Choc Pumpkin Blondies
12 SERVINGS
MAKE TIME: 30 mins
Blondies are the perfect balance of chewy and cakey. Loaded with chocolate chips, these blondie bars are a fun autumn/fall-inspired treat to make for your family! Blondies are exactly what they sound like: the blonde version of a brownie. Just like brownies, they can range anywhere from cakey to chewy in texture. In this recipe (which I’d say is a 50/50 in terms of chewy and cakey-ness), the pumpkin easily shines through and the chickpeas create a moorish chew. This recipe is the perfect way to sneak some veg into veggie haters’ diets!
Jap pumpkins are considered the “FODMAP friendly variety”. They’re the Halloween style pumpkins you come across in most farmer’s markets / supermarkets, and they tend to be cheaper than their butternut counterpart (YES!) Pumpkins are an excellent source of vitamin A and a rich source of vitamin C, potassium, and dietary fibre. They have been linked with the prevention of cancer, the promotion of lung health due to their beta-cryptoxanthin content (which is the orange-red carotenoid responsible for their flesh colour).
Nourishing Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups (or 1 can) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1/3 cup pumpkin puree (steamed jap pumpkin skin removed, mashed with a fork, cooled)
- ½ tbsp pure maple or rice malt syrup (or to taste)
- 1/3 cup quinoa flakes (alternatively used wheat free oats)
- 1/4 cup peanut, macadamia, or sunflower seed butter
- 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
To Create:
- Line an 20cm x 20cm pan with baking paper or grease with coconut oil
- Preheat an oven to 180°C
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas very well
- Process all ingredients except the chocolate chips in a food processor or blend in a high-speed blender until completely smooth (note: I prefer to use a food processor for this)
- Mix in the chocolate chips
- Spread the blondie batter into the prepared pan, press a few chocolate chips into the top, sprinkle over any seeds of choice (I like a mixture of sunflower and sesame), and bake on the centre rack for 25-30 minutes
- They should be warm and gooey when you take them out of the oven
- Keep these stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days


Sharon Rosenrauch
Sharon AKA the FODMAP friendly vegan has post-graduate degrees in Psychology, Nutrition and Behavioural Economics. In her early career, she worked in the private sector as a consultant and for large multinational organisations such as Apple before making a return to academia as the senior organisational and health psychology researcher at several large Australian universities. In the background she was working away on her Masters of Nutrition (where she graduated Dux), fascinated by the mind-gut connection. It was around this time that she decided to turn her passion – promoting a holistic approach to nutrition – into a side business, and so came the creation of The FODMAP Friendly Vegan. As is stands Sharon has published two multi-award winning recipe eBooks, has several publications in prestigious academic journals, and nowadays works for Federal Government applying behavioural sciences to improve policy and program outcomes.