Remember my post-vacation shopping trip? The first thing I made was fresh juice. The second?
Christin’s chocolate chip cookie dough bean balls!
I have made two batches already. These are insanely good.
First, though, did you know how easy it is to peel a chickpea? Well, the canned ones anyway. Pour them into a strainer and rinse. As you are rinsing, pick one up and squeeze it with your fingers, the skin comes off and the pea flies back into the strainer with the others…
It’s actually kind of calming and meditative… until you get to a point where you think you have to be done. You keep picking them up and skins keep coming off. You start to think the entire pea is layers of skin and soon you will be left with a pile of pea skin, no peas. 
It really does make whatever you are making that much smoother. I don’t know if it matters with these cookie balls, but, like I said, meditative. Sometimes you have to take it where you can.
I came home from vacation to all kinds of goodies in the mail, including a package of new product from Enjoy Life. One thing I love and will be buying because we are eating them straight out of the bag, their new Mega Chunks. They are free of dairy, nuts and soy, but not flavor! Like all Enjoy life products, they are also gluten free and are really tasty.
I used these in place of the chocolate chips in the recipe. I made half batches of Christin’s recipe, modifying by using only:
chickpeas
peanut butter
brown rice flour
vanilla stevia
water instead of almond milk
These are so amazing – I love baking with beans. Thank you to Christin for inspiring me to finally try a cookie dough ball!
They are awesome right out of the oven, of course, when the chocolate is melty. They are also amazing after they’ve cooled, they are soft and almost taste like a doughnut.
Seriously, make these now. I cannot stress this enough.
I’m making another batch tonight.
What is your favorite cookie? Have you ever baked with beans? Besides baked beans? ha!
{ 147 comments… read them below or add one }
Those look great! I might have time to make them this morning while I wait for the water guys to come
do it!! (maybe you already did??)
seriously, they are so delicious and nutritious, you can eat them for breakfast!!
I have to make these! I said the same thing when I saw them on Christin’s blog. I’m going to look into finding those Enjoy Life mega chunks, too. Oh! And I ALWAYS peel my chickpeas. Once you see that big pile of seemingly waxy weirdness in your sink, it’s difficult to ever consider eating it!
YES you have to make these!! I am not one who would declare a food as “life changing” (that always gets to me a little…) but I have not been this adamant about something in a while!!
they are SERIOUSLY amazing! I’m not even a big dessert person and I’ve made three (half) batches now! peeling chickpeas = SO FUN??
yum these look so yummy!! my body and chickpeas don’t get along…but these look so gosh darn good!!
oh, no… is it just chickpeas? do other beans treat you okay, like a pinto or other white bean? her full recipe uses a can of each, and I halved the recipe so I just used chick. maybe another bean?
p.s. are these mega chunks sold at whole foods? they look amazing!
Enjoy Life just sent me these, I haven’t yet looked for them… but I will be soon, and I imagine they will be at whole foods??
Jenna, the Mega Chunks are beginning to ship out to stores now, so your nearest Whole Foods should have them soon. If you like, you can buy them from Gluten Free Mall right now! Here’s a link: http://www.glutenfreemall.com/catalog/enjoy-life-foods-semisweet-mega-glutenfree-chocolate-chunks-p-2157.html
Enjoy!
- Alina
Marketing Associate
Enjoy Life Foods
2nd post in 2 days using those chunks. A sign? LOL I’ve not yet baked with beans but actually have a few recipes. Just haven’t gotten around to it. Thanks for sharing the link to her blog. Heading over there now!
yes it’s a sign!!
and honestly!! these should be the first bean recipe you try! they are really that awesome – I am not really a dessert person, I don’t have to have something sweet every day, and since we’ve been home from vacation I have made THREE (half) batches of these!! 
Maybe I need to make these to take on vacation. I have everything but the vanilla bean paste. Well, and chocolate chips.
indeed – great Road Food! you’d love them – protein and a great filling snack!
I’ve seen SO many garbanzo bean recipes lately (this one being the most amazing-looking
)
NEED TO STOCK UP! Haha
Enjoy your day!
these are SERIOUSLY so good – you need to try them!
and thank you Meg, I hope your day is awesome too! X0
I saw these on Christin’s blog and thought they looked so good! And I really need to find those mega chunks too.
Favorite cookie — I love a good choc chip, PB or snickerdoodle cookie. And I have made brownies with black beans but that is about it!
Mmm, a good brownie is one of my favorites too. These are quickly heading to the top of the list, though. I bet you’d like these. They are sweet but not overly, you know? I just got these mega chunks from Enjoy Life, and I know they are a new product but hopefully they are easy to locate. Have a great Tuesday, Holly!
these are heavenly!
so So SO good!!
I have been reading all of these bean recipes and working on some recipe ideas…thanks for the further inspiration.
And I know it sounds weird, but I’m sort of excited about ‘peeling’ chickpeas now…my typical form of alterna-meditation is chopping vegetables…so perhaps I’ve found a new Zen outlet?
YES – I like vegetable chopping too, so I can see this. the peeling of the peas – you must try! it’s fun if nothing else, but for me, it was a neat calm thing. can’t wait to see what bean recipe you come up with…
I’ve never baked with beans but I like balls so I’d be willing to give it a go.
this is my first “ball” cookie wise… and I am so glad it was!! they are SO good, you need to try them!! NOW – go, do this. I will be here.
Yaaaaaaaaaay!! So happy you made them, K!! Those chocolate chunks look amazeballs, I’ve gotta get my hands on some. I really need to make another batch. I didn’t peel my chickpeas in this recipe but only because I’ve been so pressed for time… I’m a fan of doing that! I hope your week has kicked off to a great start! xo
these are so So SO good! I’ve now made THREE batches!
I don’t know if it makes a big difference to pea-peel for these, but I do it because it’s fun! seriously, I cannot get over how GOOOOOOD these are! just sweet enough, and I feel like I can eat them with breakfast!! 
hope you are having a FABULOUS Tuesday, my friend!! XO !
Ok these look soooo good!
I have been really resistant, i.e. 100%, to adding beans to dessert. Like, why? Why “ruin” a good recipe with chocolate, sugar, and then add…beans to it?! I know, awful logic on my part.
But you have convinced me (and CCK, and Evan, and Christin, and Heabs) that all of you just cannot be wrong and I must get over myself and try this!
They look awesome!!
you REALLY should try these, Averie!!
I’ve resisted the whole dough ball phenomenon until now, and I was VERY happy that I finally made them… you just might be (OH SO PLEASANTLY) surprised!
you two have the best recipes, amazing! so clever. I will be making these for sure, maybe a banana chip and cinnamon version. hmmmm..
I almost added cinnamon chips!! I kept half without chocolate so they were peanut buttery (YUM!) and was going to do the cinnamon… I bet they’ll be GOOOOD!
I saw these too and HAVE to make them! I just got some chocolate that I can use and they are definitely on the top of my list to make. Is there anything a chickpea can’t do?
NOPE! I am convinced chickpeas can do it all. maybe they are life changing…
What a cool idea! I’ve attempted to peel chickpeas before and wussed out at the last minute. I think its called “laziness”. This recipe might be worth the effort though!
Erin, it really doesn’t take TOO long to peel them, and it’s kinda fun! next time you open a can (rinse them first, ew!) just pinch one between your thumb and pointer finger – it goes flying out of the peel!
and then? make these cookies!!
Well well… another new thing to try in my kitchen! Who would have thought that beans could make cookies?! Awesome!
Christin would think it, of course!!
they are SO good – you should definitely make them!
YUM! Are they tasty enough to trick the kids??
they DEFINITELY are!! no beany taste, they’ll LOVE them!
Those look great! Christin always has great recipes. I peel my garbz when I have patience.. it makes for SUCH creamy hummus!
I know – Christin is awesomely creative!! especially with her hummus and beans!
I don’t remember if I commented this morning, but these look AMAZING! Adding to my list for sure. Those chocolate chips look amazing too!!
Thanks for the tip, I’m going to try these for sure!
you definitely should – they are SO delicious!!
I made a chickpea chocolate cake that was delicious, gluten free, and high protein. Win all around! (but you *must* use high quality chocolate. not optional)
oh my… you are in my reader, did you post this amazing sounding cake?? how did I miss it?
going to search now… and yes, I completely agree, when making something chocolate, use good chocolate… YOU know your chocolate – what are your favorites? (I currently have some Callebaut I cannot wait to play with, and in the past I’ve used Scharffen Berger a lot… but I know I could LEARN from you!) 
Callebaut has good white chocolate, I think Scharffen Berger is the best value for unsweetened, bittersweet, and cocoa powder for baking.
Now if we’re talking about eating straight…Cluizel, Pralus, or Amedei…
I LOVE Cluizel, and I will now be looking for the other two – thank you!! Glad to know you feel that way about Scharffen Berger – I’ve been using it for years
OMG these look awesome + easy! Bookmarked to try very soon (out of peanut butter at the moment). Thanks also for the tip on peeling chickpeas – I bet that would result in a much creamier hummus!
PS. I love this tip and use it all the time now. I also mentioned it in my latest post (hummus recipe – http://www.vegangela.com/2011/07/24/basic-hummus/). Thanks so much!!
I’m so glad you love the SMOOTH! thanks for shout out, I love peeling peas!
I just made these but I think I was too liberal with the almond milk as they were too sticky/gooey to form into balls. So I made more of a “drop” style cookie but they are still amazing! I will remake them soon and totally post them on my blog and reference you + Christin. Not that I need another excuse to eat chickpeas… or chocolate. Haha!
aren’t they DELICIOUS?
as I continue to make them (like these –> mint ) I use little to no liquid at all, maybe just a little water if it needs to come together. I’m glad you made them and LOVE them!
I once peeled a big bowls of almonds per hand, to use them for white almond butter … It was a once-in-a-lifetime-experience. (Thank God I had a movie to go with it!) From then on, I’ve always bought skinless almonds.
Your garbanzo balls look like being worth the fun, though. 
ah – I remember seeing that post! the result had to be worth the work, though – I remember it looked beautiful!
*wave wave* and a *wag wag wag* from us to you – hope all is well? getting better? thinking of you!
Aww, thank you! One of my fabulous neighbors has borrowed me a mini notebook (which is incredibly *small*, but I have internet connection again now).
When I wave with my arms *and* wag with my toes
I’ll end up falling on my nose …
Totally random.
And I’m not at all a good poet. 
Wait — it’s “lend”, isn’t it? I mean, I borrow something, but you lend me something, no? (I always mix these up because there’s only one word for both in German.)
hee – it is lend, but I like your version better. I like how it sounds! glad you have some internet time now!
hee – GREAT rhyme! now, can you find a SMILEY for that???
Mmmmm you have convinced me to jump on the chickpea sweet treat bandwagon! I just have to prepare myself to remove the skins from the chickpeas–not sure if I have the patience for that….
it’s FUN!!
it doesn’t take TOO long… and these are MOST DEFINITELY worth it!! <– see? I’m yelling that’s how good these are! 
How did you get items sent to you for review from Best Life? Sounds like something I’d like to be a part of. =) I’m in a location that has very limited resources when it comes to vegetarian living.
Hi Ashley,
Companies send me their products to review on my blog. I generally only accept product from companies I know and already use.
Thank you for reading!
Kristina (spabettie)
Yesssssss! I made chickpea cookies a while back and they were SO good. Cakey and nutty and delicious. These look amazing!
I just hunted them down on your blog – YUM, yours sound great too! magic beans, indeed!
Great idea! And they look delicious!
they are SO good!
I won’t make them tonight- no brown rice flour- but I definitely will try these very soon! They look so good!
if you have another flour it would probably work as well, since it’s such a small amount… brown rice is my favorite right now though – it seems to be one of the only flours I use lately!
I hope you like them!
Whoooo hoooo! These are on my list to make!! Just cooked up some chickpeas today!
I’m so glad you’re making them – let me know how you like them!
haa, Christine… you are not the first to say spabettie = spaghetti !!
it’s pretty funny how many are reminded of childhood and saying it like that! 
OMG….yum. I’ll soooo be trying these soon. Hope your Wednesday is going well!!!
I hope you make these and LOVE them, Roz!! let me know!
and thank you – Happy Wednesday to you also!
Oh.
MY.
GAWWWWWWWWD.
Seriously? Cookies with protein and chocolate and no crappy flour?
EEEEEEEEK! I will buy the supplies El-Pronto – WOOOOT!
EXACTLY why I love them so much!! seriously? I had a couple with breakfast the other day!
OK, Kristina, help me here. I didn’t get on board with the Socca craze, and this has me nervous, too: when I used to bake with Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free AP flour, I found it tasted a touch… sprouty. And that that was the garbanzo flour. Is there anything sprouty in these? Or am I just part nuts? (I’m leaning towards column B here…)
hmm… sprouty. I honestly don’t taste that in any of those things, or maybe I just like that flavor? I do like the more… organic flavors!
but if you want to try these, a pinto or white bean would work just as well? you’re not a nut! 
Oh, honey, you know I will be making these cookie balls! I love anything with chickpeas, so what fun to put them in cookies.
I had no idea about peeling chickpeas though. Truly fascinating. Can’t try these now as I’m headed to work, but will have to try them later … even if I have strict rules on baking when it’s 90 degrees. Time to try out the toaster oven I got for this very purpose; i.e., absolutely necessary baking when it’s too hot. 
xo,
Shirley
oh, good, Shirley! I hope you make them soon (if you haven’t already??) they are SO tasty! peeling the ‘peas makes for a very smooth result – for hummus and things – don’t know if it matters much for cookies!
let me know how you like them! XO
mmm, yummers! They look divine! I peel chickpeas too…
I haven’t baked with beans (except baked beans – those don’t count here
) yet but recently tried a chocolate brownie made with black beans. It was okay. It looked better than it tasted. It wasn’t bad, just not as tasty as expected. I was sad. However, I am very willing to try these because they just look too good! Thanks for sharing. Those chocolate chunks look purty tasty too!
I melt chocolate chips for a frosting on my black bean brownies, maybe that’s why I like them so much…
Oh see now, mine didn’t have frosting. Maybe that’s why I didn’t like them as much…
uh huh… try it. did you see that was my first post EVER?? –> Beanie Brownie
I’m not big on the black bean baked goodie – sorry guys! – but garbanzos I could do. Love that you used those MegaChunks! Those are soooo good.
the mega chunks ARE good!! I will definitely buy them again for chocolate chip use. you should try these – they are SO good! (I do love the black bean brownie, though… )
If I had a food processor, I’d make these in a heartbeat! I’m loving how healthy they are!!
Gina, do you have a blender? you might be able to puree the beans in it, then mix everything in a bowl? they are so good, and yes, I think I’ve been taking advantage of how healthy they are to justify having one with breakfast…
Great tip!! Thanks
I hope you make them – they are so good! (and let me know if you do – I’d love to know how it works!)
These look awesome, will be making them soon!
PS – I removed the skins to make my hummus today… WOW! It’s so much creamier! Thanks so much for the tip!!
oh, good, I know you will like them – SO good! and YAY – peeling the ‘peas makes such a difference in hummus!
So glad to see I’m not the only one that is addicted! I made these on Friday and finished them off by Monday…all by myself! Oops! haha!
Favorite cookie: almond shortbread! I’m convince that when you add almond extract to anything, it immediately jumps 10 points in the taste category!
girl, did you see I’m on my THIRD batch??
I’m making a new one tomorrow…
Could you not just make these with garbanzo flour to save peeling the chickpeas? Or would it taste different do you think?
you could, definitely… the taste should be somewhat similar? I wouldn’t know how much to use without playing with it, though.
for cookies, you could probably get away with not peeling – since they are baked and sorta crunchy, peeling might not matter if you don’t want to!
Can you please install a “WANT” button on this post. Because I WANTS it! haha. Damn, that looks good.
Wowww do those look amazing!!! I love dessert hummus so I’m sure I would love those too.
PS I’m so far behind on blog reading and I’m bummed that I missed all of your amazing giveaways!!! I’ve always wanted a Clarisonic and I’m so intrigued by the idea of the pain drops. You should do a post with more info!
I really, really like the recipe and your cookie balls that look amazing
Wow, those look amazingly good! I gotta say I am scared of making cookies with beans – I tried an awful black bean brownie recipe once and it’s scarred me forever
I’m so tempted to try these though!
What? I’ve got to try these! I know that I like carob chips so I’m assuming chick pea cookie dough may delight my taste buds too! Exciting.
I hope you do try them – they are SO delicious!
Cheers!
These sound amazing!!!! Do you have the nutrition facts by chance?
I made these last night- very delicious! My mom and I were looking for a guilt-free dessert, and this is a perfect solution. We used a little more peanut butter and loved the outcome. Think of the gooey, uncooked middle of a peanut butter cookie in the shape of a little, warm ball infused with melty chocolate. Yum!
I’m SO glad you made them! you are SO right – it IS a perfect guilt free dessert (I’ve been known to eat one or two in the morning before going to the gym!)
the recipe I have been making these days has a bit more peanut butter as well… so delicious! Cheers, Sam, thanks for saying hello!
this is the best idea! i love it so much! i can’t wait to try it!
Thanks guys! We’re really happy you like the new Mega Chunks. They should start appearing in your local stores very soon, but if you don’t want to wait, or just want the convenience of shopping online, they’re available at Gluten Free Mall right now! http://www.glutenfreemall.com/catalog/enjoy-life-foods-semisweet-mega-glutenfree-chocolate-chunks-p-2157.html
- Alina
Marketing Associate
Enjoy Life Foods
thank you, Alina!
These cookies look amazing! I really want to try them! Where is the recipe and what is the difference between using garbanzo beans or chickpeas or the other kind that are mentioned?
Hi Kalina! there’s not much of a difference in taste between the garbanzo / chickpeas and a white bean – I have made them with each, the flavor is similar. Any other bean I’m not sure, the taste may be different but the consistency is probably similar. I just posted another version yesterday, if you look here –> mint + chocolate you can find the amounts of each ingredient, and you can just leave out the mint for the basic recipe! Let me know how you like them, or if you have any other questions!
very creative idea for a cookie! I was served a “bean cookie” on vacation recently, we’ve been calling them falafal cookies. I’m going to have to make these, thanks!
these are SO good – my boyfriend found them here, sent me the page and asked me to make them. this will be a go to cookie in our house too!!
glad to hear it – thanks for coming by to let me know – cheers!
These look so good! Is there a substitute for vanilla stevia?
any kind of sugar would work in place of the stevia – and if you are wanting to go natural, something like a maple syrup. start with a 1/4 cup and taste for sweetness.
my new favorite cookie treat!! I made these today and LOVE THEM. I can’t wait to try your chia chai ones and the mint!!
yay – so happy you like them, Gia!
Well when you put it that way……I WILL I WILL make these right now!
So I did try them!!
But I think I added a bit too much nut butter ( I was at the end of the jar so I put it all in!) and so the dough was a bit too squishy to handle and so I had to do the two spoon “drop cookie” method. So they came out a bit too big I think. But they taste GREAT! Will try again but will be more careful! Promise!
ha – I’m sure they were fine, just a little messier to handle (I’ve done that before too… I usually don’t measure anymore, I just eyeball the consistency…)
so happy you liked them!
So I tried them again and then came out MUCH better!! But I did something a little cheeky and also added some chopped dates! Added and extra little zing!
Thanks again.
these are INCREDIBLE!! I love a super short ingredient list like you, and wow, I could snack on these all day!!! making your apricot rosemary ones today, thankyou bettie!!
you are so welcome, Barb!
made these again today, for a work function. we had employees from India visiting and they loved them too!
oh, wow – so glad you are still liking them, Jilly! funny you say that – Jason has coworkers in India, and for their last big week long meeting I made several flavors of these for him to share… they all loved them and he reported they were GONE before noon!
this is my new favorite snack!! I even used the dairyfree chips which are great by the way!! thank you for sharing such a tasty dessert!!
THESE ARE SO TASTY AND SO EASY!! THANK YOU
you are welcome, Kevin! Cheers!
I love these! I made your mint flavored, and they are SOOOO good!! next I’m trying the apricot rosemary ones, yum! thank you, love your websight!
thanks, Pima! glad you like them – fun emailing with you the other day!
great recipe, so easy and WOW so good!
looks very tasty!
I. cant. stop. eating. these!! so so yummo, thank you! the fresh mint ones are half this batch I’m currently snackin’ on, and next up (tomorrow) chia chai!!
Just went back and re-read all these comments… made me smile so big!
aw, YAY!
these things are so crazy popular, Christin! I don’t check my analytics every day, but when I do, I always see people going to your original post! I have always loved chickpeas and am so happy I made that recipe!
I am so bummed right now… my trackbacks/pingbacks AND incoming links are all not showing on my blog… and truthfully I don’t think they have since I switched to self-hosted… so anyone who has linked to these that I don’t follow personally, I have no idea. My web guy is supposed to be helping me, but he’s super busy right now and I can’t necessarily afford his rates right now anyway, and everything I’ve read on Google that makes sense to me I’ve tried and hasn’t worked, and then it gets all techy-speak and I get lost. Ugh. Now that I’m back into blogging again and developing new relationships with other bloggers, it’s really bothering me that I can’t see these stats, mainly so I can reach out and say hello! Gah… it’ll all work out, I’m sure.
made these today, I can’t wait to try your savory verson! I love these!
I may have to ask permission of you, I want to serve the tomato basil version in my restaurant. are you visiting soon?
oh my STARS what a complete and absolute HONOR. let’s talk!
and yes… I can’t wait to try the new menu… I will be there soon!
WOW. just wow. I FINALLY made these with your fresh mint, and WOW. thank you!
my favorite cookie and website creator was the topic of conversation this weekend, I made these for our practice and they were gone before I set the box down LOL. I hope you see some of us visiting and commenting, I gave them your url
I finally tried these, all I can say is YUM!!
made these tonite they are so good!
Not being a mind reader, but can you please LIST the amounts needed to make these chocolate (fake) chip chick pea cookies? How do you smash up the chick peas? Thanks.
we made this version, your mint leaf version, the apricot version AND the chai version this week. big wedding coming up, along with cakes we are having a cookie table. spabetty is represented in a big way, thanks!!
wow, I am honored to be a part of the dessert table, thank you! I hope this weekend is wonderful!
we made these for the 4th partes, everyone loved them!
oh good – glad they worked better the second time around (I have forgotten to do the beans alone AGAIN, since our initial conversation about this!!). sheesh.
and there you go!! this was how my obsession started too – in fact, literally – I believe my first adaptation was adding dates!!
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