When life gives you chickpeas, make cookies.
Lately after I scarf down a hugh jass dinner of veggie burgs or noodlies or enchiladas plus three million roasted sweet tater rounds, I stillll want something sweet afterwards. I mean duh. Don’t you??
And sometimes, just sometimes, a piece of dark chocolate doesn’t cut it.
WHAT DID SHE JUST SAY?!
Gasp as you will, but we all need one (or seven) of those soft, pillowy, cloud-like cookies after a hard day’s work. The thing is, I still want to nosh on something somewhat nutritious so I don’t go to bed feeling like I ate a white-flour-white-sugar-cookie-the-size-of-my-face. Plus, the more good-for-you foods I can pack in there, the more cookies I’m allowed to eat.
Ya know?
And because these cookies are entirely naturally sweetened (youdda bomb, Medjool dates) and have zero refined flour, sugar, butter, or oil, you can totally consider them a snack rather than a dessert. Who would of thought that blending the hell out of chickpeas, nut butter, dates, and cinnamon could be such a party for the taste buds? MAJOR fiesta for the pie-hole, my friends.
And to answer your question, no, these don’t taste like chickpeas. Promise.
Sometimes I have a chickpea flour breakfast pizza for lunch and a roasted broccoli chickpea burger for din and one to many gingerbread chickpea blondies for snack. And then I have some sweet taters dipped in hummus and I thank the heavens for creating such a fabulously delish and versatile little bean. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from all the damn hummus I eat, it’s that you can never have too many chickpeas in your life.
Eat ’em for breakfast. Eat ’em for dinner. Even for dessert, chickpeas sure are a winner!
I write poems in my free time.
- 1-15oz can chickpeas, drained and well rinsed
- 8 large Medjool dates, pitted
- ⅓ cup unsweetened apple sauce
- ½ cup nut butter (I used cashew butter, but almond or peanut would also work)
- ¼ cup old-fashioned oats
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 medium apple, chopped
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray (or line with parchment paper or Silipat) and set aside.
- Make sure to rinse the chickpeas very well so they don't taste beany. Shake off the excess water before dumping them into a large food processor. Add in the rest of the ingredients (except apple). Process for a full two minutes, or until batter is very smooth. You may need to scrape down the sides. Fold in chopped apple.
- Spoon batter onto cookie sheet. It will be very wet and sticky (like hummus). The batter will thicken as it sits. Wet your hands and pat them down into smooth cookies. You should have about 16.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until lightly browned and set.
- Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
[These Apple Cinnamon Chickpea Cookies make the perfect guilt-free treat! @TheHummusapien”]
It’s true..sometimes a piece of chocolate just won’t cut it and THAT is when cookies come in because cookies are always the answer. NOM.
Erin @ The Almond Eater recently posted…Dairy Free Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sandwiches
Right?! I mean when are cookies not the answer.
These sound perfect! And I have a can of chickpeas waiting to be used!
Brittany @ Delights and Delectables recently posted…Achieving a Healthy Balance: Stress Management
Perrrrfection!!
I know exactly what you mean…sometimes you need a dessert you can actually take a bite out of! Also – I forgot dates at Costco yesterday. Fail.
Alysia @ Slim Sanity recently posted…Weekly Meal Plan: March 8 – 14
OMG forgetting dates is a serious tragedy. I feel your pain.
These sound delicious! I have been experimenting with making some chickpea bars, but haven’t perfected them yet. Might just make these in the meantime until I get my recipe down haha.
Kelly @ Eat the Gains recently posted…Hearty Vegan Chipotle Triple Bean Soup
Sounds like a good plan to me!
I never knew you could make cookies with chickpeas…Definitely interesting, but they look damn good and I trust you…LOL! Happy Monday Friend! XOXO
She Rocks Fitness recently posted…Friday Thoughts + KIND GIVEAWAY
You’re in for a treat 🙂 They’re so yum, I swear!!
Chickpeas erry goshdarn day! Hurray for the #1 chickpea advocate. Those broccoli chickpea burgers turned out DELISH so I can only imagine how they would be followed by a chickpea cookie.
Marisa @ Uproot from Oregon recently posted…Supergreen Power Salad
Wahoo!!!
You know I love cramming beans in my cookies! These look like cookie perfection to me! Love the apple+cinnamon combination. I also looooove that you sweetened these with dates. Since I gave up sugar for lent, that means I CAN EAT THESE!! Woo hoo!!
Maryea {happy healthy mama} recently posted…Chewy Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
Look at you giving up sugar!! I’m impressed 🙂 These will pass the test!
YUM!! I would totally eat these for breakfast 😉
Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl recently posted…How to Throw a Baby Sprinkle or Shower Party
What a fantabulous idea!
Ahh the chickpea – what a super bean! I have a ton of cashew butter (good problem) and I have been looking for a cookie recipe to use it up soooo this is just perfect timing
Georgie recently posted…My Boston Sweat-ventures
Mmmmm tons of cashew butter sounds like the best kind of problem.
Every hugh jass dinner MUST be followed up by a tasty dessert…that’s the first rule of hugh jass eating! I love these chickpea cookie like whaaaaaaa! I’ve never made bean cookies but they look absolutely fabulous. Dates are such a brilliant sweetener. Well played, m’dear…well played all the way around!
Julia recently posted…Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos with Quinoa and Lemon Tahini Sauce
RIGHT?! You would be a master at beany cookies, I just know it.
In love with all the ingredients in these, so I can only imagine that these would taste freaking amazing. And I know what you mean about sometimes just needing something you can really sink your teeth into! I find that sometimes I crave certain textures over flavours.
Amanda @ .running with spoons. recently posted…. what i ate [today] .
Sometimes dark chocolate just doesn’t cut it! Cookies are always an acceptable answer to the post-dinner problem that is dessert 🙂
You are one damn fine poet, my dear. 🙂
Seriously though, it’s hard to believe that ingredient list came up with these cookies. They look amazing and I love that I can eat them all day long. Cheers to healthy cookies!
Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health recently posted…Twice Baked Lentil Shepherd’s Pie Potatoes
Cookies all day long?! HELLZ YA.
Cookies I don’t have to feel guilty about?!? Sounds like something I need in my life ASAP. Somehow, I despised chickpeas when I was younger – I hit a turning point around college, though, and now if there are fewer than 4 cans of them in the pantry, I start writing notes to myself to buy more. Thankfully, that means I’ve got nearly everything to make these tasty morsels!
CakePants recently posted…Apple Spice Cake
Hahah I’m totally the same way! I have a ridiculous amount at all times 🙂
Oh God. Make me these and tell me there aren’t chickpeas in it.
Arman @ thebigmansworld recently posted…Far More Singapore- The emerging Foodie Destination
DONE.
looks scrumptious 🙂 yumm
https://aspoonfulofnature.wordpress.com/
THESE LOOK AWESOME! Love the ingredients and that they have no added sugar! I am going to try makin them with pumpkin in place of nut butter!
Mmmmm I love the sound of that!
These cookies look and sound so delicious!!
Alicia@ eco friendly homemaking recently posted…Lemons
Thanks dear!
These look awesome and I love all the meals and snacks you eat. Just a question, you don’t suffer bloating from all the veggies, beans and grains you consume all day long? Unfortunately, I am forced to follow the FODMAP Diet and it limits the things I can eat as well as the amounts. Years ago I did not need to, but for the past five years it’s a must and when I don’t I suffer drastically.
Thanks! I had a bout of bloating about a month ago and I found that if I eat smaller amounts frequently rather than a ton of broccoli and sweet taters all at once, it really helps!
These look so yum. I have made similar cookies using peanut butter but did not like the sticky, pasty texture. These look absolutely fluffy and perfect! Way to highlight the chickpeas.
They’re pretty sticky, but they firm up in the oven!
What is the texture of these cookies like? They don’t really look like cookies, crispy or anything, but soft and dense… Anyway, I love chickpeas too and I was already thinking about what to do with the next can!
They’re def soft and dense as opposed to crispy…but they have a nice lightness to them, too!
These look soooo yummy, can’t wait to try. Great idea!
Laura recently posted…Overnight Steel Cut Oats with Caramelized Strawberries, Banana, Flax, Nuts, and Seeds
Enjoy dear!
These unfortunately didn’t work for me–they came out about the texture of play dough and got really mushy in the fridge. The flavor is fine, the texture just didn’t quite do it
Just made these last night and had to stop myself from consuming half the batch in one sitting…absolutely amazing! Tastes like apple pie in a bite-sized portion. Will definitely be making these again. Great recipe!!!!
Hahah I’m so glad you liked them, Emily! They are slighty addicting…. eeeeeek!
You’re on a roll, girl! Agreed–I always eat mounds of the batter. Not sorry.
Has anyone ever tried leaving out the nut butter? Looking to make a nut/seed-free version
Ang recently posted…Paleo Peppermint Chocolate No-Bake Bites
How about using pumpkin butter or apple butter? They usually don’t have nuts/seeds.
I made my own applesauce in the crockpot because I love doing that, but I don’t have dates! Can I substitute some other sweetener like brown sugar or something w/o messing with the texture too much? (In other words, do I have to go buy dates?!)
Tumbs up from Norway! I will make these tomorrow at work 🙂 Tank you for a very nice and delicious blog, you`ve got som many yummi-recieps 🙂
Just made them. Wanna eat them….all!!! Even the raw dough tastes so good!
Can this be made into bars? So I can just dump it in a pan and throw it in the oven?
Hmmm never tried it but worth a try!
These are amazing!! I am a pregnant vegan and have been having a really hard time eating processed food – it just makes me sick. But a girl can seriously only eat so many carrot sticks and apples – sometimes I need a little junk in my life! These are a perfect sweet treat that don’t upset my belly and they’re not even junk! Even better!
Has anyone calculated the nutrition for these? I would like to know the calories…