A healthy recipe for quinoa blondies that uses almond butter as the base. They're naturally sweetened, gluten-free, vegan and flavored with pumpkin spice!
Before I went gluten-free, blondies were one of my favorite desserts. I wasn't the biggest chocolate fan, so I loved that they were basically a chocolate chip cookie (vanilla base) with little bits of chocolate studded throughout. I never really attempted making them at home until my Almond Butter Quinoa Blondies and since then, these little bars of yumminess have been a staple in my house.
Today I'm sharing a new spin on my quinoa blondies that uses pumpkin spice almond butter to make them the perfect autumn treat!
These blondies are made in just one bowl, are gluten-free, vegan and free from refined sugar!
We start by beating together softened coconut oil, almond butter and coconut sugar, which turns light and fluffy, just like you would with traditional chocolate chip cookies.
For the dry ingredients, the base is quinoa flour. If you aren't the biggest fan of quinoa flour, I would suggest toasting it before baking with it (check out this post to learn how to toast quinoa flour). Personally, I've found that I can't really taste the quinoa flour, so I don't bother with the extra step.
But these are honestly the best texture. You know how sometimes blondies can be a bit dry? These are the opposite. They're ooey-gooey, and they stay soft for days. They've got a little bit of a crunchy top, and much to my delight, the pumpkin spice and chocolate go super well together.
Not to mention, they're wayyyy healthier than the traditional ones. I had three of these the other night after dinner 😉
Your turn…
What sweet treats have you been enjoying lately? Let me know some of your favorites in the comments section below! And if you end up trying this recipe, or any other from the blog, I'd love for you to share a pic on Instagram. Tag @simplyquinoa or use #simplyquinoa so I can find your creation and give you some love in return!
xo Alyssa
More Delicious Quinoa Flour Recipes to try:
- Cinnamon Apple Banana Bread
- Apple Cider Pancakes
- Vegan Almond Butter Brownies
- Vegan Apricot Oatmeal Bars
- Cinnamon Swirl Gluten-Free Coffee Cake
- Healthy Quinoa Carrot Cake
Pumpkin Spice Almond Butter Quinoa Blondies
Ingredients
- ¼ cup coconut oil softened
- ¾ cup pumpkin spice almond butter
- ¾ cup coconut sugar
- 2 flax eggs 2 tbsp flaxseed meal + 5 tbsp water
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup toasted quinoa flour
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8 x 8 baking pan with parchment and set aside.
- Beat together coconut oil and almond butter until creamy. Add sugar, flax eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla, and beat until combined.
- Whisk together dry ingredients and add to wet, mixing until incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Transfer dough to the prepared baking pan and press evenly into the pan. Smooth with your hands then bake on the center rack for 25 - 30 minutes.
- Let cool in pan completely before cutting into squares.
Nutrition
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These look so good! I have a question-I don’t HATE almond butter but I tend to like peanut butter a little more. In your opinion, is almond butter way healthier? Or is there not much of a difference? I know taste and recipe wise you probably COULD use PB instead, but I’m curious about the health factor! Thanks in advance for your thoughts!
Nope! I eat them both interchangeably 🙂 Some are sensitive to peanuts, but you also want to make sure that you always buy organic! And yes, you can totally use it in place of the AB in this recipe 🙂
These look and sound delicious! I can’t wait to make them! The treats I have been enjoying lately are sweet potato brownies (from Chocolate Covered Katie), pumpkin swirl cheesecake (from Minimalist Baker), and pumpkin sugar cookies (also from Minimalist baker). They are all yummy! I’m trying to make the most of pumpkin season.
I love your “what to indulge” “What to read” et section. NOt sure if you have seen the latest data from Havard study on use of Coconut oil to the human body.?? It is worse than lard. So I do not recommend that anybody use it in food or recipes..Please keep that in mind when you post recipes. Thanks for an awesome website with tons of great stuff! LOVE IT!!
I read an article about this research , but it’s based on the outdated research that had “proved” that saturated fat is bad for you and associated with heart risks.It is well proven now that high levels of LDL cholesterol don’t cause cardiovascular diseases. It’s the sugar and the simple starches along with fat that cause the problem. But it will take probably decades before American Heart Association change their guidelines about food. You could check the documentary series “Skinny on fat” and “Heart of the matter” documentary.
14g fat…10g sugar, for one little treat. I’ll pass thank you.
That’s your prerogative! I don’t focus on nutritional values of things but rather the ingredients their made of and how it makes me feel 🙂
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Coconut products, except for coconut flour, increase a person’s cholesterol! I went vegan to lower my cholesterol.
You can swap the coconut oil with avocado oil and the coconut sugar with the sugar you prefer.