!
Sandra
I just want to share my son in law will not eat nor try anything especially with coconut. I finally had my daughter make your recipe double chocolate brownie.
He said they were the best he had ever eatten.
My daughter was shocked he chose it over her mini nilla vanilla cupcakes!!
THANKS YOU!!
Hope you and baby will be fine!!
Megan Gilmore
I’m so happy to hear that! Those brownies are addictive. 😉
Amanda
I used honey instead of coconut sugar and they were perfect. The best blondie recipe ever.
Anne
I made these yesterday with homemade almond butter. My husband is crazy about them, which makes me happy because he must now watch his cholesterol levels a bit more closely. Not only are these blondies good for him, but they taste like a real decadent treat! Thank you so much Megan!
Katy
Love these! I made them with cashew butter instead and they turned out great – a little mushy so I put them in the freezer for future eating – hoping they will stay together a little better.
I did not grind the chia and didn’t really notice it once it was cooked – for anyone else who has asked this same question.
vicki
These are the BEST paleo dessert ever. Made them twice already. My favorite chocolate fix!
vicki
These are the BEST paleo dessert ever. Made them twice already. My favorite chocolate fix!
Sherie
Made these tonight with half natural peanut butter and half almond butter. I used Swerve as my sweetener and used slightly less than the 1/2 cup. They were plenty sweet for us. I used chopped 85% chocolate bar instead of the chocolate chips but I think I’d like the Blondies as well without the chocolate.
Will definitely make these again. They mixed together easily and quickly and were easy to pat into the parchment paper-lined pan. I may try to half the recipe next time and bake in a smaller pan. There is just 2 of us so we don’t need the whole pan.
Thanks for the yummy recipe!
Tiffany
Oh my gosh, these are so amazing!! I have made two batches so far. The first with chocolate chips and the second without. Both were delicious!!! I ran out of almond butter so in the second batch I subbed a little bit of peanut butter to make a full cup. They came out just wonderfully! These are without a doubt my new favorite dessert! Thank you so much for the recipe!
Barbara
Loved this recipe. I was wondering if you have the nutritional breakdown for this recipe and the others posted on your website? It would be helpful to see the calories and other elements.
Megan Gilmore
I don’t, but you can easily calculate the nutrition info using the free tool on MyFitnessPal.com. (They calculate for you if you just copy and paste the URL from any recipe website.)
cristina
Duuuuude these were the best thing I have ever made off of Pinterest!!! I used cashew butter instead because I was out of almond butter. Was amazing still! THANK YOU!
Anita Cudiamat
These were so delicious!! I am on a paleo diet but I have such a sweet tooth and this is perfect 🙂 I also substituted ground flax instead of using the chia seeds and it tasted great! my only issue was they tend to crumble and fall apart on me. I made them in muffin tins, maybe that was the problem… but they just completely broke apart on me. But regardless, I will continue to make these over and over again!
Megan Brooklyn
These are AMAZING!! I will put these on my favorites list for sure. My kids, husband and dad had no idea they were Paleo and vegetarian with all wholesome ingredients. I love that I can use your recipes and totally fool them! We all loved these blondies! Thanks for making eating healthy so yummy and tasty!
Trish
Made these last night. Tis the new year and time to eat healthy! My whole family loved them. Even my super picky daughter who bakes. Win1
The smell drew them from their bedrooms, so they were crumbly as not completely cooled. I popped the leftovers in the fridge and hope this will firm up the rest. If not, I’ll be happy to try again! 😀
I had to use turbinado sugar as no coconut sugar in house. They were very sweet!
Rebekah W
I recently started on a paleo diet and was feeling a bit deprived (I typically eat a lot of sweets). Made these blondies last night and they came out delicious! Helped so much to keep me on track with my diet but still be able to enjoy a good treat. Thank you for this recipe!! The only problem I had was they came out super crumbly and when I sliced them didn’t really stick together… any advice for next time?
Mc
These were great! My husband, who is not paleo or grain free or anything said, “These are the best things ever! Where did you get this recipe? When are you going to make these again?? Can you make them again?” that’s saying something 🙂
Megan Gilmore
Ha, I’m glad you both enjoyed them! 😉
Natasha Summers
Hi, this recipe looks amazing! I’m on the keto diet and I was just wondering if you had nutritional value on it? Thank you!
Leanne
These are amazing! I used chia seeds from The Bulk Barn. They did crumble once done, and cut into squares, but it didnt matter. SUPER YUMMY. My husband was eating them with a spoon out of the pan while they were warm! Making these over and over again. FYI: Costco has the best deal on Almond Butter!
leanna
hi this looks amazing but can i substitute the sugar for liquid stevia i am sugar free.
Megan Gilmore
Unfortunately I don’t use stevia anymore, so I can’t test the recipe that way to let you know how the substitution would work. Perhaps you could replace some of the sugar with applesauce and then sweeten the to your taste? Since the batter is vegan, you can taste as you go. Let us know what works for you!
Daryl
I was always a huge fan of brownies so I had never had blondies before, but I found out a couple of months ago that I’m allergic to chocolate and have tried a lot of new things of late to try to satisfy my sweet tooth — and these were pretty darn tasty! I subbed white chocolate for the dark chocolate chips, and since I also can’t have nuts I used sunflower seed butter. With all of the subbing I was a little leery of how they would turn out, but I’m definitely a fan. Not sure what’s next on my list of new things to try, but this will be a welcome addition to my rotation.
Eleanor
Do you measure the chia before or after grinding?
Megan Gilmore
I always measure after grinding.
Frances
Can you use flax seeds instead ?
JoAnn Billitti
i made these with crunchy almond butter and they were perfect! I will DEFINITELY keep these on top of the baking list!
Rosalyn
having company from out of town and I just made these they are delicious!!! And so easy!!!! I even made a second batch with peanut butter…for my hubby. ..and he didn’t even know they were paleo and vegan!
Ing
I made these for my daughter’s tween game night. They were a huge hit! The girls and parents all raves. Definitely will be a new go to fav! I substituted unsweetened vegan chocolate chips and added extra coconut sugar. Delish!
Emily
Thanks for the recipe! I was wondering if I could replace coconut sugar with maple syrup?
Megan Gilmore
They won’t have the same texture, since the granulated sugar is dry and helps provide bulk. Maybe try using a little less maple syrup? Let us know if you have any luck!
Joseph
Dang! I made these and they are almost indistinguishible from cc cookie dough non vegan blondies. I have no clue how that is possible without any kind of flour, but they turned out perfect…even subbing flax for chia seeds and agave for coco sugar. High praise for this recipe.
Hilary
Wow! I was a bit skeptical of these working but they taste amazing. I subbed an egg for the chia/water mixture as I’m not vegan. I also couldn’t figure how how these could fill a 9-inch pan so I baked them in a 9×5 loaf pan. They are delicious! I love having a treat I can feel better about and it was so simple to make.
B
If you use baking powder, you will not have the green color.
Joy Loosli
One of my favorite Detoxinista recipes! I substitute 1 egg instead of the Chia seeds and water and they are perfectly soft and chewy. A huge hit in our family!
Megan Gilmore
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Kk
Hi I just tried making this and the Blondie’s are cooled but not very sturdy. They are too soft and crumbly to pick up and I can’t properly cut them.
Jazmin
Can something else be used besides chia seeds?
Megan Gilmore
Flax seeds work, too!
Rebecca Sullivan
Chocolate brownie delish.
Brittany
Hi there! I was wondering… Do you think this recipe would be okay to prep beforehand, store in fridge, and bake when ready to eat?? Thank you!!
Megan Gilmore
Yes, I think that would probably work!
KRisty
Hi, pertaining to more of Keto style, did the dark chocolate chips you used have sugar in them? I’m wondering if using unsweetened dark chocolate chips would work if adding the coconut sugar? I don’t want it to turn out bitter.
Megan Gilmore
Yes, I do use dark chocolate chips with a little sugar in them (I use 70-85% dark chocolate), but you could use cocoa nibs or unsweetened chocolate if you don’t mind them being less sweet. Unsweetened chocolate is pretty bitter, so another option would be to swap the chocolate for something else– maybe chopped pecans?