PB Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ever just have a hankering for a cookie? Particularly a peanut butter, oatmeal and chocolate chip cookie? Kind of three of my favorites all in one, so when that craving came to be, I knew I needed to get a recipe going and into the oven. I did, however, wanted to make them at least a little bit healthier for you - because, then at least you can feel good about eating 2 (or 10) cookies. So knowing that chickpeas make a great supplement in any dessert recipe, I gave it a whirl. The only grains in this are then the oats, making it gluten free and vegan.

I first rinsed a can of chickpeas - I also took a few minutes to peel the skin off of the majority of the chickpeas. This step isn't necessary, but if you have an extra few minutes take the time to gently peel the skin. It can sometimes be hard to breakdown in your food processor so keep that in mind. Once rinsed, put the chickpeas into a food processor and pulse a few times - it'll almost look a little like sand.

Add in then both nut butters (or omit the cashew butter and do more peanut butter), almond milk, vanilla, and maple syrup and blend until smooth. Once smooth, add in the salt, baking soda and baking powder and mix that in as well. At this point, pour your batter into a bowl (or stand mixer) and add in chocolate chips and oats. You don't want to do this in a food processor as it'll break up the chips and oats too much. Stir them in evenly and drop onto a greased or parchment lined baking sheet and bake cookies for 20-25 minutes, rotating halfway through.

Allow to cool, but just a little, before digging in!

PB Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (GF + Vegan)

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 can rinsed (and skinned if you want) chickpeas

• 1/2-3/4 cup peanut butter

• 3 tablespoons cashew butter

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 1/4 cup almond milk

• 1/3 cup maple syrup

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 cup old fashioned oats

• 1 cup allergen friendly chocolate chips (my favorite is Enjoy Lifes!)

Directions

1. Rinse chickpeas thoroughly and skin if you prefer to - see my notes above for more info.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line or grease a baking sheet and set aside.

3. Pulse chickpeas in a food processor for 2-3 minutes.

4. Add in nut butters, vanilla, milk, and maple syrup - blend until smooth, about 2-3 more minutes.

5. Add in salt, baking soda and baking powder and blend again for 1 minute.

6. Pour batter into medium sized bowl and stir in chocolate and oats. Spoon batter onto baking sheet (1-2 tablespoons each) and place into oven.

7. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, rotating halfway through. Allow to cool.

xx

Rita