Description

Delicious and healthy protein cookies made without protein powder, using natural ingredients like chickpeas, dates, and peanut butter. These fudgy, soft cookies are perfect for a nutritious snack, packed with plant-based protein and fiber, sweetened naturally with dates and maple syrup, and enhanced with dark chocolate chips for a decadent touch.

Ingredients

Scale

Soaking Ingredients

1/2 cup Medjool Dates (80g, about 6 dates, pitted)
1/3 cup Soy Milk (lukewarm)

Main Ingredients

1 can Canned Chickpeas (15 ounces / 425g can, drained, approx. 1 1/4 cups cooked chickpeas)
3/4 cup Peanut Butter (Unsalted)
1/2 cup Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats
1/2 cup Pumpkin Seeds
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
2 tablespoons Maple Syrup
1/3 cup Dairy-Free Dark Chocolate Chips

Instructions

Soften Dates: In a glass bowl, place the pitted Medjool dates and cover them with warmed soy milk (heated about 30 seconds in microwave). Cover the bowl with a plate to avoid evaporation and let the dates soak for 10 minutes to soften.
Cool Date Mixture: Once softened, chill the date and soy milk mixture in the refrigerator to cool it down and prevent melting the chocolate chips later.
Prepare Chickpeas: Open the can of chickpeas, rinse under tap water in a sieve, and drain thoroughly. Set aside.
Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a large cookie tray with parchment paper and lightly grease it with coconut oil.
Blend Ingredients: Add the drained chickpeas, cooled soaked dates and milk, peanut butter, rolled oats, pumpkin seeds, vanilla extract, baking powder, and maple syrup into a food processor.
Process Dough: Blend on high speed for about 30 seconds, stop and scrape down the sides, then continue blending in intervals until the dough is smooth with minimal chickpea lumps, approximately 2 minutes total.
Add Chocolate Chips: Remove the blade and fold the dairy-free dark chocolate chips into the dough using a spatula.
Form Cookies: Spray a cookie scoop with cooking oil, scoop sticky dough, and place onto the prepared baking sheet with about half an inch spacing between each cookie; press them flat slightly with a wet hand. You should get around 11 cookies.
Bake: Bake the cookies for 18-22 minutes until the tops are golden brown and crusty, noting that the cookies remain soft and fudgy inside.
Cool Cookies: Let cookies cool on the baking tray for 10 minutes, then transfer them carefully to a wire rack using a spatula to cool further.
Serve: Allow the cookies to reach room temperature for about an hour before serving to enjoy their best texture and flavor.

Notes

Medjool dates provide natural sweetness and moisture, making protein powder unnecessary.
Soaking dates in warm soy milk softens them for easier blending.
Draining and rinsing chickpeas removes excess salt and can reduce any canned taste.
Use unsalted peanut butter to control sodium levels in the cookies.
Rolled oats add texture and fiber, functioning as a binder.
Pumpkin seeds contribute crunch and extra protein and healthy fats.
Maple syrup enhances sweetness naturally.
Use dairy-free dark chocolate chips to keep the cookies vegan and lactose-free if desired.
Cookies won’t spread much during baking so shape them with space between.
Cooling before serving improves texture and prevents crumble.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: protein cookies, vegan cookies, chickpea cookies, healthy cookies, no protein powder, peanut butter cookies, dairy-free, gluten-free option, plant-based protein snack