3-Ingredient Crispy Cocoa Air Fryer Chickpeas (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Allergy-Free)

Name: 3-Ingredient Crispy Cocoa Air Fryer Chickpeas (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Allergy-Free)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 3.5 Cups
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 (15 oz) Cans Chickpeas (drained, rinsed); 1/3 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder; 2 TB SPLENDA® Naturals Stevia Sweetener

March 18, 2019 by Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine 48 Comments

Looking for a quick & easy chocolate snack? These 3-Ingredient Crispy Cocoa Chickpeas are gluten-free, vegan, allergy-free, and sugar-free! This recipe can be made quick and oil-free in the air fryer or roasted in the oven! A healthy, sweet, and protein-packed snack the whole family will love!

When that chocolate craving hits midday, but you just know that chocolate bar won’t be a good idea…Don’t worry, there’s an easy solution that’s healthy, protein-packed, crunchy, sweet, o, and did I mention…perfectly chocolaty! The best thing about this snack is that it only requires 3 ingredients! You can whip up a batch of these crispy cocoa chickpeas at the beginning of the week and have them ready to go for any snacktime dilemma!

What ingredients do I need for crispy cocoa chickpeas?

Only THREE and the ingredients are all simple, real, and probably already in your pantry! You’ll need 2 cans of chickpeas (or opt for easy and home-cooked!), unsweetened cocoa powder, and sugar-free sweetener! For people who say chocolate isn’t healthy, that’s a lie! You’re just doing it wrong! Unsweetened cocoa powder has 10 calories per tablespoon! You get such an intense chocolate taste and the way to sweeten it up, just to your liking…with a natural sugar-free sweetener like erythritol or stevia! Perfect time to whip out SPLENDA® Naturals Stevia Sweetener which is 100% natural with nothing artificial! If you’re new to using stevia products, don’t be worried about any off or bitter taste. Unlike other stevia brands you may have tried in the past, Splenda uses the stevia extract Reb D which tastes just like sugar, with no aftertaste!

How do you make crispy chickpeas?

You may remember these three recipes from back in the day for roasted crunchy chickpeas if you’re a Strength and Sunshine super fan. Those crunchy crispy chickpeas all use the oven roasting method, but there is another way that’s much quicker!

How to make crispy chickpeas in an air fryer

Simply drain and rinse your chickpeas, add them to a large bowl, along with your flavoring, in this case, the cocoa powder and stevia. Mix everything around so the chickpeas are fully coated, then working in 2-3 batches, (You do NOT want to crowd them in the air fryer basket. This will also depend on the size of your air fryer.), place about half the chickpeas in the air fryer basket and set the air fryer to 400°F for 10 minutes. Halfway through, give the basket a shake and then allow the chickpeas to continue to “fry” until done. You can always add or decrease the time as needed for your air fryer.

How to make roasted chickpeas in the oven

Follow the same steps to coat the drained and rinsed chickpeas with your flavorings in a mixing bowl. Spread the coated chickpeas out on a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet in a single layer (not overcrowded). Roast the chickpeas in a preheated oven at 400°F for 30-45 minutes, checking and giving the chickpeas a shake every 10 minutes so they do not burn.

When should you eat crunchy chickpeas?

Air fryer and oven-roasted chickpeas are a perfect healthy snack any time of day! An easy and staple snack you can add to your weekend meal prep plan. Pack them in the kids’ lunchboxes (a great “non-nut“, top 8 free crunchy snack safe for schools!), pack them for yourself for workday brain-fuel or a great after workout plant protein munch! They make for great after-school snacks as well as great travel snacks! No mess with these little crunchy chickpeas in the car! If you want to get crazy, crispy sweet chickpeas make a great topping for some vegan ice cream or morning smoothie bowls!

Are crispy chickpeas a healthy snack?

One big YES! 1/2 a cup of chickpeas has about 6 grams of protein and 16% of your daily fiber needs so they’ll keep you satiated as a quality snack should! Plus, you won’t get a sugar crash after eating these crispy cocoa chickpeas thanks to SPLENDA® Naturals Stevia Sweetener! All in all, this gluten-free, vegan, allergy-free, sugar-free, AND oil-free “chocolate” snack is the perfect plant-based fuel you can feel good about eating and giving your family to munch on!

Crispy Cocoa Chickpeas