Nelli’s Chickpea “Cookie Dough” Recipe
When I’m craving a sweet snack at night or during the daytime (usually after my daily run), I eat a jar of homemade chickpea cookie dough. This recipe came about when I really wanted vegan cookie dough BUT I did not want to leave my apartment. My pantry wasn’t stocked, so I was face-to-face with its sole habitant - a large jar of dry chickpeas. I was desperate, so I threw the ingredients below in my blender and customized it to my liking. 1.5 years later, this is one of my favourite snacks / occasional breakfast.
This is not traditional cookie dough and it will not taste like it - this is a vegan version that prioritizes a higher protein count and less refined sugar. Also, this recipe was an accident - so adapt it to your liking :)
Enjoy this chickpea cookie dough with a glass of homemade nut mylk or Zimt hot chocolate!
Ingredients:
- 1.25 cups dry chickpeas –soak for a few hours and cook your preferred way (on the stovetop or in an Instapot, make sure to factor this into your prep time)
- ¼ cup almond butter OR nut/seed butter of your choice
- 6 tbsp rolled oats
- 5-6 pitted dates (soak in hot water for 5-7 minutes before throwing it in the blender)
- 1-2 tbsp maple sugar OR maple syrup OR raw honey (depends on how sweet you want it to be)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Optional:
- To make this taste like a double chocolate cookie: Add cocoa powder and as many chocolate chips as you desire. If you’re feeling fancy, add grated dark chocolate almond bark or our matcha creamsicle vegan white chocolate. Sprinkle a small amount of coconut ribbons on top.
- To make this taste like a peanut butter chocolate cookie: Add a scoop of peanut butter and chocolate chips
- To make this taste like a snickerdoodle cookie: Add scoops of cinnamon and maple sugar
- To make this taste like an oatmeal raisin cookie: Add sultana raisins, walnuts, and scoops of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and maple sugar
- 1 scoop protein powder
- Seeds/Nuts of your choice - I like to mix hemp hearts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and/or roasted cashews for extra crunch.
Steps:
- Fill a small bowl with water and let the 5-6 dates soak for 5-7 minutes. While the dates soften, assemble the rest of the cookie dough ingredients.
- Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until it becomes “dough-like”. I like to start first with the chickpeas and the dates, and then I slowly add the rest of the ingredients. Taste to see if it’s to your liking - add extra sweeteners if you want to.
- Once it has a dough-like texture, scrape it out and add the toppings of your choice.
Store in the fridge for 3-5 days.
- Nelli
Nelli V. Agbulos (she/they) is a second-generation Filipino who considers herself a former New Yorker and an honorary New Jerseyan. When she is not eating her way through homemade baked goods, she volunteers her time with GABRIELA BC, an overseas chapter of the Philippine-based women’s organization.
