Healthy Cashew Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies {Gluten-Free}
These babies are my very favorite healthy cookie that I’ve made so far! They are vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, packed full of chickpeas and sweetened with only honey and no added sugar. They also have no added fat, like oil or butter. If the chickpeas sound more than a little gross to you and you’re wondering right now why the heck anyone would put these into cookies…..I thought the same thing. Believe me, I did. Something very magical happens when the nut butter, honey, and chickpeas were combined. It’s a little bit of a mystery.
Because these cookies contain chickpeas, they turn out much softer, more delicate and a bit more moist than most cookies. They are packed full of protein and high in fiber. I tend to think that anytime you can add more of the good stuff, like beans, to your diet it’s always a very good thing. Trust me when I say that you will want to try these! I dare you to make them 🙂 For healthy cookies, they are pretty darn good.
FYI: The almond butter (or peanut butter) you use in this recipe should be the kind with only almonds or peanuts and salt. I find that natural nut butters are usually expensive so I try to make my own when I can. You also can make your own in only 5 minutes with a food processor! Check out the nut butters I’ve made at home (Maple Almond Butter, Cinnamon Coconut Cashew Butter).
Have a great Wednesday!
INGREDIENTS:
*Makes about 14 cookies*
1¼ cups canned chickpeas, well-rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup + 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter (or almond butter, cashew butter)
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon baking powder
a pinch of salt if your peanut butter doesn’t have salt in it
½ cup chocolate chips
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Combine all the ingredients, except for the chocolate chips, in a food processor and process until very smooth. Make sure to scrape the sides and the top to get the little chunks of chickpeas and process again until they’re combined.
Put in the chocolate chips and stir it if you can, or pulse it once or twice. The mixture will be very thick and sticky, but that’s normal.
With wet hands, form into 1½” balls. Place onto a Silpat or parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Note: they don’t do much rising in the oven. Bake for about 10 minutes.
Recipe source: adapted from texanerin.com
These look yummy! I want a glass of milk with these. 😀 I can’t believe they have chickpeas in it, what a great idea! Thanks for sharing this with us Ashley.
You don’t even taste them! It’s crazy!
Absolutely love the apple juice…truly tastes like fresh pressed juice. Grape is delicious, too!
These look awesome, Ashley! So interesting that they use chickpeas!!
Thanks, Marie!
Thanks for this Ashley! I was just asking around on Sunday via social media for gluten free recipes!
Thanks, Nancy! I’ve had some people ask for gluten free desserts so I thought I’d try one out 🙂
These look delicious and your chocolate chips are so large – whose are they?
They are Ghiradelli! The best! 🙂 Thanks, Vicki.
Love how you use chickpeas! My boys would love these…even knowing what the secret ingredient is!
Thanks, Gloria! Most people I don’t tell what’s in them so they don’t get weirded out 🙂
These look seriously awesome! I love when dessert has something that’s good for you in it. Best of both worlds.
I know! It’s great!
The picture of that ooey and gooey chocolate… oh my!
Thanks, girl! I liked that picture, too 🙂
The addition of chickpeas is so intriguing! I’ve never baked a sweet with them before!
This was my first time and I will definitely bake with them again!
Will they work with regular pb? I want to make them but don’t have natural in the house!
Hi, Claire! Honestly, I’m almost positive they would come out way too oily with regular pb!
Love the swirly tops of the cookies!
Thanks!!
Wow, these cookies look amazing, and I never thought of trying chickpeas in cookies. Creative idea, and I love the healthy twist (:
Thank you Monica! I know it sounds weird, but it works great!
I LOVE when I see recipes for desserts that use beans. SO cool!!
Thanks, Hannah! This was the first one I’ve tried, but not the last!
They look perfect!
You’re too sweet! Thank you!
I tried these – they are amazing!!
Denise, thanks so much for coming back to tell me! I’m so glad you liked them 🙂
Love these healthy cookies. I have some chickpea flours in my cupboard and guess I can use it up with these cookies. I guess I can substitute that with the caned chickpeas, right? Guess I’ll have to give this a try. 🙂 Love cashew butter!
Thanks, Amy! I’ve never used chickpea flour so I’m not sure it would be the same as using actual chickpeas 🙁
Oh my gooey deliciousness! I am definitely going to have to try chickpeas in my cookies now – love this genius, healthy idea 🙂
It’s worth a try!
Wow, who could ever guess by the looks of these that they include chickpeas. How cool is that?
Awww thanks Ashley!
I will have to let my sister know about this delicious recipe. She’s on a strict gluten free diet for health reasons. These cookies look awesome!!
Thank you, Jocelyn! I have some friends who are gluten free, as well.
WHOA.
These cookies are amazing. Like you hit the jackpot here. Good for you. And they look DELICIOUS!
Thanks, Kayle! They were delish!
Hi Ashley! These look delicious, sharing on my FB page today. ♥ Melissa@melissassouthernstylekitchen
Thanks, Melissa! That was so nice of you. I will return the favor 🙂
If you need a soy free chocolate chip or non GMO DO NOT USE ghiradelli. They use GMO soy lecithin.
Wow! That’s a great recipe! I have to try it. I’m trying to avoid gluten in my diet without making many sacrifices. This looks like a perfect solution 🙂
P.S. I would never have thought of putting chickpeas into cookies! Brilliant 🙂
I know chickpeas in cookies sound weird, but it really works!
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