Peanut Butter Butterscotch Blondies

Today, lets talk about the balance between treating yourself & eating clean…

Had to.

 

I recently began Kayla Itsines Bikini Body Guide Program to kick my workout routine up a notch. I could write one whooole blog post on the program (and I plan to recap if ONCE I finish it!) but basically it’s a 12-week fitness program to target fat loss & reaaally give you those sexy defined ab/arm/leg muscles. More info here.

I’ve attempted it before and it completely kicked my butt. I made it 8 whole weeks before I decided it was too intense while doing a speed development program.

Well, I decided to give BBG a second try because I was struck with some serious motivation after seeing the progress a few girlfriends of mine were making. I really loved the changes I saw in only two months—my arms especially. I’m excited to see where three gets me!

I’m on week two now and restarting Kayla’s program got me thinking of how intimidating the diet aspect of getting fit can be. As much as you want to see progress, twelve weeks is a REALLY long time to stay on a strict diet and temptations are everywhere!

Getting in shape is 80% in your diet and 20% in your workouts. You’ve heard the saying ‘abs are made in the kitchen’..? It’s SO true.

My biggest pitfall is probably how often I treat myself. Dessert is just the best and I can’t help myself! 😉 A little here and a little there won’t hurt. But a lot of a little here and little there adds up. I think I’ve pin-pointed my little dilemma…

So obviously I’m always looking for healthier alternatives to my favorite desserts. Today I’m sharing one of my FAVORITE treats that seriously satisfies my sweet tooth.

If you didn’t guess by my blog name, blondies are my ISHHH. Specifically, these Peanut Butter Butterscotch Blondies.

I don’t know what it is about these two flavors… I love them. And together they’re insanely delicious. If you haven’t tried them together, you’re missing out! They’re the perfect salty & sweet combo.

These PB BS (ha) Blondies remind me of something your grandmother would bake but without the butter, brown sugar and NO FLOUR. A.k.a healthified. Say whaaa?

They’re packed with protein and healthy fats, and the ingredients are far cleaner than your regular store-bought blondies. But they taste SO indulgent you wouldn’t know the base ingredient..

They’re made from chickpeas. Yep. And I promise they do not taste like chickpeas AT ALL. They are soft, peanut-buttery amazingness.  In fact, I challenge whoever is reading this to bake them and give them to their family/friends/coworkers/whoever without even mentioning the main ingredient. I GUARANTEE they will rave about them.

All of the flavor; none of the guilt. I promiseeee. You ready?

INGREDIENTS:

• Coconut Oil (to grease glass dish)
• 8′ x 8’ glass baking dish
• 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, rinsed
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (or honey)
• 1/4 cup flax seed
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 cup butterscotch chips

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease glass dish with coconut oil. Place all ingredients (except butterscotch chips) in a high-powered blender or food processor. Blend until the everything turns to batter. If the batter sticks, scrape the sides and blend until smooth. Fold in butterscotch chips & mix until evenly distributed. Pour batter into greased dish. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean. The edges should be slightly browned.

Who knew a can of chickpeas would give Betty Crocker a run for her money?

XO,
Julia

Recipe Adapted from Ambitious Kitchen