Chickpea Blondies

The most satisfying hormone-balancing dessert for your cravings

Tired of being a crash out over luteal phase cravings every month? Same.

This is the type of recipe that makes my big head bigger. It's that good on the pallet and dealing with luteal.

If I'm going to be down bad for snackies, it's always in luteal phase. This is a very common reaction because of a few things:

• Blood sugar is more likely to fluctuate in luteal. And when we have a blood sugar crash, the cravings center of our brain lights up in an animalistic way that makes it nearly impossible to not reach for something high, simple sugar or fat.

• Progesterone enters the chat. This hormone makes us hungrier (whereas estrogen suppresses appetite). It is normal and supportive towards your body to eat more during luteal. The progesterone also influences serotonin levels aka your mood stabilizer. So if you experience a serotonin drop in luteal? You're more likely to be moody and grabby towards sugar.

• Your body is using up magnesium like it's going extinct. If your magnesium levels become depleted? You're running for that chocolate.

• A lack of sweetness in life. Luteal phase is often vilified because it is difficult to meet the expectations of the big back, patriarchal, capitalist world in a luteal body. This is fucking frustrating. And sometimes the uncomfortable nature of this phase prompts us to look for a quick hit of joy in our comfort foods.

All of these circumstances have a whole food solution, but first I want you to recognize: there are greater forces at play when cravings wild out.

You are not weak. You are not undisciplined. Your body is doing what it does.

The best path forward is to remove shame and be real with what is going on. In this awareness? It's easier to make loving food choices.

Also I think you should have your cake and eat it too. In moderation. Sugar and sweetness are part of the human experience for a reason. I'm not a big "healthy" dessert person because if I'm going to have something? I want to freely enjoy myself. Like ya give me the big scoop of tiramisu at Onda Pasta Bar with two spoons to split with the one I love.

Half the time healthy dessert recipes are marketed in a way that makes you think you can eat those foods everyday when in actuality there is still an impact on the body. At the end of the day, glucose is glucose. And if you don't protect your blood sugar? You're going to spike and crash.

Rant aside, today the healthy dessert ban is lifted because I had an abundance of chickpeas.

This is the way I like to make a dessert recipe: adding powerful ingredients that enhance the flavor + textural food experience. Let's maximize the potential of food rather than being afraid of it.

One more time for the people in the back: this is mmmm mmmm good.

My body continued to feel alive and well eating it alongside all the other luteal phase supportive recipes I ate this week. So I'm super excited to put you on.

The miso cream is optional but it does 10x the deliciousness experience.

• Luteal Phase Recipe

  For a 9 x 12 pan

  3 cups chickpeas

  1/2 cup brown sugar

  1/4 cup nut butter of your choice

  1/4 cup evoo

  1 egg

  1 teaspoon vanilla

  1 teaspoon baking powder

  Pinch of salt

  1 bar of dark chocolate (100-200g)

  For the miso whip:

  250 grams heavy whipping cream, preferably cold

  1 tablespoon honey

  1 teaspoon miso

  Pinch of salt

• Let her cook for luteal...

  Step 1: Prep
  Set oven to 180°C (350°F). Line your baking pan with parchment paper.

  Step 2: Blitz the chickpeas
  Get out the food processor. Start by only adding the chickpeas. Blitz until mostly smooth.

  Step 3: Combine
  Add the rest of your ingredients except the chocolate. Blend until well combined.

  Step 4: Chop the chocolate
  Chop your dark chocolate bar into rough chunky pieces. Opting for the bar + chop over chocolate chips? It gives you that chef look in a home kitchen and also gives you more brand variety to choose from.

  Step 5: Mix
  Add half the chopped chocolate to the batter and stir in with a spoon.

  Step 6: To the pan
  Pour the batter into your lined pan. Sprinkle the rest of the chocolate evenly over the top.

  Step 7: Bake
  I like it a little underdone and more fudgy. For this texture, bake for 25 minutes. The top should be golden brown and if you stick a toothpick in it comes out clean.

  For a cakier, texture leave in for another 10 minutes.

  Step 8: Cool + set
  Sprinkle flaky salt on top of the blondies. Let cool completely, then place in the fridge to set.

  Step 9: Make the miso whip
  While the blondies cool, make the miso whip. Whip the cream with a mixer or hand blender if you're blessed. Otherwise? Manually whip until you have stiff peaks, put your back into it.

  Gently fold in the honey, miso, and salt. Taste and adjust flavors to your preference.

  Step 10: Serve
  When it is time to eat scoop a generous heap of the cream into a bowl. Place the blondie on top. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil for blood sugar support and vibes.

  Enjoy, experiment, heal!

Love this recipe? We got more in the back.

This is just one of 50+ phase specific recipes inside the Cycle Syncing Recipe Library.

When you join, you get:

• Recipes that meet the needs of every phase (follicular, ovulation, luteal, menstrual)

• Intentional Ingredient breakdowns to build your food medicine knowledge

• Phase specific guidance in the kitchen including best cooking methods, meal prep, and pantry set up

• New recipes added weekly that center pleasure, nervous system regulation, and accessibility

• Monthly virtual cook alongs with the community

Join the Cycle Syncing Recipe Library.