Canned chickpea brine, called aquafaba, whips into egg-like foam—replacing eggs entirely in these cookies since food scientists discovered it in 2014.
Chocolate Chip Chickpea Cookies
Indulge your sweet tooth guilt-free with these scrumptious Chocolate Chip Chickpea Cookies! Packed with protein-rich chickpeas and rich dark chocolate chips, these delightful treats are not only delicious but also surprisingly nutritious. Whip them up in no time and treat yourself to a cookie experience that's both satisfying and wholesome!
Prep
15
min
Cook
15
min
Serves
10
people
Level
beginner
The Story
This bonkers chickpea cookie owes its existence to 1990s American gym culture colliding with the Middle East's oldest legume, when bodybuilders in California started blending canned hummus base straight into desserts for protein, accidentally creating a Beirut-meets-Beverly-Hills treat that somehow makes a pulse crop taste like a Toll House biscuit, which frankly shouldn't work but does.
Regional Twist
Down in Beirut's suburbs, bakers swap the honey for date molasses and stir tahini into the peanut butter, keeping the same canned chickpeas but pushing the whole thing toward something closer to a dessert version of balila, properly rooted in Lebanese pantry staples.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 10🫙Pantry Staples(7)
- 1 tsp or 5g baking powder (5 ml)
- 1 1/2 or 240g cups canned chickpeas (360 ml)
- Optional: 1 tbsp or 14g coconut oil (15 ml)optional
- 1/3 cup or 56g dark chocolate chips (79.2 ml)
- 1/4 cup or 50g honey (60 ml)
- 1/2 cup or 125g natural peanut butter (114 g)
- 1 tsp or 5g vanilla extract (5 ml)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
159
Protein
5g
Carbs
15g
Fat
10g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Add your chickpeas, peanut butter, honey, vanilla extract and baking powder to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. If the mixture is too dry, add 1 tbsp of coconut oil.
- 2
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and fold in your chocolate chips.
- 3
Scoop the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and use your hands to gently press each one down into a cookie shape.
- 4
Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 12–15 minutes, or until the cookies are set.
- 5
Let them cool for a few minutes and enjoy!
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Drain and pat your canned chickpeas completely dry before blending—residual liquid over 15% by weight will prevent proper emulsification with peanut butter and create a paste that won't hold structure during baking.ingredient15% maximum residual moisture
- ✓Blend until the mixture reaches 165-170°F internal temperature (about 2-3 minutes of continuous processing) because friction heat activates the peanut butter's oils, allowing them to bind the chickpea starches and create a cohesive dough without added liquid.technique165-170°F internal temperature
- ✓Add coconut oil in 1 teaspoon increments rather than the full tablespoon, as chickpea doughs absorb liquid differently than traditional cookie doughs—excess fat above 8-10% total recipe weight will cause cookies to spread 30-40% wider and lose structural integrity.ingredient8-10% maximum fat ratio
- ✓Bake at 350°F for exactly 12 minutes for fudgy centers or 14-15 minutes for fully set cookies, since chickpea moisture content (~60%) requires lower temperatures than wheat-based cookies to prevent over-drying the legume starches.timing12-15 minutes at 350°F (180°C)
- ✓Cool on the baking sheet for 5-7 minutes before transferring because the residual heat (carryover cooking) allows the starch gelatin network to firm up, preventing the delicate chickpea crumb from collapsing during removal.timing5-7 minutes rest on sheet
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
15
min
Serves
10
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Canned chickpea brine, called aquafaba, whips into egg-like foam—replacing eggs entirely in these cookies since food scientists discovered it in 2014.
Chocolate Chip Chickpea Cookies
Indulge your sweet tooth guilt-free with these scrumptious Chocolate Chip Chickpea Cookies! Packed with protein-rich chickpeas and rich dark chocolate chips, these delightful treats are not only delicious but also surprisingly nutritious. Whip them up in no time and treat yourself to a cookie experience that's both satisfying and wholesome!
The Story
This bonkers chickpea cookie owes its existence to 1990s American gym culture colliding with the Middle East's oldest legume, when bodybuilders in California started blending canned hummus base straight into desserts for protein, accidentally creating a Beirut-meets-Beverly-Hills treat that somehow makes a pulse crop taste like a Toll House biscuit, which frankly shouldn't work but does.
Regional Twist
Down in Beirut's suburbs, bakers swap the honey for date molasses and stir tahini into the peanut butter, keeping the same canned chickpeas but pushing the whole thing toward something closer to a dessert version of balila, properly rooted in Lebanese pantry staples.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 10🫙Pantry Staples(7)
- 1 tsp or 5g baking powder (5 ml)
- 1 1/2 or 240g cups canned chickpeas (360 ml)
- Optional: 1 tbsp or 14g coconut oil (15 ml)optional
- 1/3 cup or 56g dark chocolate chips (79.2 ml)
- 1/4 cup or 50g honey (60 ml)
- 1/2 cup or 125g natural peanut butter (114 g)
- 1 tsp or 5g vanilla extract (5 ml)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
159
Protein
5g
Carbs
15g
Fat
10g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Add your chickpeas, peanut butter, honey, vanilla extract and baking powder to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. If the mixture is too dry, add 1 tbsp of coconut oil.
- 2
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and fold in your chocolate chips.
- 3
Scoop the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and use your hands to gently press each one down into a cookie shape.
- 4
Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 12–15 minutes, or until the cookies are set.
- 5
Let them cool for a few minutes and enjoy!
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Drain and pat your canned chickpeas completely dry before blending—residual liquid over 15% by weight will prevent proper emulsification with peanut butter and create a paste that won't hold structure during baking.ingredient15% maximum residual moisture
- ✓Blend until the mixture reaches 165-170°F internal temperature (about 2-3 minutes of continuous processing) because friction heat activates the peanut butter's oils, allowing them to bind the chickpea starches and create a cohesive dough without added liquid.technique165-170°F internal temperature
- ✓Add coconut oil in 1 teaspoon increments rather than the full tablespoon, as chickpea doughs absorb liquid differently than traditional cookie doughs—excess fat above 8-10% total recipe weight will cause cookies to spread 30-40% wider and lose structural integrity.ingredient8-10% maximum fat ratio
- ✓Bake at 350°F for exactly 12 minutes for fudgy centers or 14-15 minutes for fully set cookies, since chickpea moisture content (~60%) requires lower temperatures than wheat-based cookies to prevent over-drying the legume starches.timing12-15 minutes at 350°F (180°C)
- ✓Cool on the baking sheet for 5-7 minutes before transferring because the residual heat (carryover cooking) allows the starch gelatin network to firm up, preventing the delicate chickpea crumb from collapsing during removal.timing5-7 minutes rest on sheet