Chick peas for baking

Chick peas make a great base for healthy baking. Recently I made granola bars and this weekend I made these cookie dough bites. I found the recipe for vegan cookie dough bites on inhabitots.com. They are gluten-free and sugar-free but they are vegan as well since they don't contain any dairy products either. I know, sounds horrible right? But I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Here's what you'll need:

16 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
1 1/2 tbsp coconut sugar
4 tbsp nut butter (I used Rainforest Nut Butter with coconut, which is more fluid than some nut butters)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips

Combine all ingredients except for chocolate chips in a blender. Blend until consistency is smooth and creamy. You can scoop the dough into a bowl or do like I did and add the chocolate chips to the blender and stir. I also added half a cup of chopped pecans.

Using an ice cream scoop or measuring spoon, scoop out the dough onto a cookie sheet. Being a no bake recipe, the bites are like eating regular cookie dough, very soft and gooey. If you are adventurous, you might want to try baking them, but this recipe may be no-bake for a reason. I put them in the freezer over night and ate them frozen.

My husband Paul tried both and preferred them thawed. He said they had more flavour. He was skeptical when I first offered him some telling him they were healthy. Given that the whole batch disappeared in one day, I'd say these were a success. The chickpea base, which you cannot taste, is a good source of protein and fibre as well as manganese, phytonutrients and folate. And their low GI (glycemic index) won't spike your blood sugar like most treats.

They are quick and easy to make. Give them a try and see what you think.