1¼cupscanned garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and well drained (see notes)
½cup+ 2 tablespoons (165 grams) natural peanut butter, room temperature (see notes)
¼cup(80 grams) honey (people have used agave and maple syrup with success)
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
1teaspoonbaking powder
1/4teaspoonkosher or flaky sea salt
½cup(90 grams) chocolate chips (use dairy-free chocolate chips, if needed)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine all the ingredients, except for the chocolate chips, in a food processor and process until very smooth. Make sure to scrape down the sides several times to make sure no little bits remain.
Remove the blade, and add the chocolate chips. The mixture will be thick, but you should be able to fully incorporate the chips. I also scrape under the blade and mix in any honey or vanilla that may have pooled there.
Form the mixture into 1½-inch balls, and place them on the prepared baking sheet. If you want them to look more like cookies, press down on the balls. They will not spread or change their shape much while baking.
Bake for about 10 minutes. The dough balls will still be soft when you take them out of the oven and will not set like normal cookies.
Once the cookies have completely cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
I used a 15-ounce can of garbanzo beans and had a rounded (not heaping) 1/4 cup remaining.
Natural peanut butter (the kind that must be stirred to incorporate the oil) is highly recommended. We like the peanut butter flavor in this recipe, but almond butter is an excellent substitute. Erin from Texanerin Baking mentioned that sun butter may be used, but I have had crumbly results with a similar recipe.
If a grain-free baking powder is required, you can use 1 part cream of tartar + 1 part baking soda + 2 parts arrowroot.