It’s the simple things in life!
Who doesn’t love peanut butter?? It’s a delicious nutrient powerhouse that you can do so much with. I’d decided to try some different egg replacers in my baking… and lo and behold! I was super impressed at how well these gluten free, vegan peanut butter cookies turned out with chickpea flour as the “egg”.
And I’m not alone. These cookies have been hit with everybody at work and at home. They have kind of a shortbread quality, but also a chewiness like the best chocolate chip cookies.
No doubt, these cookies are sweet and calorie dense, so they’re best enjoyed as a treat for those watching their weight. But because they’re so nutrient dense, with protein and good fats, they are a great snack really active people.
Either way, as long as we account for the 224kcals per cookie, they totally hit the spot for sweet cravings.
A high protein, high fibre SWEET treat
Most of the dough mix is just peanut butter and chickpea flour – and both are full of valuable nutrition including protein and fibre.
The choc chips are optional. If you’d prefer to add chopped walnuts or almonds, or even sultanas they work well too. If you decide to leave them out altogether, you might need to add an extra tablespoon of chickpea flour to get the right consistency. This may also be necessary if you’re using very oily or smooth peanut butter.
You could also try replacing some of the sugar with monkfruit or stevia baking blends for a lower sugar option, however eI haven’t done this myself. I predict most alternative sweeteners with a similar texture to granular sugar would probably work given how adaptable and simple the recipe is.
I’ve tried this recipe with half the sugar (1/2 cup) and added extra chickpea flour (1/2 cup without water) which worked really well too. It was less sweet and more like shortbread.
The chickpea flour is interesting because it gives you control over how crunchy the cookies turn out. Not all chickpea flour is created equal I’ve found. Cheaper ones give a runnier consistency, which is not what you want. Splurge on the good stuff if you can…otherwise, you might need to add a little extra until the dough is crumbly.
If you find the dough balls are too sticky, or aren’t firm enough to press with a fork, you can add small amounts of extra chickpea flour until you can easily roll it into golf ball sized balls.
These vegan peanut butter cookies are best stored in the fridge and eaten within a week, but the dough can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Vegan peanut butter chocolate chip cookies (gluten free)
Ingredients
- 1 cup peanut butter salted, crunchy peanut butter seem to work best - but you can also use soy butter, or any other type of nut or seed butter.
- 1 cup raw sugar
- 1/2 cup dairy free choc chips or chunks you can be creative here - use whatever kind of chocolate you like
- 4 tbsp chickpea flour
- 4 tbsp water
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
Instructions
- Mix the chickpea flour and water together to make your "egg"
- Combine all ingredients in bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon until you have a crumby dough. If your dough isn't firm enough to make balls, add some more chickpea flour until it is. This could be a tablespoon or so.
- Roll the dough into tablespoon sized balls and place on 2 line baking trays - flatten then slightly with fork
- Bake for 10-12 minutes at 175 C (the longer you bake the crunchier the cookies will be)
- Cool cookies on wire rack and store in an air tight container. They keep in the fridge for at least a week and the dough can be frozen for 3 months.