Looking for a healthier alternative for your afternoon snack? These vegan white bean cookies are gluten-free, flour-free, and oil-free, but full of protein and plant-based goodness!
Chocolate chip cookies are a beloved treat by many, but as they’re full of empty calories and sugar, they shouldn’t really be an everyday indulgence if you’re conscious of your health.
Lately, I’ve been really trying to cut back on carbs and gluten (summer is just around the corner!), but I love baking sweet treats for my family, and it’s hard not to reach into the cookie jar when the mid-afternoon slump sets in!
That’s why I started thinking about finding a healthier alternative to a classic cookie. I’d made gluten-free chocolate chip cookies before, but my son wasn’t a fan of the almond-flour texture. It was time to get my thinking cap back on…
Enter, white beans. They may not sound like a common ingredient for cookies, but I’ve made plenty of black bean & chocolate brownies before – I’m not sure why I’d never thought about using their paler counterpart!
In this flourless vegan cookie recipe, the beans act like the glue that holds everything together. And the result is a chewy, delicious, slightly crunchy on the outside cookie that you’re going to absolutely love!
Why You’ll Love This White Bean Cookies Recipe
- It’s gluten-free, oil-free, AND vegan!
- No refined sugar (if you buy sugar-free chocolate chips)
- Quick and easy to make
- Kids love them
- High in plant-based protein
- Chewy, delicious, healthy snack
Vegan White Bean Cookies Ingredients
- White Beans (canned)
- Maple Syrup
- Almond Butter
- Vanilla Extract
- Lemon Juice
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Dark Chocolate Chips (Vegan)
How to Make White Bean Cookies
Preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C)
Rinse the white beans and drain them well.
Put all the ingredients except for the chocolate chips into a food processor and blend into a smooth batter. You can also use a bowl and immersion/hand blender for this step.
Pour the batter into a medium bowl and fold in the chocolate chips, leave a handful aside to sprinkle on the top of the cookies later.
Using an ice cream scoop (or a tablespoon) place the batter onto a lined baking sheet, leaving enough space in between each cookie for when they expand.
Sprinkle the extra chocolate chips on top of the batter.
Bake for around 15 minutes or until they are lightly browned around the edges.
Leave the cookies to cool for 10-15 minutes before transferring them to a plate/cooling rack.
Do These Cookies Taste Like Beans?
Not at all! I get it, I was a little worried how they were going to taste too. But white beans have a very mild flavor and the texture just blends perfectly into the cookie.
What’s more is that white beans are a great source of Iron, Folate, Protein, Fibre, Magnesium, Potassium, Calcium, Thiamine, and B6 – phew! I’m definitely going to try and incorporate them into more of my dishes.
Tips for Making Cookies with Beans
- Make sure your white beans are well-drained before adding them to the mix, or you could end up with soggy biscuits.
- Let your cookies cool before touching them! They will be very soft when they first come out of the oven, and they can crumble easily. So let them sit for at least 15 minutes before moving them off your baking sheet.
- You can substitute almond butter for sunflower seed butter if you have an allergy to nuts.
How to Store White Bean Chocolate Chip Cookies
Your vegan white bean cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days (although we bet they don’t last that long – they’re too good!).
Other Vegan Cookie Recipes
- Coconut Macaroons
- Amaretti Cookies
- Gluten-Free Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
- Vegan apple cookies with oats
Vegan White Bean Chocolate Chip Cookies
Try these yummy gluten-free and vegan white bean cookies with chocolate chips - a tasty treat that everyone will love!
Ingredients
- 1 can white beans
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup almond butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips (vegan)
Instructions
Rinse the white beans and drain them well
Preheat the oven in 340°F (170°C)
Put all the ingredients except for the chocolate chips into a food processor and blend into a smooth batter. You can also use a bowl and immersion/hand blender for this step.
Pour the batter into a medium bowl and fold in the chocolate chips, leave a handful to sprinkle on the top of the cookies.
Using an ice cream scoop (or a tablespoon) place the batter onto a lined baking sheet, leaving enough space in between each cookie for when they expand.
Bake for around 15 minutes or until they are lightly browned around the edges.
Leave the cookies to cool for 10-15 minutes before transferring them to a plate/cooling rack.
Notes
The cookies will feel very soft when they come out of the oven, but harden up as they cool. This is why it's important not to transfer them until they've cooled down.
Store your cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 181Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 262mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 4gSugar: 10gProtein: 5g
Nutrition information should be considered as an estimation only.
Hans
Wednesday 5th of July 2023
How large is a can of beans? How much of drained beans in cups? Thanks.
DW
Thursday 13th of October 2022
This recipe looks great, and I'm going to make some tonight. And, I'm respectfully noting the misuse of the verb "substitute," which can cause confusion.
You wrote "You can substitute almond butter for sunflower seed butter," but that's backwards: One substitutes the NEW ingredient for the ORIGINAL, or REPLACES the original ingredient WITH the new one.
That sentence should read either "You can substitute sunflower seed butter for almond butter" or "You can replace almond butter with sunflower seed butter."
Thanks.
D
Sunday 3rd of October 2021
Can you used pumpkin, sweet potato or apple sauce instead of nut/seed butter?