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!
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, nutritious, and 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.
- 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
- 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.
You are so creative at recipe development! This recipe is tasty and full of beans! I would love to have a cooked version of these cookies, so they are easier to take when out and about. Thank you!
I’m going to work on that, thank you for the suggestion!
My oldest kid said “these are like a z-bar!” so I will be rolling with that marketing. I agree, it’s a cleaner chocolate protein bar! We used almond butter as our school-friendly option.
Oh, love hearing that feedback! I may try to see if I can get them to hold as bars now…
This does not taste like cookie dough. Since it doesn’t have sugar, brown sugar or butter I didn’t expect it to but wanted to try it still. It’s still delicious and deserves 5 stars!
Love your recipes! I’m new to chickpeas, and just purchased 2 cans to try this recipe – quick question though, do they have to be cooked after rinsing and draining? Or safe to eat straight out of the cab? My bub is 18 months and digestive system still working itself out ! Thanks!
They are safe to eat right out of the can, like other beans. They’re already cooked. Just rinse them off and you’ll be good to go. (blending the beans up will help them become easier to digest, too.)
Obsessed with these!! Soo good and nutritious! Will 100% be making again and again! Thank you
This came out perfect! I wanted it to taste more like regular cookie dough so I used almond butter instead of peanut and was so surprised this taste just like cookie dough! Just made these stuck them in the fridge to firm up we will se how my 2 year old likes them 🙂
My very picky four-year-old was so excited to eat this. It tastes just like cookie dough somehow, which is blowing my mind. I substituted the peanut butter for tahini and added a few more oats. I also threw in some ground flaxseed and dried cranberries for extra measure. Super happy with how these turned out. I would comment that it was easier to form into balls after it sat in the fridge overnight and had time for the flavors to all meld together and harden a bit.
Excellent, thank you!
Any suggestion for a substitution for the peanut butter? My little one is allergic to eggs and peanuts. Maybe not tree nut butter I haven’t had the courage to tackle that yet.
You can use sunflower seed butter if that’s an option you’re comfortable with.
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!
Great taste and quick to make!
Could I sub almond flour? I’m allergic to oats.
I think so! If it’s too stick to form into balls, add a little more almond flour and/or chill the batter.
Saw this on IG and had to try – they were a hit! All 3 of my kids (2,4,6) gobbled them up.
Hi!! Could you sub almond flour for oat flour?