I’m going to start out by saying, these are amazing. Blondie Fig Fudge Squares may very well become your new go-to recipe when you’re craving something sweet, yet don’t want to fuss with baking something- these require absolutely no cooking if you choose! These blondies can be made two ways, no-bake or baked, both options are equally delicious and should leave you feeling amazing. They’re sweetened naturally with whole food ingredients like the obvious being figs and the less obvious being cashew butter and chickpeas. I hope you give these a try this Halloween for a healthier spin on candy and treats, and of course can be enjoyed year round.
The first time I ever tried a blondie was in Columbus Ohio while in school at Ohio State University, it was a place called Sugardaddys, a very well known brownie/blondie shop, and let me tell you they were amazing. BUT, living a whole foods lifestyle nowadays has me rethinking the ingredients used in typical brownie and blondie recipes therefore I took on the challenge to recreate that delicious blondie with a Nutrition Stripped twist. I use only a handful of whole food ingredients, all of which are not traditional ingredients used in blondies, that’s the fun of it! Cashew butter, chickpeas, and dried figs give these blondies a natural sweetness without using refined sugars, refined carbohydrates, and any other funky ingredients.
I’m so grateful that figs have a relatively long season, they coast from summer into fall effortlessly and I still snag any chance I can to use them in recipes. The figs in these blondies definitely serve a purpose far beyond acting as a natural sweetener, they act as a great binder to hold the fudge squares together. The base of these blondies are from good ole’ chickpeas! Believe it or not, chickpeas and beans in general, make great bases for baked goods like brownies, fudges, and even cakes without using flours of any kind. Beans and legumes are wonderful sources of fiber and protein, both of which typically aren’t found in things like blondies.
Just as I mentioned, there’s no fuss when making these blondies since there’s literally no cooking involved if you choose it to be. For the no-bake version, you simply blend all the ingredients together, pour into a square baking pan and let set in the fridge for a couple of hours. Both the coconut oil and nut butters are used to keep everything together or else the entire recipe would fall apart! Coconut oil is solid at room temperature and most certainly is solid when chilled. making it the perfect natural binder when used in a recipe- and by the way, don’t be afraid of the saturated fats in coconut oil, they’re all good. Read a little bit more about coconut here if you’re wondering.
For the baked version you simply add a bit of baking powder and add it to the oven! Somedays when I’m craving something a warm treat, I’ll opt for the baked version, otherwise the no-bake version is great when you’re craving a chilled fudge. I hope you like them both and can’t wait to hear which way is your favorite. Baking brownies or incorporating beans of any kind in a dessert seems odd, I know. Just like I know when I added sweet potatoes to chocolate cake; but it’s worth it and so delicious! The beans act as a starch, similar to how a flour would work in baking, but beans have the added bonus of giving a dessert added fiber and protein.
- 1 can (15 ounces) organic chickpeas, well rinsed
- heaping 1/2 cup dried figs
- 1/3 cup almond milk
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1/3 cup cashew butter (may use almond butter)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt
- BAKING VERSION ONLY, add:
- 2 tablespoons almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons flax seed soaked in 3 tablespoons water [url href=”https://nutritionstripped.com/vegan-egg-replacers/” target=”_blank”](vegan egg)[/url]
- NO-BAKE VERSION:
- If your dried figs are not soft, soak them in water for about 30 minutes or until softened.
- Rinse the canned chickpeas very well. Add soaked figs, rinsed chickpeas and all remaining ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth, the end result will be very dense like fudge, if the batter is too thin add more chickpeas or cashew butter. Using a parchment paper lined square baking pan, pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly with a spoon or rubber spatula. Refrigerate this for about 2 hours or until firm. Once chilled, simply lift the parchment paper up, which will also lift the batter in a square form. Using a sharp knife, slice the bar into fourths, starting with a cut down the middle and working your way out. Repeat this horizontally as well as vertically to get the squares. Store in the fridge until cool and enjoy chilled or room temperature.
- BAKING VERSION:
- If your dried figs are not soft, soak them in water for about 30 minutes or until softened.
- Rinse the canned chickpeas very well. Add soaked figs, rinsed chickpeas and all remaining ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth, the end result will be very dense like fudge, if the batter is too thin add more chickpeas or cashew butter. Using a parchment paper lined square baking pan, pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly with a spoon or rubber spatula. Add baking powder and “flax egg” to the blender and blend. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, bake for 30 minutes or until firm, take out of oven to cool before enjoying.
I really hope you try these, they’re such a crowd pleaser! I love seeing your recreations and pictures of you making them, sharing them with friends, etc. Use the #nutritionstripped so I can see and share!
xo McKel
Also, I have really awesome news, the first official Nutrition Stripped Supper Club event is live! I hope all of you who couldn’t make it to the sold out event last weekend can make it this time around! Click here for details of this intimate gathering celebrating whole foods- vegetarian and gluten free.
