Chickpea cookie dough balls
I’ve been on a chickpea thing lately. You know, that thing where you want them all the time? I put them on my salads, make all kinds of hummus (duh), add them to veggie curries, make cookies, eat them straight up (am I the only one?). I thought about ways to make a fun, portable snack, and then it hit me: cookie dough balls!
Like any good food blogger, the first thing I did was Google it. And, yes, it’s been done before. I’m not sure why it’s taken me so long to discover this. But I went to work anyway and came up with something a little different. These cookie dough balls don’t have the taste or texture of chickpeas, and that is due to a little extra step: I roasted ’em first.
Roasting chickpeas not only dries them out but also adds a wonderful nutty flavour. When mixed with a little nut butter, maple syrup and of course chocolate chips, the resulting mixture looks just like cookie dough. And it tastes just as delicious but without the unhealthy ingredients. Score!
These bite-sized gems have made perfect pre-workout snacks, since they contain extra protein and carbs from the chickpeas and nut butter. I’ve been making a batch every other week or so and stash them in my freezer. I’ll take one or two to work in a little mason jar for snack time. They’re also great for afternoons or evenings when that sweets craving hits.
Enjoy!
P.S. There’s a Blendtec giveaway happening—you have until December 10th to enter!
PrintChickpea cookie dough balls
Yield: 12 to 14 balls
Ingredients:
- 1½ cups cooked chickpeas (or one 13.5 oz can)
- 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 2 tbsp natural smooth peanut butter
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 2 to 3 tbsp mini chocolate chips or cacao nibs
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Spread out chickpeas on the prepared cookie sheet and roast for 15 minutes or until dry to the touch and a little toasty. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
- Using a food processor, process the roasted chickpeas, maple syrup, peanut butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt. Process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides if necessary. It should come together and look like regular cookie dough.
- Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in the chocolate chips. Roll the dough into tablespoon-size balls and store in an air-tight container in the fridge or freezer.
Inspired by Vanessa's recipe.