This Chickpea Cookie Dough recipe is unlike anything you’ve ever had before! Filled with wholesome ingredients but equally as satisfying as your store bought Nestle Tollhouse cookie dough (and totally safe to consume), it’s a recipe you can get behind serving to your entire family (morning, noon, and night!) Plus, it’s so easy to customize for holidays and bring some good-for-you cheer to the dessert table!
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Why you need to make these Chickpea Cookie Dough Bites
A recipe that both kids and adults will enjoy, this Chickpea Cookie Dough is soon to be a family-favorite!
While the kid-friendly version is packed with fiber and healthy fats, the protein-packed version is pumped up with a little protein powder to really satisfy and satiate that mid-afternoon sweet craving!
This recipe tastes great on it’s own, but it’s also delicious when mixed into the Strawberry Nice Cream for kids or added to the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Blizzard for adults!
What You Need to Make this Recipe for Healthy Edible Cookie Dough
* Note this image only includes the base ingredients. Scroll down to see the additional ingredients required for the kid-friendly and adult-friendly versions!
Ingredient Tips
- Peanut Butter (or whichever nut/seed butter you use): It’s best to go for a no sugar added option here. There will be plenty of sweetness from the date syrup and brown sugar! Natural style or otherwise is okay!
- Chickpeas: Use canned chickpeas to save time! Simply drain and rinse to decrease the sodium content (or buy no salt added chickpeas; still drain and rinse!)
Ingredient Swaps
- Date Syrup: If you don’t have date syrup, you can sub in honey or maple syrup, or adjust the brown sugar. Just note if you do these swaps it will increase the added sugar content of this treat. (And check out the FAQ below for more information on date syrup!)
- Nut butter: Feel free to swap your favorite nut or seed butter instead of peanut butter!
- Kid-friendly version: Swap in whatever desired topping of choice! Finely crushed freeze-dried fruit, like strawberries, adds a fun pink color to the dough.
- Whey protein (protein-packed version): I like to make this with a chocolate or whey protein isolate, however you can also use a different protein flavor. I have not tried this with plant protein (like pea, hemp, soy, or a blend), but if you do try it, let me know in the comments!
- If you’d like this version to be able to slice, then add 2 to 4 Tbsps of oat or almond flour to the base.
How to Make this Chickpea Cookie Dough Recipe
Steps 1 + 2:
Start by processing the “base ingredients” in a high powered blender or food processor until smooth. These include the chickpeas, vanilla, salt, nut butter, and date syrup.
To Make the Kid-Friendly Chickpea Cookie Dough:
Steps 1 – 3:
Mix half the “base recipe” with oat flour and sprinkles until well combined.
Step 4:
Press dough onto parchment paper into a loaf pan. Set in the freeze for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
When ready to enjoy, remove from freezer and slice! Store leftovers in an air tight container in the freezer with parchment paper layered in between rows for ease of removing them in the future!
To Make the Protein-Packed Chickpea Cookie Dough:
Steps 1 -3:
Combine the other half of the “base recipe” with whey protein and chocolate chips until combined.
Step 4:
You can either share a larger pan, like an 8×8-inch pan, and freeze with the kid-friendly version. But, be aware, this version is a bit softer because of the whey protein, meaning it will not hold as well in bite sized pieces unless you add 3 tablespoons or so of oat or almond flour.
I recommend just storing it either one of the following two ways for ease (and without having to modify the recipe!)
- Portion into bite-sized teaspoon balls and freeze in an airtight container for easy “Chickpea Cookie Dough Bites” to grab and go!
- Store in a mason jar with a sealed lid in the fridge and enjoy a teaspoon here and there!
Recipe Notes + Expert Tips
It’s pretty hard to mess up this recipe! But, if you’re finding any of the following situations happening, modify as recommended below!
- If the dough is too “sticky”
- Add 1 tablespoon of oat or almond flour at time until desired consistency achieved. Do not add raw wheat or white flour (that is not considered safe for consumption without cooking.)
- If the dough is too “hard”
- Add 1 teaspoon of milk at a time until desired consistency achieved.
If all else fails, just eat it with a spoon! I promise you won’t be disappointed!
FAQs for this No Bake Cookie Dough
Date syrup is made from dates that are boiled, blended, strained, and evaporated to produce a thick, caramel-like sweetener. It’s claimed to have a lower glycemic index (measure of how much a food increases blood sugar when metabolized) than table sugar and contains more antioxidants and minerals than sugar, honey, or maple syrup.
It is less sweet tasting than the conventional sweeteners mentioned here, but provides just enough sweetness with the extra nutrition punch! As mentioned, if you’re unable to find it near you, you can search online for some reputable producers or simply sub out for a little less of another liquid sweetener you have on hand.
Yes! While the taste of chickpeas is undetectable due to the syrup, vanilla, and add-ins, if chickpeas are not on hand, white beans will work just as well! They’re mild in flavor and have a strong constitution! I have used black beans for my Sweet Hummus Recipe, so black beans may work here, however, I would probably only use with a chocolate flavored whey protein as the very dark color could be off-putting without that flavor! If you do try it, let me know in the comments!
Unfortunately, no. There is not enough of a binder in this recipe to make baking work! It may be possible to doctor this recipe to make it baking-friendly by adding more nut butter and some baking powder, but I have not tested this myself! In any case, if you’d like a texture that lends itself more to a “bite” as opposed to by-the-spoonful, do follow my recommendation to add some almond or oat flour before freezing!
Other Healthy Sweet Treats You May Enjoy
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Chickpea Cookie Dough
Ingredients
Base Recipe
- 15 ounce canned chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 2 tsps vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsps nut butter
- 1/3 cup date syrup
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
Kid-Friendly Version
- 1/3 cup old fashioned oats pulsed into a flour
- 3 tbsp rainbow sprinkles
Protein Packed Version
- 1/3 cup whey protein isolate
- 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
To make the base
- Combine chickpeas, vanilla, salt, nut butter, date syrup, and brown sugar in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth, wiping down the sides with a spatula between pulses. Separate the base evenly into two medium bowls.
To make the kid-friendly version
- Add the pulsed oats (or oat or almond flour) to the base and mix sprinkles in. Press into an 8×8-inch baking dish covered in parchment paper.
- Set the baking dish in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to harden up. Remove slice the cookie dough into bite-sized pieces. The kid-friendly version is easier to slice without it being to sticky once it starts to soften outside the fridge.
- Place in a zip lock container with parchment paper between pieces and store in the freezer for up to 1 to 2 months.
To make the protein packed version
- To the other half of the base, mix in the whey protein powder and chocolate chips until smooth. This dough is a bit softer because of the whey protein so it will not "slice" like the kid-friendly version as well. I recommend freezing in teaspoon size balls if you prefer to have bite-sized pieces, or storing in the fridge in sealed container and portioning out a teaspoon as desired!
- This recipe will keep in the fridge for up to 7 days, or frozen for up to 1 to 2 months.
Notes
- Chickpeas: Use canned chickpeas to save time! Simply drain and rinse to decrease the sodium content (or buy no salt added chickpeas; still drain and rinse!)
- Date Syrup: If you don’t have date syrup, you can sub in honey or maple syrup, or adjust the brown sugar. Just note if you do these swaps it will increase the added sugar content of this treat. (And check out the FAQ below for more information on date syrup!)
- Feel free to swap in whatever desired topping of choice! Finely crushed freeze-dried fruit, like strawberries, adds a fun pink color to the dough.
- If desire is nut-free, feel free to sub in a seed butter for the base ingredients. It’s best to go for a no sugar added option here. There will be plenty of sweetness from the date syrup and brown sugar! Natural style or otherwise is okay!
- I like to make this with a chocolate or whey protein isolate, however you can also use a different protein flavor! I have not tried this with a plant based protein.
- If you’d like this version to be able to slice, then add 2 to 4 Tbsps of oat or almond flour to the base.
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