A healthy protein-packed cookie dough that’s made with only 6 ingredients and is completely refined sugar free! You won’t believe how decadent it tastes!
Question of the day: Are you team cookie or team cookie dough? Normally I would say team cookie but with this crazy heat we’ve been having lately, I’ve been all about the cookie dough! (I mean really, who wants to turn on the oven in 100 degree weather?! Not this girl, that’s for sure!) Thankfully though, with this easy recipe you can still satisfy those cookie cravings AND still beat the heat! I’m talking about my edible salted caramel chocolate chip cookie dough!
The Secret Ingredient
Chickpeas! Yep, that’s right. The basis of this recipe is made 100% from chickpeas. But the crazy thing is, you can barely even taste them! Plus they add a ton of protein and fiber to help keep you full and satisfied when those afternoon cravings hit!
“Peeling” the Chickpeas
Did you know that chickpeas actually have a thin “skin” around them when you buy them in a can? I didn’t – until I went to make hummus one day and couldn’t figure out why the consistency wasn’t coming out right. But after doing a little research and a few trial runs, I’ve learned that peeling the skin off is definitely the key when it comes to having a smooth and creamy texture. (If the skin is left on you’ll notice little chunks in your “cookie dough” and it will taste VERY BEAN-Y!)
How to Peel Chickpeas
Ok I know this is going to sound VERY tedious, but trust me, it makes all the difference in the world.
- Take the chickpea and hold it between your thumb, index finger and middle finger.
- Then in a “pinching” motion, squeeze the chickpea until the skin loosens and comes off
- The chickpea should feel smooth and not have any white/translucent skin attached to it. (Below is a picture of a chickpea before and after peeling the skin.)
Right side: Chickpea with the skin off
What makes this edible cookie dough healthy?
In case you haven’t guessed it yet, this cookie dough recipe has NO eggs/milk, NO flour and NO refined sugar in it! Which makes it 100% dairy free, gluten free, vegan and Paleo approved! But that’s only part of the reason why I love it so much. I also love that you customize it to your personal preferences/dietary needs. Below I’ve listed a few ways you can substitute/replace certain ingredients.
- Chickpeas
- Nut butter (Can use peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, etc.)
- Vanilla
- Salt (Only use 1/4 tsp if you don’t like a “salty” cookie dough or if you’re planning to sprinkle some sea salt on the top when serving.)
- Dates (Can replace with 3 Tbsps maple syrup, 2 Tbsps honey or 2 Tbsps agave. I would suggest tasting the cookie dough after each addition until your reach your desired sweetness.)
- Chocolate Chips (Can use milk, semi-sweet, dark or dairy-free chocolate)
What to do with your edible cookie dough?
Ohh sooo many things! Personally I just eat it straight out of the jar BUT you can also:
- Use it as a dip for fruit, graham crackers, pretzels, etc.
- Place it in a loaf tin that’s been lined with parchment paper and freeze it to make cookie dough bars
- Put a dollop of it on your ice cream/frozen yogurt
- Swirl it into your “nice cream” or yogurt bowl
- Use it as frosting for your cupcakes or muffins
- For the real cookie lovers: sandwich it between your favorite cookies to make a healthified cookie dough sandwich!
You see, the possibilities are endless! So now I just have to ask… HOW ARE YOU GOING TO EAT YOURS?!
I hope you all have the best day loves and stay cool in this heat!
[Made one of my recipes? Make sure to tag my social media @kalefornia_kravings – I love seeing what you create!]
Edible Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas
- ½ cup nut butter* (can use peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, etc.))
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ tsp salt**
- 5-6 dates*** (See below for substitutions)
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips (milk, dark, semi-sweet or dairy-free)
- Optional: sea salt for the top
Instructions
- Pit the dates by cutting a slit in them length-wise and discard the pit. Then place the dates in a deep bowl and fill it with enough HOT water to just cover them. Let the dates sit for at least 1 hour to soften and then discard the skins. (At this point the skins should be loose and falling off.) Place the soften dates in a food processor.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas. "Pinch" the skins off all the chickpeas before adding them to the food processor. (See directions below for how to "pinch" the skins)
- Add your nut butter, vanilla, and salt to the food processor and blend until it's smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- To store: Place the cookie dough in an air tight container and store in the fridge. Cookie dough with last 1 week in the fridge.
This is delish! I’ve used different nut butters, including PB2 wth water and it still tastes amazing! Love adding some cacao nibs along with the chocolate chips. Tasty guiltless treat!
Hi Sandra! Aww I’m so happy to hear that! Honestly, this is one of my most favorite desserts and people are always shocked when I tell them it’s made with chickpeas. 🙂 I love the idea of adding the cacao nibs too! Hope your having a great day.
Hi! Are chickpeas now added onto the Whole 30 list?
Hi Amanda! To be completely honest I wrote this recipe back when I was pretty new to the blogging world and wasn’t very educated on Whole30. No chickpeas are NOT on the Whole30 list so this cookie dough is not Whole30. I’m so sorry for the confusion! I’ve tried to re-title everything to show that this isn’t Whole30 but there still may be a few things on the internet saying that it is. Thank you so much for checking though!