Childhood me ate cookie dough all the time. This was utterly delicious, but not very good for my insides. Nowadays, while adult me still loves dough, I have learned to eat in a way that feels better for my body; which often doesn’t involve raw eggs and refined sugar. While I will never give up cookie dough, I’ve found a solution to satisfy my cravings that makes me feel alright and still indulge. Introducing: chickpea cookie dough.

Okay, I know what you might be thinking: “That sounds incredibly weird and disgusting, what the heck are you talking about.” But hear me out. Chickpeas are actually quite mild in flavour, and bind everything together like eggs otherwise would. Peanut butter masks any chickpea-y flavour, and dark chocolate chips add that classic cookie dough touch. While it doesn’t taste exactly like cookie dough, it’s a pretty darn good alternative.

Read on for this egg-free, vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free cookie dough recipe.

Chickpea Cookie Dough

Enjoy this by the spoonful. No salmonella concerns here!

Ingredients:

• 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed (remove any skins if possible! This helps make it into a smoother dough)
• 2-3 tbsp oats
• Up to ¼ cup almond milk, only if needed
• ½ cup peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2½ tablespoons maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon 
• ⅛ tsp salt
• 1 tablespoon ground chia seeds
• ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips (if you don’t have chocolate chips, dark chocolate chunks work too)

Instructions:

1. Blend all ingredients in food processor (except for chocolate chips).
2. Once fully blended and smooth as a sweet doughy dream, transfer to a mixing bowl. Fold in the chocolate chips.
3. Enjoy! After eating, be sure to keep this in an airtight container in the fridge. It should last up to 4 days.