These chewy Peanut Butter Chickpea Cookies are protein-packed and loaded with plenty of peanut butter and minimal sugar. The best part is that they’re gluten free, vegan and only 6 ingredients! 

You read that right folks: chickpea cookies. One of my favorite things to do is sneak vegetables or legumes into dessert recipes, like in this chocolate zucchini cake or these chickpea pancakes. More times than not, you can’t tell the difference and you’re squeezing in some extra nutrients — talk about a win-win! 

The thing about this chickpea cookie recipe is that you’re probably not going to convince anyone that these are traditional chocolate chip cookies. I mean of course you’re not, because they’re not. However, they’re still really good and if there is such thing is a guilt-free chocolate chip cookie recipe, this is it. Plus, you can’t even taste the chickpeas! 

Recipe features

• Made using only 6 ingredients which you most likely already have in your pantry
• They’re made without flour, gluten free, dairy-free and vegan-friendly
• They’re soft and chewy, loaded with peanut butter and made with actual chickpeas, meaning they contain a good amount of both fiber and protein

Ingredients

Chickpeas – Use canned chickpeas, and make sure to drain and rinse them beforehand to remove any liquid from the can. 

Peanut butter – Creamy peanut butter, and preferably a peanut butter with peanuts and salt as the only ingredients. Peanut butter with added oil tends to alter the texture. Alternatively, you can use almond butter if you prefer! 

Maple syrup – These cookies are healthy, but that doesn’t mean they’re sugar-free. Opt for maple syrup, honey or another liquid sweetener of choice for these. Using granulated sugar might work, but I haven’t tested it myself. 

Vanilla extract – No substitution. 

Baking soda – Necessary in order for the cookies to rise in the oven.

Chocolate chips – Or use chopped chocolate; semi-sweet chocolate or dark chocolate work best. 

Instructions

Step 1: Drain and rinse the chickpeas: This step is important, so don’t skip it. Simply pour the chickpeas into a strainer then rinse them with water for 15 seconds or so. Then immediately pour them into your food processor and pulse for 10 seconds.

Step 2: Add the remaining ingredients: Minus the chocolate chips, add the other ingredients to your food processor and pulse until a large ball of dough is formed. The dough will be slightly sticky, and that’s ok! 

Step 3: Add the chocolate chips: Remove the blade from your food processor, then stir in the chocolate chips by hand.

Step 4: Bake. Use an ice cream scooper or cookie scoop to scoop the dough out and onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Use the palm of your hand to gently press them down to slightly flatten them, then bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges have set. 

Step 5: Pan-bang the cookies. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and immediately “bang” it on the countertop by lifting it one inch above the counter and dropping it several times. This allows the cookies to flatten a bit, which leads to a more optimal texture. Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a cooling rack. 

Tips and tricks 

• You want to be careful not to over-bake the cookies; otherwise, they’ll be too dry.
• These cookies don’t contain eggs, so slightly underbaking them is the way to go if you want that soft and chewy texture.
• If you love these cookies, be sure to check out my edible chickpea cookie dough.

Storage 

Room temperature: Store cookies in an airtight container on the countertop for up to 2 days. 

Freezer: Wait for the cookies to cool, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag for up to 4 months. 

More healthy cookie recipes:

• Chocolate Avocado Cookies
• Healthy Pumpkin Cookies
• Healthy Birthday Cake Cookies 

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks! 

UPDATE NOTE: This post was originally published in March 2019. It was updated with new text in November 2023.