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!

33 comments are awaiting moderation!

  • Carolynne says
    June 10, 2023 @ 9:51 pm

    I’ve got some dates that need using..do you think these could be injected with date caramel once baked?

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Carolynne
      June 12, 2023 @ 1:29 pm

      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. :)

      Reply
  • jordi says
    December 11, 2021 @ 3:28 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Erin replies to jordi
      December 11, 2021 @ 7:26 pm

      Hi! Check out note 2 below the recipe. ;) Just stir together your natural peanut butter before using it. Don’t use the regular stuff.

      Reply
  • ani
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    says
    November 19, 2021 @ 6:32 am

    maybe a silly question, but can natural almond butter work as well?? this looks like my dream recipe by the way

    Reply
    • Erin replies to ani
      November 19, 2021 @ 10:04 am

      Yes, you can! I listed it in the questions section. ;) Not silly! I hope that you’ll enjoy them!

      Reply
      • ani replies to Erin
        November 19, 2021 @ 9:20 pm

        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!

        Reply
        • Erin replies to ani
          November 23, 2021 @ 9:13 pm

          Haha. No worries! I’m glad you liked them. :D

  • Beth
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    says
    April 1, 2021 @ 12:44 am

    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.

    Reply

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