Fudgy Chickpea Brownies

Add the drained and rinsed chickpeas to a saucepan and fill with enough water to cover the chickpeas by 1/2 an inch. Sprinkle in the baking soda.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes.

The chickpeas should turn really tender. Drain the chickpeas in a fine mesh strainer but do not rinse.

Transfer the hot chickpeas to a food processor and spread the chickpeas around so they can cool down a bit faster. Allow the chickpeas to cool for 10 minutes before continuing on.

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350F and grease and line a 8×8 square baking dish with parchment paper. Allow the paper to hang up and over the sides for easy removal later on.

Once the chickpeas have cooled, add the maple syrup, sunflower seed butter, vanilla, and milk to the food processor. Blend until smooth.

Add in the oat flour, cocoa powder, and salt and blend again until smooth. The mixture should turn thick, just like brownie batter.

Scoop the batter in the prepared pan and spread it as even as possible.

Bake for 15-17 minutes, then allow the brownies to cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator for another hour or until completely cooled. If you’re storing for longer than an hour, cover the pan before chilling.

For the chocolate ganache, add the chocolate to a heat-safe bowl and the coconut milk to a separate heat-safe measuring glass.

Microwave the milk for about 1 minute, or until bubbling and steaming.

Pour the hot milk over the chocolate and let it sit for 3 minutes.

Then whisk the two together until smooth. Allow the ganache to cool at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes to thicken. (Cooling is an optional step. Otherwise, feel free to pour the thin and warm ganache on top. Either way is fine!)

Once thickened, spread the ganache over the chilled brownies and top with cacao nibs and sea salt (optional). Now slice and enjoy!