The Original Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites Recipe (aka Chickpea Cookies)

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!

The Original Grain-free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites - no white sugar, no oil, no flour! So gooey, simple and delicious! With a surprise ingredient (vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free)

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.

The Original Grain-free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites - no white sugar, no oil, no flour! So gooey, simple and delicious! With a surprise ingredient (vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free)

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!

The Original Grain-free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites - no white sugar, no oil, no flour! So gooey, simple and delicious! With a surprise ingredient (gluten-free with vegan and dairy-free options)

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!

  • Coconut Rum Bundt Cake drenched in coconut rum syrup - can be made with all-purpose, gluten-free or whole grain flours. With a dairy-free option (please click through to the recipe to see the dietary-friendly options)
  • These paleo chocolate banana muffins are bursting with banana flavor and are super rich and decadent! (honey sweetened, grain-free, gluten-free and dairy-free)
  • The Best Gluten-free Brownies (naturally sweetened, dairy-free, 100% whole grain). Can also be made with whole wheat flour!
  • Mini Cheesecakes {grain-free, gluten-free}

The Original Grain-free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites - no white sugar, no oil, no flour! So gooey, simple and delicious! With a surprise ingredient (vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free)

Grain-free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites (gluten-free with vegan and dairy-free options)

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Rated 4.8 by 270 readers
The Original Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites Recipe (aka Chickpea Cookies)
  • 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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Store in an airtight container at room temperature (or in the fridge) for up to 1 week.

Notes

  1. My can of chickpeas was 400 grams, 240 grams without the water, and I used all but a few tablespoons.
  2. Don't even try with regular peanut butter! They'll come out oily. You MUST use natural peanut butter. :)
  3. If you need grain-free baking powder, you can use 1 part cream of tartar + 1 part baking soda + 2 parts arrowroot.

Recipe by  | www.texanerin.com

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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!

  • Maite says
    August 31, 2013 @ 11:46 am

    Hello!

    I am about to start baking this recipe, but I have dry chickpeas (it’s been soaked in water for more than 4 hours), have you tried with it?
    Do you know if it works? Does anybody knows?

    thank you!

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Maite
      September 1, 2013 @ 1:30 pm

      I’m so sorry for my slow reply! I haven’t been at home for 1 1/2 days. I haven’t tried this with soaked dried chickpeas but if they’re just as soft as regular chickpeas, I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Did you try it out? Were they okay? Sorry again for the slow reply!

      Reply
    • Briony Jane replies to Maite
      September 2, 2013 @ 6:37 am

      Hello Maite,

      You will have to cook the chickpeas on low for about six hours till soft. I soak dry chickpeas for 24 hours and cook them in my crockpot (slow cooker) on high. I tried cooking them on the stove once, forgot about them, and burnt them dry so now I use the crockpot! It seems like a lot of effort but these cookies are worth it. Good luck with your cookies :)

      Reply
  • Maite says
    August 31, 2013 @ 8:45 am

    hello! I am about to start this recipe, but I have lots of “not canned” chick peas, dry.
    I have soaked them for a couple of hours now, do you know it it works?
    Has anybody tried?

    :)

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Maite
      September 29, 2013 @ 8:26 pm

      Oh no. So sorry I never saw this! You have to cook the chickpeas. There are usually instructions on the package on how to do that. :)

      Reply
  • mary says
    August 30, 2013 @ 2:16 am

    These are amazing. Caution… I made a double batch and used my large 10 (?) cup Cuisinart to mix the batter and it broke the motor :-(…. a very expensive batch of cookies. My advice would be to make only ONE batch at a time !

    Reply
    • Erin replies to mary
      September 1, 2013 @ 3:00 pm

      Oh no. I am so sorry to hear that, Mary! I’ve just added a warning not to double the recipe. Thanks for letting me know! Hopefully that’ll save someone else’s machine in the future. I’m happy you at least liked them. :)

      Reply
  • Jen says
    August 29, 2013 @ 6:14 pm

    These are great! I didn’t have any peanut butter so I made homemade Almond butter and I am in love. Very addicting!!

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Jen
      September 1, 2013 @ 3:09 pm

      Homemade almond butter… yum! So happy that you liked them. :) Thanks for the feedback!

      Reply
  • lois says
    August 29, 2013 @ 3:58 pm

    Thank you for this wonderful cookie! I am now able To get my chocolate chip cookie fix! Used almond butter, it worked great!

    Reply
    • Erin replies to lois
      September 1, 2013 @ 3:12 pm

      So happy that you liked the cookies! Thanks for the feedback. :)

      Reply
  • Mary Ellen says
    August 29, 2013 @ 4:16 am

    Hi! I made these today and loved them…though they looked nothing like your pictures :) Mine were a lot darker for some reason. But they were still delish! Thanks so much.

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Mary Ellen
      September 4, 2013 @ 7:57 pm

      I’m happy that they still came out tasting good! I have no idea why some people have had theirs come out darker (you’re not the first one to say that!) Thanks for the feedback. :)

      Reply
  • Leanne says
    August 27, 2013 @ 2:23 am

    What would the tastiest alternative be for peanut butter (for someone with nut allergies)?

    Thanks.

    Reply
    • Marla replies to Leanne
      August 30, 2013 @ 3:36 am

      Sunbutter which is sunflower seed butter tastes awesome and since it is a seed, it is often tolerated by people with nut allergies.

      Reply
  • Danielle Murphy says
    August 25, 2013 @ 2:26 pm

    Are you able to use P2B in place of peanut butter?
    Just curious if that would work well.
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Danielle Murphy
      August 25, 2013 @ 6:52 pm

      Yes, that would work! Other people have mentioned using it in this recipe.

      Reply
      • Danielle Murphy replies to Erin
        August 27, 2013 @ 12:34 am

        Thanks! I guess I would just use the same amount of P2B as peanut butter.

        Reply
  • Sara
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    August 23, 2013 @ 8:13 pm

    Just made these with 2tbsp Nutella in place of the extra 2tbsp of peanut butter, and my boys begged me to sprinkle a couple of mini M&M’s on them, they are absolutely delicious!! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Sara
      August 23, 2013 @ 8:15 pm

      Oh yum, Nutella + M&Ms! That sounds like a winner to me. I’d be begging for them, too. ;) Thanks so much for the feedback and the rating!

      Reply
  • Donna
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    August 23, 2013 @ 5:32 am

    I love these cookies! Next recipe we will substitute the peanut butter with almond butter. We already substituted the agave, honey, or maple syrup and used coconut nectar instead. We also love using Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips which are Gluten Free, Wheat Free, Dairy Free, Peanut Free, Tree Nut Free, Egg Free, Soy Free, Fish Free, Shellfish Free. Four of us had a healthy eating gathering day and this was one of our new treats. Of all the food, it was our number 1 new favorite item! thank you!

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Donna
      September 4, 2013 @ 7:59 pm

      So sorry that I accidentally overlooked your comment! I’m so happy to hear that this was the favorite at your healthy eating gathering. And that sounds SO fun! :) I hope you’ll enjoy the almond butter version just as much. Thanks a bunch for your feedback and the rating!

      Reply
  • Jo says
    August 22, 2013 @ 8:37 am

    Oh my! These are just as good as they look in the picture – I didn’t quite believe they were going to be but have been delicously surprised! Just a little tip for everyone about to make these for the first time however – don’t be tempted to eat 5 or 6 in quick succession,as they really fill you up!

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Jo
      September 4, 2013 @ 8:00 pm

      So sorry that I somehow overlooked your comment! And yeah, that’s a good tip. These definitely fill you up! ;) I’m happy that you found them as good as they look in the picture. Thanks so much for the feedback! :)

      Reply
  • NatashaChakir says
    August 21, 2013 @ 12:19 am

    WOW, simple amazing…

    Reply
    • Erin replies to NatashaChakir
      August 21, 2013 @ 12:21 pm

      Thanks, Natasha! Hope you get a chance to make them. :)

      Reply
  • Deb
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    August 20, 2013 @ 12:18 pm

    I love these cookies!! Erin, you’re a genius! I keep experimenting with the recipe just for variety. I tried them yesterday, substituting 4-5fresh dates (medjool or other ‘squishy’ type dates) for the honey etc. Yum! I’ll always make them this way. I also sub 85% cocoa Lindt bars for the chocolate chips. If I’m feeling really decadent, I throw in a good dollop (~ 2Tbsp) of nutella or carob hazelnut spread. Makes a really fudgie brownie like bite.

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Deb
      August 20, 2013 @ 7:59 pm

      Wow, I love your ideas, Deb! They all sound great. Especially the Nutella one. ;) I would have never thought of using dates. Thanks so much for the feedback, ideas and the rating, too. :) So happy that you like the cookies and have been able to come up with so many variations!

      Reply
  • Brett
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    August 20, 2013 @ 4:43 am

    Hi Erin,

    My friend shared this recipe in full on Facebook and being a fellow blogger, I tracked down the source. There’s MANY folks who have copied your post verbatim and are using your images without the watermark and without credit to you. I thought you’d want to know. :(

    I’ll be sharing your LINK
    xoxoxo
    brett

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Brett
      August 20, 2013 @ 8:02 pm

      I used to track those people down and ask them to add a link but it just made me so mad… it wasn’t worth it. Thanks for letting me know! And thanks so much for finding the source / sharing the link. :)

      Reply
  • Irene says
    August 20, 2013 @ 3:16 am

    Going to be a stupid question, but to make it sugar free, do I replace the stevia where the honey would be?

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Irene
      August 20, 2013 @ 8:03 pm

      It’s not stupid! And yes, take out the honey and use 30 drops of Stevia (this is what I’ve heard from others… I’ve never tried it myself!) Good luck. :)

      Reply
  • Julia says
    August 20, 2013 @ 1:43 am

    Does anyone know if they are good after being frozen? I like to make a lot of something and pull them out little by little!

    Reply
    • Deb replies to Julia
      August 20, 2013 @ 12:20 pm

      Yes, they are awesome frozen and keep well. I prefer them either heated for a few seconds in the microwave, or directly from the freezer, rather than at room temp.

      Reply
  • Hope says
    August 19, 2013 @ 11:29 pm

    These are amazing!!! I baked for 10 min as directed then broiled for a couple minutes on high and it gave the outer bit of crispness some people were wondering about but stayed super moist anf fluffy on inside! Thanks for the recipe! Will make again and again!

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Hope
      August 20, 2013 @ 8:04 pm

      Interesting! Great idea. I’m happy that that worked out for you! Thanks so much for the feedback. :)

      Reply
  • Rachel Stehlik says
    August 19, 2013 @ 9:47 pm

    I just made these but used sugar free honey and I also used Jif omega peanut butter. The dough seemed a little runny so I added some soy flour ( not much ) after 10 mins they didnt seem done so I cooked longer almost 17 mins total. They came out great. Next time Im going to use sugar free chips.

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Rachel Stehlik
      August 20, 2013 @ 8:06 pm

      Soy flour? Interesting. I’m always surprised by what people put in these cookies and it always seems to work. Thanks so much for the feedback! I hope you’ll enjoy them just as much with the sugar free chips. :)

      Reply
    • Raine Lee Ritalto replies to Rachel Stehlik
      August 20, 2013 @ 8:30 pm

      What in the world is “sugar free honey”? Honey is honey, 100% floral nectar, gathered, processed, and capped by honeybees in the beehive. There is NO sugar in that process. Also, you should never cook honey. When you do so, you kill the beneficial natural enzymes in honey and lose the nutritional value. Here’s a good source of information on honey: http://www.honey.com/

      Reply
      • Erin replies to Raine Lee Ritalto
        August 20, 2013 @ 10:05 pm

        I think sugar free honey is for diabetics and others who can’t have sugar (or fructose or glucose like in honey). I bet if Rachel could have real honey, she would have used it. :)

        Reply
        • Rachel Stehlik replies to Erin
          August 20, 2013 @ 10:23 pm

          Yes you can purchase sugar free honey it is sold next to the other honey choices. Sometimes people have to use diffrent options for their own reasons and its great that we all share our diffrent ways of preparing the recipe to help other people enjoy the recipe also. I never care for the lecture I get at times for the ingreidents I or other people NEED to use. Sometimes its not as easy as other people think to use all natural products ect. People have medical issues or allergies that make them alter a recipe.

        • Erin replies to Rachel Stehlik
          August 21, 2013 @ 11:46 am

          Don’t be sorry! And I totally agree with you. I found that person’s comment to be a bit rude and unnecessary as well. Sorry that people are jerks. :( I think it’s great that you were able to use your honey sub as a way to enjoy these cookies! Thanks again for your feedback. I’m sure it’ll help other people who need a sugar free version!

        • Rachel Stehlik replies to Erin
          August 20, 2013 @ 10:29 pm

          Sorry Erin my post below was actually for the question about sugar free honey and I accidently replied to your post. Thanks

  • Deb says
    August 18, 2013 @ 10:39 pm

    I’m getting ready to make these cookies and wondering if I’m supposed to drain the oil from the peanut butter? Can’t wait to try these! They sound terrific.

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Deb
      August 18, 2013 @ 11:00 pm

      Stir the peanut butter in the jar to combine the oil and then measure. Hope you like the cookies! :)

      Reply
  • Stella Offenpooper
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    August 18, 2013 @ 2:53 am

    Howdy Erin!
    I made your chickpea chocolate chip cookies today and
    they were a hit with my twelve year old son. I stuck to your
    receipe however instead of adding honey, I added sugar-free maple syrup only because my hubby is Type2. It turned out that he was a poop , so the next time
    I will use honey instead. I was not expecting them to be so rich and filling! Yummy yummy!!!

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Stella Offenpooper
      August 20, 2013 @ 8:15 pm

      Hahaha. I love your use of the word poop. ;) I hope that you’ll enjoy the honey version, too! Thanks so much for the feedback.

      Reply

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