Physicochemical properties and antioxidant capacity of raw, roasted and puffed cacao beans

•Puffing reduces the loss of antioxidant compounds compared to roasting.•Overall acceptances of roasted and puffed beans were not significantly different.•TF contributes more to the antioxidant activity of cacao beans than TP.•Puffing offers a good alternative to roasting for cacao bean processing. The antioxidant capacity and attributable bioactive compounds of puffed cacao beans were investigated. Roasting was carried out at 190°C for 15min and puffing was performed at 4–7kgf/cm2. Cacao beans puffed at 4kgf/cm2 showed the highest total polyphenols (23.16mgGAE/gsample) and total flavonoids (10.65mgCE/gsample) (p