Banana Chickpea Cookies
These banana chickpea cookies are peanut butter cookies made in a food processor, with chocolate chips and cinnamon. Mix, spoon, and bake in 10 to 12 minutes.
Banana chickpea cookies are peanut butter cookies made from a smooth, hummus-like batter of chickpeas, banana, and peanut butter, with chocolate chips stirred in. You spoon the batter onto a baking sheet, pat it into about 16 cookies, and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, so here’s how it works.
If you have a very overripe banana and a can of chickpeas, these banana chickpea cookies come together in one food processor. The detail that matters most is rinsing the chickpeas very well so the cookies don’t taste beany. And yes, the batter is supposed to be very wet and sticky.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love These Banana Chickpea Cookies
- Peanut butter, banana, cinnamon, and vanilla give these cookies a familiar flavor, with chocolate chips throughout.
- There’s no flour, butter, or eggs on the ingredient list.
- Most of the mixing happens in one food processor, and the chocolate chips get stirred in at the end.
- You shape the cookies with wet hands, so there’s no rolling or chilling.
Banana Chickpea Cookies (Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip)
Equipment
- Large food processor
- Baking sheet
- Cooking spray, parchment paper, or Silpat
- Colander
- Spatula
- Spoon
- Airtight container
Ingredients
Base
- 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas very well rinsed and drained, excess water shaken off
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 small banana very overripe
Sweetener and Flavor
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Dry Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Mix-In
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips stirred in after processing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, or line it with parchment paper or a Silpat, and set it aside.
- Rinse the chickpeas very well so the cookies don’t taste beany, then shake off the excess water. Put them in a large food processor with everything except the chocolate chips.
- Process for a full 2 minutes, until the batter is very smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Then stir in the chocolate chips.
- With wet hands, spoon the batter onto the baking sheet. It will be very wet and sticky, like hummus. Keep your hands wet and pat the batter into smooth cookies. You should get about 16.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool, then store them in the refrigerator.
Notes
What Ingredients Do You Need for Banana Chickpea Cookies?
| Ingredient Group | Ingredient | Exact Amount | Purpose or Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base | Chickpeas, very well rinsed and drained | 1 can (15 oz) | Rinse well so the cookies don’t taste beany |
| Base | Creamy peanut butter | ½ cup | Goes into the food processor with the chickpeas |
| Base | Banana, small and very overripe | 1 | Blended into the batter |
| Sweetener and flavor | Coconut sugar | ⅓ cup | Blended into the batter |
| Sweetener and flavor | Vanilla extract | 2 tsp | Blended into the batter |
| Sweetener and flavor | Cinnamon | ¼ tsp | Blended into the batter |
| Dry ingredients | Ground flaxseed | 2 tbsp | Blended into the batter |
| Dry ingredients | Baking powder | 1 tsp | Blended into the batter |
| Dry ingredients | Salt | ¼ tsp | Blended into the batter |
| Mix-in | Chocolate chips | ⅓ cup | Stirred in after processing |
The very overripe banana is the kind you’d usually save for banana bread, and it adds banana flavor alongside the creamy peanut butter. Coconut sugar is the only added sweetener.
The chickpeas need the most care. Rinse them very well and shake off the excess water before they go into the food processor.
How to Make Banana Chickpea Cookies Step by Step
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray (or line it with parchment paper or a Silpat) and set it aside.
- Rinse the chickpeas well so they don’t taste beany. Shake off the excess water before adding them to a large food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the chocolate chips.
- Process for a full two minutes, or until the batter is very smooth. You may need to scrape down the sides. Then stir in the chocolate chips.
- With wet hands, spoon the batter onto the cookie sheet. It will be very wet and sticky, like hummus. Use your wet hands to pat the batter into smooth cookies. You should have about 16. Pro Tip: Keep your hands wet while you shape the cookies, because the batter is very sticky.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Store the cooled cookies in the refrigerator.
Tips and Troubleshooting for Banana Chickpea Cookies
Pro Tips for Success
- Give the food processor the full two minutes. The batter should be very smooth, and scraping down the sides as needed keeps everything blended.
- Add the chocolate chips last. The recipe keeps them out of the food processor, so they get stirred in instead of blended into the batter.
- Cool the cookies before storing them. The recipe calls for storing cooled cookies in the refrigerator.
Troubleshooting Common Problems
Problem: The cookies taste beany.
Solution: Rinse the chickpeas very well next time. Shake off the excess water before they go into the food processor.
Problem: The cookies stick to the baking sheet.
Solution: Spray the sheet with cooking spray, or line it with parchment paper or a Silpat, before the batter goes on.
How to Store and Reheat Banana Chickpea Cookies
| Storage Method | Duration | Best Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | 3 to 4 days (USDA guidance for most leftovers) | Cool the cookies first, then store them covered or in an airtight container. Refrigerate within 2 hours of baking. |
The 3 to 4 day limit is a food-safety guideline, not a promise about quality. This recipe only calls for storing the cooled cookies in the refrigerator, with no reheating step.
Covering leftovers or sealing them in a container helps keep bacteria out, hold in moisture, and block fridge odors, according to the USDA’s leftovers and food safety guidance.
Frequently Asked Questions About Banana Chickpea Cookies
Do banana chickpea cookies taste like chickpeas?
They shouldn’t if you rinse the chickpeas very well. The recipe says to rinse them well so they don’t taste beany, and to shake off the excess water before they go into the food processor.
Why is the cookie batter so wet and sticky?
That’s how this batter is supposed to be. It’s very wet and sticky, like hummus, so you spoon it onto the baking sheet with wet hands and pat it into smooth cookies.
How many cookies does this recipe make?
It makes about 16 cookies. Bake them for 10 to 12 minutes at 350°F.
What can I put on the baking sheet?
Spray the baking sheet with cooking spray, or line it with parchment paper or a Silpat. The recipe does this first, right after preheating the oven.
Do I have to refrigerate the cookies?
The recipe says to store the cooled cookies in the refrigerator. USDA guidance says most leftovers keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
Time to Bake a Batch
Once you have a very overripe banana and a can of chickpeas, this batch is ready for the food processor. Leave an honest comment or star rating so other readers know how yours turned out. Then save the recipe to Pinterest so it’s easy to find next time.
Want more chickpea cookie ideas? Try the chickpea protein cookies, the no-flour chickpea cookie dough, or the chickpea cookie dough bark.
Save these banana chickpea cookies for your next baking day. Peanut butter and banana blend into a smooth batter in the food processor, and the cookies bake in just 10 to 12 minutes.
