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chickpea Protein Cookie Dough bars covered with chocolate (one's side facing the camera) photographed from top and placed on a wooden cutting board

Protein Cookie Dough Bars

Diana Kostrov
This snack is a chewy, chocolatey blend of chickpeas, oats, and nut butter. It’s high in protein, refined sugar-free, and perfect for a quick dessert or post-workout treat.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Cooling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine comfort food, fusion

Equipment

  • Food processor
  • Mixing Bowl
  • Spatula
  • Baking pan
  • Silicone mold

Ingredients
 

Batter:
  • 1 can (400g) chickpeas
  • 2 tbsp aquafaba (or chickpea cooking water / water)
  • 6 pitted Medjool dates (or other sort, the softer the better)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp low sodium soy sauce (see note 1 + 2)
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • ¼ cup oat flour
  • 2 tbsp cashew butter (or tahini / peanut butter / seed butter)
  • ⅓-⅓ cup chocolate chips (see note 3)
Chocolate Coating:
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 tsp coconut oil

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven – Set to 180°C (360°F fan) or 190°C (375°F regular).
  • Drain chickpeas – Save 2 tbsp aquafaba, then rinse chickpeas well.
  • Blend batter – Add chickpeas, aquafaba, dates, baking powder, soy, maple, oat flour, and cashew butter to a food processor. Blend until smooth.
  • Add chocolate – Remove blade and fold in chocolate chips with a spatula.
  • Shape mixture – Spread batter into a lined loaf pan (about 2 cm thick) or roll into balls.
  • Bake – Cook for 20–25 minutes until lightly golden and set on the outside.
  • Cool and melt chocolate – Let baked pieces rest. Meanwhile, melt coating chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave (30-sec pulses) or over a double boiler.
  • Coat pieces – Dip balls using forks or pour/spread chocolate over the slab.
  • Chill – Freeze for 10 minutes, then refrigerate 1–2 hours until chocolate is firm.

Video

Notes

  1. For a soy-free version swap for tamari or coconut aminos.
  2. For a gluten-free alternative use tamari.
  3. I'm using sugar-free chocolate chips sweetened with xylitol (note: not great for IBS), so it's best to adjust the quantities if using other or regular chocolate chips, which are sweeter.
  4. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1.5 weeks.
  5. For nut-free: Replace cashew butter with tahini or sunflower seed butter.
  6. The batter is safe to eat raw, so skip baking for a straight-up cookie dough treat.