‘I Made The Viral Chickpea Protein Bar – Here’s What It Was Like’

Merle O’Neal, known for testing popular vegan recipes on her YouTube channel, recently shared a video documenting her attempt to recreate two high-protein vegan bars – one made with chickpeas, the other with black beans.

The recipes were originally developed by Mark Thompson of Sauce Stache, whose video shows how to turn simple ingredients like legumes, oats, and protein powder into homemade protein bars. The viral chickpea protein bars gained traction for their high-protein content (around 18 grams per serving), minimal prep, and accessibility – making them an appealing option for those avoiding overly processed snacks. Watch Thompson’s original recipe here.

Chickpeas and black beans are rich in plant protein and fiber. When paired with nut butter, oats, or protein powder, they become the base of nutrient-dense, whole-food snacks. These bars can help support post-workout recovery or act as on-the-go fuel – without added preservatives or syrups.

In her video, O’Neal prepares both versions and adds her own twists to improve the texture and flavor. She experiments with hydration, mix-ins like chocolate chips, and serving suggestions. Throughout, she evaluates each bar’s taste, macros, and practicality, offering honest reactions to what works – and what doesn’t.

Read more: High-Protein Vegan Meal Prep: 7 Easy Mix And Match Meals

Making the black bean protein bars

O’Neal begins with the black bean version. “This one has a more chocolatey flavor profile going on,” she says. She starts by pulsing old-fashioned oats in a food processor, followed by black beans, dates, protein powder, cacao, and maple syrup. “Two scoops of this is 30 grams of protein, and we’re using four scoops,” she explains. “That’s 60 grams of protein just from this alone.”

She tops the batter with vegan chocolate chips, just as Thompson did. After baking, she notes the bars contain about 14 grams of protein each. “Wow, it tastes like a brownie,” she says. “It’s not too sweet. It’s got a really nice chew to it.”

O’Neal admits the texture is a little sticky but says she would definitely make them again. “I like that better than pretty much every vegan protein bar I tried.”

Testing the chickpea version

Next, she prepares the chickpea version. She pulses oats and adds chickpeas, aquafaba, vanilla protein powder, peanut butter, and water. “This dough is dense, honey. It’s giving Play-Doh,” she says. Again, she adds vegan chocolate chips.

After baking, she compares the result to the black bean batch. “225 calories. 18 and a half grams of protein,” she says. “It might even be a little bit more with the protein powder that I used.”

This version turns out more dry, but O’Neal suggests adding extra peanut butter to combat this. She also recommends mashed banana for sweetness and moisture. “This is like a perfect pre-workout snack,” she says.

While the chickpea bars offer more protein, O’Neal says she prefers the black bean ones for taste and texture. “This is like a freaking fudge brownie. This is really good.”

Both recipes use easy-to-find ingredients and can be adjusted for texture, sweetness, and protein content.

You can find more of Merle O’Neal’s recipes and videos on her YouTube channel.

Read more: ‘I Tried The Viral Tofu Pancakes With 30g Of Protein’