Breakfast

Almond Chickpea Cookies – Vegan and Gluten Free

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Gluten free almond butter cookies with vegan ingredients

I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am about these cookies. Not only can they be made in a pinch but it is my first time experimenting with chick pea flour. The texture and subtle flavor this flour adds is like no other. Combined with brown rice flour it is even more dreamy. If you love chickpeas as much as I do I highly recommend baking up a batch of these. Almond butter and finely ground almond meal adds just enough fat to make these cookies rich, yet very sensible.

Easter day 2011 at egg hunt in southern california

People are looking for light bites now that the weather is warming up. We are spending a lot more time outdoors. Not as much time is spent in the house when the skies are bright blue and the flowers are in bloom. When there are white ducks and butterfly dresses we need to celebrate!

Easter day 2011 in southern california park

Right now I am in the moutains for Camp Blogaway. The air is fresh and I am surrounded by wonderful friends. I miss my family but I know that my husband has everything well handled.

MarlaMeridith.com family photo

I crave cookies that give me energy and not steal my thunder. Please don’t freak when I mention the word “chickpeas” and “cookies” I urge you to go with it. These are some of the best cookies I have ever had. They are not too sweet, they are just right. They are also vegan and gluten free. They would make awesome chocolate chip cookies too.

Gluten free almond butter cookies with vegan ingredients

I have been having so much fun visiting my favorite vegan/gluten free bloggers. They always enlighten me with their fabulous creations. Some of my favorites in this realm are Oh She Glows, Love Veggies and Yoga and Elana’s Pantry.

Gluten free almond butter cookies with vegan ingredientsHave y’all seen Elana’s new Gluten Free Cupcake cookbook?  A delicious round-up of 50 irresistible cupcake recipes made with almond and coconut flour. I’ll share more on this book soon, in the mean time you can grab a copy of your own.

Cookie crumbles with coffee in white cup

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Almond Chickpea Cookies

Makes about 14 cookies

NOTES:

  • If you do not have garbanzo flour you could also try using oat flour or corn flour. Here is how to make roasted or unroasted chickpea flour at home.
  • I used smooth natural salted almond butter. Crunchy would be tasty too. Be sure to stir in all the oil that has risen to the top of the jar so you can easily combine the nut butter into the batter.
  • Add some chocolate chips for a slightly more indulgent cookie.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup Garbanzo (Chickpea) Flour
  • 1 cup Brown Rice Flour
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine Sea Salt
  • 1/2 cup Almond Butter
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 4 full droppers Plain Stevia Drops or adjust sweetness to taste
  • 3/4 cup light unsweetened Coconut Milk

OPTIONAL GARNISH

  • 1/4 cup Almond Flour
  • a few pinches of fine Sea Salt
  • a sprinkle of Sucanat or Stevia Powder
METHOD
Preheat oven to 350ËšF with the rack in the middle. Prepare cookie sheet with Silpat or parchment paper. In a medium bowl mix together dry ingredients. In another bowl mix together wet ingredients. Combine wet and dry ingredients to form a batter. Taste the batter and add more sweetener if desired. Make cookie shapes with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of batter per cookie. Flatten with your hands and press almond meal into the tops. Sprinkle on some salt. Bake cookies for about 10-12 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes and then transfer to cooling racks.

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Chickpea Flour Recipe Links

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~ Marla Meridith

Join the Conversation

101 thoughts on “Almond Chickpea Cookies – Vegan and Gluten Free

    1. Heather, don’t be scared I can help take you to the other side! I never though the gluten-free flours would match up either. Now I can’t imagine my world without them. I am determined to incorporate each and every one of these flours into my baking. Stay tuned – before you know it you might just try them 😉

  1. YOU ROCK!!! What an ingenius and creative and wonderful recipe… you are just awesome girl!! This is exactly what food should do and look like!! Gorgeous!!

    Be blessed-
    Amanda

    1. Amanda: Bet you would wow me with your amazing food styling and baking skills – even with such a simple little brown cookie. Perhaps we should pair up and do a Garbanzo Flour Cookie Cake?? Fun indeed.

  2. Those healthy and original cookies must be divine! I really like the ingredients you used. I really have to try baking with chickpea flour.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    1. Liz: You gotta try gluten free baking. It is so freeing and satisfying to learn about this whole other world of ingredients. They taste awesome, are filled with nutrients and somehow feel lighter. Can’t wait to hear what you think when you do.

  3. What a great recipe, Marla! I love healthy treats like this — they satisfy a sweet tooth and nourish your body at the same time. I would love a couple of these cookies and a cup of coffee for an afternoon pick-me-up!

    1. Faith, they are a great alternative to biscotti. Would be perfect dunkers for coffee. Just the right amount of sweetness indeed!

  4. Hi Marla,

    Quick question: I don’t know a whole lot about chickpea flour but I’ve been told you can have roasted or unroasted flour. Which one did you use?

    Thanks!

    1. Hi Heather, the chickpea flour I used is from Bob’s Red Mill. On the ingredient list it says “chickpeas and fava beans” it mentions nothing about whether or not it is roasted first. I am curious as well. I bet either would taste great. Let me know what you find.

      1. Hi again!

        Just came across this site that tells you how to make your own chickpea flour (roasted and unroasted!) and describes the differences. (http://blog.homemade-baby-food-recipes.com/how-to-make-chickpea-flour-at-home/) It seems that the roasted flour has a nuttier and more intense flavor. I would assume that store-bought is more likely to be unroasted (but I could be wrong)!

        Also, I forgot to mention above that I cannot wait to make these cookies! They look amazing. Thanks for the recipe!

        1. Heather: Awesome research, I just linked to this info in the “notes” section of my recipe. Thanks for finding it. I love roasted/toasted flavors. Not sure my blender or food processor would grind those tough little chickpeas though. I should try it. Let me know how the cookies turn out for you.

          1. I just made my own chickpea flour for this recipe! My food processor couldn’t handle it, but the coffee grinder worked just fine!

    1. Ha Sarah! I feel that way very often when I visit everyone’s blogs. Theses cookies would be worth the grab 😉 Your meatballs look amazing – well worth the link love.

  5. Marla, you’ve turned into a vegan GF blogger lately with all these awesome, creative recipes! I think it’s great that you’re not into eggs and butter for every recipe. I never used to cook with eggs or butter but I just posted some blondies that are definitely not vegan nor GF. Boy how times have changed. haha!

    Anyway, the pictures of them are awesome. And the pic of your family….I love seeing them!

    I am so bummed I didnt go to Camp Blogaway after it’s all said and done. I could have used some community and recentering. I am kicking myself. Can’t wait to hear all about it from you!!! 🙂

    1. Averie: I will dash over to check out your blondies. I love having the diversity in my ingredients and in the recipes I share with my readers. Baking has been even more fun lately with all the experimentation I have been doing. Almost as if I am learning new foreign languages.
      You and I need to map out events much sooner. I signed onto camp last minute and I am very happy I did. Missed you bunches. Next year we can look forward to going together. Such a wonderful community of friends we have and it is great to see them for real. Speaking of which, I will see you in a little over a week. xo

    1. Kathleen: That is really good to know and I bet it would work with a high power blender. I do not have one that could hack through those tough little chickpeas. I have heard great things about the BlendTec and the Vitamix. Let me know how it goes if you try it.

      1. I tried blending raw chickpeas (that had been soaked and then dehydrated) in a Blendtec and it did not come out nearly as fine and powdery as the besan (chickpea) flour from my local Indian grocery. Mine ended up with small but still quite hard/crunchy bits. It might have done better if I also ran it through a coffee grinder in small batches, but I didn’t go that far.

  6. Marla..Marla..I think after seeing these vegan cookies YOU are going to be one of my favorite bakers! Love the cookies for the simple ingredients, crisp texture, lovely color, healthy ingredients….Hey, do I need to write more to express my love for these tiny beauties :))

  7. They look great and sound delicious! Going to email this to a friend with a daughter who has celiac and is allergic to dairy and eggs – it’s perfect! Thanks for sharing!

  8. Wow! I have been thinking all week of making a cupcake with chickpea flour that I bought at the Indian supermarket; then I saw some Indian sweets and started wanting to make them instead and finally did none! Your cookies look and sound perfect!

    1. Hi Brandi! It was a wonderful weekend. Met the bog friends up in the mountains at Camp Blogaway. When am I going to meet you? Are you going to BlogHer Food in Atlanta? Can’t believe it is just over two weeks away. I will be there.

  9. 48 degrees here today. 48! What the heck is up with this weather? I love that you are able to be outdoors, enjoying the sunshine! And these cookies? So yum!

    1. 48ËšF??!! Oh my, Kristin I wish you guys quick relief from that weather. You are over due Spring blossoms and chirpy birds. Hopefully very soon my friend, hang in there!

  10. I am not vegan or gluten-free, but these cookies look delicious all the same. I am going to make them for my recently gluten free dad. Beautiful! Thanks for the recipe!

    1. Hi Heather, yes you can swap out any other gluten free flour for the brown rice flour. I always love my corn and oat flours. The brown rice one has a heavier flavor. I am so happy that you are not freaked out by the chickpea flour. I know a few folks are. The flavor definitely comes through, so if you LOVE chickpeas then you will most certainly dig these.

    1. Sara, it was awesome meeting you at camp too! Love your spunk girl 🙂 Are you going to Atlanta for BlogHer Food? That is what’s up next for me. Yup, these cookies give me that “firecracker” energy you speak of. These days I have no time at all for groggy, sleepy foods. Chickpea power.

    1. Pamela, let me know what you think if you do try this out. I have seen the use of this flour in sweets a lot around the web. I will now be using chickpea flour frequently in my baking. It’s a fun twist, love that the chickpea flavor comes through.

  11. I’ve talked to some of my gluten-free friends about gluten-free baking and the consensus is that chickpea flour is THE way to go! These cookies look fantastic! I love baked goods that you can feel good about eating!

    1. Joanne, I am so happy to hear that your GF friends say that. Chickpea flour is loaded with protein, fiber, flavor & it adds awesome texture. Really, I could go on and on. I am now addicted to the stuff. Must make another batch of these cookies pronto! xo

  12. Marla, you always make delicious looking baked goods so darn healthy and simple! I love these cookies and all of your fun photos, too. Looks like you are having a wonderful time at Camp Blogaway with your family. Enjoy your time and the rest of your week! 🙂

  13. Marla,
    These look amazing and I still can’t get over the chickpeas! Cooking vegan and gluten free kinda makes me nervous. I tend to stick to what I know. Sugar and all purpose flour.

    Great post!
    Dana
    danalovestobake.blogspot.com

    1. Silly girl! Sounds like you need to get a new bag of chickpea flour 😉 There is so much you can do with it – especially with your imagination. Sweet or savory, there are gazillions of recipes out there these days using this stuff.

    1. Jennifer, first things first you gotta like chickpeas to want to use this flour. I love ’em, the flavor comes through & it is fabulous. It has a fine texture that reminds me of a soft shortbread cookie. This flour has a lower carb ratio & higher protein ratio than other flours. Love it.

  14. Thanks for sharing. This looks like a very doable recipe! We use a lot of chickpea flour in our home in Indian cooking. I am not at all averse to it, in fact it is easy to use and available!
    What I do need to know is a substitute for stevia? I don’t get stevia where I stay and need an easy alternative for now and the quantity that I could use?
    Perhaps dates, or date syrup, maple syrup, agave, or even honey. Any suggestions?
    Or brown sugar as a last resort. The only reason I ask is to ensure the texture is not compromised according to your recipe.
    Thanks again!

    1. Hi Deep, I don’t think you would compromise the texture at all with the sweeteners you mention. My advice would be to start with about 4 tablespoons and then adjust to taste. These cookies are not super sweet. The baking time might adjust a smidge too, but I think your results would be fabulous. I would love to try these with maple or sucanat to add to the earthy flavors. Please come back around and let me know if you try without the stevia. I would like to know how much sweetener you add and the baking time. Thanks so much and good luck!

  15. Hi!

    I just discovered familyfreshcooking via ohsheglows and I have only spent a few minutes browsing but I must say I am delighted! When I noticed the almond chickpea recipe I had to stop and review. On today’s agenda is making a cookie with chickpeas. Originally, I was making them based on a cookie dough dessert hummus recipe but you have just added to my inspiration. 🙂 I recently started started a food & fitness blog at lizashlee.com. Please stop by & check it out sometime. I would love to hear from you!

    Can’t wait to try a version of the cookies and find more delicious recipes!!

    Liz

    1. Thanks Liz! So glad you stopped by. That cookie dough dessert hummus sounds neat too. Let me know what you end up baking. Chickpea flour has become one of my all time favorites! I’ll check out your blog too, congrats on the launch. Look out girl, it’s a fun ride 😉

  16. Hi
    I am new to your blog, just found it and really like! This recipe looks and sounds so good, and I love chickpea flour!
    I haven’t used brown rice flour yet, even though is the next flour I want to try and experiment with, so do you think I could I sub oat flour in the cookies? Is brown rice flour lighter or heavier than oat flour? (I mean more in terms of in baked goods…). I love oats, oat flour and everything made with it, so I was thinking of using it to make these cookies, but I don’t want them to be too dense (which sometimes can happen when using chickpea flour)
    Thanks for sharing such delicious recipes!
    Ana

  17. I just made a chocolatey version of these and put the recipe up on my blog! (I gave you credit for the original though!) They were really yummy and I loved how they didn’t produce the dreaded “sugar crash” that some cookies do.

    1. Nikita, love your adaptations for these cookies. I must try that quinoa flour, have a bag of it in my pantry now. We love not having that dreaded sugar crash!

  18. Pingback: The search for a delicious and nutritious cookie wages on… « lickthebowlclean
  19. These do sound good to me, actually. I love chickpeas, so why not in cookies??? I just saw some garbanzo bean blondies and they sounded delish.
    (maybe I’m just a sucker for anything sweet…)

    So, I made some cookies last night with stevia and they tasted sickeningly sweet to me. I had trouble getting the taste out of my mouth. Is it different with the liquid dropper version?

    1. Mariko, sorry to hear about the stevia mishap. What product did you use? I only use ones that do not have gobs of bulking agents. If it tells you to use the same quantities as you would table sugar than those are not the ones I use here. Such small quantities go in my recipes and they do make things quite sweet – but delicious! I always recommend that folks sweeten my recipes to taste and make adjustments from there. I give general guidelines using only the products that I link to. I cannot speak for others.
      You gotta try the chickpea cookies….LOVE 🙂
      Chickpea blondies sound fabulous – I must come up with a recipe for those.

  20. Hi Marla made these today and what a treat. will do again. I was just wondering whether 2 egg whites would be okay I know that its vegan the beaten whites, would make a meringue texture. What do you think. I will definately try again.
    Jessie

  21. I just made these. My cousin gave me a bag of chickpea flour and I was trying to find something to do with it. I used chickpea flour and oat flour (oats in blender), sucanat instead of stevia. I also added raw walnuts & choc chips inside and ground almonds, sucanat and sea salt on top. YUM!