Soft and Gooey Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chickpeas are doing the work of flour and eggs in these chocolate chip cookies, and the result is meant to be soft, gooey and sweet—not hummus-like. That’s a more interesting claim than the recipe’s “healthy” label: the beans make this an eggless, vegan option with fiber and protein, while the texture aims closer to a warm cookie pie than a crisp cookie.

Why try chickpea chocolate chip cookies?

The recipe skips eggs, flour, oil and butter. Choose quick oats for an oat-based version or almond flour to keep it grain free; both options are gluten free when the ingredients you use are certified gluten free. The cookies are also described as refined sugar free, though the sweetener you pick changes the result.

Texture is the selling point. These bake up soft and chewy, with a gooey center that’s compared to a deep-dish chocolate chip cookie pie. They’re sweeter and gooier than Toll House cookies, according to the recipe’s author, who says her niece and nephew approved a batch served at a family gathering. That’s a promising endorsement, though the best way to judge the chickpea base is to try it yourself.

For another dessert built around chickpeas, try Chickpea Blondies.

Watch the recipe come together

What goes into the cookies

Chickpeas — Use one standard 15-ounce can of chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans. If you cook them yourself, measure about 1½ cups after cooking.

Quick oats or almond flour — Quick oats are the oat-based choice; almond flour gives you a grain-free option. Rolled oats work too, but pulse them in the food processor first.

Almond butter — It adds richness and helps cover the beans’ flavor. Peanut butter makes a peanut butter version; coconut oil is suggested as a nut-free alternative.

Sweetener — Honey and pure maple syrup both work. Raw cane sugar or brown sugar are said to produce a softer cookie texture, while a granulated sugar-free sweetener can be used for a sugar-free version.

Chocolate chips — The recipe uses about ½ cup. Carob chips or raisins can take their place, and shredded coconut, diced walnuts or pecans are optional additions.

Applesauce or Greek yogurt — Either adds moisture while keeping the cookies low in fat. Mashed banana or pumpkin purée are alternatives.

Vanilla and leavening — Add 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, along with baking powder, baking soda and salt. A pinch of cinnamon is optional. The recipe contains no eggs.

For more bean-based desserts, try Black Bean Brownies or this Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie.

How to make them

1. Rinse the chickpeas. Drain and rinse canned beans thoroughly in a colander, then shake off excess water. If you cooked them from scratch, let them cool first.

2. Blend the dough. Put the chickpeas, sweetener, oats or almond flour, applesauce, almond butter, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, salt and optional cinnamon into a large food processor. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.

3. Add the chocolate and chill. Fold in the chocolate chips by hand with a spoon or spatula. Refrigerate the dough until it’s firm enough to scoop.

4. Shape the cookies. Heat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Drop portions of dough onto a nonstick silicone sheet or a greased baking sheet. The cookies won’t spread much, so press them flatter with a spoon if that’s the shape you want.

5. Bake, then let them set. Bake on the oven’s center rack for 8 minutes for a gooier center or 10 minutes for a more cake-like texture. Take them out while they still look underbaked. They firm up as they cool, so let them cool before handling.

6. Eat. That part needs little explanation.

7. Store any extras. Keep leftover cookies in a covered container on the counter for one day, in the refrigerator for up to five days, or in the freezer for up to three months.

Questions people ask before baking

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Chocolate Chip Chickpea Cookies

Chickpea chocolate chip cookies

The recipe’s main draw is its short bake and flour-free dough, though the stated eight-minute total time leaves out blending, chilling and cooling. It yields 12 cookies, with one recorded five-star rating. The cookies are described as fudgy, with gooey chocolate chips; they’re gluten-free and egg-free. For the batch, use one 15-ounce can of chickpeas; ⅔ cup (130g) raw cane sugar, brown sugar or granulated sugar-free sweetener; ½ cup (50g) quick oats or almond flour; and ½ cup (80g) chocolate chips. The remaining ingredients are 2 tablespoons (30g) almond butter or oil, 2 tablespoons (30g) applesauce, yogurt or extra almond butter, 1 teaspoon (5g) vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt and, if you like, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon.

Blend, chill and bake

Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then process them with the sweetener, oats or almond flour, applesauce, almond butter, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, salt and optional cinnamon. Scrape down the bowl as needed and blend until smooth. The recipe specifically recommends a food processor over a blender for better texture and flavor. Fold in the chocolate chips by hand, then refrigerate the dough until it’s firm enough to scoop. Heat the oven to 350°F (176°C) and arrange dough balls on a nonstick silicone sheet or greased baking tray. They won’t spread much, so flatten them with a spoon if you want thinner cookies. Bake on the center rack for eight minutes for a gooier middle or 10 minutes for a cakier result. Let the cookies cool before picking them up; they firm as they sit. Store them covered on the counter for one day, refrigerate for up to five days, or freeze for up to three months. The recipe is categorized as an American dessert and lists beans, chickpeas, garbanzo beans and chocolate chips among its keywords. It’s credited to [Katie Higgins](https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/about/) and lists 60 calories per cookie.

Nutrition and recipe notes

These cookies are adapted from two earlier recipes: Chickpea Cookie Dough Dip and the Deep Dish Cookie Pie. The nutrition estimate per cookie is 60 calories, with 9 grams of carbohydrates, 2.9 grams of protein, and 2 grams of fat. It also lists 2.8 grams of fiber, 0.7 grams of sugar, 1 gram of saturated fat, 1 gram of polyunsaturated fat, 40 milligrams of sodium, 98 milligrams of potassium, 1 IU of vitamin A, 1 milligram of vitamin C, 11 milligrams of calcium, and 1 milligram of iron. Those figures give you a quick reference; the full nutrition facts are available here.

The recipe also has a video walkthrough for anyone who prefers to see the process.

More chickpea desserts

Chickpeas show up in plenty of sweets beyond cookies. If you’re curious about the range, try Chocolate Chickpea Brownies, Chocolate Hummus, or Protein Cookie Dough. The collection also includes Blender Muffins, Snickerdoodle Blondies, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles, and White Chocolate Raspberry Blondies.

This recipe was first published at Chocolate Covered Katie: Chocolate Chip Chickpea Cookies.