Go back a few years, open your pantry, and pull out a can of chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans. Did you ever consider dipping them in chocolate before eating?

Well, had you done this you could have been a trend setter. Today we are seeing a lot of innovation in snacks and pairing almost anything with chocolate seems to be acceptable by today’s food rules… because there simply are no rules except one. If it tastes good, do it!

From chocolate-covered jerky or corn kernels, there is nothing off limits. Lebby’s took the Mediterranean route, using a 45-day process of soaking, roasting and resting their chickpeas in preparation for a dip in chocolate. Surprisingly, it works!

Are Lebby’s chickpea snacks different? Yes, they are. But that’s what we like about them. The dark chocolate chickpeas we tried were wonderfully chocolatey, but not overly sweet. The chickpea had a nice crunch and the interesting texture/finish of a bean – slightly gritty. These are whole chickpeas, too, not pieces of chickpea blended with the chocolate.

Note: There was some dissension among the taste testers regarding texture and flavor. Some thought the bean texture at the end was less than desirable, while others couldn’t taste the chickpea beyond the chocolate. So it turns out this is an IMBHO-maybe.

Regardless, the eating experience made us feel like we were getting to enjoy chocolate, but without cheating on our “imaginary” diets—the ones where we say we’re eating “healthy”, but hunger pangs timed just right send us directly to our favorite potato chip. Come on… we’ve all been there!

Lebby Chickpea snacks are gluten free, kosher, non-GMO and vegan. Each serving gives you 4 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein. Ignore the calories and carbs and you’ll feel good about eating these as a snack.

                Some call these snacks Keto, but we can assure they are not. Read the label. #NotKetoFriendly

Founder and CEO, Onur Oz, started Lebby Snacks in January 2017. Still at the helm today, he and his unique company and brand offer four flavor profiles in the Mediterranean-style chickpeas: dark chocolate, milk chocolate, sesame honey and mocha. You can purchase the snacks on the Lebby Snacks website, on Amazon or from Thrive Market. If you live on the East coast, check your local Stop & Shop or ShopRite stores.

You can purchase snack-size bags (1.5 oz) or share-size bags (3.5 oz). These aren’t what we would call inexpensive snacks, so expect to pay around $3.25 for the small package and $5.00 for the larger package. This furthers our lean toward IMBHO-maybe.

Final note: We found the lack of social media and video presence interesting. In today’s world, social media can be a niche brand’s best friend. It’s time for Lebby’s to jump on the train and find fans rather than waiting for people to discover them by accident. IMBHO 😊