White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Chickpea Dough Bites
Its cookie dough people, I mean who doesn’t love cookie dough?!
Pros
It takes 5 minutes to make in a food processor or high speed blender
There’s no added sugars to spike blood sugar and inhibit your immune system
They are loaded with vegetarian based protein
They are packed with fibre
They actually will fill you up and ward off ravenous hunger
They help lower cholesterol levels
They have vitamins, minerals and antioxidants
They have natural healthy fats for a healthy brain and body
They’re safe to eat “raw”
Your kids and family will actually eat them and enjoy them
Cons
You have to make another batch every 24 hours because they will be gone
It amazes me at the innovation of food we have now. We can make something that was once a very unhealthy comfort food into a protein snack for the whole family. I guess we are also making pasta out of legumes and rice out of vegetables so there are not limits in cooking anymore. These innovations allow us eat our comfort foods without feeling inflamed or bloated and allow us to sneak in nutrients when we otherwise would have anti-nutients and oxidants. Take these chickpea bites for example - your classic cookie dough would generally be filled with
White sugar - immune system inhibiting and usually laden in pesticides. Spikes blood sugar and overconsumption leads to insulin resistance, mood and energy fluctuations. Too much white sugar has recently been shown to cause dependencies to it and behaviour disorders in children
White flour - one of the top GMO crops, pesticide susceptible and bleached with chemicals. Gluten can lead to inflammation in many and gut damage or irritation. With much of the fibre removed this also spikes blood sugar and leads to insulin resistance, mood and energy fluctuations
Margarine - a processed fat taking vegetable olis (generally GMO) and hydrogenating them into a solid. This can create trans fats and oxidized fats which reaps havoc in your body and oxidation leads to damage of cells and DNA
Lukily, these bites are stuffed with fibre, vitamins and minerals and will actually keep you full and keep you family healthy. Try them with white chocolate and macadamia nuts, pecan and chocolate or classic chocolate chip. I am working on a double chocolate recipe so stay tuned for that too if you’re a chocolate fan like me!
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Chickpea Dough Bites
Ingredients
1½ cups garbanzo beans
⅓ cup cashew butter or smooth peanut butter
4 tbsp powdered xylitol or monk fruit*
⅓ cup oat flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
⅓ cup white chocolate + 2 tbsp for rolling - chopped or mini chips
⅓ cup macadamia nuts - chopped
pinch sea salt
Directions
Rinse garbanzo beans well and place them in a food processor. Blend until smooth
Add in remaining ingredients except the white chocolate and macadamia nuts and blend until smooth
Fold in the the white chocolate and macadamia nuts
Roll into balls right away or place in the fridge to set a little before rolling into balls (this will depend on how damp the garbanzo beans are and how much water the oat flour absorbs, as they sit they will firm slightly). Chop an extra ~2 tbsp white chocolate and lightly roll balls into
Enjoy right away or store in fridge for up to 4 days
*or 2 tbsp maple syrup or honey