Chickpea Cookie Dough

Edible chickpea cookie dough is an easy and healthy snack that’s naturally egg free, dairy free, refined sugar free, and gluten free! It’s a deliciously sweet treat that comes together with minimal ingredients in a food processor.

Edible cookie dough recipes are some of my favorites because they’re flexible, they’re a no-bake snack or dessert and they are so much fun to eat. From vegan cookie dough to oatmeal cookie dough to keto cookie dough, there’s a cookie dough recipe for every dietary need and occasion!

Now, I know you may be thinking, chickpeas in cookie dough? How is that possible? Well, don’t fret- I promise you, NO ONE knows it’s in there, not even the greatest cookie dough connoisseur.

Table of Contents

1. Why you’ll love this chickpea cookie dough recipe
2. Ingredients (and substitutions)
3. How to make chickpea cookie dough
4. Recipe tips and variations
5. Storage instructions
6. More no bake desserts to try
7. Chickpea Cookie Dough (Recipe Card)

Why you’ll love this chickpea cookie dough recipe

• Healthy cookie dough?! I know it’s hard to believe, but this cookie dough recipe is healthy because it’s made with just a handful of wholesome vegan ingredients. Like my healthy cookie dough, you’ll feel good with each bite!
• Packed with protein! Containing 20 grams of protein per 100 grams, chickpeas pack every serving of this delicious snack or dessert with plant-based protein so you can stay full and satisfied for hours. Sure, you could make my protein shake after a workout but how much more delicious would cookie dough be? Although I do recommend my protein cookie dough.
• Ready in minutes. All you need to do is blend the ingredients into a thick dough, fold in the chocolate chips by hand, then dig in! This is the kind of dessert we often make after dinner on a whim- it’s that simple.
• No bean flavor. We all know that chickpeas are fantastic for making homemade hummus and chana masala, but they also give this chocolate chip cookie dough a base that’s rich, hearty, and smooth. The mild bean flavor in chickpeas is also well-hidden, so all you taste are the chocolate chips and the rich sweetness of the cookie dough.

Ingredients (and substitutions)

To keep this recipe as healthy as possible, I swapped the traditional cookie dough ingredients (butter, sugar, flour, etc.) for a minimal amount of dairy-free ingredients and natural sweeteners. This is what you need:

• Chickpeas. Use canned chickpeas as they are the quickest and easiest option. If you want to make chickpeas from scratch, allow enough time for them to cool completely.
• Peanut butter. Smooth is best. Or use any nut butter you want as a substitute, like cashew butter, almond butter, healthy Nutella (perfect for a chocolate cookie dough!), or sunflower seed butter.
• Maple syrup. For sweetness. You can use brown sugar if you don’t need the recipe to be refined sugar free.
• Salt. A pinch of salt intensifies the hidden flavors in the rest of the ingredients.
• Vanilla extract. For flavor. 
• Rolled oats. Using rolled oats in chickpea cookie dough means you don’t need to use regular flour, which usually needs to be heat-treated beforehand. Feel free to use oat flour or almond flour as a substitute.
• Milk. Any type of regular milk or dairy-free milk works well here.
• Dark chocolate chips. Or make this with vegan chocolate chips instead.

How to make chickpea cookie dough

1. Prepare the chickpeas. Drain the chickpeas from the can and rinse them under running water. Transfer them to a clean kitchen towel and add another towel on top and massage the chickpeas until they’re dry and the skins have been removed.

2. Blend. Add the chickpeas to a food processor, along with the peanut butter, maple syrup, salt, vanilla, and milk. Blend until smooth. Add oats and blend once more.  

3. Add the chocolate chips. Let the mixture cool and settle to room temperature before folding in the chocolate chips. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe tips and variations

• Peeling the chickpea skins is tedious, but worth it! Rubbing them with kitchen towels is an efficient way to peel the skins or you can simply squeeze each chickpea between your thumb and index finger.
• Is the dough too thick? Blend in a splash of milk at a time to slightly thin out the consistency.
• Chill the cookie dough. For the best flavor and texture, chill the cookie dough for at least two hours for the flavors to truly develop and the mixture to thicken.
• Gluten-free cookie dough. Not all oats are naturally gluten-free. Make sure to use certified gluten-free rolled oats.
• Nut free. Swap the peanut butter for your favorite seed butter, like sunflower seed butter or tahini. I’ve also tried granola butter, and let’s just say portion control goes out the window!
• Add warm spices. Like cinnamon or nutmeg. It’s sort of similar to my pumpkin cookie dough, but minus the seasonal aspect.
• Extra add-ins. In addition to the chocolate chips, you can fold in crushed walnuts, almonds, peanuts, pretzels, dried fruit, or go up a notch and make a batch of my vegan brownies and fold them in (seriously!).

Storage instructions

To store: Chickpea cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

To freeze: Freeze the cookie dough in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

More no bake desserts to try

• No bake oatmeal cookies
• Chocolate peanut butter no bake cookies
• Coffee mousse
• Lemon mousse
• Mango mousse