This chocolate chickpea bark turns roasted chickpeas into a crunchy, chocolate-coated treat. If you’re trying to eat more legumes, this is a fun place to start.
A Quick Look At This Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Chocolate Chickpea Bark
🕒 Ready In: ~10 minutes prep + 20 to 25 minutes roasting + chilling time
👪 Serves: About 10-12 pieces
🥣 Main Ingredients: Chocolate chips, chickpeas, peanut butter, chopped nuts
📖 Dietary Info: Vegetarian, easily made dairy-free and gluten-free
⭐ Why You'll Love It: Crunchy, chocolatey, and salty all in one bite, and it only takes 4 main ingredients to make.
I love recipes that surprise people, and this chocolate chickpea combination does exactly that! After my savory roasted chickpea recipes went viral, I started experimenting to see if chickpeas could work in a sweet snack too. Turns out, they're one of my favorite ingredients to recommend in my clinic for a reason, and this one might be the recipe that convinces you too.
Chickpeas are also so accessible. I've been using a lot of puffed quinoa and soy crisps lately, but they nearly always need to be ordered online. Using chickpeas here makes for a fun, more accessible crunchy snack.
More Chickpea Recipes
Chickpeas are one of my favorite pantry staples, they're cheap, versatile, and work in everything from snacks to salads to dips. If you want more ways to use them, try these recipes next:
Jump to:
Key Ingredients
The complete ingredient list with measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
- Chocolate chips: These form the base and flavor of the bark, so use a chocolate you love. I like a semi-sweet or dark chocolate chip here. For dairy-free, choose a dairy-free chocolate chip (many dark chocolate chips are naturally dairy-free, but always check the label).
- Chickpeas: Canned chickpeas are the quickest. The key to crunchy chickpeas is drying them thoroughly before roasting, so don't rush this step.
- Chopped nuts: These add extra crunch and a bit of texture contrast. Almonds, pistachios, or pecans all work well. For nut-free, leave these out entirely or swap for pumpkin seeds.
- Smooth peanut butter: This gets stirred into the melted chocolate to add a rounder, nuttier flavor and helps the chocolate coat the chickpeas more evenly. For nut-free, swap for sunflower seed butter or tahini. Almond butter also works well if you'd rather swap nut for nut.
Video for How to Make Chocolate Chickpea Bark
Watch me make this recipe below. I hope this inspires you to get in the kitchen and get melting, roasting and mixing!
Expert Tips for Making Chocolate Chickpea Bark
Dry the chickpeas extremely well.
This is the most important step. Any surface moisture will stop them from becoming crisp. After rinsing, pat them dry thoroughly and leave them exposed for a few minutes while the oven heats.
They crisp further as they cool.
The chickpeas may still feel slightly soft when they first leave the oven, but they firm up as the steam escapes. Let them cool completely, uncovered, before mixing them with the chocolate.
Ovens vary.
Start checking at 20 minutes. They should be dry and lightly golden, but not so dark that they taste burnt or become painfully hard.
Use parchment paper.
This makes it much easier to lift and break the bark once it has set.
Save This Recipe! 💌
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Storage
Fridge: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Freezer: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. This also helps the bark hold its crunch for longer.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, as long as they're already cooked and cooled. You'll need about 240 grams (1½ cups) cooked chickpeas to match the amount in this recipe.
This is almost always down to moisture. Either the chickpeas weren't dried thoroughly enough before roasting, or they weren't fully cooled before being mixed into the warm chocolate.
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Chickpea Bark
Ingredients
- 1 400 gram / 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed, about 240 grams (1½ cups) drained
- 180 grams chocolate or chocolate chips about 1 cup
- 1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter
- 28 grams chopped nuts ¼ cup or 1 oz
- flaky sea salt optional, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C fan) or 425°F. Line a baking tray with parchment.
- Drain and rinse chickpeas, then dry thoroughly with a kitchen towel, removing loose skins. Moisture is the enemy of crispness.1 400 gram / 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed,
- Spread chickpeas in a single layer on the tray. Roast 20 to 25 minutes, shaking halfway, until dry and lightly crisp.
- Cool completely on the tray, uncovered for at least 15 minutes. They'll continue to crisp as they cool.
- Melt chocolate in the microwave in 20 second bursts, stirring between each, until smooth (or melt over a pan of barely simmering water).180 grams chocolate or chocolate chips
- Stir the peanut butter into the melted chocolate until combined.1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter
- Add the cooled chickpeas and nuts. Stir gently until well coated.28 grams chopped nuts
- Spread onto a parchment-lined tray or plate in an even layer. Sprinkle with flaky salt, if using.flaky sea salt
- Refrigerate until firm, then break into pieces and serve.
Save This Recipe! 💌
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Sean says
Reminds me of a fruit and nut chocolate bar (minus the fruit), really enjoyed this thank you. I'm going to add some dried fruit the next time I make it too.
Maria Lucey RD says
You are very welcome! Thank you for leaving a positive review!