Vegan Chocolate Chickpea Truffles (Protein Snack)

These chocolate & peanut butter truffles have a secret ingredient, chickpeas! You don't taste them but they add protein to this easy snack.

Do you ever want a sweet snack to add to your lunch box that's a bit healthier, but still indulgent?

So many allegedly healthy supermarket snacks are full of sugar and lots of additives and preservatives, so they aren't healthy at all.

But don't worry, I've got you! And the recipe you need.

Just 4 basic ingredients and no added sugar.

You have to try these vegan chocolate chickpea truffles!

Jump to:

• 💭 Chickpeas in truffles, really?
• ⭐ Why are these chocolate truffles with chickpeas so good?
• 👩🏻‍🍳 Blender protein balls
• 📋 What you need to make dairy-free high protein truffles
• 📖 Variations
• 🥥 Truffle toppings
• 💭 What is chocolate vermicelli?
• 💭 Top tip
• 🍱 Storing chickpea truffles
• 🍫 More vegan chocolate recipes
• ⭐ Save your favourite recipes for free!
• 👩🏻‍🍳 How to make Vegan Chocolate Chickpea Truffles (Protein Snack)
• 📖 Recipe
• Comments

💭 Chickpeas in truffles, really?

A while back I saw someone making chocolate truffles with chickpeas on Tiktok, it was probably one of those Tiktok viral recipes (Tiktok make).

Anyway, I didn't think much about it at the time, but it obviously stuck in mind as I kept thinking about them and how it would be nice to make a healthier version of my standard Scottish chocolate truffles.

Truffles I would be happy to put in my son's lunchbox.

And no, I don't think he needs to know about the secret ingredient.

What he doesn't know won't hurt him. Yes, I'm sneaky that way sometimes.

I may tell him once he has enjoyed them a few more times.

⭐ Why are these chocolate truffles with chickpeas so good?

Here are a few reasons you should try these tasty dairy-free snacks.

• A healthier snack - no additives, preservatives, or artificial flavours
• No added sugar - they have some sweetness from the chocolate which is enough
• Not too sweet - they have the sweet and salt combo going on from the peanut butter and chocolate
• Just 4 ingredients
• Made in a blender - or food processor
• Quick to make - whizz the mixture up and leave to chill in the fridge
• Rich in protein - from the chickpeas and the peanut butter
• Make ahead - make these and pop them in the fridge to add to lunch boxes or if you just need a sweet treat or an energy boost
• Gluten-free - yep, they are gluten free too
• They taste great - you will love these sweet treats, they are great when you have a chocolate craving

👩🏻‍🍳 Blender protein balls

These truffles are basically protein balls that are whizzed together in a blender until you have a smooth texture.

You could also make them in a food processor.

It you don't have either, you could mash the chickpeas, then add the other ingredients, but you wouldn't get as smooth a finish.

You would also have to pick out the loose chickpea skins.

It is doable though.

📋 What you need to make dairy-free high protein truffles

Here are the simple ingredients you need to make these chocolate protein balls.

• Dark chocolate - or dark chocolate chips
• Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) - cooked chickpeas (can of chickpeas or dried chickpeas soaked and cooked)
• Peanut butter - crunchy or smooth peanut butter
• Vanilla extract - gives a better flavour than essence and essence is an artificial flavour, whereas extract is made from vanilla beans

The texture of these truffles is fudgy like a chickpea cookie dough.

For the full recipe, method and notes, see the printable recipe card at the end of this post after the step-by-step photos.

📖 Variations

Here are a few tweaks you can make to these plant-based chocolate truffles.

• For a luxury finish - coat them in melted chocolate
• Go nuts! - you could use almond butter instead of peanut butter.
• Add cinnamon - add some cinnamon for extra flavour
• Added sweetness - if you prefer truffles sweeter, you can add some maple syrup (or agave nectar)

🥥 Truffle toppings

Once you have rolled the base truffle mixture into balls, it's nice to finish them off with some toppings.

I used chocolate vermicelli, but here are a few more topping ideas.

• White chocolate - coat them with melted dairy-free white chocolate
• Cocoa powder - or cacao powder
• Icing Sugar - confectioner's sugar
• Chopped nuts - roll them in finely chopped pistachios or walnuts
• Sprinkles - heck, they always look pretty
• Coconut - roll them in desiccated coconut

💭 What is chocolate vermicelli?

Chocolate vermicelli is very similar to chocolate strands or chocolate sprinkles, but there is one big difference.

Vermicelli is made with pure chocolate, whereas chocolate strands and chocolate sprinkles are really just coloured sugar strands.

They have never been near a bar of chocolate.

It's really worth buying the proper chocolate vermicelli, it's so much nicer.

💭 Top tip

For best results chill the truffle mixture before rolling it into balls.

Chilling the mixture for 30 minutes or longer will help to set it, making it easier to scoop and roll.

For a firmer set, leave it longer.

The texture of the final truffles is like fudge.

🍫 More vegan chocolate recipes

Looking for more vegan chocolate recipes to try next? Try these:

If you fancy trying more truffle recipes, check out my Scottish rum truffles.

All about the chickpeas? Try golden and flaky chickpea sausage rolls, crispy air fryer pizza chickpeas or these amazing Gochujang Shredded Tofu & Chickpea Wraps.

⭐ Save your favourite recipes for free!

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I use this website and can highly recommend them.

👩🏻‍🍳 How to make Vegan Chocolate Chickpea Truffles (Protein Snack)

These step-by-step photos will show you how to make these tasty vegan protein balls. For the full printable recipe scroll down.

Step 1

• Melt the chocolate in a bowl in the microwave or a bain marie.
  • To melt in a bain marie, place a bowl over a pot of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water or the chocolate could seize.
• Drain the chickpeas and pat dry on a clean kitchen towel or kitchen paper and place in a blender jug or the bowl of a food processor.
• Add the peanut butter and maple syrup.
• Next, add the melted chocolate.

Step 2

• Whizz until fairly smooth.
• Spoon into a bowl and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes or longer until the mixture sets firm.
• Scoop out generous spoonfuls and roll into balls.

Step 3

• Keep rolling until you have used up all the truffle mixture.
  • I get 16 truffles out of my mixture, but that will depend on how big you make them.
• Next roll the balls in your topping of choice (I used chocolate vermicelli).
• Chill them in the fridge in an airtight container to add to packed lunches or for those chocolate cravings.
• Enjoy!