Turn 5 basic ingredients into the yummiest Chickpea Cookie Dough—truly! This recipe has protein, fiber, and lower added sugar—and is such a fun way to enjoy beans with the kids!
Okay, I realize this might sound odd, but this cookie dough is SO yummy. It’s just as good as my Edible Cooke Dough; and it’s a high fiber food for kids and a good source of plant-based protein. It’s the perfect use for a dusty can of chickpeas from the pantry!
And if you’d rather bake the dough, try my Favorite Chickpea Cookies, which turn the same basic ingredients into soft chocolate chip cookies.
Quick Look: Chickpea Cookie Dough
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Servings: 12-16
- Flavor Profile: Peanut butter cookie dough flavor and texture
- Difficulty: Easy, perfect for everyday desserts
- Why to Make: It’s a fast, low added sugar dessert to share
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Table of Contents
I am forever trying to find ways to prepare healthy beans recipes my kids like, and this dessert for kids has been such a big hit.
Why this Recipe Works
The chickpeas blend right in, the cookie dough is safe to eat raw, it has lower added sugars, and the cookie dough is such a yummy treat—that stores well for weeks!
You can even freeze it or dunk it into melted chocolate to make a sort of bon-bon. This ranks up there with my No-Bake Cheesecake Cups as a nutritious option my kids enjoy as much as I do.
Ingredients You Need
Here’s a look at the ingredients you need to have on hand to make Chickpea Cookie Dough so you know what to pick up from the store or have ready.
- Chickpeas: A can of chickpeas makes the base of this cookie dough. Any brand works or you can cook them from dry if you prefer.
- Oat flour: A little oat flour (or you can use rolled or quick oats if that’s what you have) helps form the cookie dough texture.
- Peanut butter: I use natural, creamy peanut butter to enhance the flavor and add to the cookie dough texture. You can use almond butter or sunflower seed butter if you prefer.
- Honey: Honey has a great texture in this ingredient mix though you can also use maple syrup or my Date Paste.
- Vanilla extract: This ingredient is key to making cookie dough that tastes like cookie dough. Pure or artificial vanilla work well.
- Dark chocolate chips: These get stirred into the mixture at the end. You could also use raisins or white chocolate chips if you prefer.
Featured Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“My whole family loved this (myself included)! My 3 yo and 19 month old couldn’t stop eating it. It tastes exactly like cookie dough, and I love how much healthier it is! Thanks for always making excellent recipes!” —Jessica
How to Make Chickpea Cookie Dough
Here’s a preview of how to make this Chickpea Cookie Dough so you know what to expect from the process. Scroll down to the end of this post for the full information, including the amounts and the timing.
Step 1. Drain and rinse the chickpeas in a colander.
Step 2. Add the ingredients, except the chocolate chips, to a food processor.
Step 3. Grind into a smooth texture. Remove the blade and stir in the chocolate chips.
Step 4. Portion out balls of dough and serve or store.
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Chickpea Cookie Dough FAQs
Sure, though it does store well for weeks in the fridge, the texture of it frozen is yummy!
Adding canned chickpeas to a colander and rinsing them removes a lot of added salt, which is helpful from a nutritional standpoint.
No, though right after you make it you may smell chickpeas. If you do and it bothers you, pop the cookie dough into the fridge and let it chill before enjoying.
How to Store
Store for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container at room temperature. Or in the fridge or freezer for longer.
Best Tips for Success
- Use mini chocolate chips or full-size ones. I prefer to chop up full size ones so there’s a more even distribution of chocolate throughout.
- Use sunflower seed butter in place of the peanut butter to make this nut-free.
- Use raisins instead of chocolate chips if you’d like.
- Look for dairy-free chocolate chips from brands including Guittard, Nestlé Toll House, Enjoy Life Foods, and Ghirardelli.
- Or turn the same basic flavors into frozen Cookie Dough Bark with a layer of chocolate on top.
- Pair with Vanilla Milk, Strawberry Milk, or Fruit Sticks.
More Healthy Desserts
Desserts
Edible Cookie Dough (No Cook)
Desserts
Easy Black Bean Brownie Bites
Desserts
So Good Chickpea Blondies
I’d love to hear your feedback on this post, so please rate and comment below!
Chickpea Cookie Dough (So Yum)
Ingredients
- 14.5 ounces chickpeas (1 can)
- ⅓ cup oat flour (or rolled oats)
- ⅓ cup peanut butter
- ¼ cup honey (or maple syrup)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas in a colander.
- If your peanut butter and/or honey are firm, warm them for 15 seconds in the microwave in a heat-safe container to make them easier to stir.
- Add the ingredients except the chocolate chips to a food processor. Grind, stopping a few times to scrape down the sides, to make a smooth cookie dough texture.
- Remove the blade. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Portion out 1 tablespoon-size balls of dough and serve, or store in the fridge or freezer as a future dessert.
Equipment
Notes
- Cookie Dough Bark: Use clean hands to spread the dough onto a parchment-lined baking pan to about 1/2-inch thick. Melt ¼ cup chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon coconut oil, then spread over the top. Top with flaky sea salt, if desired, and freeze for at least 10 minutes (if not more—mine was better after it froze for 30 minutes) to set firm enough to snap into pieces. Store in the fridge or freezer in a storage bag after breaking.
- Store for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container In the fridge. You can also freeze balls of dough or press them into a freezer tray or ice cube tray to make little frozen cookie dough bites.
- Use mini chocolate chips or full-size ones. I prefer to chop up full size ones, so there’s a more even distribution of chocolate throughout.
- Use sunflower seed butter in place of the peanut butter to make this nut-free.
- Use raisins instead of chocolate chips if you’d like.
- Look for dairy-free chocolate chips from brands including Guittard, Nestlé Toll House, Enjoy Life Foods, and Ghirardelli.
Super tasty! Mine was a little wet and didn’t freeze very hard or “snap” when I made the bark – do I need to pat dry the chickpeas maybe? Still delicious!
Maybe let it freeze a little longer? I haven’t ever dried them but you certainly can try that!
I pulse in some freeze-dried strawberries at the end instead of chocolate chips to keep it a bit lower sugar, and my toddler is fully obsessed. Thank you Amy!
Oh, that sounds so yummy! Thank you for sharing that idea!
Can you bake these?
Here is the baked version of Chickpea Cookies: https://www.yummytoddlerfood.com/chickpea-cookie-dough/
I make this almost weekly for me and my 3 year old. Amazing!
I’m so glad!
I’ve made this every week now!
This recipe is awesome and my new go to snack. I’ve been making triple batches to keep in the freezer, I love everything about it.
I just wanted to check whether the nutrition info stated is per ball?
Awesome! Yes it’s per 1 tablespoon
I gave it a shot and use oat haus or granola butter…I wanted them to be school friendly but my daughter is on a sunbutter strike
How did it go?