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    Home » Recipes » Snacks

    Coconut Chickpea Cookie Dough Balls

    Published: Mar 30, 2023 / Modified: Jun 29, 2023 by Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN / This post may contain affiliate links / 5 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print
    chickpea cookie dough with text boxes for recipe name and website
    chickpea cookie dough balls on a serving plate with text box for recipe name

    These no bake chickpea cookie dough balls are a healthy twist on chocolate chip cookie dough that you can safely eat raw. They’re made with a base of almond butter, oatmeal, and chickpeas and studded with finely shredded coconut and mini chocolate chips. Make a batch of easy these protein-packed treats to satisfy your sweet tooth with something nutritious!

    chocolate coconut chickpea cookie dough balls on a serving plate

    I first heard about chickpea cookie dough balls several years ago during my dietetic internship. Using chickpeas and nut butter as the base for a mock cookie dough seemed brilliant, especially since it allowed you to lick the bowl!

    After my internship, in the summer of 2017, I created this recipe. When I redid my website later that year, it somehow got buried under new content and never really found its way out. So earlier this year, I decided to update the original recipe with new photos and a few edits to the ingredients.

    I’m pleased to present the new and improved coconut almond chickpea cookie dough balls. They are just as delicious as I remember them and a great way to pack protein and fiber into a healthy dessert. Make a batch for meal prep, afternoon sugar cravings, lunchboxes, or after school snacks! While you’re at it, check out the Healthy Freezer S’mores Balls, Cherry Almond Butter Balls, and Pumpkin Peanut Butter Balls.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients and Substitutions
    • Instructions
    • Storage
    • More Healthy Sweets
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments
    chickpeas, maple syrup, vanilla, oats, almond butter, coconut, and chocolate chips on a counter

    Ingredients and Substitutions

    • Almond butter: Use a natural creamy almond butter. By natural, I mean almond butter that only has one ingredient (almonds) or two if it’s salted. Trader Joe’s has a great almond butter that’s just almonds. I also really like the Once Again Organic Creamy Almond Butter. If your grocery store has almond butter that you can grind from almonds and buy in bulk available, that’s a great way to get it at a very affordable price (jarred almond butter can be pricey). If you don’t like or have almond butter, substitute peanut butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter (nut-free option). I love making these bites with half almond and half peanut butter!
    • Chickpeas: You’ll need a 15-ounce can or roughly 2 cups of cooked chickpeas. You could substitute white beans if needed.
    • Old fashioned oats: Also known as rolled oats, these help keep the batter together. If you don’t have oats, sub almond flour or milled flaxseed. If you need the recipe to be gluten free, make sure the oats are certified gluten free.
    • Maple syrup: You can sub honey if desired.
    • Vanilla extract: Any cookie dough needs this!
    • Unsweetened shredded coconut: I like to use the finely shredded kind, but you could use regular shredded or even coconut flakes. Everything gets blended in the food processor anyway.
    • Mini chocolate chips: Sub regular chocolate chips or roughly chopped dark chocolate. I use Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips, which I recommend if you want to keep the recipe vegan-friendly and dairy-free. They are also allergy-friendly and free from the main allergens. You can use cacao nibs if you want a healthier alternative!

    Instructions

    The full recipe card for chickpea cookie dough balls is at the bottom of the post. Here’s a preview of the steps with photos to guide you in the kitchen.

    chickpeas, almond butter, coconut, oats, maple syrup, and vanilla in a food processor

    Combine all the ingredients except for the chocolate chips in a food processor.

    chickpea cookie dough batter blended in a food processor on a counter

    Pulse until a smooth batter forms.

    mini chocolate chips being mixed into chickpea cookie dough in a food processor

    Stir in the chocolate chips.

    chickpea cookie dough rolled into balls and put on a tray for freezing

    Scoop out rounded tablespoons of the batter and roll into balls. Place on a tray to freeze for 30 minutes before enjoying.

    Storage

    I highly recommend freezing chickpea cookie dough balls. First, put them on a tray in the freezer until frozen solid (about 30 to 45 minutes). Then, transfer to a freezer bag or container. You can separate layers of them with parchment paper to prevent sticking if needed. When you’re ready to have a ball, let it warm up for 10 minutes at room temperature before taking a bite. You can also keep them in the refrigerator, but I do not recommend keeping them at room temperature.

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      Healthy Apple Beet Muffins
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      Healthy Freezer S’mores Balls
    • banana chia pudding topped with sliced bananas and coconut in a jar
      Banana Chia Pudding

    I’d love to hear how you like this recipe! Rate/review using the stars on the recipe card or in the comments, and follow the Veg World on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Looking for something totally different? Browse the recipe library.

    📖 Recipe

    chocolate coconut chickpea cookie dough balls on a serving plate

    Coconut Chickpea Cookie Dough Balls

    These no bake chickpea energy balls are a healthy snack with fiber and protein. They're easy to make, vegan, and totally delicious.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate Save Saved!
    Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
    Freezing time: 30 minutes mins
    Total Time: 45 minutes mins
    Servings: 12 balls (about 1 rounded tablespoon each)
    Calories: 164kcal
    Author: Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

    Equipment

    • Food processor

    Ingredients 

    • 1 15-ounce can chickpeas - drained and rinsed; about 2 cups
    • ½ cup creamy almond butter - recommend a natural variety made with just almonds
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
    • ¼ cup maple syrup
    • ⅓ cup unsweetened finely shredded coconut
    • 3 tablespoons old fashioned oats - certified gluten free if needed
    • ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Combine chickpeas, almond butter, vanilla extract, maple syrup, coconut, and oats in a food processor. If using unsalted almond butter, you may want to add a pinch of salt. Pulse until a smooth batter forms, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
    • Remove the blade from the food processor. Stir the mini chocolate chips into the batter.
    • Scoop out a rounded tablespoon of the batter. Roll it into a ball. Place on a lined baking sheet or freezer-safe tray. Repeat with the remaining batter until you have about 12 balls.
    • Put the tray in the freezer, somewhere it won't get bumped, for about 30 minutes or until the balls are frozen solid. Transfer the frozen balls to a freezer safe bag or container, separating layers with parchment or wax paper if desired. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
    • When you want to have one, remove from the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes to warm up. Alternatively, you can keep the balls in the refrigerator, but I like them best frozen. You can also enjoy the cookie dough as a dip.
    • Leave a rating or review by tapping the stars on this recipe card (above) or in the comments section (at the end of the post)!

    Notes

    • If you don’t have oats, sub almond flour or milled flaxseed. You can also substitute other nut butters, such as peanut or cashew butter, if desired. I like to make the recipe with half almond and half peanut butter.
    • You can use regular chocolate chips or roughly chopped dark chocolate in lieu of mini chips. I like to use the Enjoy Life brand mini chocolate chips (they are dairy-free, vegan, and allergy-friendly). Cacao nibs would also work.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1ball | Calories: 164kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 104mg | Potassium: 165mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 17IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did you make this recipe?Tag @its_a_vegworld_afterall and follow me today!

    Have a happy and healthy day! – Lizzie

    This post was originally published in August 2017. It was updated with new photos, tips, and small changes to the ingredients in March 2023.

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    Reader Interactions

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    1. D Seifert

      April 13, 2023 at 7:52 pm

      5 stars
      These are so tasty!

      Reply
      • Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

        April 14, 2023 at 8:37 am

        Yay, I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed them!!

        Reply
    2. boowholefoods

      August 15, 2017 at 6:01 am

      These look so good! I love sweet chickpea recipes 🙂

      Reply
    3. Dena Gershkovich

      August 14, 2017 at 10:27 pm

      Congrats on officially becoming an RD! That’s so exciting and such a big accomplishment. I’m an undergrad dietetics major and I can’t wait for the day when I officially can call myself an RD 🙂 Do you have any advice?

      Reply
      • Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

        August 23, 2017 at 3:23 pm

        Thank you Dena! It is such an awesome feeling! I’m going to write a post about my path to becoming an RD… hopefully sometime soon! So check back for that 🙂 !

        Reply

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