If you are unfamiliar to chickpea cookie dough, this is the perfect introduction. Being healthy doesn’t mean you have to avoid sweet treats.

When you replace some of the traditional and often unhealthy animal products for animal-free alternatives, you can enjoy delicious cookies that are better for your health. Eating healthy does not mean eating bland, and the recipe below will have your mouth watering at the mention of chickpea cookie dough in no time

Benefits of the Chickpea

Using chickpeas to create cookie dough removes the need for flour and eggs. With gluten in flour causing allergic reaction and digestive issues and vegans not being able to eat eggs, this is the perfect solution.

Your dough is the right consistency, and the other flavors you add are all you will taste. In addition to replacing potentially unhealthy ingredients, using chickpeas promotes overall better health in a number of ways.

Plant-Based Protein

Plant-based proteins are often a healthier choice over animal-based proteins. Not only can vegans benefit from this, but these proteins are actually of higher quality too.

Chickpeas in particular contain protein made of essential amino acids. In fact, chickpeas contain almost all the amino acids your body needs.

When paired with another protein source like whole grains, you can be sure to get every amino acid you need. In addition to this, chickpea protein helps to maintain muscle strength and promote bone health.

Impressive Nutritional Profile

For such a small legume, there is a lot of nutritional benefit to this bean. With a modest amount of calories, you end up getting more than you bargain for when you add chickpeas to the mix.

Along with fiber and powerful plant proteins, you also get phosphorus, iron, zinc, folate, copper, magnesium, and manganese. Each of these plays a vital role in metabolic and other systemic processes.

Appetite Control

The fiber and protein content in chickpeas helps to keep your appetite under control. Protein and fiber both work to slow the digestive system down, which promotes fullness.

Increasing the amount of fiber and protein you eat can help reduce your overall daily caloric intake.

Weight Management

By keeping you full and reducing caloric intake, it becomes easier to reach and maintain a healthy weight. Chickpeas (even as part of a dessert) can help to reduce weight in a healthy way.

Eating fewer high-calorie foods is the best way to lose weight, and when you substitute chickpeas into your diet, you will naturally consume less high-calorie foods each day.

Diabetes Management

Managing blood sugar levels is important in the prevention and management of diabetes. Chickpea cookie dough is a great way for diabetics to enjoy sweet treats without risking their health.

The fiber content of chickpeas slows digestion and allows for a steady rise in blood sugar rather than dangerous spikes and crashes. Chickpeas have also been found to reduce fasting insulin levels, which are a very important part of blood sugar control.

The low glycemic index of chickpeas makes them appropriate for diabetics as well as those with pre-diabetes symptoms. The B vitamins and zinc additionally help to reduce the risk of type-2 diabetes.

Better Digestion

The high fiber content of chickpeas helps to promote healthy and efficient digestion. The fiber is mostly soluble, which means it blends with water to form a gel in your digestive tract, thus promoting healthy and regular bowel movements.

| Related: Why Fiber Is so Important to Your Health |

Soluble fibers like this feed your beneficial gut flora, which go on to protect your gut from harmful bacteria and inflammation. Studies have shown that regular consumption of chickpeas produces regular bowel movements and improved digestive function as and a reduced risk for diseases like colon cancer.

Healthier Heart

Chickpeas contain important minerals, like magnesium and phosphorus, that work to protect your heart. These two minerals in particular help to prevent high blood pressure, a leading cause of heart disease.

In addition to this, the fiber in chickpeas also reduces triglyceride and cholesterol levels.

Cancer Risk Reduction

Eating chickpeas increases your body’s production of butyrate, which is a fatty acid known to reduce inflammation in your colon. In doing so, it is believed that regularly eating these legumes can reduce your risk of colon cancer.

Vegan Chickpea Cookie Dough

Ingredients:

1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon ground chia seeds

1/3 cup 60% cacao chocolate chips or cocoa nibs

Directions:

1. Drain and rinse chickpeas, then place in a paper towel and dry off. If some of the skins start to come off, peel them off and discard, as this will help the cookie dough not be as gritty. Add the chickpeas, peanut butter, vanilla extract, maple syrup, and cinnamon to a food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy.

2. Add the ground chia seeds to the food processor. To grind the chia seeds, add them to a coffee bean grinder or a mortar and pestle beforehand. Blend until everything is combined. Add chickpea cookie dough mixture to a small bowl. Fold in the chocolate chips. Bake and serve immediately. This dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

The Bottom Line

Cookies are a treat we can all enjoy. We often feel that to be healthy, we have to give up the treats we love, but this is not the case. In fact by depriving yourself of sweet treats, you end up craving those more which can result in overeating.

It is better to treat yourself to the snacks you love and just swap out some ingredients for healthier alternatives. Try chickpea cookie dough today, and you can eat a few without the guilt.

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