Chocolate Covered Chickpeas Recipe

Chocolate covered chickpeas make a quick, simple sweet treat or dessert. They can be made vegan and can be a high-fiber, healthy snack that takes only minutes to make.

Movie night snack, anyone? Yes, please! These are so tasty and so easy to eat… kind of like popcorn!

What People Who Have Tried This Recipe Are Saying

What Do Chocolate Covered Chickpeas Taste Like?

They are mildly sweet, depending on the chocolate you use, of course. The chickpeas themselves don’t add much flavor at all. All you really taste is chocolate with perhaps an extremely mild “nutty” flavor from the bean. But it’s almost unnoticeable.

What Is The Texture Like?

If the beans are properly roasted, the texture you will achieve here is that of a Twix bar wafer. It gives you that crunch and chew. Kind of like an extra crunchy/chewy vanilla wafer or a malted milk ball.

Dietary Concerns

Sugar-Free – If you use sugar-free chocolate, then these are sugar-free. Just be aware that not all sugar-free products are created equal. Some of them will spike your blood sugar much higher than a regular sugar product will!

Gluten-Free – The beans should be naturally gluten-free unless they are processed at a plant with other gluten-based products. As for the chocolate, you’ll want to find some that you know for sure is gluten-free if it’s an issue for you.

Dairy-Free – Find dark chocolate with no added dairy.

Oil-Free – This is tougher. You’ll have to look for chocolate you are comfortable using.

Vegan – Simply use vegan chocolate.

Keto/Low-Carb – This is a bean-based recipe, so you will have to eat very small quantities of this if you follow a keto or low-carb eating plan. Beans tend to be high in carbs.

Paleo – This is not paleo-friendly. If you follow a strict paleo eating plan, then this is not the recipe for you. But I have others!

Should I Use Canned Chickpeas Or Dry Chickpeas To Make Chocolate Covered Chickpeas?

So, let’s discuss the beans, baby.

Dried chickpeas are uncooked and very hard. This is not something you ever want to air fry or roast in the oven. It will not achieve any sort of texture other than a tooth-breaking, rock-hard crunch. And that’s IF you can even bite through it. Your tooth may crack before the bean does! So please, never use dry beans in this recipe!

So what do you use? You have two choices:

Home-Cooked Chickpeas

1. You can cook dry beans at home by boiling or pressure cooking. My favorite way to cook any type of bean is by using my Instant Pot or Ninja Foodie on the pressure cooker setting. It’s fast, it’s convenient, and it cooks beans to perfection every time. But of course, the old-fashioned method of boiling them will work, too. Simply follow package directions for this.
2. Once the beans are cooked, you may then roast or air fry them. It may seem like you are just redrying them, but I promise that a cooked and roasted bean will be a far superior experience to a dry/uncooked and roasted bean. (Plus it will save you thousands at the dentist’s office!)

Canned Chickpeas

Yep, you can crack open a can, drain the chickpeas (a.k.a. garbanzo beans), and give them a quick rinse before roasting or air frying them. In fact, half the time, I don’t even bother rinsing them. Just be aware of these two things:

1. Canned beans often have added sugar. While that may not seem like a big deal in a recipe like this, clean eaters try to avoid it. We don’t like all that added sugar in our food! So, read the ingredient list to be sure.
2. Canned beans can be much higher in sodium than home-cooked beans. So, if that’s a concern, you may want to cook some dry beans at home instead.

Is Snacking On Chickpeas Healthy?

Absolutely! Chickpeas are marvelously healthy! Just one cup offers 35 grams of fiber! If they are homecooked (not canned), they have a low sodium content and plenty of plant protein at a whopping 39 grams!

Bet a Twix bar can’t say the same…

Are Dark Chocolate Chickpeas Good For You?

The running theory is that dark chocolate, in limited amounts, is actually quite good for you! It has plenty of antioxidants, and a little will go a long way. So, if you can use dark chocolate in this recipe, it’s not going to be a bad choice!

And if you consider what a snack or dessert like this typically contains if purchased at the store, you start to see that this is actually pretty healthy overall. There is no:

• soy lecithin
• carnauba wax
• tapioca dextrin
• gum arabic
• cane sugar
• powdered sugar
• canola
• high fructose corn syrup
• or any other unwanted ingredients! (As long as you use good quality chocolate)

So, you can make this perfect snack for dessert or a snack on the go and feel good about it! It will satisfy your sweet and crunchy cravings at the same time.

How Many Calories Are In Chocolate-Covered Chickpeas?

Honestly, that will depend greatly on the chocolate you use. The data given below in the recipe card is generic data based on a list of standardized foods. So, while it will give you a ballpark figure, your best bet for more accurate data is to take note of the chocolate you use and how much you use of it. Then add those calories to the calories in the chickpeas you use. Easy enough!

How To Air Fry Chickpeas

Oh boy. This has been an ongoing battle for me for many moons now. But I think I’ve finally found the best method for air-frying chickpeas!

These days, I’m using a Ninja Foodi (not paid to promote them). I put it on the air fryer setting, set the heat to 390 F., and air fry the chickpeas for 20 minutes. I stir the beans during cooking several times. (Definitely no fewer than 2 times).

The first batch turns out perfectly. Subsequent batches tend to be cooked a little less (about 16-18 minutes) because the appliance is already hot when I put the next batch in. Cooking the second or third batch for the full 20 minutes tends to overcook them. So keep an eye on this with your own air fryer.

Oil Or No Oil?

And lastly, never add any oil when air frying chickpeas! I’ve made this mistake multiple times and have actually gone back to correct one or two recipes here on my site since figuring this out. Chickpeas air fry much better and attain a much crispier crunch if you air fry them without any oil at all. Just dump them in and press start!

How Do You Know When Chickpeas Are Cooked?

When you cook dry beans, you simply want to boil them in 3 times the water. Use a large pot. When the beans are soft and easy to smash, they are done.

Cooking times can change based on how old your beans are. The longer they have been sitting on a shelf, the longer they will take to fully cook.

How To Oven Roast Chickpeas

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• Spread the beans out over an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake for about 60 minutes, being sure to stir every 10 minutes or so.
• Cool them enough to be able to handle them with your bare hands.

How To Know When Chickpeas Are Done Roasting

Take one off the pan, cool it enough to eat it, and give it a try. If it’s crisp and crunchy without feeling undercooked, they are done.

They are overcooked if you bite into them, and it feels like they turn to thick dust in your mouth.

Why Are My Roasted Chickpeas Not Crunchy?

Simply put, you didn’t roast them long enough! Every oven is different. So you may need to adjust cooking times for your own oven. Also, be sure you have an oven thermometer in the oven and that it is achieving the temperature you actually want it to achieve.

Why Are My Chickpeas Very Brown On The Outside But Soft Inside?

If they are getting too brown on the outside while still undercooked on the inside, reduce the heat by about 10-20 degrees (Fahrenheit) and stir your beans on the pan far more often to keep them rotating. You may need to also cover them with a loose piece of foil.

Lastly, if your baking sheet or pan is very thin, this can contribute to the outside of your beans burning or overbrowning before they are cooked on the inside. So don’t use super thin cookie sheets for roasting.

How To Serve Chocolate Covered Chickpeas

While it may seem obvious to simply eat them by hand, you actually have a few options.

1. Mix them with some dried fruits and nuts for a type of “trail mix.”
   
2. Sprinkle them with cinnamon before the chocolate dries, and then, once finished, add a few to a small bowl of ice cream.
   
3. Store these in the freezer for extra crunch. The beans won’t get frosty inside, but the chocolate will be extra cold for a harder “candy coating.”

Optional Garnishes For Chocolate Covered Chickpeas

Sea salt or coarse sea salt – I recommend this only if your chocolate is on the sweeter side. Salt will help balance out the sweetness. If you are using sugar-free chocolate, I would suggest skipping any salt.

Crushed nuts – Blend them into a fine meal and then roll the chocolate-coated beans in the nut meal. Try almond meal, peanut meal, or even hazelnut meal.

Ground cinnamon – Just cinnamon, no added sugar is needed.

Cayenne pepper – For a little kick!

About The Ingredients

Cooked or canned chickpeas – See above notes. Either will work fine here.

Chocolate chips or chocolate pieces – Opt for the healthiest chocolate you can find. I like using either Lily’s stevia-sweetened baking chips or Whole Foods 365 brand Sugar-Free chocolate chips. (Not paid to promote either brand). The better quality your chocolate is, the better this will taste.

How To Make Roasted Chocolate-Covered Chickpeas

Step 1: Prep The Beans

If the beans are dry, cook them. If they are canned, drain and rinse them. Then, place the beans in an air fryer without any oil.

Step 2: Air Fry The Beans

Cook at 390 F. for 20 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes after the first 10 minutes of cooking.

Step 3: Melt The Chocolate

Toward the end of the cooking time for the beans, melt your chocolate in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute, then stir, and microwave for an additional 30 seconds. Repeat until the chocolate is melted if needed.

Step 4: Coat The Beans

When the chocolate is melted and the beans are done air frying, transfer the beans to a bowl and cool them until you can touch them without burning yourself. This happens pretty quickly.

Then, place some of the beans in the bowl of chocolate and coat them well.

Step 5: Dry The Beans

Using a fork, remove each bean and place it on a piece of parchment paper to cool. You can make these as individual beans, or you can make chocolate chickpea clusters. The choice is yours.

Once cool, transfer to a bowl or container and store in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.

Storing Chocolate Covered Chickpeas

Place these in an airtight container and store them in the fridge or freezer.

Freezing Chocolate Covered Chickpeas

If packed well, these will freeze for up to 6 months.

More Healthy Treat Recipes

• Homemade Kettle Corn
• Pumpkin Spice Granola Bark
• Air Fryer Pasta Chips

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Chocolate Covered Chickpeas Recipe + Video