Looking for the chickpea cookies from Pinterest or Facebook? Here’s the original recipe! Scroll to the bottom of the post for a how-to recipe video.
Chickpea cookies! Chickpea cookies with no flour, no oil, no white sugar. These are just full of chickpeas. And they’re my very favorite healthy cookie so far!* I don’t know if they really classify as cookies so I’ll go with cookie dough bites.
And as a bonus, they’re grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan. Just in case that matters to anyone out there! And if you’re worried about the chickpeas, don’t be. I don’t like chickpeas and won’t eat them but that didn’t prevent me from inhaling these.
* 2017 update: this post is 5 years old and I have a new favorite. :D You HAVE to try these paleo chocolate chip cookies if you haven’t already! There’s also a vegan option. And for hot summer days, these no-bake oatmeal cookies (naturally gluten-free + vegan) are my favorite!
I used homemade peanut butter in these cookies but store-bought (the kind with just peanuts and salt) works just as well.
Here’s how to make peanut butter! There’s also a video included. All you need is peanuts and a food processor (which you already have to pull out for this chickpea cookie recipe!).
These need the chocolate. Don’t go making them without the chocolate and then tell me that they weren’t sweet or gooey enough! These would be incredibly boring without the chocolate.
And for some weird reason, these cookie dough bites do not taste yummy in dough form. Baking them somehow brings out the sweetness and peanut butter flavor. Or maybe it’s just all that melted chocolate.
One thing I’ve learned since starting this blog is that people really love closeups of melted stuff. So there you go. :)
These aren’t the most beautiful cookie dough bites, but fresh out of the oven, with all that gooey chocolate, I bet you can’t tell that these are made with chickpeas. Or are grain-free. But cold? Yuck. These need to be warm!
You can either freeze the balls and pop a few in the oven whenever it’s on, or simply put them in the microwave until they’re warm and gooey again.
By the way, if you’re a peanut butter lover like I am, you have to try these healthy peanut butter balls. They’re also gluten-free and vegan!
Please read the following before asking a question! It will probably answer it. :)
- Tons of people have posted the nutritional analysis for these. They’re supposedly anywhere between 80-130 calories, which seems like a huge range to me. Please use a recipe analyzer like on CalorieCount if you need more information.
- You can use almond butter, sun butter, or whatever nut butter you like.
- The peanut butter should be the kind with only peanuts and salt. No added fat or sugar.
Be careful because there are some “natural” brands out there which aren’t really natural. I find that this peanut butter is usually expensive so I make my own.
You can make your own in only 5 minutes with a food processor. Check that out here. - Chickpea flour won’t work. I don’t think plain hummus will either.
- I haven’t tried anything other than chickpeas but others have used butter beans, navy beans, red kidney beans, great northern beans, and lentils with success. I generally don’t like goodies made with those types of beans but I love these cookies made with chickpeas. Please use chickpeas unless you have an allergy!
- Doing this in a blender won’t work and might kill the blender. Making these in a Blendtec blender or something equally powerful might work but I haven’t tried it.
- Adding random stuff like eggs… probably won’t work either. ;) Experimenting is great but I think this is a bad recipe to experiment with.
But thanks to the experimenters who left feedback, I’ve been able to update the recipe with alternatives to honey and peanut butter. Thanks everyone!
For my readers who are really sensitive to gluten, you might want to read my post on Is Honey Gluten-free? - For a totally sugar free version, use 30 drops of Stevia and cacao nibs.
- Do not double the recipe! It might be too much for your machine and could damage it.
- For a vegan version, you can’t use honey. Use agave.
- For a dairy-free version, use Enjoy Life chocolate chips. They’re just as delicious as regular chocolate chips. SO good!
And thanks for everyone who has pinned and left feedback. I really appreciate it. :)
Want more gluten-free treats? Here are some of my favorites!
Grain-free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites (gluten-free with vegan and dairy-free options)
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Ready in:
- Yield: 14 1" cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups canned chickpeas, well-rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel1
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (165 grams) natural peanut butter, SunButter Natural or almond butter - room temperature2
- 1/4 cup (80 grams) honey (agave or maple syrup for vegan)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder3
- a pinch of salt if your peanut butter doesn't have salt in it
- 1/2 cup (90 grams) chocolate chips (use vegan and dairy-free chocolate chips, if needed)
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F / 175°C. Combine all the ingredients, except for the chocolate chips, in a food processor and process until very smooth. Make sure to scrape the sides and the top to get the little chunks of chickpeas and process again until they're combined.
- Put in the chocolate chips and stir it if you can, or pulse it once or twice. The mixture will be very thick and sticky.
- With wet hands, form into 1 1/2" balls. Place onto a Silpat or a piece of parchment paper. If you want them to look more like normal cookies, press down slightly on the balls. They don't do much rising.
- Bake for about 10 minutes. The dough balls will still be very soft when you take them out of the oven. They will not set like normal cookies.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature (or in the fridge) for up to 1 week.
Notes
- My can of chickpeas was 400 grams, 240 grams without the water, and I used all but a few tablespoons.
- Don't even try with regular peanut butter! They'll come out oily. You MUST use natural peanut butter. :)
- If you need grain-free baking powder, you can use 1 part cream of tartar + 1 part baking soda + 2 parts arrowroot.
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2106 comments on “The Original Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites Recipe (aka Chickpea Cookies)” — Add one!
37 comments are awaiting moderation!
I’ve got some dates that need using..do you think these could be injected with date caramel once baked?
I haven’t tried it, but I think they might crumble. Sorry I can’t say for sure! If you do try, please report back. :)
I have a question about the peanut butter. I have both but the natural separates and always seems much oilier than the regular. Just wondering how it makes so much of a difference in what you use.
Hi! Check out note 2 below the recipe. ;) Just stir together your natural peanut butter before using it. Don’t use the regular stuff.
maybe a silly question, but can natural almond butter work as well?? this looks like my dream recipe by the way
Yes, you can! I listed it in the questions section. ;) Not silly! I hope that you’ll enjoy them!
i can’t believe i was that person who asked a question about something listed lol. i jumped the gun after reading the note about regular peanut butter! anywho i made these last night and they were wonderful, thank you so much!
Haha. No worries! I’m glad you liked them. :D
I just realized that I can make these during Passover (our diet allows for beans), and I’m SO STINKIN’ HAPPY.
I love this recipe, honestly. I keep them in the freezer, and when I want one (okay, or two), I pop them into the microwave for about 30 seconds and they’re ooey-gooey perfect.
I just made these again. This time with half the amount of chocolate, and I used 80%. I did one without chocolate to try, and while it wasn’t AS nice, it’s still pretty good for a protein snack (which is my goal). I calculated the nutritional info according to my labels, here there are (the amounts in brackets are without chocolate):
per serving
102.44 kcal (88.49 kcal)
6.66g fats (5.53g)
1.35g saturated fats (0.68g)
6.13g carbs (5.6g)
1.62g fiber (1.22g)
3.47g protein (3.22g)
These are AMAZING! Oh my god. I didn’t expect that when I took them out the oven, looking a little bit less than impressive. I varied the style across the 12 balls I made, from balls, to squashed balls with a spoon, to cookies flattened with a fork pattern. The whole affair was very messy and sticky, and due to the chocolate starting to melt after mixing in I didn’t roll them very neatly in the first place. But none of that matters! I’d be interested to see how good they taste without as much or any chocolate, to be a bit healthier.
One question – have you calculated the approximate amount of protein in each cookie?
I’m so glad that you liked them, despite their less than appetizing look. ;) I think they’re much better with the chocolate but some reviewers have made them without and enjoyed them. I don’t know the amount of protein but in the questions section at the end of the post, I linked to a recipe analyzer. :) Thanks a bunch for your feedback!
I followed the recipe exactly and they came out perfectly. Amazingly delicious.
I’m so happy that you liked them! Thanks for your feedback. :)
How many calories are there in these?
Check out the first question in the questions section. :)
Hi Erin- I make these all the time and love them. Was curious how you store them? Sealed container? Out in the open? I find in a sealed container they almost seem wet. Would love to know how you do it to keep them consistent.
I keep them in an airtight container. That’s strange they seemed wet for you! Had they really completely cooled? That’s the only thing I can think of!
Hi. I made these, as suggested by an interview done on the “Half size me” podcast. The guest speaker mentioned these specific cookies and by noon the same they were coming out of my oven!
I wanted to say in contrast to your tastes, I do think they are delicious raw! I also prefer them out of the fridge as opposed to warmed. My husband liked them warm though!
I used “Santa Barbara Chocolate” chips, which are one ingredient only, and the honey.
I will be making this so often. It is a great breakfast food, too! Thanks! Excited to look at the rest of your recipes now. :) Yum!
I’m so sorry for just now seeing your comment! How cool that the cookies were mentioned in a podcast. That’s always fun to hear so thanks for letting me know. I’m glad that you enjoyed them chilled and raw! I wish I did. ;) Thanks for the tip on the chips! I hadn’t heard of those. I hope you’ll enjoy the other recipes. :) Sorry again for my slow reply!
Hi, Is there a peanut butter substitute? I would love to make these for my daughter to take to school but it’s a nut free school. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you
Hi! Yes, sunflower seed butter is listed in the recipe. :)
Hello I am from Russia. I really enjoy recipe. Just made et. I wondering, how long take cookies to set after being ovened. Great recipe, I hope all my children will like it. Thank you, look forward to respons :]
Hello! I don’t remember exactly how long but would guess 2-3 hours? I hope your kids liked them. :)
I have made them with tahini too, and it is yummy. I added cocoa and coconut sugar too though. Chocolaty and yummy. Thank you Erin.
You’re welcome! I’m so glad that they work well with tahini. :) Thanks a bunch for your feedback!
Amazing! I’ve made this recipe many many times and it never fails. Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m glad to hear that you’ve been enjoying the recipe. :)
These look great. Thanks for sharing. I have PB powder and was wondering if I could sub that in for traditional nut butter. If so, what would be the conversion? I also have dried chickpeas, but I imagine I can soak/prep those for use in place of canned.
I’m sorry for just now seeing your question! If your PB powder is meant as a sub for peanut butter, then follow the directions for the product so that you have 10 tablespoons of peanut butter. And yes, you can use your dried chickpeas that you then soak and prep. I hope you’ll enjoy the cookies! Sorry again for my slow reply.
Soo good! I’ve made this recipe twice. I love how quick and simple it is. First time i followed it exactly. 2nd time I was running low on natural pb and had to sub in half regular pb, so it was a mix of Adams natural and Great Value smooth pb. The half regular pb batch came out with an oilier consistency. If I hadn’t made the all-natural batch I doubt I would have really noticed (chocolate+peanut butter = yum! Regardless of texture), but being able to compare them I definitely prefer the natural batch. My Husband wasn’t bothered by the oilier consistency of the second batch and noted that it was “more peanut buttery” which he liked, so to each their own.
Thanks for sharing your comparison notes! Regular peanut butter definitely makes them oily. I’m glad that you and your husband both liked them. :) Thanks again for your comment!
hi, i’m sure you’ve answered this, but can you tell me the best way to freeze these? baked? dough in a blob, etc.. thanks. theses cookies are fabulous and even my teens like them!!
I’m so glad that you and your teens enjoyed them! You can freeze them both ways – whatever works best for you. If freezing them baked, just reheat them at half power in the microwave until they’re soft and gooey again. :) Thanks a bunch for your comment and sorry for my slow reply. Things have been crazy around here!