Almond Croissant Protein Blondies
Made with protein packed chickpeas, these almond croissant protein blondies make for a sweet and tasty breakfast or healthier snack. They are easy to whip up in the blender or a food processor, and use a staple (yet often missed) ingredient to make them truly taste like your favorite almond croissant!
Servings: 16
Calories: 276kcal
Ingredients
- 2 15oz cans chickpeas, drained
- 1 cup almond butter or cashew butter
- ⅔ cup pure maple syrup or honey or agave
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup hemp hearts hulled hemp seeds
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- zest from 1 orange reserve ¼ teaspoon for topping
- ⅓ cup sliced almonds
- Coarse sea salt for sprinkling, optional
Almond Paste Topping
- 3 tablespoon almond butter
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- ¼ teaspoon orange zest
- ½ cup almond flour
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x9 or 8x8 pan with parchment paper or spray with non-stick spray.
- Make the topping by mixing all the ingredients together with a fork or your hands until a paste-like crumble forms. Set this aside for later. Reserve the egg white to make our baked oatmeal!
- Use a food processor or blender to blend the 2 15oz cans chickpeas, drained, ⅔ cup pure maple syrup4 teaspoons vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon almond extract into a paste. Then transfer to a bowl and mix with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup almond butter, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ cup hemp hearts, and zest from 1 orange until a thick batter forms.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread to the edges into an even layer. Top with the almond paste topping and lightly swirl it into the top of the batter just to get it sort of mixed into the batter top. Top with ⅓ cup sliced almonds and bake for 20-25 minutes or until it's golden brown and a tooth pick inserted comes out clean. If the topping starts to get too brown, you can set a piece of foil on top for the last 5-10 minutes of baking.
- Let them cool for 15 minutes before slicing. Top with course sea salt just before serving.
Notes
Storage:
Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. They are tasty cold or warm!
Freezer: Freeze in a sealed container for up to 3 months. Let thaw at room temp or warm in the microwave for 15-20 seconds.
Freezer: Freeze in a sealed container for up to 3 months. Let thaw at room temp or warm in the microwave for 15-20 seconds.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bar | Calories: 276kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 812mg | Potassium: 367mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g