Ever since I began baking, there are two things which I’ve discovered myself becoming increasingly partial to:

recipes which can be made, at least mostly, by combining the ingredients together in a food processor

baking which has no added sugar, no dairy and made as simply as possible

Having said that, it may not be any particular surprise to you that the recipe which I have for you today features both of the aforementioned points. And not only that… it has peanut butter in it too.

AND chocolate chips.

AND ridiculously delicious, with actual nutritional value.

I mean, is it possible for this recipe to be any better than it already is? Well, maybe if it had banana in it in some way (banana, peanut butter and chocolate constitute three of my favourite foods in the world, FYI), but let’s focus on the positives here!

While also a guilt-free and healthy treat, this recipe results in a cookie that is also as close as I can get it – in taste and in consistency – to a, let’s say, conventional chocolate chip cookie. It’s overcoming the basic problem with a lot of vegan baking: though miles healthier, vegan baking often enough just doesn’t have the same taste as it’s conventional equivalent, and this was a challenge which we can now rectify.

Now I think we’ve tarried a bit too long; how about we get stuck into this recipe?

First up, drain a 400g can of chickpeas and get them as dry as you can. The chickpeas will essentially form the basis of the ‘cookie dough’, so it’ll pay to remove as much moisture as you quickly can so as to ensure that your end product isn’t too moist.

Now it’s time to add the chickpeas to your food processor, along with a quarter cup of honey, two tablespoons of peanut butter, and a teaspoon of cinnamon. Blend until combined: you should end up with something like the above photo.

Now add a half cup of rolled oats to the food processor, along with a half teaspoon of baking powder, and continue to blend. Once all of the ingredients are fully combined, the dough should start to form a solid ball by itself.

Now it’s time to add the chocolate deliciousness. I’d recommend using dark chocolate (the higher the cocoa concentration, the better), as it seems to go along a lot nicer with these almost savoury cookies. Transfer the dough from the food processor to a medium-sized bowl, and fold in a half-cup of chocolate chips with a wooden spoon.

Divide the dough into 12 portions and roll each one into a ball. Arrange on a prepared baking tray, and then press down with a fork. Don’t fret too much about the proximity of these cookies to each other – they really don’t rise an awful lot in the oven.

Now we’ll go ahead and bake the cookies at 190C for about 20-25 minutes, or until the bases of the cookies have turned brown. Once they’re done in the oven, transfer the baked cookies to a wire tray and leave to cool for a while. They’re best served immediately, but they will keep for a few days in an airtight container.

Bon appetit. They look delicious, huh? I hope you’ll agree with me when I say that they’re easily comparable to a conventional chocolate chip cookie, both in taste and consistency.

Which was, I suppose, the basic idea behind this recipe in the first place 🙂

What do you think of the cookies, and of other vegan baking in general? Post something in the comments if you will, along with any challenges you may have for me 😀

Spiced Peanut Butter Choc Chip Cookies

Ingredients

400g can of chickpeas, drained

1/4 cup of honey

2 tbsp peanut butter

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup of rolled oats

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 190C, and prepare a tray with baking paper. Add the first four ingredients to a food processor, and blend until well combined. Add rolled oats and baking powder, and continue to blend. Dough should form a solid ball. Transfer dough to a bowl, and fold in chocolate chips with a wooden spoon. Separate dough into 12 balls and arrange on the tray, pressing down with a fork. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the bases are brown. Transfer to a baking tray, and leave to cool completely. Best eaten fresh.