This recipe turned out better than expected and I wanted to share it with you along with something that I have been reading the past few days.

Food is nutritious, not “good” or “bad”

Since we are all humans and love the idea of black and white, the good and the bad, the yin and yang, we also have the tendency to divide food into “good” and “bad” or “healthy” and “unhealthy”. But I just wanted to tell you that food is FOOD. It is supposed to give you energy to support your body and let it move and flourish throughout the day. It is not something that you should be afraid of. The act of eating itself is beautiful and the idea that there are certain foods that one should NOT eat is awful. And if, by any chance, he does eat something “bad”- feelings of guilt and anxiety may follow (and compensatory behaviour afterwards). Using different negative associations with food is the perfect way to gain a strong, restrictive mindset around eating, which can lead to disordered eating patterns and health issues in the long-term.

No. Food is not there to be used as a moral compass. If you have eaten a bar of chocolate- you are not bad and this definitely does not change your value as a person. The only “bad” or “unhealthy” food would be the one that you are allergic to or the one that leads to health issues (e.g. gluten if you have coeliac disease).

Foods are neutral and they can only be described using their nutrient density. If you suffer from iron-deficiency anaemia, you should be aware of the foods high in iron. But if you are not- there is definitely no need to pursuit a diet full of iron-rich sources. Everyone is different. Everyone has different dietary needs, desires and preferences. Thus, putting a label on food (good/bad/healthy/unhealthy/clean/dirty) is just oversimplifying the science of nutrition and it does not address the complexity of people’s relationship with food.

Food can be nutritious, not healthy or unhealthy. Your diet can be healthy, and this does not mean that it excludes all kinds of “bad” foods. It means that it consists of nutritious foods (full of vitamins and minerals), balanced amounts of all macronutrients (carbohydrates, fat, protein) and less-nutritious foods/food products in moderation. If your body craves something- give it to it. If you have a pizza night out with friends- go and enjoy it. Free yourself from all negative associations around eating since this is a cycle of rules and restrictions that result in guilt and stress.

The recipe

Now, let’s get back to the recipe. This is a nutritious dessert with balanced macronutrients that is surprisingly easy to make and in the same time- delicious.

I decided to give it a try because I used the aquafaba from my can of chickpeas for another recipe and I was left with too many chickpeas.

Make sure you leave the blondie to cool down before you cut and serve it. I even put a towel on top when I got it out of the oven to keep it moist.

You can also put more coconut tahini on top or more agave syrup if you want it sweeter.

I got 8 portions, each one containing 129kcal, 6g fat, 12g carbs and 6g protein (without the chopped chocolate).

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Print Recipe

Blondie with tahini and chickpeas

Nutritious and balanced snack to satisfy both your soul and body needs.

Course

Guilt-free desserts

Keyword

cake, food revolution, guilt-free desserts, health, healthbenefits, healthy recipes, no added sugar, recipe

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

40 minutes

Servings

portions

Ingredients

• 280 grams chickpeas drained
• 80 ml spelt milk or other
• 70 ml water
• 50 grams cashew tahini I used Theia's tahini
• 25 grams coconut tahini I used Theia's tahini
• 10 grams protein powder I used chocolate protein powder for sweetness
• vanilla essence
• 5 drops flavour drops I used hazelnut
• 1/2 tsp apple vinegar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp soda bicarb
• pinch of salt
• 50 grams coconut flour
• chopped chocolate I used 70%

Course Guilt-free desserts Keyword cake, food revolution, guilt-free desserts, health, healthbenefits, healthy recipes, no added sugar, recipe Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 40 minutes Servings portions Ingredients 280 grams chickpeas drained 80 ml spelt milk or other 70 ml water 50 grams cashew tahini I used Theia's tahini 25 grams coconut tahini I used Theia's tahini 10 grams protein powder I used chocolate protein powder for sweetness vanilla essence 5 drops flavour drops I used hazelnut 1/2 tsp apple vinegar 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp soda bicarb pinch of salt 50 grams coconut flour chopped chocolate I used 70%

Instructions

1. Drain and wash the canned chickpeas (you can save the liquid for another recipe).
2. Preheat your oven to 170C.
3. In a cup, mix the milk, apple vinegar and water.
4. In a blender, put the chickpeas, the liquid from the cup and the two types of tahini.
5. Blend.
6. Then, add the agave syrup, vanilla essence, flavour drops, soda, baking powder, salt, protein powder.
7. Blend again.
8. Lastly, add the coconut flour.
9. Blend once again.
10. Chop the chocolate that you want to use.
11. Mix it with a spoon (do not blend!)
12. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 40 minutes (maybe more) on 170-180C.
13. Let it cool before you cut it and serve it.
14. You can cover with a towel to keep it moist.
15. You can also put more coconut tahini on top or more agave syrup if you like it sweeter.

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