Flourless Chickpea + Dark Chocolate Cookies

There is something deeply satisfying about a cookie that tastes like a cookie—and just happens to have a little more going for it.

These flourless chickpea cookies are soft in the middle, lightly sweet, and full of dark chocolate. Chickpeas create the base, almond butter brings richness, and maple syrup adds just enough sweetness without taking over.

And no, they don’t taste like chickpeas.

Make a batch, let them cool just enough, and eat one while the chocolate is still a little melty. That’s the move.

Ingredients

• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed very well
• ½ cup creamy almond butter
• ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ cup dark chocolate chips or roughly chopped dark chocolate
• 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
• Flaky sea salt, for finishing

To Make

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Drain and rinse the chickpeas well, then pat them fairly dry.

Add the chickpeas, almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla, baking soda, cinnamon, and sea salt to a food processor. Blend until completely smooth and creamy. Give it a little time here—you don’t want any chickpea texture remaining.

Fold in the dark chocolate and nuts, if using.

Scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, about 2 tablespoons per cookie. These won’t spread much on their own, so lightly flatten each one with damp fingers or the back of a spoon.

Bake for 10–13 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers are still slightly soft.

Finish with a little flaky sea salt and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes. They’ll continue to set as they cool.

Best enjoyed while the chocolate is still a little warm.

Glow Notes

Chickpeas + your gut
Chickpeas are naturally rich in fiber, including fermentable fibers that help feed beneficial bacteria living in the gut. That makes them a simple way to bring a little more plant diversity and prebiotic fiber into the day—even in a cookie.

A little plant protein
Between the chickpeas and almond butter, these cookies offer more plant-based protein than your typical flour-and-sugar cookie, which also makes them a bit more satisfying.

Healthy fats
Almond butter brings monounsaturated fats along with vitamin E, while also giving these cookies their rich, soft texture.

Dark chocolate counts
Dark chocolate—particularly varieties with a higher cacao percentage—contains naturally occurring cocoa polyphenols. It also happens to make chickpeas infinitely more exciting.

Easy Swaps

No almond butter? Cashew butter works beautifully.

For a slightly less sweet cookie, reduce the maple syrup to ¼ cup.

Use a good 70% dark chocolate if you prefer less sweetness and more cacao flavor.

And if your gut isn’t accustomed to a lot of legumes or fiber, start with a cookie rather than half the tray. Chickpeas can be wonderfully gut-friendly, but suddenly adding a lot of fermentable fiber can also mean a little extra bloating or gas.

 

Love + Eat Well