Peas Puffs

Cheezy Pea Bites for a Nutritious Punch in Every Munch

It’s three weeks into the new year, and your goals to eat healthier may be starting to fade. You went to the grocery store last night and saw those “better for you” cheese puffs, maybe even the ones made from chickpeas, and thought… maybe I should buy a bag.

You wake up elbow-deep in a Costco-sized bag of them and wonder: “How did I get here?”

As a certified cheese puff expert, I understand this experience. I have been known to crush an entire bag of extra-cheesy Pirate’s Booty on numerous occasions, especially back when they had it in the shape of nautical things (bird, wheel, anchor), and I have managed to defeat an entire Costco-size bag of Hippeas in one sitting.

While I still adore the cheese puff, I’m trying to separate from my polypropylene therapy. However, I never believe in deprivation in food—we’ve come a long way since 2012 here. So rather than saying no to the cheese puff, I decided to reclaim my favorite snack in a way that keeps things intentional.

These pea puffs are still crushable. I did eat the entire batch during a work call and wondered when I will move to a place with a full-size oven so I can increase my batch size, but maybe it is best I continue making this batch size, as clearly I lose myself in crunchy cheese.

In this mindful development, I wanted to keep the recipe accessible and planet-friendly. That means these cheese puffs are cheeze puffs, making them vegan, cheese-free, and made with ingredients that you likely already have in your pantry. I combine a series of spices to elevate the classic nutritional yeast “cheezy” flavor into something that actually tastes like the real thing, or maybe even better

Recipe:
2 cups split peas (I used yellow, but green works too)