The Original Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites Recipe (aka 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!
- Nutrient-Rich Ingredients: Packed with protein and fiber from chickpeas and natural peanut butter, these bites are as nourishing as they are delicious.
- Naturally Sweetened: Maple syrup or honey provides a subtle sweetness, eliminating the need for refined sugars.
- Diet-Friendly: These bites are gluten-free, dairy-free, and grain-free, making them suitable for various dietary needs.
- Kid-Approved: Their cookie-dough-like texture and chocolatey goodness make them a hit with both kids and adults.
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!
Ingredients Notes
These are just notes on select ingredients. Please scroll below for the full recipe!
- Chickpeas: Also known as garbanzo beans, chickpeas provide the creamy base for these bites. Use canned chickpeas for convenience, and make sure to rinse and drain them well to remove any briny flavor.
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! - Peanut Butter: This should be the kind with only peanuts and salt. No added fat or sugar. Be careful because there are some “natural” brands out there that aren’t really natural.
I find that this peanut butter is usually expensive, so I make my own. Here’s how to make peanut butter! All you need is peanuts and a food processor (which you already have to pull out for this chickpea cookie recipe!).
Other nut or seed butters also work great. I use sunflower seed butter for a nut-free version. - Maple Syrup or Honey: make sure to use maple syrup for the vegan version. For a totally sugar free version, some commenters have used 30 drops of Stevia and cacao nibs with success.
- 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.
- 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.
- Do not double the recipe! It might be too much for your machine and could damage it.
- Vegan Peanut Butter Fudge: A creamy, caramel-like fudge made with just four ingredients. It’s vegan, gluten-free, and comes together in minutes.
- Peanut Butter Apple Crumble: A delightful twist on a classic dessert, combining tender apples with a peanut butter oat topping. It’s gluten-free and vegan.
- Peanut Butter Protein Balls: Perfect for on-the-go snacking, these no-bake bites are packed with protein and flavor, and they’re easy to customize.
- Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies: Soft, chewy, and flourless, these cookies are a simple yet satisfying treat that’s naturally gluten-free.
- Healthy Peanut Butter Ice Cream: A rich and creamy no-churn ice cream that’s both vegan and paleo-friendly, offering a guilt-free indulgence.
Chickpea Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups (205 grams) canned chickpeas well-rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel1
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 10 tablespons (160 grams) natural peanut butter SunButter Natural or almond butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup (80 grams) honey or maple syrup or agave for vegan
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 cup (90 grams) chocolate chips use vegan and dairy-free chocolate chips, if needed
Instructions
- 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 of the chickpeas.
- 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.
I didnt have garbonzo beans so I used canned lentils! VERY good!!! Couldn’t even stop eating the batter ;) …
Happy that you liked them, Kristie! And lentils?! Interesting sub. :)
Thank you so much for this recipe. I was a little skeptical, but I loved it and I feel like it’s going to help me live a bit healthier while coping with an enormous sweet tooth. :-)
That makes me so happy to hear, Bethany! And yeah, it’s hard not to be skeptical with these, isn’t it? They are indeed pretty weird. ;) Thanks a ton for your feedback!
Making these tonight with some pb2. Have tried to find ways to incorporate it into recipes requiring pb. I reconstituted it just now & added the vanilla to it & popped it in the fridge. Also plan on using agave nectar for the first time. Well let you know how it turns out.
Sounds like some interesting subs! I hope they work out for you. :) I’m excited to hear how it goes!
If Pinterest had awards, this would definitely be my pick for best baked good! These are great!
Thank you, Sara! I am honored. :) And so happy that you like the cookies!
I love these treats! One cookie is filling and great for the sweet tooth! Personally, I think these are better than flour filled peanut butter cookies :) I have made them several times and definitely agree they are better warm. I do freeze mine and then pop individual cookies in the microwave. Warm and yummy! So glad I found this recipe -thanks for posting!
I wish I liked these more than the flour version. I like them the same when warm, but when cold? Give me a normal cookie! ;) The freezing tip is a great one. I’m definitely going to try that next time! Thanks for your tip, your review and the rating. I really appreciate it! :)
Made these with natural coconut chocolate pb and they were delish! Thanks for the tip to take off the skins on the beans. Will try these again with another natural flavored pb. Thanks
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Anita! Thanks for the feedback. Let us know how the other peanut butters go. :)
LOVE these cookies…..and I like the uncooked dough….I have also made these with hershey cinammon chips(which are only available in USA not in Canada) instead of chocolate chips…..
I wish cinnamon chips were available worldwide! Hopefully you live close enough to the border to get some every now and then. And I’m so happy that you loved the cookies. Thanks for the feedback! :)
The pictures enticed me to go ahead and try this healthy cookie, and I’m sooooooo glad I did. I think it’s hilarious that my kids (and the hubby, too!) have no earthly idea that they ate chick peas and they loved it! So delicious and easy. Thank you so very much for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Congratulations on tricking your family into liking chickpeas. :) It’s fun, isn’t it?! I’m thrilled that you all enjoyed them and thanks a ton for taking the time to leave feedback and for rating them! I added that feature two days ago so I certainly appreciate it. :)
OMG, had to try these when I saw the list of ingredients. Looking for healthier versions of sweet treats as I have a very sweet tooth. Chickpeas, hate the smell hate the taste but needed to try. I used normal peanut butter which made them oily but very much edible. I could of ate the dough before baking them. They are actually nicer to eat cold however, mine came out darker than the picture above so I’m not too sure what that is due to. I may even try stevia instead of honey and might even cut back a little on the choc chips. I made 20 of these balls. Mine were darker so wasn’t as pretty as I hoped but the taste was MAGNIFICENT absolutely loved them. Easy to make, whizz it all up in a food processor, roll and bake. Easy as.
Thanks heaps for the recipe.
I HATE the smell of chickpeas. When I open the can, I just feel sick. But I wash them off and get on my with cookies and it all gets better. :) Some people have mentioned that these come out darker than the pictures but all I can think of is that some ovens are off a little? With their temperature. Or maybe not. But I’m happy you still enjoyed them. :) Thanks a lot for your feedback!
These were so incredible! I loved the dough too! Well, they are baking so Im hoping they are even better in a few minutes! I used chunky natural and grade b mayple and love almond extract so that went in too. Sooooo good! I have a gluten free 5 year old but they all liked the dough so far! I can see lots of add ins – cherries, coconut, oats, – I hope chick peas are good for you!
Ooh, that sounds good! Did you use 1/4 cup of maple syrup or a different amount? Love your changes! And yes… chickpeas are definitely good for you so you can give these to your kids and not feel that guilty. It still has some maple syrup, but it’s so much better than a cup of sugar. Right? ;) Thanks a lot for your feedback!
Somewhere in there I saw someone mention trying coconut sugar, but never saw what the outcome was. These are great (used dark chocolate as hubby is mostly dairy free) and I want to make them for a vegan friend. I know people have used agave and it has worked well for them, but the coconut sugar idea makes me curious. Any idea how much to substitute? Thanks :) — Denise
I see someone mentioning coconut nectar but not coconut sugar. And I mentioned coconut sugar at some point, but that was in regards to something else. I love coconut sugar but don't know how it'd work here since you'd be missing the liquid. And basically the only liquid. I'm sure you could experiment and add some soy milk or something but I have no idea how much you'd need to add. I'd definitely go with the agave. :) Good luck!
Wow! Thank you so much for this incredible recipe! I've made these twice in a week now. I did substitute maple syrup for the honey as I'm a vegan and the results were spectacular! When I made the second batch today, my dough was warm from the food processor when I added the chocolate chips, so rather than fight it I just stirred them in and the result was fabulous little peanut butter cookie balls with chocolate swirls! These are bound to become a fixture in my rotation. Yummy!
Hi Patti! Sorry for the slow reply. I’m happy to hear that maple syrup worked out. I think you’re the first to mention that! And chocolate swirls sound even better than chips. :) Thanks for the feedback!
I've made these several times. I find the consistency of the cookie better is you rub off the outer shell of the chick peas/garbanzo beans. Also, since I'm not supposed to have sugar, I used raw cocoa nibs.
I don't all the other nutritional information, but the batch I made had 18 cookies. Making each cookie approximately 111 calories.
Thanks for the calorie info! And I’ve never tried rubbing off the outer shell. That’s a great tip! Thanks a bunch. :)
I just made these and used CACAO nibs instead of chocolate chips and 30 drops of Stevia instead of honey. I am sugar-free, so it was nice to find a recipe that can work as a "dessert" for me :)
Now that’s interesting. I’m really surprised that Stevia drops instead of something else liquid worked. That’s awesome! I think I’ll add that info the to the notes. Thanks a bunch. :)
I just made these as well and we had mixed reviews.. My 15 year old said they were ok. But my 3 year old picky as ever eater LOVED them and kept asking for more! Hubby and I both thought they were very good. Great for beating the sugar cravings!!Thank you Thank you!
I hate to burst your bubble – but this recipe can be tweaked and cookies cooled and they still taste great! I added nutella, cinnamon, and regular peanut butter. Yes, they were more oily, but it wasn't a big deal. Also, I actually prefer them at room temperature or even cooled rather than when they're hot.
wow these were amazing!! I thought even the raw dough was pretty good but definitely hard to believe they are made with chick peas. My husband loved them too. I also brought to my friends and her and her daughter loved them and her husband who had a bad experience with chick peas before ate one and was surprised. He liked them too!! Thanks for sharing. Not sure how people think of this stuff but i'm glad :-).
Just made these, I wanted to wait and leave a comment till afterward I made them first since it was hard sorting threw all the comments for recommendations or reviews from those whos already tried them. I followed everything except I did add coconut flakes since I have some that need used up and I didn't have parchment paper so I feared they'd stick but nope! They are super ooey and gooey! Very peanut buttery. My husband who isn't big on baked goods liked them and so did my 7yr old son. I didn't tell them they had chick peas till after they ate them so they couldn't pass judgement lol. They both like them!! I shared on Facebook for my grain free friends. :)
These look amazing. Can't wait to try them out.
Does anyone have any tips for high altitude with these? I don't know if I needed to change the temp, cook longer, mine turned out kind of gooey.