This recipe is a two for one: Instant Pot Chickpeas and the best fakeout Healthy Cookie Dough, AKA Dessert Hummus, you'll ever eat. Get ready to eat cookie dough with carefree abandon!
This recipe is just downright huggable! Let me tell you why.
My daughter gets teased quite often by her friends for items she packs in her lunch box and it burns me to no end.
I've made it loud and clear at my table that they don't have to like everything I make, but saying “eww” or “that looks disgusting” is grounds for immediate dismissal from dinner with the added bonus of dish duty.
Yet time and again my daughter gets “eww”s and “yuck”s from her friends at school over things like dried mangos, bean quesadillas, baked potato with ham and cheese, bread that's not bleached white, etc.
She recently watched a kid cooking competition on the Food Network where one of the girls had been bullied for bringing salads, tuna, spring rolls, etc. The girl won the competition and now makes a lot of money cooking on her own show.
I wish I could give that girl a big hug and thank her for showing my daughter that being different and being yourself is what makes you a warrior. Know what you know, love what you love, and darn it, be proud of it because it's those little things that are gonna build you up to be the remarkable person you have the potential of being!
Okay, so you're wondering, what does this have to do with Chickpeas and Cookie Dough, Marci?
I have a clipped recipe from years and years ago of an April Fools Recipe for Cookie Dough. The “fool” part being that the base of the recipe is chickpeas. Yep, the healthy cookie dough is primarily a vegetable and my kids LOVE this stuff.
Their favorite way to eat it is to spread the “cookie dough” on a round slice of apple and top that with another slice of apple to make an “apple sandwich.”
It's seriously shocking how delicious this is.
Anyways, my daughter put her brave face on, made herself 2 of these Apple Sandwiches for her school lunch, all the while being secretly terrified that her friends might discover her secret.
Well, she came home that day beaming because she had told her friends what the dough was made of, let them try it, and they all thought she was a total rockstar and begged her to bring them some too.
Was she ever proud of herself!
The struggle isn't over by any means, peer pressure is alive and powerful in every step of kid's lives, but my greatest joy comes from seeing my kids trip, stand up again, and crush those barriers along their journey.
I try and make a big production out of every success so they know time and time again, “I can do hard things.”
So yes, when I think of Healthy Chickpea Cookie Dough, I'm taken back to a memory of an incredible role model: my 8-year-old daughter. That's the power of food my friends 😊
Back to the food! We've essentially got two recipes to chat about, so let's get started.
WHY YOU WILL LOVE INSTANT POT CHICKPEAS
- Cheaper, better tasting, superior texture, and less salt than the canned version
- So easy to cook in the pressure cooker! No babysittting, just set the timer and walk away!
- Great reason to eat more Meditteranean Quinoa Bowls (as if I needed a reason)
WHY YOU WILL LOVE HEALTHY COOKIE DOUGH MADE WITH CHICKPEAS
- High in protein and fiber, low in sugar and fat, and it looks just like Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookie dough!
- Whole oats get stirred in at the end for that delicious oatmeal cookie dough chew
- Great fruit dip for a variety of fruits, pretzels, and graham crackers
- Great for packing in lunch boxes or as a quick pick-me-up snack
HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT CHICKPEAS
- Add beans, water, and salt to the pressure cooker pot
- Cook to desired tenderness (see recipe notes) and allow for a natural pressure release
- Stir, strain, rinse, use
HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY COOKIE DOUGH
- Drain and rinse beans
- Add beans and other cookie dough ingredients to a food processor
- Process until very smooth
- Scrape into a bowl and add oats and chocolate chips
- Stir in oats and mini chocolate chips
- Serve with fruit and crackers
TIPS FOR MAKING A SMOOTH CHICKPEA PUREE – 3 OPTIONS
This is an important skill to master because it will apply to all your homemade hummus needs as well:
- Use a food processor and scrape down the sides a few times to make sure it's very smooth
- A high speed blender works pretty well with a little extra liquid and scraping of the sides
- An Immersion Blender might also get the job done, although I have not tried this one. I'll report back if I try it
MORE WAYS TO SERVE HEALTHY COOKIE DOUGH
- On open face apple rings. Top with granola, cranberries, and/or crushed nuts and an extra drizzle of honey
- Break into small bites and stir into Homemade Yogurt or frozen yogurt
- Between slices of banana – this was a HUGE hit with my kid's friends
- Spread on hot toast
VARIATIONS OF CHICKPEA COOKIE DOUGH
- Swap the peanut butter for almond butter and the chocolate chips for cacao nibs (warning, my kids didn't like this one, the cacao nibs were too bitter for them. More for me!)
- Swap peanut butter for almond butter, honey for maple syrup, and add cinnamon and yogurt covered raisins. Think cinnamon roll
- Swirl jelly or Triple Berry Chia Jam through the dough for a PB&J like experience
As you can see, the possibilities are endless! If you want it thinner, add more milk; want it sweeter, add more sweetener, want it for yourself, hide it behind the jar of sauerkraut.
Be sure and let me know what crazy flavors you come up with and how many people you fool. This has been a favorite in my house since my kids were babies, I'm so happy to pass it on to you all now!
Enjoy!
EXTRA TIDBITS
CHICKPEAS VS GARBANZO BEANS – WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE
Short answer, not a darn thing. There's no difference, they are the exact same thing and you can refer to this yummy little bean by either name. However, the theory behind how one bean got itself two names is quite interesting. See this article if you're a fellow food nerd.
TOOLS AND INGREDIENTS USED TO MAKE INSTANT POT CHICKPEAS AND HEALTHY COOKIE DOUGH
- Instant Pot
- Food Processor or
- High Speed Blender
- Dried Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans
Instant Pot Chickpeas PLUS Healthy Cookie Dough
Turn healthy Instant Pot Chickpeas into a delicious Healthy Cookie Dough treat!
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 90 minutes
- Yield: 4 cups 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), rinsed and sorted
- 6 – 8 cups water (enough to cover the beans by about 2 inches)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For Healthy Cookie Dough
- 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
- 4 – 6 tablespoons brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup
- ¼ cup natural, unsweetened peanut butter or almond butter
- 1 tablespoon milk (any kind)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 1/3 cup quick or old fashioned oats
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Place beans and water into the pressure cooker pot.
- Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position. Cook at high pressure for 50 minutes (this cook time will make them very soft, perfect for this cookie dough dip or hummus).
- When cooking is complete, use a natural release.
To make Cookie Dough
- Strain and rinse 1 ½ cups of garbanzo beans.
- Place beans in a food processor. Add sweetener of choice, peanut butter, milk, vanilla extract, and salt.
- Blend until mixture is very smooth, stopping to scrape it down 1 – 2 times if needed. Add extra milk for a thinner consistency.
- Transfer mixture to a bowl. Place in the fridge to cool it to at least room temperature (so the chocolate chips don't melt when they're added)
- Add oats and mini chocolate chips; stir to evenly combine.
- Chill completely in the fridge for best texture and flavor, about two hours.
- Serve in a bowl with fruit and graham crackers for dipping.
- To make apple sandwiches, core apples and cut crosswise into ½ inch thick rounds. Spread half of the slices with the cookie dough dip then top with remaining apple slices to make a sandwich. Serve immediately
Notes
- Cooking the chickpeas for 50 minutes will make them very soft, perfect for hummus and this cookie dough. Cook for 45 minutes for less soft and 40 minutes for firm
- Store leftover garbanzo beans in some of the cooking liquid in the refrigerator for up to 5 days
- For longer storage, freeze them in a flat layer in freezer safe ziplock bags
- I leave the cookie dough quite thick for spreading on fruit and toast. I add extra milk if using it as a dip
- Canned chickpeas can be used in place of the homemade
- Cookie Dough freezes well
- Nutrition Facts are for the Cookie Dough
Keywords: instant pot chickpeas, healthy cookie dough, garbanzo beans
I am a H U G E fan of chickpeas! Love love love them. I just read your recipe and can’t wait to try it. I would like to suggest INSTEAD of putting salt in the water put a teaspoon of baking soda in the water when cooking the chickpeas. I like soft chickpeas for hummus. Baking soda is a miracle worker. Thank you SO much for this recipe.
★★★★★
Christina, I’m excited to give this a try. How does it change the texture exactly?
OMGoodness!!!! I have had this pinned for a while now but my neighbor made it and gave me a little container to “sample”. I’m so glad she did. This healthy cookie dough was so good, I decided to make some for my family. I needed redemption! About 12 years ago, I made a loaf cake made with beans. I still haven’t heard the end of it. The hubby still makes comments to this day about bean bread! ( I admit that it didn’t have the best flavor. ) He and my 15 yr. old daughter were “taste testers” to see if my cookie dough needed more sugar. They loved it and I will NEVER tell them my secret. I am on a strict diet for health reasons so I used almond butter and coconut sugar with a drizzle of maple syrup. Plus, everything I make has to have cinnamon. :). It is so good. Thank you for this wonderful recipe. It will be made often.
★★★★★
Amy, this absolutely made my day! Give your neighbor a high five from me. Now you need to try the chocolate and the oatmeal cinnamon version I have coming out soon. Get excited 🙂
This was unexpectedly very tasty! I tried it with peanut butter but will also try with almond to see which we prefer.
Just a few comments…
– in the printed recipe Instructions it neglects to add salt to the beans. Not a big deal to figure out. Just an FYI.
– I didn’t realize cooking 1 lb of chickpeas actually was the amount needed for 4x the recipe. It’s not a bad thing… and I should’ve figured it out. I just didn’t expect it and for a first go, I would’ve only cooked 1/4 pound.
– perhaps because my unsweetened peanut butter was also unsalted, I definitely added more salt to the final mix. This may change playing with the various sugar/nut butter combos.
I can’t wait to surprise people with this!
Thank you!!
Shelley, I love, love, love your notes, thank you so much! It really is surprisingly good! I’m glad you enjoyed it and I can’t wait to hear what your friends and family think!
Hi, I’m excited to try this! I find chick peas hard to digest, so usually I soak them overnight and even remove the peel before cooking. Would you do that? Thanks in advance!
Anne, You can definitely do an overnight soak! I would cut the cook time down to 25 minutes (20 minutes if you’re not pureeing them) in that case and puree them with the peel (unless you feel like it’s the peel that bothers you of course!)
Maybe a silly question but…can this actually be baked into cookies? Thank you!
Kristen, well…I’ve never tried it…but now I’m very curious what would happen! I just might give it a go. I’m guessing it wouldn’t work out well though.
Oooo, I want to try this. I’ve recently started eating whole plant based diet. This sounds delicious!
Thanks again for a wonderful recipe!
Cecilia
Cecilia, you’re so welcome! You will love this one 🙂
I have some chickpea flour I need to use up. Do you think that will work? It may need a little more liquid.
Kath, Hmmm…That’s an interesting thought. I honestly have no idea. I suppose if you added liquid you could still get it creamy. If you try it, let me know!
I did some searching on the net but didn’t find anything about using raw chickpea flour. This recipe uses cooked chickpeas or canned chickpeas, which have already been cooked. Chickpea flour is made from raw chickpeas, so I don’t think I will use it in a recipe that does not involve cooking, instead I will use my canned chickpeas. Then I will use the aquafaba for other desserts. Thanks for a great recipe, I love cookie dough and this has lots of healthy ingredients.
Kath, that’s a good point. Thanks for letting me know what you found out.
Hate to ask this, but if you use can chickpeas do u still cook them in the instant pot?
Jenny, oh no, just rinse them and throw them in the food processor.
Could you share the name of the cooking show that you talked about with the young girl making healthy food? Thanks!!
April, it was a Rachael vs Guy competition. I can’t remember what season though, sorry!
I’m not a peanut or nut butter fan but would love to make something like this. Is there anything else I can use in place of peanut butter? I am looking for a healthy chocolate chip cookie dough dip.
Thanks
Tammy, I had someone mention to me that they use tahini instead, would that work for you?
I was wondering if tahini would work too because I wanted to make this for my kids and my nieces and one has a peanut/tree nut allergy.
Yes i will–check your messages! 🙂
Oh i make chocolate chip cookie dough hummus all the time–but i have never added the oats. I’ll have to try it. I do normally add tahini rather than the peanut butter, but I need to try your variation as well. It is so tasty! No one ever guesses it is healthy when i make it!
Karen, Now I want to try yours! Go figure, we really are food soul sisters :). If you don’t mind, will you send me yours? I’m dying to try it.
Yes i will–check your messages! 🙂
Why do you add oats to this mix?
When using canned chickpeas is there a taste difference?
I’m very excited to try!
Alice, the oats are to give it an Oatmeal Cookie Dough kind of vibe. Canned works too and is what I’ve used the most. The taste of the homemade is a tad better, but my kids don’t notice a difference.
Alice, The oats give it an Oatmeal Cookie Dough texture. I do like the homemade chickpeas better, but I’ve used the canned ones more than fresh over the years.
Karen, we cannot have oats due to food allergies in our household. Would you mind sharing your recipe without the oats? Thank you.
Sure, here you go:
* 1 cup canned or cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained
* 2 tablespoons tahini
* 2 tablespoons 100% pure maple syrup
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1/4 teaspoon fine ground sea salt, if the chickpeas have no salt added
* 1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
Instructions
1. Place the chickpeas, tahini, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and sea salt inside of a blender or a food processor and blend on high until smooth. Stir in the dairy free chocolate chips and serve. Store covered, inside of the refrigerator for up to five days.
Karen, I just found a tahini brand I love and now I’m excited to try this, thank you for writing it out.
Um, I can’t wait to make this one, mostly because I can’t seem to see how chickpeas can be eaten sweet?!? Either way, I’m going to make this one. I have all the ingredients and I love cookie dough. I need a healthier option!
Also, way to celebrate your babes along the way! You inspire me and remind me to keep doing it too!
p.s. I made the beans in 50 minutes without salt and it worked!!! I didn’t know it was the salt that was making it take longer for my beans to soften. Crazy!
Thanks for all that you share and for testing out recipes and then sharing the goodness!
Nancy, Let me know what you think! My kids love it. My kids wear me out and keep me going all at the same time, haha!
I’m glad to hear you confirm the salt theory. There are a lot of people that say it doesn’t make a difference, but I’m insistent that it does. Now I’ve got you to back me up 🙂