Roasted Chickpeas are such an easy delicious snack. This recipe is the perfect healthy afternoon snack that will keep you full until dinner.
I have a pretty major obsession with chickpeas. I ate them all the time in salads while I was nursing my babies. They have the perfect balance of flavor and I love the protein they bring to the party.
Chickpeas are the backbone of hummus. They are a large part of what gives it its smooth and creamy texture.
As much as I love chickpeas raw, today we are tossing them in the oven. Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to your new favorite snack: roasted chickpeas.
Health Benefits of Chickpeas
Chickpeas (or garbanzo beans) are like a wonder food. A little bean with a superhero cape. Their ratio of calories to protein is impressive. And they are lower on the carb side while also having fiber. (Learn more about the breakdowns here.)
All of this is to say they are perfect for a healthy snack. They are also delicious on a salad, with pasta, in a wrap, or in a grain bowl.
How to Roast Chickpeas
In this recipe, we are using canned chickpeas to cut time. If you want, you can use dry chickpeas that have been soaked and cooked. If you go the dry chickpea route, you will need 1/2 cup (when dry) to make the two cups of cooked chickpeas needed for this recipe.
This is just a brief overview of how to make this delicious recipe. For the full recipe with all of the measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Drain and rinse your chickpeas. Pat them dry. The drier you get them at this stage, the crispier they will be. Discard any loose skins that might come off during the drying process.
- Toss the chickpeas with oil and salt. You can cut the oil in this recipe down, but it will result in them being less crispy.
- Bake the chickpeas. Pour them onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes, giving the pan a shake about halfway through.
- Toss with seasonings. Remove the chickpeas from the oven and toss them with the cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper. You get a much better flavor by tossing them with the spices after baking them.
How Long to Roast Chickpeas
Bake your chickpeas until they are golden brown and crunchy. Make sure to keep a close eye on them after 25 minutes of baking so they don’t burn. Give the pan a good shake halfway through baking, being careful as they have the tendency to pop.
- For chickpeas with a creamy center and crunchy outside, bake for 25 minutes.
- For chickpeas that are crunchy like corn nuts, bake for 35 minutes.
Pro Tip!
For oven roasted chickpeas that have still have a creamy center, cut about 10 minutes off of the baking time.
How to Store Roasted Chickpeas
The best part about this fun easy snack is how crunchy they are. To enjoy the crunchiness the most, eat them as soon as they are cool enough to handle. The chickpeas will lose their crunchiness as time goes on.
Once cooled, these can be stored in an airtight container for up to four days at room temperature. Do not refrigerate as they will become chewy.
Please note that they have the best taste and texture within the first 48 hours of roasting.
Seasonings
I truly love the flavor on these, but this spice combination is just one way to do it. Play around with the spices in your pantry when roasting chickpeas! I think a little cinnamon thrown in the mix or using Everything Bagel Seasoning would also be delicious. Most of my seasoning mixes would be incredible on these.
Everything Bagel Seasoning
FAQ
Yes, they are the same legume.
While I haven’t tried this recipe in the air fryer, I do think you could roast chickpeas that way. Like when baking them, be sure to watch them closely so they don’t burn.
If you are using canned chickpeas you do not need to soak them before baking them. We do that in this recipe to save time. If you are using dry chickpeas, you will need to soak and cook them before putting them in the oven.
It is really important to make sure your chickpeas are very dry before tossing them with olive oil. As I said in the post, don’t cut back the oil or they will not be as crispy.
Other Healthy Snacks
If you are like me and get snack attacks around mid-afternoon, here are a few other recipes to keep on hand:
If you make this oven-roasted chickpeas recipe or any of my other recipes, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
Roasted Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 15 ounces canned chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Rinse and drain the garbanzo beans. Pat dry with a paper towel – the drier the better. Remove any loose skins.
- In a bowl, toss the beans with olive oil, and salt until they are fully coated. Spread them on the baking sheet in an even layer.
- Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until they are golden brown and crunchy; keep a close eye on them after 25 minutes of baking. Give the pan a good shake halfway through baking, being careful as they have the tendency to pop. For chickpeas with a creamy center and crunch outside bake for 25 minutes.For chickpeas that are crunchy like corn nuts bake for 35 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and toss with cumin, paprika, and cayenne powder. Enjoy right away for best taste and texture. Store in an airtight container once cooled at room temperature for up to four days.
Earlyne says
Oh those chick peas look delish! I’ve tried so many recipes and they never turn out nice and crunchy. I’ll try this one and see what happens. ?only thing I have to lower the oven temp. Because the smoke alarm goes off too easily at a higher one. I assume I’ll leave them in the oven longer. Wish me luck!
I hope you love them!
Sandra, first, I’m really sorry this recipe didn’t work out for you. That said, I was so surprised to get this comment. This recipe went through so many rounds of testing because I wanted to get it perfect. As soon as I got your comment, I made it again and I even had a friend of mine make them. (I even threw in my oven thermometer to make sure my oven wasn’t being wonky.) We both got delicious and crispy chickpeas. As noted in the recipes, it’s important to toss them half way through, and it is important to check them the last ten minutes of baking.
Vicki says
Sandra, the oven temp should have been 425 degrees not 450. That might have made a difference.
In all fairness to Sandra, I altered the recipe to 425 to keep things on the safe side. My recipe turned out great at least four times at 450, but I’d rather stick to the safe side for everyone else.
Joannie says
Do you think these would work in an airfryer?
I’ve had lots of people on Facebook tell me that’s exactly how they make them! I did have one person tell me they burned that way, so just watch them closely.
Neil says
Would these work in rotisserie basket as well ?
I’m sorry, Neil, I haven’t tested that.
Linda says
Making today
I hope you enjoy them!
Rose McElreath says
Thank you for bring me my younger years memories. Roasted chickpeas was our treat at the movies in Spain. Like now is the popcorn. I never eat them since then but I’m excited to try to make it for my grandkids, wish me luck.
Awww, I love that so much!
Dr. Thomas Bedford says
perfect
Ester morado says
I would like to know how to air cook fruit for snacks , Thank you
Robin Watson says
I made these and leaving them in oven for 35 minutes is to long for me. They are so hard I can hardly eat them. I will definitely have to try again using a shorter time. I added extra seasoning also, I put everything bagel on them and love the flavors you get.
Thank you for sharing the recipe.