While Easter may be over, you will likely have some leftover chocolate sitting in the back of the cupboard or taking up space in the fridge.
If this is the case, or you’re simply craving a chocolatey snack with a healthy twist, this super simple chickpea bark recipe could be the answer.
Chickpeas and chocolate sounds like a bizarre combination but when you roast chickpeas in the oven for 20 minutes and cover them with sea salt, they taste very similar to salted peanuts – but with more of a satisfying crunch.
Add salty, crisp chickpeas to rich, decadent chocolate and you’ve got yourself a sweet and salty snack with a healthy twist.
Chickpeas are high in fibre and protein and contain a variety of vitamins and minerals including manganese, folate, copper and iron.
They’re also incredibly cheap with a 400g tin costing just 49p from Sainsbury’s and Asda.
Many recipes for chickpea bark suggest using dark chocolate. I decided to use milk chocolate as I wanted a sweeter flavour to counteract the sea salt.
I also halved the below ingredients to serve three people rather than six. There should be around two pieces per person.
When adding the chickpeas to the melted chocolate, other ingredients such as chopped nuts, seeds and dried fruit could be incorporated if you wish.
How to make chocolate chickpea bark
Ingredients:
One tin (400g) of chickpeas
200g chocolate of choice, chopped
Pinch of sea salt
One tablespoon of olive oil
Method:
1. Firstly, preheat your oven to 200C/180C fan/350F and drain your chickpeas. Pat them dry using kitchen towel to absorb excess moisture.
2. Add them to a baking tray lined with baking paper. Toss them in the olive oil and sea salt. Cook them for around 25 to 30 minutes or until they’re crunchy.
3. Break the chocolate up into a bowl and melt it in the microwave in 30-second intervals until completely melted.
4. Once the chickpeas have cooled, add them to the melted chocolate making sure all of the chickpeas are evenly coated.
5. Transfer the mixture onto a baking sheet or plate lined with baking paper. Top with more sea salt if you desire. Put the chocolatey chickpeas in the fridge for 20 minutes or until set.
6. Once set, remove the bark from the fridge and chop it into even-sized squares.
