This Healthy Butter Chickpeas dish is a lightened-up, vegan and gluten free take on a classic Indian-style dish. You won’t miss the chicken here, this homemade dairy free curry is rich, creamy and satisfying made with coconut milk, tomatoes, chickpeas and a secret ingredient – almond butter! This healthy recipe is quick and easy to make for the perfect weeknight dinner any night of the week.
So, I did something crazy.
I took Butter Chicken and made it super healthy, super tasty and very much vegetarian.
I made Butter Chicken without chicken or butter! And I am so glad I did!
MAKING REAL FOOD EASY AND DELICIOUS WITH HEALTHY BUTTER CHICKPEAS…
This Healthy Butter Chickpeas recipe is a delicious veggie-take on an Indian classic. And believe me, you won’t be missing the chicken here. This stew-like dish is rich and creamy without any heavy cream or butter. It’s easy to make and gluten free, vegan and dairy free!
What real food ingredients will you need to make this Vegan Butter Chicken Recipe?
Don’t let the long list of ingredients fool you here. This recipe is definitely worth digging into the pantry and pulling out some staples. You’ll need a can of chickpeas, stock or water, plain tomato sauce, almond butter, coconut milk, yellow curry, cumin, cayenne, onion, garlic, cilantro, lime and honey or sugar.
What else will you need to make this recipe?
- Cutting board
- Chef’s knife
- Microplane (to grate your garlic)
- Can opener
- Large skillet
- Spatula or wooden spoon
Healthy Butter Chickpeas
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
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This Healthy Butter Chickpeas dish is a lightened-up, vegan and gluten free take on a classic Indian-style dish. You won’t miss the chicken herre, this homemade dairy free curry is rich, creamy and satisfying made with coconut milk, tomatoes, chickpeas and a secret ingredient – almond butter! This healthy recipe is quick and easy to make for the perfect weeknight dinner any night of the week.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup onion, chopped (about 1 medium onion)
- 3–4 large cloves of garlic, minced or grated
- 1 1/2 tablespoons mild yellow curry powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (or more if you like it hot!)
- 1/2 cup vegetable stock
- 1 15oz can plain, low sodium tomato sauce (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 19oz can low sodium chickpeas (about 2 cups)
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon lime juice (freshly squeezed is best)
- 1/4 cup smooth, natural almond butter, at or close to room temperature
- 1/2 cup coconut milk (I used full fat)
- 1 teaspoon sugar (preferably unrefined sugar or honey would work too)
- Salt and extra lime juice to taste
- Rice, potato wedges, etc for serving
Instructions
- Heat oil in a dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, being sure not to brown, 4-5 minutes.
- Add garlic and all of the spices to the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until very fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Deglaze the pot with the vegetable stock, being sure to scrape all of the browned bits off the bottom, then add the tomato sauce, chickpeas, cilantro and lime juice, stirring until well incorporated.
- Bring tomato mixture to a simmer and cook 20-25 minutes until chickpeas and plump and tender.
- Remove from heat and stir in almond butter, coconut milk and sugar and continue stirring until smooth and streaks remain. Season with additional salt and lime juice to taste.
- Serve over brown basmati rice and top lots of fresh cilantro.
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN BUTTER CHICKPEAS…
Hands down, my favourite part of this dish is the flavour! These Healthy Butter Chickpeas are beyond flavourful and all those lovely Indian spices come together so wonderfully, without being too spicy. (I can’t do that spicy heat – but if you can, add a little extra cayenne!) Here the combination of mild yellow curry powder and cumin pair perfectly together with a squeeze of lime and fresh cilantro.
My second favourite part of this dish is definitely the super unexpected and delicious secret ingredient – almond butter!
Sounds weird and maybe a liiiittle bit off, I know. But it works, I promise! It gives a super deep, rich flavour, especially if you use a roasted almond butter and together with the full-fat coconut milk, the tomato-based sauce becomes so wonderfully thick and creamy.
You really can’t taste the almond butter at all (don’t worry!) but it lends a richness that you really can’t beat.
As for other tips and tricks for this recipe, I always use canned chickpeas that have been drained, rinsed really well and patted dry because that’s what is easy for me. You can definitely cook dried chickpeas for this recipe too, I preferred the convenience of canned. And to my curry dishes, I always add a little bit of sweet to really make the flavours pop (something I think I learned Rachel Ray and The Pioneer Woman) – not too much, just a teaspoon. I use either an unrefined sugar, honey or even maple syrup would work too.
This recipe is especially unbeatable when you serve a big scoop over brown rice (or try basmati) with lots of cilantro and an extra squeeze of lime.
Or my latest obsession – over baked potato wedges!! Best. Dinner. Ever.
And if you liked this Healthy Butter Chickpeas recipe, you will LOVE this Roasted Broccoli Chickpea Quinoa Bowls this Curried Butternut Squash and Apple Soup and this Curried Roasted Cauliflower.
AND PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER!
MORE ABOUT THIS CLEAN-EATING RECIPE FOR BUTTER CHICKPEAS WITH COCONUT MILK…
I struggle with recipes like this one!
Here’s the thing…
One thing that makes me sweat, other than catching a serious spin class (which I have not done in far too long), is spicy food. I am perhaps one of the biggest baby when it comes to spicy things in my mouth. My eyes water uncontrollably. My tongue and stomach feel like they’re on fire for days. And I go into an insane hot flash throughout the entire meal.
It’s quite the scene and I try to avoid it as much as I can.
So with that being said, you can imagine I’m often not that adventurous when it comes to different foods… and different foods that have a reputation for spicy.
The struggle is real sometimes.
But I realized a little while ago that that doesn’t mean I can’t still enjoy all the amazing flavours of all these different Asian-style foods. Instead, I decided to only make them myself so that way I can be sure to control the amount of spicy peppers and hot sauces that make their way inside my pot. (I also get to control the quality and amount of the other ingredients that are used too!)
So now I can enjoy all the Healthy Butter Chickpeas and Coconut Curries without having to worry about crying my eyes out or having a hot flash.
Best. Dinner. Ever.
I HOPE YOU LIKE THIS RECIPE AS MUCH AS I DO! IF YOU GIVE THIS HEALTHY BUTTER CHICKPEAS RECIPE A TRY LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW AND BE SURE TO SHARE A PICTURE ON INSTAGRAM USING THE TAGS @ALWAYSNOURISHED AND #ALWAYSNOURISHEDFOOD. I LOVE TO SEE WHAT YOU’RE COOKING!
This Healthy Butter Chickpeas recipe was originally published in February 2017. The recipe and photos were updated in January, 2018. Thank you for supporting Always Nourished and making recipes like this one possible!
I’m Rebecca - Registered Holistic Nutritionist, recipe developer, food photographer, writer, taste-tester and the friendly face behind Always Nourished.
I don’t think I’ve ever posted a review of a recipe before, but WOW – this recipe is simply divine. My son recently decided to become a vegetarian, so I came upon this while trying to find a substitution for butter chicken. Everyone in the family loves this. And now that we’re in quarantine, we make it about once a week, since it uses pantry staples (once you have purchased almond butter). We ran out of coconut milk and I successfully subbed in Greek yogurt last night.
★★★★★
I’ve been making this recipe repeatedly over the past year or so. It’s amazing, and a family favourite. I probably make it once every two weeks – it’s that good! I should have left a review ages ago. 🙂
Very flavourful, highly recommended.
★★★★★
Delicious flavor and easy to make! I was surprised at how creamy it came out. Just what we wanted tonight!
★★★★★
This is spectacular. So delicious! Thanks so much.
★★★★★
One of my favorite recipes! Still can’t believe it’s vegan. I’ve made this numerous times.
★★★★★
I have made this countless times, each time is a winner. Work colleagues have been dazzled, family members floored! I have used leftovers on naan bread to create a pizza, I have also tried subbing cauliflower instead of chickpeas…still as delicious! I love this recipe…always my go to for some healthy comfort food. Thank you!!
★★★★★
This dish is amazing- we made it for lunches, and the flavor was great all week! No one could guess the “secret” ingredient of almond butter.
★★★★★
Delicious! Made this for the kids, my sister visited and wanted the recipe immediately! She had the kids left over 😂
Hi,
This recipe looks great! I have a question regarding salt. Whenever a recipe calls for salt and pepper to taste, I struggle to determine how much to use. Is there a starting point of salt that you recommend (1 tsp, 2, more)?
With a baseline amount, it’s easier for me to determine whether I need to add more salt. I really want to try this recipe and having a starting point for salt really help!
Could I use a substitute for the almond butter (am allergic to nuts) – would coconut butter or tahini work?
Can you freeze it?
Hi Clare! Yes, this does freeze well. I’ve let the frozen chickpeas thaw in the fridge and then warm over medium-low on the stove.
Can I substitute the peanut butter for almond butter?
Hi Jessica! I have made this with cashew butter instead of almond butter before but I have not tried it with peanut butter. If you do give it a try let me know how it turns out!
Hi Rebecca and Jessica! Three years after the original question was posted, but I thought this might help someone else. This is a go to recipe in our household! Tonight was the first time in all the years I made it that I didn’t have almond butter on hand and decided to go for it and use peanut butter. Verdict: It works! 🙂 It’s still yummy! It does have more of a peanut flavor, but it doesn’t alter the overall flavor of the dish in a dramatic way. I think it maintains the flavor with just a subtle difference in overall flavor. Thank you Jessica for such a great dish! 🙂
★★★★★
I was a bit skeptical this would taste legit with the substitutions, but WOW it was really good! Definitely making this again. I reduced the chickpeas by 1/2 cup and threw in some paneer for the last 10 mins of simmering, served it over basmati rice, it was delicious 🙂
I’m making this right now and can’t wait to try it soon! I’m wondering – the recipe doesn’t say if we’re meant to include or discard the water/aquafaba from the can of chickpeas. I’m assuming leave it out? Thanks!!
My husband is allergic to tomatoes – any suggestions on a sub for the tomato sauce? Dying to make this it looks amazing!
Delicious, thank you!! 😋🙌💓
Is the nutritional information posted anywhere? I see the note that says the nutritional information doesn’t include potatoes, but I don’t see any information other than that.
Hi Lindsey! Thanks for the comment. I realized the nutrition label app I was using wasn’t always the most accurate so I decided to remove all the labels I had included with my recipes (and with that forgot to edit all the references to the labels). The approximate nutrition facts for this recipes per serving are as follows: Cal: 330, Fat: 15.6g, Carb: 33.5g, Fibre: 9.75g, Sugar: 10.25g, Protein: 12g.
This was absolutely delicious! I shared leftovers with colleagues at work and they really liked it too! I doubled the recipe and instead of adding another can of chickpeas, I used a head of cauliflower (I started cooking the cauliflower when frying the onions). I admit, I was a little skeptical about how the almond butter would taste, but you’re right, you can’t taste it and it adds a great creaminess the to dish! Thank you so much for this recipe!!! It will now be in regular rotation!
Hi! I’m sorry if I missed the macros for this recipe on the blog but I can’t seem to find them. Do you have the breakdown per serving for this recipe?
Hi Shelby! Thank you so much for the comment. I realized the nutrition label app I was using wasn’t always the most accurate so I decided to remove all the labels I had included with my recipes (and with that forgot to edit all the references to the labels). The approximate nutrition facts for this recipes per serving are as follows: Cal: 330, Fat: 15.6g, Carb: 33.5g, Fibre: 9.75g, Sugar: 10.25g, Protein: 12g.
Thank you!!
Hi I tried this today on the children & OH and it was a big thumbs up from all. I had less chickpeas (cartons have less than the tins) so added some roughly chopped green beans and red peppers. This gave a lovely colour and upped the veggie content. Still tasted lovely and everyone polished off their plates. Thanks for sharing the recipe I’ll definitely be doing again on a vegan day.
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it!
I cannot have coconut. Can I substitute evaporated milk?
Hi Susan. Evaporated milk is often sweetened might add too much sweetness. You can try heavy cream instead of the full-fat coconut milk. I haven’t tried this one myself so I can’t guarantee the result but definitely let me know how it is if you do decide to make it!
Made this yesterday and it was absolutely amazing!
Oh my goodness, this sauce is incredible! I would drink it if I could. I may have even eaten it by the spoonful & licked my plate. I ate it over cauliflower instead of rice – delicious. I ate it over sautéed butternut squash – delicious. I even have an idea to turn it into a stew with carrots, cauliflower, and potatoes. I just ate my last bit of leftovers tonight & now I’m dreading supper tomorrow. Thank you for a truly wonderful recipe!
You are welcome, Robyn! I am so glad to hear how much you liked this recipe! I love your stew idea – I will definitely be trying something like that!!
How much is a serving? Is the nutritional info for one serving or the whole thing?
Hi Danielle! This recipe makes enough for 4 servings (so 1 serving is 1/4 of the recipe). The nutritional information listed is for 1 portion not including rice or anything else served with the butter chickpeas. Hope this helps!
This seems like such a versatile recipe! I enjoyed it with chickpeas but plan on trying it with mixed veggies and maybe tempeh in the future.
Thanks, Amy! I had never thought to use the sauce over mixed veggies. Love the suggestions!
This recipe is AMAZING! Thanks so much for sharing! I just ran out of leftovers and I’m wondering if its too soon to make more again…. the answer is no, of course!
Haha – Of course not! I am so glad you liked it Isabelle!
Rebecca I made this recipe last night for dinner. I love Indian food! It was DELICIOUS! Rey authentic tasting ( like my favorite Indian restaurant)! I am a Vegan my husband is not, he LOVED it, he ate 2 huge plates of it! No leftovers! No doubt I will make this again many times!!! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!
Rebecca – I made this recipe recently and it was love at first bite!! Thank you so much for sharing, I can’t wait to make this over and over again! 🙂
Hi there. I have a nut allergy. Do you think that I can omit the almond butter completely, or do I need to substitute something else in its place? Thanks 🙂
Mmmm I absolutely adore indian food so this is a MUST TRY! Love it girl!
What a creative vegan recipe! Looks completely droolworthy.
I have never tried Indian food before, yikes! I won’t be experimenting with new flavors until after this baby is born {hello pregnancy lol} BUT when I do this will definitely be on my list because it looks amazing!
What a great idea!!! I love the chickpeas in this and that thick creamy sauce just bounces off the page. So delicious looking. Tweeted for you!!
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Julie!!
Making “butter” recipes without the butter is the best 🙂 These look so creamy and delicious.
It’s definitely the best!! Thanks, Maria!!
Love this healthy version of a classic! This is a dinner that needs to happen soon! I love spicy heat, so adding a little extra cayenne will definitely work for me!
You’re going to love it, Lindsay!!
Now this is a delicious sounding version of a classic! I love that you went plant-based with the chickpeas (I need some meatless Monday ideas!) and using almond butter sounds so much better than butter to me.
The almond butter is a must!! Thanks, Alisa!!
I love chickpeas and this looks simply delicious! Hand be a bowl with some naan bread on the side, it reminds me of a dish we had in Ireland when we were spending the summer there.
Thanks, Sarah!! I would love to go to Ireland to see all the sites and eat all the food!!