Kid-Favorite Vegan Blondies with Chocolate Chips

These ridiculously delicious and super easy vegan blondies are made without eggs or butter and are made with all whole grain flour and you'd never know it! Plus, they are 100% kid-approved!

Believe it or not, these are high in fiber, loaded with all kinds of 'good for you' ingredients, AND are still everything your kids love about blondies (your kids will probably call these cookie bars or maybe even 'brookies', you know, the combination of a brownie and a cookie - go with it!)!

And now that I think about it, these bad boys would even make a tasty and unexpected high fiber snack for kids! Or dessert, of course! And, if your kids don't have egg or dairy allergies, you can also make my cookie bar recipe!

My favorite thing about this recipe is that they are safe for kids with egg and dairy allergies as long as dairy-free chocolate chips are used (most are). And because they are made with olive oil instead of 'vegan butter', the batter is also soy-free (just be sure to use chocolate chips that are soy-free if you need to), as some kids with a milk allergy may also have a reaction to soy.

My apple crumble recipe is another kid-approved dessert option and it just so happens to be vegan, too!

about this recipe

Whether making these for a crowd or for your family, these blondies make the perfect addition to everything from lunch boxes to summer barbeque spreads. It's amazing that these are made without eggs and without butter AND still taste so good! I even surprised myself when I created this recipe!

• The batter is egg-free, dairy-free, and soy-free.
• Chia seeds soaked in water form a gel and is used in place of eggs in this recipe. This gel is sometimes referred to as a 'chia egg'.
• Olive oil is used in place of butter.
• Oat flour helps to balance out the white whole wheat flour in this recipe.
• If your child has food allergies, be sure to always check food labels and use chocolate chips that are free of the allergens. For instance, Trader Joe's semi-sweet chocolate chips are dairy-free, while their dark chocolate chips are dairy-free and made without soy as an ingredient.
• These can be made mixing by hand or you can use a hand-mixer or stand-mixer.

ingredient notes

• White whole wheat Flour Unbleached and high in fiber. It has a milder flavor, lighter color, and softer texture than whole wheat flour.
• Oat flour Provides soluble fiber and helps balance out the texture and flavor of white whole wheat flour (in my opinion anyway, haha!).
• Chia seeds Some say these are the richest plant source of omega-3's. They are also a complete protein, providing all of the essential amino acids. Essential amino acids are the amino acids that you can only get from what you eat and drink.
• Olive oil Use extra virgin olive oil. Contains healthy fats.
• Baking soda Used for leavening. Avoid overmixing the batter so the baking soda can do its job.
• Sugar Used for structure and flavor. For the brown sugar, either light or brown sugar can be used. The color and flavor of the blondies will vary slightly depending on which brown sugar you use. Either way, they are delicious!
• Salt For flavor and to help activate the baking soda. Do not leave out the salt.
• Vanilla Because this recipe is made with a lot of high fiber ingredients, adding vanilla really enhances the flavor of this recipe.

Step-by-step instructions

Here's a quick over view of the steps to make these vegan blondies. For the full list of ingredients and instructions, scroll down to the recipe.

1. Preheat oven and line a bar pan with parchment baking paper.
2. In a small bowl, add chia seeds and water. Stir then let soak while you measure out the rest of the ingredients (should sit for 5-10 minutes to form a gel).
3. In a separate bowl, add both flours (white whole wheat and oat), baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
4. In a medium mixing bowl, add sugar, brown sugar, olive oil, and vanilla. Mix well. This can be done by hand using a whisk or by using the paddle attachment in a stand-mixer.
5. Add the chia and water mixture (it should have a gel-like consistency). Mix well.
6. Add half of the flour mixture. Mix in.
7. Add the rest of the flour mixture and mix just until all flour is incorporated.
8. Add chocolate chips and fold into the batter.
9. Spread the batter out evenly on the lined bar pan. Use the palm of your hand to press and spread the batter out evenly. There will be room on the sides for the batter to expand.
10. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges start to brown (for me it took 22 minutes).
11. Let cool, cut into pieces, and serve!

Expert tips and FAQs

• Eggs can be used in place of the chia and water combination, if desired (the batter will no longer be egg-free).
• Flax seeds can be used in place of chia seeds. They would be an equal substitution and would also need to be soaked in water for at least five minutes.
• All-purpose flour can be used instead of either the white whole wheat or oat flour (the recipe will be lower in fiber).
• Using dark brown sugar will cause these blondies to be darker in color compared to when using light brown sugar. I have made these both ways and my kids couldn't tell the difference in flavor.
• Be sure to let the chia sit in water for at least 5-10 minutes to form a gel. This will help with the structure of the blondies.
• The parchment paper is used to make the blondies easier to cut and for less mess. You may choose to grease the bar pan well instead of using parchment paper if you prefer.