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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I have done these several times and absolutely love the dough and having them cold too! But maybe I am just weird. I normally remove the extra 2 tbsp of peanut butter because I found that they were too oily (and I use the 400 grams or ml of chick peas)
Also, I put the honey, vanilla and chick peas in together first. Get a good smooth consistency and then add the salt and baking powder. Then mix again in my Magic Bullet (small cup). Afterwards I place the chick pea mush in a bowl and add PB and stir with a wooden spoon. This way I don’t kill my Magic Bullet/Blender etc.(and my arms get stronger ;)) And then of course add the chocolate (I use bittersweet chocolate chips).
Thank you for this recipe. I have had nothing but wonderful comments and many people requesting I send them the recipe.
So healthy too…..(well, for a dessert that is)
Oh, wow. Such a process to get your cookies! ;) I’m happy that you found a way that works for you and that your friends have enjoyed the cookies, too! Thanks so much for the feedback and the rating. :)
I tried these completely vegan with chickpeas and absolutely loved them. As soon as I finished the first batch, I had to make another. The second batch I made with kidney beans, the only thing I had on hand, and they are just as delicious! I am definitely making this a go-to recipe.
Both times I got 14 cookies out of the dough, made using my ninja blender. The first time I made all cookies at once and did notice significant discoloration as time passed (they got darker) but taste was not sacrificed. I assume it’s just oxidation of the chickpeas.
Awesome that the kidney bean version came out just as well! :) And good to know that the Ninja blender can do the job. So happy that this is a new a go-to recipe for you! Thanks for the feedback. :)
I’ve made these several times now over the past few weeks and I can’t get enough of them! I use almond butter and they come out amazing. I’m also one of those who also LOVE these cold straight from the fridge – I can’t taste the chickpeas at all, just yummy gooey cookie dough goodness! My only problem now is that I find it really hard to stop at one or two(or three) ‘But they’re healthy!’ I proclaim as I stuff a few more in my mouth! ;)
Haha. Aww. Well they are healthier, so you don’t have to feel that bad about downing a few at a time. ;) And I’m happy to hear that you liked the vegan version! Thanks so much for your feedback. :)
Sooooo good!!! Used recipie as called for. Delish!!
Yay! So happy you liked them, Nena! :)
These are wonderful!
I used honey, jif peanut butter, chocolate liquor and carob pieces.. I used a can of organic chickpeas and 1 1/4C was the whole can, so that was perfect.
These mixed up well, were easy to shape into balls, and made 21 balls for me. I baked for 11 min.
I thought the dough tasted pretty good, warm they were great and room tem still great. The chewiness of them room temp is really nice. All three of my kids love them, ages 5, 3, and 8mo.
Thank you!
I’m happy to hear that you liked the cookies, Diana! :) I love your addition of chocolate liquor. That sounds like something I need to try! And awesome that your kids enjoyed the cookies, too. :) Thanks so much for your feedback and the rating!
I used carob chips. I’m getting a new food processor after the second batch. The old mixer couldn’t keep up but totally worth it!
Oh no. Sorry to hear that you have to get a new one! Was it the carob chips that did it in or the actual dough? Happy that you liked them, though! :)
Hi Erin! I am new to clean eating and have a huge sweet tooth. I made this recipe with my little guy and he licked the bowl! So delicious. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes.
So happy to hear that your little guy liked the cookies and the dough! I hope you’ll find some other clean eating recipes on here that you’ll enjoy. :) Thanks a bunch for your feedback!
These rule!
I messed up a little by adding a little too much of the ground chickpeas, then tossed another tablespoon of peanut butter in. I didn’t have a food processor around so I did it by hand, which actually worked out fine. Against all apparent odds, they still same out pretty stellar.
I used dark chocolate chips, which worked really well. Could have used even more. :)
Thanks so much for sharing this awesomeness!
Wow. That’s awesome that they still came out! I guess these little cookies are pretty hard to ruin? ;) And yes! More chocolate is always a good idea. Thanks so much for the feedback and the rating!
do you think i could use ground up chickpeas (ie chickpea flour) instead? i’m in a pinch and don’t have soaked, cooked or canned chickpeas on hand!
Sorry for the slow reply! Hopefully you found the answer in the bulletpoints (point 4 ;)) In case you didn’t – I wouldn’t recommend it. Sorry about that!
yeah i only just realised you addressed the chickpea flour question after i submitted the comment! Recipe worked beautifully however I like ’em raw! I also tried rolling them in desiccated coconut… yum. i’ll post it up on my blog http://www.freshbyfriska.com soon and link to yours :-)
Great! So happy that you found the note and that they ended up working out for you. :) Will check out your post!
I’ve made chickpea cookie dough before, but never baked them. I can’t wait to try your recipe :=)
I hope you’ll enjoy them, Poli! :)
My little brother gave these a big thumbs up, and he would NEVER touch chickpeas in their original form. I still keep it a secret to him that they are made with chickpeas! But these are absolutely delicious when coming out of the oven. I freeze the dough balls and just pop them in the oven when it hits 350F, I personally do not think they are nearly as good when reheated in the microwave.
I’m so happy that you and your brother like them! Good call on keeping the chickpeas a secret. ;) And I agree – they’re best right out of the oven! Thanks so much for the feedback and the rating. :)
Made these for breakfast today and I had to post to say that there are just awesome (would be a great recipe for children to make with children (by which I mean ‘together with your children’) – think they would love the sticky mess part)
Think these will become my post-run snack of choice
Plus I thought they tasted good even in dough form.
thanks!
I’m so happy that you liked them, James! And great that you liked them in dough form. Thanks so much for the feedback and the rating! PS – I love that you made these for breakfast. ;)
Hey- recipe looks great but all I have on hand is dried chick peas. Do you think I could soak them and that would work? Might be a silly questions, but I’m just starting to use dried beans rather than canned when possible.
Thanks!
That’s not a silly question! Soak them and cook them according to the package instructions and you’ll be good to go. I hope you’ll enjoy them! :)
Jen loves chickpeas, but wasn’t sure they would do well in cookies. Surprise! They are fantastic! I’ve shared a photo of my cookies along with a link to your blog.
So happy that you liked them! :) Did you share them on your blog? I went to go check out your picture and couldn’t find anything. Anyway, thanks for sharing and the feedback! :)
Just made these and they are so good, I was afraid they wouldn’t turn out, but they look almost as good as yours. I got 17 cookies out of the batch and per myfitnesspal they were 106 calories per cookie.
I’m so happy that you liked them! And I know how you feel. I almost always feel like stuff isn’t going to come out like the pictures. ;) Thanks a bunch for the feedback and the rating!
Darn I can’t have chickpeas any Ideas
Check out the fifth bullet point in the post. :)
Holy heck I am happy to have found your blog. I am also a Texan in Germany and two years later I have just about figured out how to fight all the ingredient battles in the kitchen. I love your healthy options, especially since I’ve given sugar up for Lent.
Oh, yay! Another Texan living in Germany. :) Great to hear that you’ve figured out the ingredients issue. It’s frustrating, isn’t it?! Thanks for stopping by to say hi. :)
These are my favorites!!! thanks for sharing!
So happy that you liked them! Thanks for the rating. :)
Are you familiar with PB2? Do you think that would work in this recipe?
I haven’t tried it but others have and they said it worked. They said they added the water (according the the PB2 instructions). Hope that helps! :)
Thank you sooooo much for sharing this recipe!!!This is sooo yummy and I am so glad I finally made the time to make these cookies!!<3
You’re welcome, Lien! So happy that you enjoyed them. :) Thanks a bunch for the rating and for sharing on IG, too!