Chickpea Cookie Dough Bites
These no-bake bites are pale, hand-rolled balls with soft centers and whole chocolate chips throughout. A food processor blends chickpeas with peanut butter, maple syrup, and oat flour until the base is mostly smooth; the chips go in afterward so they stay intact.
The dough should hold together when pinched before you roll it. If it’s sticky but cohesive, a short chill will make shaping easier. If it smears and won’t hold a ball, it needs a little more oat flour.
Ingredients for Chickpea Cookie Dough Bites
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and patted dry (about 1 1/2 cups or 250g drained; weight varies by can)
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, well stirred (about 130g)
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup (about 80g)
- 3/4 cup oat flour (about 75g), plus more only if needed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt, or less if the peanut butter is salted
- 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips (about 60g)
Yield: About 16 bites. Time: 15 minutes of prep, plus about 30 minutes to chill. No cooking required.
How to Make Chickpea Cookie Dough Bites
- Dry the chickpeas: Drain and rinse them, then pat dry with a clean towel. Remove loose skins if convenient; there’s no need to peel every chickpea.
- Process the dough: Add the chickpeas, peanut butter, maple syrup, oat flour, vanilla, and salt to a food processor. Process until thick, cohesive, and mostly smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed. Keep processing if large chickpea pieces remain.
- Check the texture: Pinch some dough together. If it smears and won’t hold a ball, process in more oat flour 1 tablespoon at a time. If it holds together but sticks to your hands, refrigerate it for 10 to 15 minutes before rolling.
- Fold in the chips: Set aside a small handful of the measured chocolate chips. Fold the rest into the dough with a spatula rather than processing them.
- Roll the bites: Divide the dough into about 16 portions and hand-roll into roughly 1 1/2-inch balls. Press the reserved chips onto the outsides, then place the bites in a single layer on a parchment-lined plate or small tray.
- Chill: Refrigerate for about 30 minutes, checking after 20 minutes. The bites are ready when they hold their round shape and lift cleanly from the tray but remain soft in the center.
How the Dough Should Feel
Chickpea moisture and peanut-butter thickness can affect how much oat flour the dough needs. Slight tackiness is fine if the dough holds together; chill it before adding more flour. Add extra flour only when the dough is too wet to keep its shape, since too much can make the bites less soft.
A food processor handles this thick mixture more easily than most blenders. Scrape down the bowl thoroughly for a smoother base; peeling the chickpeas is optional.
Ingredient Swaps
To make oat flour, grind rolled oats into a reasonably fine meal, then measure 3/4 cup of the ground flour. For a nut-free adaptation, use creamy seed butter instead of peanut butter and adjust with a little more oat flour or chilling if needed. Check the oat and chocolate-chip labels if you need gluten-free or vegan bites.
Serve the bites chilled, with several nestled together in a bowl. For another make-ahead snack, try these no-bake protein bites with chocolate chips and coconut.
Storage and Freezing
Store the bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. To freeze, arrange them on a lined tray until firm, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. Let a frozen bite soften briefly if it’s too firm to eat straight away.
Nutrition
Approximate nutrition per bite, based on 16 bites: 125 calories, 4g protein, 6g fat, and 15g carbohydrates. Per 100g: approximately 330 calories, 11g protein, 15g fat, and 39g carbohydrates. Values vary with ingredient brands and any extra oat flour used.
Equipment
- Food processor
- Spatula
- Parchment paper
- Plate or small tray
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and patted dry (about 1 1/2 cups or 250 g drained)
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, well stirred (about 130 g)
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup (about 80 g)
- 3/4 cup oat flour (about 75 g), plus more if needed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt, or less if the peanut butter is salted
- 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips (about 60 g)
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then pat them dry with a clean towel. Remove any loose skins if convenient.
- Add the chickpeas, peanut butter, maple syrup, oat flour, vanilla, and salt to a food processor.
- Process until thick, cohesive, and mostly smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Pinch some dough together. If it will not hold a ball, process in more oat flour 1 tablespoon at a time. If it holds together but sticks to your hands, chill it for 10 to 15 minutes before rolling.
- Set aside a small handful of chocolate chips. Fold the remaining chips into the dough with a spatula.
- Divide the dough into about 16 portions and roll them into roughly 1 1/2-inch balls.
- Press the reserved chocolate chips onto the outside of the bites and arrange them in a single layer on a parchment-lined plate or small tray.
- Refrigerate for about 30 minutes, checking after 20 minutes. The bites are ready when they hold their shape and lift cleanly from the tray while remaining soft in the center.
Tips
- Pat the chickpeas dry to help prevent excess moisture in the dough.
- Peeling every chickpea is not necessary.
- A food processor handles the thick mixture better than most blenders.
- Add extra oat flour only if the dough cannot hold its shape; slight tackiness is fine.
- Chill sticky but cohesive dough before adding more flour.
Variations
- Nut-Free Bites: Replace the peanut butter with creamy seed butter and adjust with a little more oat flour or chilling if needed.