Don't be deterred by the word - chickpea (like I was at first). I'd heard of many people talking of these illustrious chickpea cookies, chickpea brownies and chickpea cookie dough, but was never game enough to attempt to bake them... until today! I baked peanut butter chickpea cookies using two different types of peanut butter - with really different results! The recipe below is the normal recipe I used for both cookies, just sub in whatever peanut butter, almond butter etc. you'd like!

These were made with PEANUT BUTTER CO's Dark Chocolate Dreams Peanut butter 

These were made with powdered peanut butter (Pb2)

Peanut butter chickpea cookies

Ingredients

- 1 can of chickpeas

- 1/4 cup of honey or agave syrup or maple syrup

- 1/2 cup of chosen peanut butter (natural if you can - if not the cookies will be super oily)

- 2 tsp of vanilla essence or 2 drops of stevia sweet drops vanilla flavour

- 1 tsp of baking powder

- 1 tbs of melted coconut oil (use olive oil or other if you don't have)

- 1/4 cup of dark chocolate chips (sugar-free if you have them, if not - who cares!)

- a pinch of salt

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven at 175 degrees celsius.

2. Open can of chickpeas and drain completely, then smother the chickpeas in paper towel until there is barely any moisture left on them.

3. Mash up chickpeas in any way you can, except a blender. I've learnt from experience from before that blending chickpeas is a big no no for a blender! Use a food proccessor if you have one, but if not, just mash and pulverise until they become a smooth dough-like consistency.

4. Add the rest of the ingredients (except choc-chips) to the pulverised chickpeas and continue to mix until you are left with a cookie-dough like consistency.

5. Mix in the dark choc-chips with a spoon until nicely folded in with the mixture.

6. Line a baking tray with baking paper (if you don't have baking paper, make sure the tray is greased enough so the cookies won't stick!)

7. Roll the dough into small balls and place on the cooking tray. The mixture will be super sticky (don't worry!) so you can either wet your hands so it doesn't stick to them, or tough it out - I promise it's fun!

8. The cookies won't spread too much, I normally put 12 to a tray. Let the cookies bake for approx 13-15 mins.

9. When you take them out of the oven, THEY WILL BE SOFT. Do not freak out, they harden while they are on a cooling rack - this is the secret to super chewy, gooey cookies!

10. Enjoy your gluten free, grain free cookies :)

I bought both the peanut butters I used (Peanut butter & Co's Dark chocolate dreams and Bell Plantations PB2) off iherb.com. It is an amazing website that ships extremely fast to Australia (and around the world) is very well priced. Use the code PKW254 to save $10 off you first order, and money on all your other orders!

If you make this recipe on instagram, PLEASE tag me @alustforfitness and #alustforfitness - I love seeing people make my recipes!

Miss E.

xoxo.