So. I need to preface by saying that I have slight qualms calling a dessert that isn't, say, whole fruit, truly "healthy"* - but this blondie recipe is certainly MUCH better for you than its typical counterpart. And relatively speaking as far as baked desserts go, it probably can be qualified as fairly healthy, or at least not terrible for you (the sugar content might give you pause, but again - consider the alternative recipes/nutritional info of other blondies and it isn't a fraction as bad!).It's vegan AND gluten free, and kind of addictive. Which makes the fact that these are nutritionally pretty decent even better, so eating more than one isn't a bad overload on your system. These are very moist, thanks to the garbanzo bean base (yes beans!). I slightly adapted the recipe from the always creative Chocolate Covered Katie - click through for her full recipe for these vegan and gluten free blondies. The changes I made are as follows:
I used 1/2 cup gluten free quick oats (Bob's Red Mill brand) where oats/flax are indicated (regular oats would certainly work fine)
I used 1/2 tsp baking powder (a good change to make it baking at a high altitude)
I used 2 tbsp of unrefined virgin coconut oil and 2 tbsp Earth Balance vegan baking sticks (instead of peanut butter)
I added a pinch of cinnamon to the batter
I used vanilla bean paste (Nielsen-Massey is current favorite brand)
I tossed some rainbow sprinkles on top of the batter once it was in the pan so they'd settle in a bit while baking. Next time I might stir them in before panning the batter. More "funfetti" effect that way :)
I do think next time I might also add in some flax meal or EnerG egg-replacer (maybe the equivalent of 1/2 - 1 egg) so that the batter has a little more binding to it - I found the baked blondies fall apart a little easier than ideally desirable - but that didn't impact how good these taste or negatively impact the texture. If I have better luck with that next time, I will repost!It's an extremely easy recipe to make - gotta love it when your food processor is the only "mixing bowl" you need - and it tastes great AND fits many dietary preferences/restrictions. At a time of year when you may be baking more than usual either for guests at your place or when visiting friends or family for holiday festivities, it's a great recipe to have in your back pocket!