Chickpea Cookies are a deliciously fudgy and healthy cookie made with creamy almond butter, cacao powder, and of course chickpeas. This quick and easy vegan dessert is a great way to use up extra chickpeas and satisfy your sweet tooth while also feeling good about the ingredients!
With their brownie-like flavor, these chickpea cookies are rich in protein and fiber and made without oil or refined-sugar. Make a batch in just 30 minutes, and enjoy this gluten-free treat all week long!
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Why You'll Love Them
Believe it or not, no one will know these healthy cookies are made with chickpeas! You can't taste them at all.
Chickpeas are a great base for the cookies and give them a soft, brownie-like texture that compliments the chocolate flavor.
This versatile recipe even freezes well. They taste great cold, straight from the fridge because they firm up, adding to the fudgy consistency. We also love that the chocolate chips get crisp in the fridge and add texture and contrast.
The Inspiration
Recently I was testing with a different recipe that uses aquafaba, and I ended up with a LOT of chickpeas. I haven’t shared a cookie recipe in a while, so I thought I'd create a chocolate-y, healthy chickpea cookie.
In some ways, these remind me of my vegan protein cookies. But instead of bananas and protein powder, these are made with chickpeas and cocoa. And I have to say, I’m pretty pleased with how they turned out!
They’re soft, satisfying, fudgy in the middle, and not too sweet or rich. In fact, if I can dial in the correct amount for an 8x8 pan, I think this batter will make amazing brownies...
Ah, look what I just found! That Vegan Dad has already done it. Check out his flourless chickpea brownies. They're made with peanut butter and look scrumptious!
Back to chickpea cookies. I wanted to keep the recipe flourless and really simple, but the cookies were too soft without flour. So I tested them again with a small amount of oat flour (gluten-free flour also works), plus baking soda and powder. This gives them more structure while still being soft inside thanks to the chickpeas.
Ingredients
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- chickpeas - chickpeas are both high in protein and fiber and make a great base for healthy desserts. When put in a food processor with nut butter, they create a creamy, dough-like, texture.
- almond butter - almond butter helps give these cookies a firmer texture and adds richness and flavor. You can also use a different nut butter of choice. Use sunbutter to make them nut-free.
- cacao or cocoa powder - cocoa powder is what will help give these cookies that delicious brownie flavor. Look for regular, unsweetened cocoa powder or raw cacao powder.
- coconut sugar - coconut sugar adds a subtle caramel-like taste. If you'd rather use regular or brown sugar, that works, too.
- maple syrup - a great natural sweetener that adds another level of flavor and moisture to the cookies.
- vanilla extract - vanilla is always key for any delicious chocolate dessert!
- oat flour - you can buy oat flour online and in many stores, or make your own oat flour by blending rolled oats until they're the consistency of coarse flour.
- dairy-free mini chocolate chips - since the cookies are fairly small, I prefer mini chips here. They spread throughout more evenly, but regular chocolate chips will also work.
See recipe card below for quantities and full instructions.
How to Make Chickpea Cookies
- Place chickpeas and almond butter in a large food processor and process into a thick dough.
- Add the cocoa, sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla and process until smooth. Then add the flour, baking powder and soda, and salt, and blend again. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop the cookie dough onto the parchment line baking sheet and bake for 7 minutes. Remove from the oven, and gently flatten with a fork, creating a criss-cross pattern on top. Bake for another 4 to 5 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom.
Tip! The cookies will be very soft right out of the oven. It's fine to let them cool on the baking sheet, but if the bottoms are almost too brown, slide the parchment/baking mat onto a cooling rack after a few minutes.
Variations
- nuts - if you enjoy crunch and texture, fold in chopped pecans, walnuts, or peanuts when adding the chocolate chips.
- coconut - add shredded coconut to the batter and press a pinch into the tops of the cookies.
- cinnamon - we really enjoy a touch of cinnamon in chocolate-y desserts. Half a teaspoon is enough to add subtle flavor.
Substitutions
- nut butter - Instead of almond butter, try peanut butter, tahini, cashew, or sunbutter.
- oat flour - you can also use a GF 1:1 flour blend or a whole-grain flour.
- chocolate chips - grain-sweetened chocolate or carob chips are a good substitution.
Equipment Needed
- food processor - this is the easiest way to blend the chickpeas and almond butter together and create a uniform dough.
- silicone spatula - comes in handy helpful for scraping the bowl of the food processor.
- parchment paper or silicone mat(s)
- one large or two small baking sheets
- a small cookie scoop is helpful but a tablespoon also gets the job done.
FAQs
Yes, garbanzo beans comes from the Spanish-derived name for this legume. Chickpeas comes from the Latin-derived name.
Since these cookies are naturally soft and moist, we like to store them in the refrigerator for extended freshness. However, they're fine for at room temperature for the day if you'd like to pack them to-go.
Yes, chickpea cookies freeze very well. Once cool, place in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to two months.
More Healthy Cookie Recipes
I hope you enjoy these healthy chickpea cookies! If you try the recipe let us know in the comments below.
Recipe
Chocolate Chickpea Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained - or approx. 1 ⅔ cup cooked chickpeas
- ⅓ cup smooth almond butter, unsalted - or other nut/seed butter
- ¼ cup cacao or cocoa powder
- ¼ cup coconut sugar - or other granulated sweetener
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup oat flour - or GF 1:1 blend
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ⅓ cup dairy-free mini chocolate chips - or your favorite refined sugar-free chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and line one large or two small baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- After rinsing the chickpeas, thoroughly pat dry with a tea towel. Transfer to a large food processor. Add the almond butter, and process to combine.
- Add the cacao, sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla. Process until fully combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and process again. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Using a small cookie scoop (1.5 Tbsp) or measuring spoon, scoop up the cookie dough and place on prepared pan(s). Leave in a ball shape. Bake for 7 minutes. Remove from oven, and use the underside of a fork to create a criss-cross pattern on top, gently flattening the cookies into shape. Bake for another 3 to 5 minutes or until golden on the bottoms.
- The cookies will be very soft straight from the oven. Cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze for longer storage.
Notes
- nuts - for added crunch, fold in chopped pecans, walnuts, or peanuts when adding the chocolate chips.
- coconut - add shredded coconut to the batter and press a pinch into the tops of the cookies.
- cinnamon - if you enjoy cinnamon with chocolate, add half a teaspoon to the food processor, then taste and adjust.
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used.
Dana says
Hi Lori, I’ve loved every single recipe of yours that I’ve tried 😋 I’ve recently purchased a Nama milk maker and I’m looking for okara recipes, do you think I could use okara in place of the chickpeas? I’d love you to make some okara recipes xxx
Lori Rasmussen says
Hi Dana, thank you! I'm happy to hear you're enjoying the recipes. Yes, I think this could be a great way to use okara. As long as the amount of moisture is similar to mashed chickpeas it should work well. Let us know if you give it a try!
Laura Kasha says
I love that this recipe is made with chick peas, but trying to avoid sugar. Would dates work as a substitute?
Lori Rasmussen says
Yes, I think that sounds good. They will be even fudgier, so as long as you don't mind that.
Daisy says
I have made this recipe so many times that I’ve lost count. I don’t usually leave reviews but I am grateful to have found this. I like to make a double batch and freeze some. I also use organic peanut butter (to make them dairy free), i did also try almond butter, but ended experimenting with peanut as the shop ran out. I have also used organic butter before and find they hold the moisture better. But I’ve learnt cook them for less time (when using a nut butter to stop them drying out). I also use a back of a spoon to gently press them down, rather than a fork. Putting the dough in the fridge overnight helps when rolling them into little balls as well (I use gloves and my hands, not a scoop). I wish I could up load a picture of them. But thank you to whoever did this recipe. Since taking out gluten and dairy / eggs, this really is a special treat I can enjoy. They are best served cold (keeps them fudgy). Best little brownie bites 🙂
Delin Thompson says
So good...even the dough is delicious!
Annie says
I saw this recipe and thought the cookies sounded like they might taste good and……sure enough they do! This is a great easy, fast recipe and good for you. Thank you so much Lori for another wonderful plant based inspiration! 🙂
Jenna says
Oh my these are SO delicious. And guilt-free!! I prepared and cooked them exactly as directed, but they did not get crispy (hard to tell when they’re fresh from the oven). Next time I’ll try adding a couple minute at the end of cooking.
Will definitely be making these again soon!