Faux Cookie Dough (You’ll Never Guess What The Main Ingredient Is…)

cookie dough hummus: chocolate chip! gluten-free, dairy-free, protein packed, all-natural…. YUM YUM

my life rule: eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring

Friends, friends, friends...

When I was first brainstorming whether I wanted to start a blog or not, I wrote down a whoooooole bunch of ideas for topics I would potentially want to cover, and THIS was the first recipe I wrote down:

COOKIE. DOUGH. HUMMUS.

Now before you read the word hummus and think savory—let's remember that hummus is basically just a blanket term for pureed chickpeas, and there is no reason it can't be a sweet tooth's dream (#justicefordesserthummus).

I first discovered this magical recipe when I was training for the Boston Marathon. I am normally not much of a sweet tooth, but all of that extra running had me craving quick fixes of carbs 24/7. This quickly became my go-to treat since it was packed with protein to help me recover, was a quick source of carbohydrates for post-run fuel, and had absolutely zero yucky synthetic chemicals.

I am pretty picky about how I NOURISH my body, so I wanted to whip up something that satisfied my craving but didn't leave my bod with any icky post-dessert hangover. I have tweaked this recipe over and over and WOW, it is damn good (if I do say so myself). :)

THIS RECIPE IS:

• all-natural

• vegan

• gluten-free

• dairy-free

• protein-packed

• soy-free

• ...basically any health buzzword you can think of :) 

Not to mention, it takes LITERALLY 5-10 minutes to make start to finish. Yes, really.

But the true magic of this recipe is that it was the first recipe I created that proved whatever I was craving (like, ahem, cookie dough), I could find a way to satisfy it with pure, nourishing ingredients. A splurge doesn’t have to be a splurge if you put just an itty-bitty amount of thought into your ingredients! How wonderful is that?

This protein-packed, alllll-natural treat is fully guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Without further ado, my all-natural protein packed cookie dough hummus!

chocolate chip cookie dough hummus

INGREDIENTS: 
-1 can of organic chickpeas/garbanzo beans
-1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla
-1/4 cup + 1 tbsp of maple syrup (add more or less depending on preferred taste!)
-1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (again, add more or less depending on preference!)
-2–3 tbsp dry oatmeal
-1–2 tbsp water
-1/4 tsp cinnamon
a pinch of sea salt (don't skip this, it is game changing!) 

STEP ONE: SQUEAKY CLEAN CHICKPEAS
Rinse and drain chickpeas. This is important! Really rinse them off and get those lil chickpeas nice and clean. This will reduce their “chickpea” taste and make them more of a blank canvas. NOTE: at this time, you can make the optional decision to take the little shells off of each chickpea. The benefit of this tedious step is that your cookie dough will be a lot creamier in texture…the con is that it takes time. I personally never peel the shells off, but just know it's an option if you want to take your cookie dough to the next level!

STEP TWO: MIX IT UP, BABY!
Take your nice + clean chickpeas and throw them in a blender/food processor. Before blending, also throw in vanilla, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt. Blend and stir until nice and creamy and the chickpeas are nicely pureed. Feel free to add just a titch of water if the mixture seems too thick.

Once the ingredients are nicely mixed, add in your dry oatmeal and blend it again until everything is well-mixed and creamy. The oatmeal is technically optional, but I feel that it adds a nice bulk that makes the texture taste more like traditional cookie dough.

(PSA: you can use a blender or a food processor for this step. I personally use my Vitamix and holy moly. I didn’t know if was possible to love an intimate object this much. From soups to coffee beverages to cookie dough hummus—it makes the creamiest most delicious foods. Best. Purchase. Ever.)

STEP THREE: IT’S EATIN’ TIME
Take it out of the blender, plop it in a bowl, stir in your chocolate chippies, and boom! You're ready to eat! Store in the refrigerator and enjoy with pretzels, apples...or just do what I do and eat it by the spoonful. :)

PRO TIP:
THERE ARE SO MANY FUN WAYS YOU CAN MODIFY THIS RECIPE:
-Add some peanut butter to replicate a PB cookie dough!
-Sprinkle in some fresh cacao for a brownie style mixture!
-Swap in white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts for another option!
-Pretty much every time I make this recipe I experiment—have some fun!

that’s a wrap!

Mmmm, enjoy, friends. This is one of the most frequently made sweet treats at the Eskuri household. Further proof that EVERYTHING you crave can be made in an all-natural, wholesome way. :) If you end up making this magical little treat or come up with your own version of it, will you tag me on insta @kate.eskuri? I get so weirdly happy seeing you guys make these recipes!

Okay, now I wanna hear from you—what other recipes are you dying for me to share??? Let me know in the pretty lil comment section below: Do you like desserts? Fun beverages? Healthy cocktails? Soups? Fill me in, girlfriend!

Now, in the meantime…it’s time for me to go have a spoonful (or eight) of my cookie dough.

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