This cookie recipe is the simplest thing ever. It’s perfect for lazy days as there is very little prep involved – a food processor does most of the work! I made them on a whim using all store cupboard ingredients and they have proved such a hit with my husband that I have made them every week since. They are so intensely chocolatey that the smell of chocolate just hits you in the face when you open the tin with them in – and then, of course, you just have to have one!
But as treats go they are on the healthy side of the spectrum – not too sweet and full of protein, nourishing healthy fats and antioxidant packed cacao. They are nice and moist thanks to the chickpeas and nut butter (you can also use sunflower seed butter if you want to make it nut-free) and using both cacao powder and butter ensures they don’t skimp on the chocolatey flavour. But if you like, you can even amp up the health benefits by using cacao nibs in the place of dark chocolate chunks. Or even something else – I keep meaning to try chopped macadamia nuts as I think they’d be delicious.
Makes around 12
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tin of chickpeas, drained (approx. 400g/240g drained weight)
- ½ cup/140g almond butter (or substitute for any other nut or seed butter)
- ¼ cup/60ml maple syrup
- ⅓ cup/50g cacao butter, melted on a low heat over simmering hot water
- 2 Tbsp cacao powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (or seeds from one pod)
- pinch of sea salt
- ⅓ cup/50g dark chocolate chunks (I used a 75% cacao bar from Lindt roughly chopped)
METHOD
- Preheat the oven to 180C (fan oven)
- Place all ingredients, except the chocolate chunks, in a food processor and whizz until completely combined.
- If you want your chocolate to stay in chunks, make sure the mixture has cooled before the next step.
- Stir in the chocolate chunks.
- Line two baking trays with greaseproof paper and place the mixture in spread out spoonfuls on the trays.
- Use an oiled spatula to press down the spoonfuls into cookie shapes.
- Bake the cookies for 15 minutes in the preheated oven.
- Allow to cool on a rack before eating (if you can stand waiting!) The cookies should keep in an airtight tin at room temperature for at least 3 days (maybe longer but mine have never lasted that long!)
