Vegan Cookie Dough Balls (Nom Nom Nom!)

Cookie dough. It's the reason I make cookies. Who doesn’t love to lick the spoon clean? In fact, I far prefer the dough to the final, baked product.

So, I’ve found a vegan, clean, and salmonella-free alternative cookie dough recipe. Why? Reason number one: 94% of the 50,000 people who've gotten sick with salmonella and E.coli remember eating raw cookie dough prior to the symptoms. It was the only commonality among the people who got sick. No reason for you (not to mention your kids!) to flirt with that possibility.

Reason number two: cookie dough is far from a cleansing food. It’s filled with sugar, other processed ingredients, and gluten—putting some at risk of getting a stomach-ache (especially those with sensitive digestive systems).

Now, I’m certainly not suggesting you live a life without cookie dough! So here's a delicious, healthy, and safe alternative to the unhealthy version. These “raw” cookie dough balls are soft, tasty, indulgent and … made with chickpeas!

Yes, this delicious dessert is packed full of protein and iron-rich legumes. There’s also plenty of unrefined sugar, so work to enjoy one at a time…although, chances are, you’ll want to eat the entire batch after taking your first bite.

Elissa’s “Raw” Cookie Dough BallsYields 12 balls

Ingredients

• 16 ounces cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 3 T raw organic honey
• 1 T coconut palm sugar
• 1/8 tsp. baking soda
• 4 T raw organic almond butter
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups vegan chocolate chips (minis work best)

Directions

Combine chickpeas, honey, sugar, baking soda, almond butter, vanilla, and a pinch of salt in a food processor and process until smooth.

Remove to a bowl and stir in half a cup of the chocolate chips. Form into 1-inch balls and place on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet. Freeze until solid.

In a double boiler, melt remaining cup of chocolate chips. Dip the balls into the chocolate until covered, then place back on parchment-paper lined baking sheet. Freeze until chocolate has hardened, then store at room temperature.

Enjoy and the post your comments below!

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