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!
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Has anyone made these with white choc chips, as I am allergic to cocoa, so cannot eat normal choc chips?
Am really looking forward to trying with white choc chips, I guess they will be the same…….
White chocolate chips would work fine but they might not melt the same. But they should still taste good! :)
I tried them with Stevia and Cacao Nibs. I don’t recommend the Cacao Nibs because, they don’t melt :(. I too found peeling the chick peas better….I simply lightly “scrubbed” them with the paper towel I used to dry them and the peel slid right off them! I will try them again with real choc chips as you recommend….
Sorry your cacao nibs didn’t melt! I’ll add that to the notes section. Thanks for the tip!
If I use my Viamix, would I use my dry bowl or liquid?
I honestly have no idea. The dough is like a thick paste. It won’t be runny at all so I guess the dry one?
The cookies look nothing like they do in the images above. The chocolate chips are supposed to melt but for some reason they didn’t. The cookies are ok, just to much peanut butter.
I’m afraid you need to find another brand of chocolate chips if yours didn’t melt.
Made these last night. I had my husband and all the kids have one. My littlest absolutely loves them. Hubby and two oldest just say that they are ok. But this morning, my three youngest are eating them cold, and loving them. I messed up the recipe and added the chocolate chips too early. Apparently to some people that doesn’t matter.
Hehe. I’m happy that they worked out in the end! And I’m happy that the chocolate chips didn’t hurt your food processor. I’m always paranoid about that! Thanks so much for the feedback. :)
Just made my first batch of these cookies and they are delicious. I substituted Agave sugar for the honey but followed everything else.
Would definitely make again!
I’m happy that you liked them! Thanks for the feedback. :)
I just wanted to share that I did make those cookies with chickpea flour (I didn’t have whole chickpeas in my pantry) and they came out nice and chewy and held form. I used a combination of chickpea flour, almond meal and some flaxseed meal as a binder. Here is the photo :)
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10100443048514035&set=pcb.10100443048708645&type=1&theater
Thanks for sharing! I’m happy that they came out for you. And wow, they look totally different. Interesting! :)
I made these and used unsweetened almond milk and about 4-5 tablespoons of xylitol in place of the honey. They are WONDERFUL!!! Thank you for sharing!
I’m so happy that xylitol worked out for you! :) How much milk did you use? If you let me know, I can add make a note in the recipe about it as a low carb version. Thanks so much for the tip and the rating! :)
What was the almond milk in place of?
Wondering about ur substitute for baking powder. I have used the cream of tarter and baking soda for years because of the aluminum. Why do you suggest arrowroot in addition. I am not familiar with it. Thanks
I use regular baking powder but have read about this sub for grain-free baking powder. If you use cream of tartar and baking soda with no problem… use that! :)
Seriously, These are the most amazing cookies ever!!! kids love them, and loved the dough!!! THANK YOU!!!
I’m so happy to hear that you and the kids liked the cookies and the dough, too! I don’t have kids but I imagine it must feel nice to give them something dessert-like that isn’t *too* bad for them. :D And thank you for the review! :)
How many people really own a food processor?! I don’t! Is there any other way to make them?
Erin says that this will kill your blender, and if you’re not careful it probably would, but I’ve made them successfully 6 times now (her recipe twice and other variations 4 times) in my Oester blender from Walmart and it can do the job. I find that I have to stop and stir with a rubber spatula every 10-30 seconds depending on what ingredients I’m using. It takes a bit longer, and it’s noisy, but it works for me.
It helps if the chickpeas are a bit overcooked because they’re softer that way (if you use canned from the store, cook them before blending; if you use dried, boil them for 1.5-2 hours after rehydrating rather than 1 hour). It also helps if they are room temperature; refrigerated beans are firmer and harder on the blender.
As soon as I have the opportunity, I’m going to get a food processor because I can see TONS of uses for it. However, my blender has done well in the interim. Good luck!
I just used my ninja blender, stopped once to scrap sides after a minute or so. I could tell it taxed it slightly. but it came out fine and the blender still works. I made my own peanut butter earlier today, and used that, the recipe said if you use a blender it could take up to 8 minutes. i think it took my blender maybe 3.
Thanks so much for this recipe – I’ve made them about 5 times now! Because of your tip to eat them hot, I’ve been making them into balls and then keeping them in the fridge covered in cling wrap. I’ve found they taste more flavoursome after being in the fridge for 1 or 2 days – maybe because the ingredients soak into each other? I’m using bought peanut butter so maybe it needs a bit longer for the flavour to come through?
Wow, I’m happy that you enjoy them so much, Kirsten! Do you mean that you keep the uncooked dough in the refrigerator and then bake them, and then they’re more flavorful than when you just bake them immediately after mixing together? Sounds interesting! A lot of normal chocolate chip cookie recipes recommend chilling the dough for a few days so maybe the same thing is happening here. I’ll have to try that out! Thanks a ton for your feedback and the rating! :)
Yep – I’ve been putting the uncooked dough balls in the fridge and then baking them when friends come over. They always seem to taste better than when I bake the first batch straight after mixing. I’m on maternity leave so it’s too dangerous to be baking the whole batch at once even if I tell myself it’s just chickpeas :)
Ah, okay. That makes sense! And they are just chickpeas but peanut butter isn’t exactly a low calorie food so it’s a good system you have. ;) I’ll definitely refrigerate some of the dough next time. Thanks for the tip!
I just want to say these are insanely delicious !!! I love love love chickpeas so cold warm frozen this recipe is delicious either way!!! I wanted to share if anyone didnt know if you peel the chickpeas first ( I do this with hummus too n it’s great ) it makes for the creamiest smoothest batter !! Thank you for a great recipe !!! I will be making again n sharing with everyone this great recipe !
Yay! I’m so happy that you liked them, Janelle! Thanks for the peeling trick. Sounds like a good idea! And thanks a ton for your feedback. :)
For anyone in weight watchers or looking for an even lower fat version, I substituted the peanut butter with PB2. I made an equivalent amount. Makes the bites only 2 points plus each!
Thanks for the info! And thanks for the rating, too. :)
Holy cow! These cookies are amazing! I went into this recipe like it was an experiment, but they rival any traditional cookie recipe in taste! I used 1/2 c PB and 2 T almond butter and half chocolate chips and half PB chips. DELISH! Highly recommend the recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Peanut butter chips?! Oh yum! How has anyone not tried that before?! Thanks for the idea. :) And thanks a bunch for the rating and the feedback!
Just made these tonight with homemade peanut butter-they were very good and will make again. :)
I’m happy you liked them! :)
These seem like they would be the perfect midnight snack! I need to try them! (:
I hope you do try them! Let me know how they come out if you give them a try. :)
These were tasty, but I cooked them an extra 5 minutes. I thought they tasted better cold than warm, since then the chocolate taste was stronger – when warm the peanut taste dominated too much. I used dark block chocolate cut in large chunks.
Well I’m happy you enjoyed them cold! That’s great. :) And chocolate chunks sounds great. That’s what I used, too! Thanks for the feedback. :)
These look really delicious? Can I use chickpea flour? and if so, how much is needed?
Nope, like I said in the post, that won’t work. I hope you can find chickpeas! :)
Never have used natural PB…I noticed oil floating on top in the jar…do you pour it off then scoop and measure…or mix together then scoop and measure? Was hoping someone had this same question when reading the comments…these look amazing!
Hi Gayle! The oil at the top is completely normal. Mix it together first and then measure. I hope you’ll enjoy the cookies! :)
I saw a picture of these on instagram and asked for the recipe and was lead over here. I have always been skeptical of chickpea cookie recipes but I had ALL the ingredients and no sweets to eat so I figured why not. SERIOUSLY the most amazing cookie I’ve ever had. I used agave nectar. Completely vegan. YUM YUM YUM! Thank you! This is a keeper for sure.
Wow! Thanks a bunch for your very positive feedback. :) I’m so happy that you liked these cookies and who wouldn’t be skeptical of chickpea cookies? They’re just weird. ;) And thanks for the rating, too!
These are amazing. I totally disagree that they aren’t yum while still uncooked. In fact I make a double batch then I cook half. The rest I make into much smaller balls and put in the fridge or freezer. My kids LOVE them!!!
I’m so happy to hear that you and the kids like the cookies! And also that you like them uncooked. I think it’s just the chickpeas… it messes with my head a little. ;) Thanks a ton for the feedback!
I’ve made 5 times now and because I don’t eat sugar have substituted Splenda, stevia and xylitol along with sf choc. Splenda seems to be the best – others give me too much has with the chickpeas too. These are best right out of oven. Ok warmed up in microwave too but best right out of oven!! Thank you.
I’m happy Splenda works out well! Do you use the type that’s cup for cup or another type? Just so I can add it to the post. :) Thanks for your feedback!
Hello,
The thing is I do not have a food processor. Just a Vita-mix blender (It was made in the 70’s and is still going strong.) and a Magic Bullet. So I wonder if I can use one of these to make your cookies. I know my Vita-mix can make bread dough and Ice Cream.
A Vitamix would be fine! I mentioned Blendec in the post but a Vitamix is pretty much the same, right? :) So give it a try! Let us know how it comes out.
I am diabetic. Wonder if these would work with imitation
honey.
I haven’t tried it but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work! Let me know how they come out. :)
Can I use Smart Balance organic peanut butter on this recipe? What brand of natural peanut butter did you use? I can’t wait to try, they sound amazing, I’m curious about the chickpeas since I’ve never had them with cookies!
You should use a kind that just has peanuts and salt. The people who used the kinds with added fat (like Smart Balance, I checked the label!) said that they came out oily. I used homemade peanut butter. Just toss the peanuts in the a food processor and let it go! https://www.texanerin.com/2012/01/how-to-make-homemade-peanut-butter.html Hope you’ll like the cookies. :)
Unbelievably good! Thank you so much for a recipe that satisfies the sweet cravings without so much of the guilt!I’m feeling like a domestic goddess with all the peanut butter (and any other nut that I can now find for that matter) making and super healthy cookie baking!:-) LOVE IT.
Hehe. I love that you feel like a domestic goddess! That is awesome. :) And so happy that you liked the cookies, too. Thank you so much for the feedback!
How do you store them after baking? Do they need to be refrigerated or can they be kept at room temperature?
Sorry, Therese! I seem to have accidentally missed your comment. You store them covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. Hope they came out well! :)
I rarely like “health” desserts (except fruit) but these intrigued me. They were SO good! I even loved the dough (but I LOVE peanut butter). I better not make these too often or I’ll be in big trouble. Thanks for the recipe – it really exceeded my expectations!
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that. Thanks a bunch for your feedback and the rating! And most people seem to like the dough. I’m just weird, I guess. ;)
This is the first chick pea recipe that I have tried that actually worked!! My 9 year old granddaughter loved them and so did hubby! May I post a link to this recipe on my blog?
I’m so happy to hear that, Vickie! :) Of course you can post a link to the recipe! If you repost the recipe, please reword the directions in your own words. Or you could list the ingredients and just link to this post for directions if that’s easier. Thanks so much for asking! :) People rarely do that. And thanks so much for your review and rating!
omg!! these cookie bites are great! a nice treat
Yay! Happy that you liked them. :) Thanks for the feedback and rating!
And she does it again!!!
Can thbey be frozen?
In refrigerator, how long should they last?
Gracias.
They can be frozen. Other people have said that they freeze them after baking and then reheat them in the microwave! In the fridge, I’d say they’re good for at least a week. Hope you like them! :)
My dough lasted in the fridge for over a week (about 12 days I think). Every day I was nervous when I opened the container to see if it was still good, but it survived until the end. Next time, I’ll definitely ball them up and freeze them just to make sure they don’t go bad.
These are fabulous. Who knew? I’ve made them twice now and love them!!
Yay! So happy that you liked them. :) Thanks for the rating!
OMG I’ve been looking simply everywhere for gluten-sugar-milk free bake recipes which actually sound appealing to make and then eat!
And, as I love peanut butter and chocolate, I’m definitely going to try this, thanks so much!
Got here via Facebook :)
I’m so happy that you found the recipe! I hope you’ll enjoy the cookies. :) And gluten, sugar, milk free is indeed a hard one. Gluten and dairy free? Okay. But sugar free? It’s a little difficult. Let me know how the cookies come out! :)
Why do the pictures look like there is jam in these?
All I see are chocolate chips.
What should they be like when they come out of the oven? I used maple syrup. They seem VERY soft and I am not sure if they should be more dough like. My tongue is a little tingly so I am not sure what that is about either.
Thanks
They should be very soft and not set like cookies. That’s why they’re called cookie dough balls and not cookies. I have no idea why your tongue would be tingly. You’re the first one to mention that.
I’ve been planning to try this as it sounds delicious, just a quick response to the person above – just make sure you don’t have an allergy to chic peas (possible with tingly tongue. They are a legume, like peanuts, and allergies to chic peas are not uncommon. That’s not to say they’re not a great food for those who aren’t allergic. I’m coeliac so pretty aware of food allergy issues
Hi, what temp do you bake these at?? I’m going to make them at the weekend:)
350 degrees
Look at the first line of instructions. :) Hope you like them!
I love these! The first time I made them I was at someone else’s house and we were 3T shy on peanut butter. So we threw some lightly salted roasted sunflower seeds in the food processor and went with that. Then, she had no honey. So we used sugar free syrup (eew!) they came out alright. Her food processor was an immersion blender attachment. It started smelling funny, so we stopped using it. They could have been smoother, for sure, but they were good!
The second time I made them I used the entire can of chickpeas, added 2T peanutbutter (3/4C total) added two big handfuls of multigrain cereal (oats, barley, wheat, and rye) 3T powdered buttermilk, 2T PB2, 1/2C frozen spinach, and 1T cocoa powder. I didn’t measure the chocolate chips. I blended everything except the cereal and chips. They’re green, for sure! The cocoa did not cover up the spinach! But they’re tasty! I’m convinced there’s nothing you can’t put in them! They’re firmer than the plain recipe, but still soft when fresh from the oven. I like them chilled better than room temp. My kids (4 & 6) LOVE THEM!!! :) Thank you! These are so simple and quick! I love them!!! :)
That first version sounds… not that appetizing. ;)
And whoa! Your second version. Cereal, buttermilk, and spinach?! That is certainly creative and even more healthy than the original. :) I’m happy that they worked out! And awesome that the kids like them, too.
Thanks so much for your feedback and rating! If I could, I’d give you an award for “most creative” chickpea cookie adaption. :D
Found this when people kept posting it on Facebook. I am so pumped to make these! I would have never thought to use chickpeas!
I’m happy you found the source of the original recipe! Yay. I know people have been having problems with that. I hope you’ll enjoy the cookies. :)
Ok, so I really don’t like peanut butter of any sorts, is there anything else I can use?? Nutella maybe??
There are two alternatives listed in the ingredients. Almond butter and sun butter or any nut butter you like.
I created a Nutella version here: http://cookieswithfriends.wordpress.com/2013/07/07/healthy-chocolate-chip-cookie-dough-bites-pb-and-nutella-flavors/
It’s not a 1 for 1 substitution because they would be way too sweet. Enjoy. (Erin’s recipe has been such a HUGE inspiration for me. I’m still creating new variations!)
Can you use plain hummus instead of grinding the chickpeas?
I’m thinking that won’t work unless the hummus has nothing in it except chickpeas. And even then, I’m not too confident that it’d work.
Made these last week without the honey. They were edible but not fantastic. Today, determined to love these cookies, I noticed there WAS a sweetening ingredient and followed the recipe, line by line: SUCCESS! They are fabulous and will now be in our regular rotation of cookies. Thank you Erin :)
Forgot to mention I used crunchy peanut butter since I like cookies with crunch- so good!
Nice! I don’t normally like cookies with crunch but here it sounds good. :)
Hahaha. Yup, the sweetener is pretty important if you want them to taste good! ;) I’m surprised that you tried them again after not liking them the first time. Good for you! :)
My husband and I cannot have legumes..Do you know if substituting canned chickpeas with canned pumpkin would work? Or would we need to add something like coconut flour or tapioca flour to firm the cookies up?
I’ve never tried substituting chickpeas with pumpkin so I’m afraid I don’t know what you’d have to add in and how much to firm the cookies up. Sorry about that. If you do try, please let us know how they came out!
Do you think you could use organic Almond butter instead of peanut butter??
Yup. It’s listed in the ingredient list.
Thanks for this great recipe! I’ve pinned it to my Gluten-Free Recipe board on Pinterest with full credit and of course the link back here to the recipe. Yummmmm!
Thanks for pinning and happy that you liked the cookies. :)
I just wanted to drop a note – I’ve seen a lot of people passing your recipe and photo around on Facebook without any credit or link back to your site here, and with the watermark cropped out of your photo. It seems as though some “Like Farmers” on Facebook are using it without any regard to your work putting this yummy looking recipe together.
Thank you SO much for that link! I contacted that woman and she’s removed the instructions and instead added a link to this post. A lot of readers send me these links with 50,000 shares… even 300,000 shares… but when I search for them myself, I find someone with 2 shares or 9 shares. I’m not finding these huge “Like Farmers” on FB. So if you by chance come across another one with a ton of shares, please let me know! I would really, really appreciate it. :) Again, thank you so much!
No problem – happy to help! Sometimes I know it’s an honest mistake by people who just don’t “know better”, and in that case it’s great when we can maybe help them understand why it’s best to just link and not copy and paste :) And in the case of the actual Like Farmers, hopefully shut them down too. BTW, I’ve started up a Facebook group for food bloggers to network and help each other out on this topic – the link is in my website url if you are interested.
But some of those people are just plain nasty and mean. :( Thanks for adding the link to the group! I’ll check it out tomorrow. :)
I CAN’T WAIT TO MAKE THESE!!!! Today :)
I hope you LOVE them! :D
These are great. I’ve made them twice. The first time with home made peanut butter. The 2nd time home made Chocolate peanut butter’ so I left out the cho chip. Tasted great! will be sharing!
Oh man. I have homemade chocolate peanut butter in the fridge and never thought to use it here! You’re genius! Thank you for the idea and the feedback. :)
What can be a substitute for peanut butter?
In the ingredients list, I list SunButter Natural or almond butter.
question. how long do you bake them there is no time on it.
Step 3 says to bake for 10 minutes.