Darlings, get into these Peanut Butter Chickpea Cookies, a nutritious twist on your cookie cravings! Brimming with protein-packed chickpeas and creamy peanut butter, then kissed with sparkly sugar, they strike that heavenly balance between salty and sweet. Not only are these cookies unbelievably soft and melt-in-your-mouth, but they’re also vegan! It’s a sneaky and delightful way to get that protein and fiber into a treat your kiddos will adore!
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From the moment I spot a cookie with those signature fork marks on top, I’m making a beeline for ‘em. Those perfect hatch marks almost always indicate a peanut butter cookie. And y’all, I love a salty-sweet PB-infused treat!
Today, I’m sharing my newest obsession: Nikki Dinki’s “healthy” Peanut Butter Cookies. Made with vitamin-rich chickpeas and protein-packed peanut butter, these cookies are guilt-free without lacking in flavor.
Tuck them into lunchboxes, serve ‘em up as an after-dinner dessert, or keep them all to yourself! You won’t regret it one bit.
If you can’t get enough peanuts and peanut butter you’re going to love my no-bake peanut butter pie, peanut butter cup cheesecake, and homemade peanut brittle.
Why You Will Love These Chickpea Peanut Butter Cookies
- Great for picky eaters. A sneaky way to get kiddos to eat their veggies. The chickpeas blend right into these cookies and really no one will know they’re even there!
- Terrific peanut butter flavor. These cookies are everything you want in a peanut butter cookie. They’re rich and peanutty and moist on the inside while slightly crispy on the outside!
- Easy to make cookie recipe. These cookies mix up in a jiffy thanks to a food processor.
- Packed with nutrients. The chickpeas add more protein and fiber to these cookies to make them a bit more balanced and actually a bit healthier!
Ingredients
All of the ingredients in this recipe are simple, pantry-staple items. That means no extra trips to the market or stressful substitutions! Here’s what you’ll need to gather together:
- Chickpeas: Believe it or not, peanut butter and beans were meant to be together! Chickpeas make for a cookie with a moist, dense center that’s not too cakey or crumbly. The liquid in the bean can, called Aquafaba, is also used in place of the egg to emulsify, bind, and thicken the dough.
- Smooth peanut butter: PB is the star of this show! Creamy, nutty, and salty, peanut butter is a delicious baking staple. For the best result, use a PB that does not separate, I recommend Jif or Skippy.
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla is used to enhance the flavor and add aroma. Pure vanilla is best!
- Brown sugar: Both dark and light brown sugar work in this healthy peanut butter cookie recipe. Just be sure to pack the measuring cup tightly either way.
- All-purpose flour: For this recipe, I’d recommend sifting the flour; it’s a dense cookie and any bit of added weight can make it too heavy. Sifting the flour will lighten it up a bit.
- Granulated sugar: I love that these cookies are the perfect balance between sweet and salty. The added sugary crust on the outside is both chewy and crisp, a welcome textural bonus.
How to Make Peanut Butter Chickpea Cookies
Are you ready to start cooking? Go ahead and start preheating your oven to 350°F and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Once you’ve got that done you can start mixing!
- Drain the can of chickpeas. Be sure to reserve a quarter cup of the liquid from the can. This is the aquafaba which we will also be adding to the cookies.
- Add the chickpeas to your food processor bowl and process until they are very finely chopped. You will likely need to stop a couple of times to scrape down the bowl.
- Add the peanut butter, reserved aquafaba, and vanilla to the food processor. Blend the mixture until it’s smooth.
PRO TIP: If the mixture is too thick for your food processor to handle, don’t stress- just continue mixing by hand.
- Transfer the mixture from the food processor to a large bowl. Add the brown sugar and stir until the ingredients are well combined and smooth.
- Add the flour and stir it in until well combined.
PRO TIP: At this point, the dough should be soft and oily but it should easily roll into a ball. If not, add two tablespoons of flour at a time until they will hold shape.
- Roll about two tablespoons of the dough into a ball and then roll it into a bowl of granulated sugar.
- Place the cookies on your baking sheet and then use a fork to lightly press down on each ball creating a crisscross pattern.
PRO TIP: If your fork sticks to the batter, dip it in water before creating the crisscross on each cookie.
- Bake the cookies until they are mostly firm and lightly browned and then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Tips for Making the Best Peanut Butter Cookies
- Don’t use too much flour! Adding too much all-purpose flour will cause these cookies to be dry and crumbly. You can avoid this by using a spoon to add flour to your measuring cup and then leveling it off with a knife.
- Use good quality baking sheets. Thin, low-quality sheets absorb too much heat, making for burnt bottoms and raw tops. Investing in a better baking sheet will ensure even cooking.
- Double-check your oven temperature. It’s possible that your oven runs hotter or cooler than most, which can affect the overall texture and baking time. Try using an oven-safe thermometer and adjusting the temperature accordingly.
Popular Substitutions & Additions
- Add some mix-ins: Chopped peanuts, chocolate chips, and peanut butter chips are just a few ideas.
- Gluten-free: If you want to make these gluten-free you can swap the all-purpose flour for a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend. These blends have ingredients added so they act more like regular flour.
What to Serve with Chickpea Cookies
Here are a few ideas for serving your freshly baked cookies:
- Add them to a lunch box or serve them up for a snack.
- For a decadent treat, sandwich them with a scoop of chocolate or vanilla ice cream in the middle to make homemade peanut cookie ice cream treats.
- Peanuts and bananas go hand and hand so enjoy them along with a healthy banana milkshake.
- Add them to a cookie tray along with turtle cookies and chocolate chunk cookies.
How to Store Peanut Butter Chickpea Cookies
As soon as they’re cool, transfer any leftover cookies to an airtight container or resealable bag. Store them at room temperature or in the freezer.
Thaw out already-baked cookies at room temperature and serve them right away. You can also reheat them in the oven at 300° F for about 5 minutes.
How long will peanut butter chickpea cookies last?
These cookies will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks at room temperature.
Can I freeze chickpea peanut butter cookies?
Yes! You can freeze them after baking or freeze the mixed cookie dough. If you’re freezing baked cookies, layer them in a container with parchment paper so they don’t stick together.
If you’re freezing the dough, scoop out the balls and place them on a baking sheet. Put the baking sheet in the freezer for an hour. Once the balls are frozen you can move them to an airtight container. Add a piece of parchment paper between each layer, and put them back in the freezer. Peanut Butter Cookie dough will freeze for up to 3 months. The cookie balls can go straight from the freezer to the oven to bake.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, not really. Peanut butter contributes much of the moisture and fat to these cookies. Commercial brands of peanut butter such as Jif and Skippy, tend to have a softer, creamier texture because of other ingredients added that keep them from separating and aren’t often found in natural peanut butter. I find that these brands work best in this particular cookie recipe.
No, you don’t taste them. Chickpeas have a rather mild flavor anyway, but the peanut butter really camouflages any flavor they might have. They blend perfectly into the peanut butter and provide the structure for the cookies. The cookies are plenty sweet with lots of peanut butter flavor though you may find their texture slightly different from a traditional peanut butter cookie.
These cookies have a great deal of moisture from the chickpeas and peanut butter which makes them rather soft rather than crunchy.
Whether you are looking for a way to sneak in some healthy ingredients to entice a picky toddler or simply looking for a way to incorporate more healthy ingredients into your foods, this peanut butter chickpea cookie recipe is sure to be a winner.
They’re easy to make, perfect to freeze, and a delicious treat to satisfy your sweet tooth and peanut butter cravings. Get at these boos!
More Delicious Cookie Recipes
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Butterfinger Brown Butter Cookies
- Sugar Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Orange Cookies
- Lemon Crinkle Cookies
*Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating and leave comments below!* Post a photo of how your version of the recipe came out on Instagram (using #grandbabycakes)!!
Peanut Butter Chickpea Cookies
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 15 oz chickpeas canned
- 1 ½ cup smooth peanut butter 13 oz
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ¾ cup all purpose flour plus more if needed
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Drain the chickpeas, reserving 1/4 cup fo the liquid from the can (aquafaba coming at you!), rinse them, then add them to the bowl of a food processor. Process the chickpeas until they are very finely chopped, stopping a couple of times to scrape down the bowl.
- Add the peanut butter, reserved aquafaba, and vanilla and blend until smooth; if the mixture is too thick for your food processor to handle, don't stress- just continue mixing by hand.
- Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, add the brown sugar, and stir until the ingredients are well combined and smooth. Stir in the flour until well combined. The dough will be soft and oily, but you should be able to roll it into a ball; if you are unable to do so, add more flour, 2 tablespoons at a time, until you get there.
- Place the granulated sugar in a small bowl. Using your hands, roll about 2 tablespoons of the dough into a ball, roll it in the sugar, and place it on one of the prepared baking sheets. Repeat this process until all the dough has been used, placing the balls about 1 inch apart. Use a fork to lightly press down on each ball, flattening the cookies to about 1/2 inch thick and creating a crisscross pattern. If your fork sticks to the batter, dip it in water before creating the crisscross on each cookie.
- Bake the cookies until they are mostly firm and lightly browned- 17 to 22 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
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Love the combination of ingredients in this cookie recipe. Thanks a lot for sharing.