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!
33 comments are awaiting moderation!
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!
The best bean cookies EVER. SO OBSESSED!!!! Definitely my “go-to” bean cookie recipe from now on!
Haha. Your go-to bean cookie? You have several bean cookie recipes? :D Love it! Thanks so much for sharing the cookies on IG and so happy that you liked them. :)
This recipe is wonderful, I have just mad my first batch of these, they are so delicious, I used all 240g of chick peas and normal peanut butter but I have since looked at your homemade recipe for peanut butter and will try that next time. I must also find some smaller chocolate pieces to put into this recipe as they hadn’t melted properly.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the cookies, Jane! :) And good to know that using the entire can of chickpeas works. I hope you’ll enjoy the homemade peanut butter! It’s so very quick and easy and impossible to mess up (which I love ;)) Thanks a ton for the feedback and the rating!
Amazing ! Super yummy :)
So happy that you liked them Diane! :)
Mine don’t look as good as yours yet they do taste good . Thanks
You’re welcome! I took a look at your picture. Perhaps it was the almond butter you used? I had no idea that Jif even made almond butter! Interesting. :)
Hi, I saw that you noted people had commented saying these were 80-130 calories each but to use a counter. I have just done that and stated 16 cookies each out of the receipe. The online calorie counter states they are 165 calories each.
WoW – That seems very high.
Any thoughts?
Anyway they are very tasty but my blender did not like wizzing it all together.
Kind Regards, Emma
Hi! I’m happy that you found them tasty. :) And the difference in calorie counters and the exact brand of ingredients chosen with those calorie counters is exactly why I don’t list the nutritional information. They vary too greatly. 165 for 16 sounds much, much higher than the other commenters’ results. I’ve also used a few different calorie counters and gotten around 110 – 120. Perhaps one of the ingredients was off?
Thank You Erin, i’ll go with yours :-)
Darn, all the good stuff has chocolate! Can’t have that either. Darn!
You could just leave it out. :)
I am just about to take batch #3 out of the oven! My husband and I are addicted! We’ve been using agave, and they are great hot or cold! Thank you!
Wow! Three batches? That’s impressive! So happy that you liked them (especially when cold!) Thanks a bunch for the feedback. :)
Thought you’d like to know this FB page is using your recipe and photo without attribution:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=648511628502138&set=a.102400699779903.5190.100000299205237&type=1
Thanks so much for letting me know! I’ll see about having them add a link. And wow. So many shares. :( Thanks again!
ignore my last comment kept them in for few more minutes all in shape and warm and gooey and sooo tasty! Cheers
So happy that they came out for you! :) Thanks for coming back to let me know they worked out!
how soft should they be? Have left for ten minutes but still seem super soft so much so I dont think I would be able to get them off the tray to even resemble cookies/dough balls?
whoops, just saw you could freeze them! Yay!!
Yay! Hope you’ll like them! :)
Can’t wait to make this. Just wondering, can you freeze them?
Yup! People have frozen both the dough and the baked cookies with success. :)
I’m Sharing on FB’s Modarelli Baking Company’s page
but linking your page to come back here for the recipe :)
Awesome! Thanks so much. I really appreciate it. :)
I had to substitute about a third of the peanut butter with cashew butter and when I tried the dough, it tasted exactly like Reeses cups filling. I’m German and I haven’t had Reeses cups in ages so you can imagine the victory dance I did. Truly awesome. And I think they’re not bad when they’re cold either, but my other baking might have given me low standards :D
Vielen Dank, liebe Texanerin. Deine Seite ist perfekt für Amerikanisches veganes Backen mit deutschen Zutaten!! Bitte bleib!
Vielen Dank for your very nice comment, Sarah! :) I’m happy that the cashew butter worked out. And if you like Reese’s, you can make your own at home! I have this recipe for homemade Reese’s. They’re super easy to make! They’re not vegan but you could use powdered sugar or probably agave in place of honey. :) Thanks again for the feedback and the rating!
AWESOME recipe !! hubby loved them (didn’t tell him the ingredients until after he ate them hahaha). Made it with regular peanut butter and it was fine :) Will be making another batch tomorrow! I cant believe there is no flour!!
thanks
So happy that they worked out with regular peanut butter. Yay! :) And good call on not telling your husband the ingredients first. ;) Thanks a million for the feedback and the rating!
Rock the skinny badge! You have been featured on FoodSkinny.com
http://www.foodskinny.com/food-2/skinny-peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-cookie-dough-bites/
Thanks for letting me know!
Does a Magic Bullet count as a food processor? I’d love to make these but that’s the best I’ve got besides a regular blender..
I haven’t tried it but I found this in an old comment: “If you don’t have a food processor or Blendtec you can cheat with a Magic Bullet. Blend about 1/4 of the can at once and then mix the dough in a bowl like normal cookie dough.” I hope that helps! :)
I’ve made other chickpea cookies but this recipe is different and sounds yummy. I’m going to make them right now. I have a ripe banana I’d like to use. Have you ever added a banana?
Sorry I wasn’t able to get back to you immediately! I haven’t tried these with a banana so I’m not sure if that’d work. Did you try? I hope you enjoyed them! :)
I just tried to make this and it came out tasting awful :( I am do upset! I am going to the store right now to get some more ingredients to make them again. I used cashew butter (only thing I had) maybe that’s it? I hope the second time around it’s good!
I’m sorry you’re upset. I think they’ll come out much better when you follow the recipe and use one of the nut butters recommended. :)
Do you know what the nutrition info is for this recipe? How many calories, fat, fiber and carbs? I eat paleo but starting to track ww points to keep things in check. Thank you!
Hi, Christina! I’m afraid I don’t. But take a look at the first bullet point (they’re above the recipe). I hope that link will help you! :)
This might help :)
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/homemade-chocolate-chip-peanut-butter-cookie-garbanzo-base-23894870
I’ve made these many times and I only use regular peanut butter and they’re awesome. Not too oily at all.
Great to hear! :) It seems like the oil content varies from brand to brand. Happy you picked one of the good ones! ;)
Ok, how about without honey? I don’t do sugar/honey/agave at all. Do you need it to hold it all together?
Yes, you need some kind of liquid sweetener as it’s the only liquid in the cookies. Without it, they’d probably be crumbly and fall apart. Is there any liquid sweetener you could use? Stevia perhaps?
I was thinking the same thing after making a batch last night as I found them super sweet. Might try halve the sweetner and replace with water to the same consistency.
That could work! But I’m wondering why they came out super sweet. Did you by any chance use milk chocolate chips?
These are “I’d-better-hide-some-if-I-want-one” good!
Haha. Happy that you liked them! :)
I love this recipe! Just made it for the first time today. I used part honey and part maple syrup, and used skippy natural pb with honey. will make again!
Mmm! That sounds awesome. So happy that it worked out for you! Thanks for the feedback. :)
Hi admattai!
What kind of maple syrup did you use and could you taste it in the cookie? I’m new to this raw baking thing and currently debating between using maple syrup, agave, and honey. What sweetener do you find works best?
Hi, Lauren! I’m not admattai (I’m thinking they might not come back and see your comment) but I thought I’d answer anyway. I’ve used regular maple syrup in these and regular honey and I couldn’t taste either in the cookie. Just peanut butter and chocolate! The thing is that these aren’t raw. Or do you not want to bake them?
Hey! Could you use raw honey? I have everything else! :)
Hi! Yes, raw honey is fine. :) Sorry for the slow reply! I hope you’ll enjoy the cookies. :)
Oh my, Erin! These were delectable!!! Just what I was craving. My husband and I are doing a cleanse (Standard Process) and I was dying for some sort of cookie. These were fantastic! Thank you :)
So happy that you liked them, Alex! :) Thanks a bunch for the feedback and the rating! And so happy that you found a cookie you can eat during the cleanse. :)
Hi! These cookies look yummy! I want to try this recipe but I was wondering, do you think it will work the same with dried, soaked, chickpeas? That’s all I have in my house right now! If so, should I boil and cook them first until they are soft? Thanks in advance!
Hi, Claire! Yes, you should soak them and cook until soft (follow the package directions because I’m not sure exactly how long that takes) :) Good luck! I hope you’ll like them. :)
Hi Erin,
Asking for a friend. Any alternative to peanut butter? Nut allergies:-/
Cheers!!
Yup! Check out the ingredient list. I’ve linked to Nut Butter (which is ground up sunflower seeds). :) I hope that’ll work for your friend!
Thanks Erin. Might try myself different versions! Always forget about good old sunflower seeds.What a great idea.
Let me know what you come up with! :)
Yuummy! I used oily butter and we still love them but definitely will try with normal butter too to see the difference. What a great healthy alternative to mass produced sweets.
I’m so happy that you liked them, Ania! :) Thanks a ton for the feedback and I hope you’ll get a chance to make them with natural peanut butter. :)
I totally disregarded your advice and used regular peanut butter, and sugar in place of the honey. I’ve been craving cookie dough recently, and eating it plain has an interesting coconuty flavor and texture to it; I have no idea where that came from, but seems yummy! I was skeptical to make a whole batch starting out, but so far I’m impressed! Sending it to my brother who has a gluten free friend. I may eat the rest of the batch without cooking. I am somewhat skeptical maybe I didn’t cook them enough, they are gooey but some of them are also falling apart. But yum, and simple! Love it!
Haha. This comment made me laugh. :D I have no idea where the coconut flavor is coming from, either! Bizarre. That’s so nice that you’re sending your brother’s friend some cookies! I hope (s)he’ll like them. The cookies should be gooey but not falling apart. That would probably be because of the lack of honey, which was the only liquid in the recipe and what was holding the cookies together! Try ’em again with honey and you should be fine. :)
Great cookies I just wonder if you could change to make nut free?
I have made 4 times this week and fancy a change
I’m so happy that you like the cookies! :) You could use SunButter to make them nut-free. I don’t know if it’d taste good but some commenters have like them that way! Have you tried different nut butters? I bet hazelnut butter would be good!
I used soy nut butter it was good with that
Thanks for the tip! :)