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
- ⭐ Sign up for a free recipe sent to your inbox every morning
- 👩🏻🍳 How to make Vegan Chocolate Chickpea Truffles (Protein Snack)
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
At a glance - chocolate chickpea truffles
⏲️ Ready in: 5 minutes
👪 Serves: 16
🍽 Calories: 97
🧾 Main ingredients: chickpeas, dark chocolate (or dark chocolate chips), peanut butter & vanilla extract
👩🏻🍳 Suitable for: vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, egg-free, vegetarian & gluten-free
Summarise & save this recipe:
💭 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
Love bite-sized snacks? Try these Date & Tahini Brownie Bites.
👩🏻🍳 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.
For another chocolatey snack, try my vegan Biscoff chocolate fudge.
📋 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.
🍱 Storing chickpea truffles
Once you have made the truffles, they can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
They will happily keep in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Ready for lunch boxes and snacking!
Especially when you get the evening munchies and need a treat, but would prefer a healthy treat.
🍫 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.
⭐ Sign up for a free recipe sent to your inbox every morning
Join my list and have one recipe emailed to you every morning for inspiration.
Also, make sure you are signed up for my new recipe email, so you don't miss any new recipes here at the lunchbox.
👩🏻🍳 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 vanilla extract.
- 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!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Chocolate Chickpea Truffles (Protein Snack)
Ingredients
- 150 g dark chocolate chips
- 240 g cooked chickpeas (400g / 14oz can drained)
- 5 tablespoons peanut butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- 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 or food processor.
- Add the peanut butter and vanilla extract.
- Next, add the melted chocolate.
- Whizz until fairly smooth, then 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.
- 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!
Notes
- Calories do not include toppings, as it will depend on which you choose, but it will be a low calorie count per truffle.
- Roll truffles in vermicelli, desiccated coconut, cocoa powder, sprinkles, nuts or icing sugar.
- Once you have made the truffles, they can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. They will happily keep in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Sam says
Ingenious idea. A little scared but also excited to try these.
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Haha don't be scared, you could never tell they were there. Nice fudgy texture too.
Jill says
I would never have thought of that but I am happy to give it a go. Jill x
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Oh yes do try them Jill. They are popular in my house. Once my son got over the fact they weren't super sweet like he expected, he's been loving them.
Delia says
What a fantastic idea I have to try this.
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Thanks Delia, although someone else had it first, I just recreated it.
Chrissie Douglass says
sounds lovely, gonna try, could you use the high peanut protein powder made up with 0 fat yoghurt?
Jacqueline Meldrum says
I don't think that would work as peanut butter sets in the fridge and helps with firmness, whereas yoghurt won't firm up. I wouldn't advise it.