Sunflower Seed Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Soft, fudgy sunflower seed butter chocolate chip cookies get their flourless texture from chickpeas. Made in a food processor with no eggs, flour, or added oil, they are vegan, gluten-free, and grain-free when made with suitable chocolate chips.

Introduction

If a can of chickpeas has never found its way into your cookie dough, I can understand the hesitation. Give these a try: they taste like homestyle chocolate chip cookies, with soft centers, lightly crisp edges, and plenty of chocolate. There is no chickpea flavor. The chickpeas simply blend into the dough and help give the cookies their tender texture.

I make the dough in a food processor with sunflower seed butter, so there is no flour to measure, egg substitute to prepare, or added oil to pour in. Sunflower seed butter also makes this a lovely option when you need a cookie without peanuts or tree nuts; as always, check your chocolate chips and other ingredients if allergies are a concern. A store-bought jar works, or you can make a batch of mykitchen-made sunflower seed butter.

One small step makes all the difference: flatten the scooped dough before it goes into the oven. The cookies hold their shape as they bake, so shape them the way you want to serve them.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• They taste like chocolate chip cookies.Soft centers, lightly crisp edges, and semisweet chocolate in every bite, with no chickpea flavor.
• The food processor does the mixing.Blend the dough, add the chips, and scoop. It is an straightforward recipe, requiring no mixer, rolling pin, or chilling time.
• No flour or added oil needed.Chickpeas and sunflower seed butter make a tender dough from familiar pantry ingredients.
• Helpful for different diets.With suitable chocolate chips and sunflower seed butter, the cookies are vegan (egg-free and dairy-free), gluten-free, grain-free, and nut-free.
• Straightforward to make ahead.A batch makes 16 cookies, and the cooled cookies freeze well for later treats.

Ingredients for Sunflower Seed Butter ChocolateChip Cookies

The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post.Toggle betweenUS Customary(volume) andMetric(weights) for preferred measurement option.

• Chickpeas:Rinse and drain canned chickpeas before blending. Cooked, cooled kitchen-made chickpeas work, too.
• Sunflower seed butter:Gives the cookies their rich, roasted seed flavor. Use a smooth, well-stirred butter; kitchen-made sunflower seed butter is an option, or use ready-to-use sunbutter.
• Coconut sugar:Adds sweetness to the dough. Light brown sugar or maple syrup works if that is what you have; see the substitution details below.
• Water:Adds a little moisture to the dough. Leave it out if you use maple syrup in place of the coconut sugar.
• Vanilla extract:Rounds out the sunflower seed butter and chocolate flavors.
• Baking soda:Gives these soft cookies a little lift.
• Semisweet chocolate chips:Check the package if you need vegan, dairy-free, or gluten-free cookies.

How to Make Sunflower Seed Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Note that the complete instructions are also in the recipe card below.

1. Prepare the oven and pan.Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Blend the dough.Process the drained chickpeas, sunflower seed butter, coconut sugar, water, vanilla, and baking soda until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
3. Add the chocolate chips.Stir them into the dough in a medium bowl, or pulse them into the food processor a few times if you do not mind some of the chips being chopped.
4. Shape the cookies.Divide the dough mixture into 16 equal portions. Roll into balls, flatten into disks, and place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. The cookies will not spread much.
5. Bake and cool.Bake for 9 to 12 minutes, until the surfaces look dry. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer with a spatula to a wire rack to cool completely.

Taste and Texture

Break one open and you will find a soft, tender middle studded with chocolate, while the edges have just a little crispness. The flavor is familiar and comforting, like a good homestyle chocolate chip cookie. The chickpeas disappear completely into the dough; you cannot taste them.

Storage

• Room temperature:Let the cookies cool completely, then keep them in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to 2 days.
• Refrigerator:Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
• Freezer:Freeze cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
• To serve from frozen:Let a cookie thaw at room temperature before enjoying it.

Flavor Variations

• Dried-fruit cookies:Replace the chocolate chips with an equal amount of raisins or chopped dried fruit for a sweeter, fruit-filled bite.
• Roasted sunflower crunch:Swap the chocolate chips for an equal amount of roasted sunflower seeds if you would rather have a crisp, nutty crunch.
• Carob-chip cookies:Use an equal amount of carob chips instead of chocolate chips.
• Plain sunflower cookies:Leave out the chips altogether and enjoy the cookies plain.

Serving Suggestions

• After-school or afternoon snack:Pair a cookie with a glass of nondairy milk and a piece of fruit.
• Straightforward dessert:Serve with fresh berries and a spoonful of nondairy vanilla yogurt, or add a scoop of nondairy vanilla ice cream for a special treat.
• Coffee break:Set out a plate of cookies with coffee or tea when friends come by. The chocolate chips and lightly crisp edges are especially good alongside a hot drink.

Tips for Success

• Rinse and drain the chickpeas before processing, and scrape the bowl until the dough is smooth.
• Flatten each portion before baking; the cookies do not spread into disks on their own.
• Look for dry-looking surfaces at the end of baking, then give the cookies their full 10-minute rest on the baking sheet before moving them.
• If your sunflower seed butter is unsalted, add about 1/8 teaspoon salt to balance the sweetness.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Sunflower seed butter:Smooth nut butters or nut butters, such as peanut butter, cashew butter, almond butter, tahini or pumpkin seed butter, can take its place. Each brings its own flavor; peanut, cashew, and almond butter also make the cookies unsuitable for a nut-free diet.
• Chickpeas:Use about 1 1/2 cups cooked, cooled kitchen-made chickpeas in place of the drained can.
• Coconut sugar:Use an equal amount of lightly packed brown sugar. For a maple-sweetened batch, use 1/4 cup maple syrup in place of both the coconut sugar and the tablespoon of water.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. The chickpeas disappear into the dough. The finished cookies taste like homestyle chocolate chip cookies, with soft centers and lightly crisp edges.

Yes. Use about 1 1/2 cups cooked, cooled chickpeas in place of the drained canned chickpeas.

The cookies do not spread much as they bake. Shape the portions into disks before they go into the oven.