A giant chocolate-chip cookie.
Can you think of anything better?
Right now, I can’t. But give me a second…
Nope. Still cant.
Presenting a healthier version of the famous Great American Cookie Cake. This one is whole-grain, gluten-free, and high in fiber. But don’t let those adjectives scare you away; the recipe has the stamp of approval from:
- A bunch of college guys
- Some very-picky preteen girls
- An entire kindergarten class
Giant Chocolate-Chip Cookie Cake
Inspired by the Deep Dish Cookie Pie
- 1/2 cup quick oats
- 2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
- 1 can white beans or garbanzos (drained and rinsed) (250g)
- 1.5 tbsp oil (vegetable or coconut or canola)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup brown sugar (You can try adding less, if you’re used to healthy desserts. Also, white sugar will work if you don’t have brown, but brown is recommended for the best taste. I can’t personally vouch for the results, but some commenters have reported success with xylitol, if you want it sugar-free.)
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Blend everything except the chips very well in a food processor (not a blender). Mix in chips, and pour into a greased or oiled pan. Cook at 350 F for around 20 minutes. Let stand at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan.
Or try the following recipe in a round pan for a PB & J Cookie Cake.
I’m also wondering if this would work with cinnamon and raisins, as an oatmeal-raisin cookie cake. But since this is a chocolate blog, I think next up will have to be:
A chocolate cookie, based off the Chocolate Brownie Batter Dip.
Question of the Day:
Have you ever had a cookie cake?
Great American cookie cakes were the thing when I was in middle school. (Well, those and Ugg boots with skirts.) Every single birthday party, school function, and social gathering… there’d be that ubiquitous cookie cake, sitting on the table amidst the chips and dip.
I remember my friend and I once got the “brilliant” idea of trying to take a Betty Crocker cookie mix and turn it into one giant homemade cookie cake. Sadly for us, our cookie didn’t make it. The poor thing burnt to a crisp on the outside and was simultaneously a gooey, messy mush in the middle.
Of course we ate it anyway!
Fun Party Idea: Set out a bunch of different icings and sprinkles, and let kids decorate their own slice. 🙂
Hi Katie,
All throughout studying for my final exams I was dying to make this, and finally the last of those dreadful papers were completed yesterday! I couldn’t wait any longer, so I tried this recipe this glorious morning.
Turned out terrific! Well, of course it did. The only thing there was to be particular about was the gooeyness of the cake, as it put down the possibility of serving it in slices. (It didn’t really matter, because my family just devoured it with the same fork on the same plate.) Perhaps I should’ve cooked it a bit longer?
Next time I think I’ll try using xylitol in place of sugar, to make it sound even more appealing to my health-attentive mother.
Thanks so much for providing so many yummilicious and healtherrific desserts! There’s something immensely pleasing about eating hummus cake…however gross that sounds.
I want to make this for my class on my birthday, which is this Thursday! And I was wondering if I’d be able to use flowers instead of beans. Would it be the same amount, or do you not know?
I substituted the apple sauce with sugar-free maple syrup, which gave the cookie that molasses flavor that the brown sugar provides (which was good, because used a sugar substitute instead of brown sugar). The cookie cake was truly wonderful! Thanks for the recipe!
I am thinking about doubling this recipe and making it as bars in a 9×13 for a get-together.. hmmmm.
Obsessed with oatmeal raisin cookies, I made up a version using this recipe and it came out unbelievable!
My uber picky husband, who I’m sure one day will leave me for Little Debbie or Betty Crocker, was completely horrified that something so healthy tasted so good.
I used Northern Beans, replaced the oil with plain nonfat yogurt, reduced the brown sugar to just under 1/3 c., added cinnamon and replaced the chocolate chips with raisins. Really good! Thanks for posting this amazing recipe!
Are white beans less noticeable… Everytime I use garbanzo beans in any of these recipes the flavor of them overpowers everything else….I’m hoping once baked maybe some of that flavor bakes off.
I added another teaspoon of vanilla and definitely tastes better cooked than raw…. My kids love it…. Made it for my two year old’s birthday…
Hey do you know if white beans are available in the uk or what you can use as an alternative.. I’ve googled and it’s come up that garbanzo beans are chickpeas? Is that right?
Thanks xx
yes, same thing.
Wow I just made this cookie and it is amazing!! Thank you Katie!!!
I put a very small amount of powdered sugar on it, and it hit the spot! Delicious recipe!
Loved it! Topped it with a vegan peanut butter frosting (Earth Balance, powdered sugar and soymilk). So good!
OMG I just made your deep dish chocolate chip cookie and it was amazing! I’ve tried lots of other dessert recipes that try to use beans but this was the first that was truly AWESOME! thank you!
Uh oh… I have some bad news.
First the good news: this “cookie pie” as my family calls it is AMAZING. We’ve made it 3 times, even for guests, and everyone lovvvvves it. I’ve been raving about it being “healthy”… and that’s where the bad news comes in.
I crunched the numbers on the whole recipe, then divide into a 1/6th pie serving. (Let’s be honest… I try to eat 1/8th but I always go back for more!)
In the whole recipe, there are 1800 calories, 57g fat (using canola oil), 211g sugar, 33g protein and 32g fiber.
Divided into 1/6th, that’s 300 calories per slice, 9.5g fat (much of it good fat from canola oil), 35g sugar, 5.5g protein and 5.5g fiber.
That seems like a lot of sugar… nearly a day’s allotment! I love that it has fiber and protein. But I need to figure out a way to drop the sugar (without eating just a tiny sliver!!!).
FWIW, I’ve been baking mine in a glass pie dish, and it comes out pretty thick, and smaller in diameter than yours pictured. It also lacks the beautiful texture of yours… it’s smoother but tastes absolutely wonderful anyways.
My can of beans says “439g” or 15oz. – is 250g after you’ve drained and rinsed the beans?
This looks amazing!! Can’t wait to try it!!
My friend and I always complain when there are no comments on recipes by people that have actually tried the recipe, which I why I decided to post! This cookie cake was great. I used white beans and coconut oil (melted) and only 1/2 cup of brown sugar, and it was perfect. I also used vegan chocolate chips that my roommate found in the Kosher section, so they weren’t hideously expensive. I made my own vegan icing and put it in the fridge. This cake tastes the best after it has been in the fridge, like the real thing!
I made this cake with white beans instead of Chickpeas. It was DELICIOUS. If you leave the cake in the fridge over night with the icing on it tastes even more like a real cookie cake. My friend made her own icing with vegan shortening, powdered sugar and butter.