These Roasted Chickpeas have plenty of crunch to them, and make a nice healthier alternative snack to salty nuts or crisps. You can roast them in big batches for a party, or just make enough for a few days and keep in an air-tight container. The great thing is, they are easy to adapt and can be made any flavour you want too! A delicious protein packed, vegan snack.
If you have a few cans of chickpeas in your cupboard and no idea what to do with them, this is a great way to use them up. Chickpeas are a cheap, protein packed cupboard staple that have so many uses and can be turned in to a delicious and versatile snack. Turn them in to a salty, crispy savoury snack with minimal effort.
If you are looking for some other snack recipes, why not try our Healthy Flapjacks, Frozen Yogurt Bark or Homemade Garlic Crisps.
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Why should you try it?
- A great way to use chickpeas - Everyone knows that chickpeas are cheap and nutritious, but beyond hummus a lot of people don't know what to do with it. This is one of our favourite easy ways to use them.
- Healthy way to snack - Personally I am a huge fan of savoury snacks. Chocolate is great and all, but give me a salty snack with some crunch any day. Rather than reaching for a packet of crisps, I make a batch of these for a healthier alternative.
- Easy to adapt - There are so many options when it comes to how to season these roasted chickpeas and we have shared some of our favourite ways below.
- Great source of protein - Protein doesn't just have to come from meat, and chickpeas are a great source of plant based protein.
What you will need
- Chickpeas - The star of the recipe. We used a can of chickpeas to make this chick and easy, however you could cook your own dried chickpeas to use.
- Oil - This is what helps make them nice and crispy. We used olive oil, but you could use sunflower or vegetable oil if you prefer.
- Seasoning - We used a Cajun seasoning blend, as we love the smokey spicy flavour. However something like an Italian season blend would work well too.
Step by step
One: Drain and rinse the chickpeas and dry them with a paper towel or dish towel. Put into a bowl with the oil and seasoning.
Two: Mix well so that all the chickpeas are coated.
Three: Spread out on a baking tray and put in a pre-heated oven at 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 for 30-40 minutes (shaking half way through), until crispy.
Four: Take out of the oven and leave to cool before serving.
Health benefits of chickpeas
We are huge fans of chickpeas and have recently been discovering just how versatile they are. Our go-to use for them is usually throwing them in to a curry or stew for a protein boost. But, when you roast them they take on a whole new flavour and texture.
Canned and dried chickpeas have a low glycemic index, which means your body absorbs and digests them slowly. This helps to keep your blood sugar and insulin from going up too fast. Chickpeas are high in dietary fibre, as well as being a good source of calcium, iron and folate.
Flavour options
The best thing about these crispy chickpeas is that you can flavour them any way you like. We went with a spicy cajun blend, but the options are endless.
Got some fajita seasoning left? Use that! Love salt and vinegar crisps? Just roast them in oil and salt and then toss them with malt vinegar when cooked (this smells amazing). You could do an Italian version with oregano and parmesan for something cheesy or even a BBQ seasoning. Here is a chance to get really creative.
If you want something sweet, then a honey and cinnamon mix is the way to go. But you will need to stir them more often so that they don't start sticking together. This will make them similar to Leblebi, a popular snack in Afghanistan, Iran, Syria and Turkey.
How to serve them
If you find that you have a lot of these left over (never a problem we have had), and you are bored of snacking on them, then add them to a salad. Not only does it give it a protein boost, but it adds a lovely crunchy texture to salads. A bit like sprinkling seeds on top, but chunkier.
You could also sprinkle them on top of a soup as an alternative to croutons. Definitely a good excuse to make a huge batch of these.
Frequently Asked Questions
These are best eaten straight away, otherwise they lose their crispiness which is the best thing about them in our opinion. They are still good the day after, if they are stored in an air tight container, but longer than that they just won't taste the same. So try and only make as much as you can eat that day.
Yes, this is a delicious gluten free snack. Just be careful that there isn't any cross contamination from the seasoning blend.
Yes, this is a vegan and protein packed snack.
Extra tips
- Make sure the chickpeas are dried after you rinse them, as this will make sure they get nice and crispy.
- For optimal crispiness, eat them fairly soon after they come out of the oven. They won't stay really crispy for long.
- Get creative with the flavouring of this. You can have them spicy, sweet, Italian, Mexican. The options are endless.
- Have loads left over? Don't let them go to waste! Sprinkle them on top of salads or soup for some added crunch and a protein boost.
More chickpea recipes
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Recipe
Roasted Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 400 g chickpeas drained, rinsed and dried
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon seasoning blend
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas and dry them with a paper towel or dish towel. Put into a bowl with the oil and seasoning.400 g chickpeas
- Mix well so that all the chickpeas are coated.1 tablespoon seasoning blend
- Spread out on a baking tray and put in a pre-heated oven at 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 for 30-40 minutes (shaking half way through), until crispy.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Take out of the oven and leave to cool before serving.
Notes
- Make sure the chickpeas are dried after you rinse them, as this will make sure they get nice and crispy.
- For optimal crispiness, eat them fairly soon after they come out of the oven. They won't stay really crispy for long.
- Get creative with the flavouring of this. You can have them spicy, sweet, Italian, Mexican. The options are endless.
- Have loads left over? Don't let them go to waste! Sprinkle them on top of salads or soup for some added crunch and a protein boost.
Elizabeth
These are absolutely delicious! Amazing flavor and texture. :D
Jen
I made these as an after school snack for my kids and they loved them. I just used salt and light sprinkle of smoked paprika. So good!
EA Stewart
I'm a huge fan of roasted chickpeas. These are perfectly crispy and delicious! Love the addition of cajun seasoning too!
Mindee Taylor
These are my husband's favorite thing to take to snack on a work!
Sarah Baumeister
My husband loves these! Both as a snack and as a salad topper.
Carrie Robinson
Such a great snack idea! I bet this is so addictive! :)
Lindsay
I have a kid who would eat chickpeas all day if I let her! She loved these, so I'll be making them again :) Thanks!
Lima Ekram
Made this for a snack today - off the charts delicious - ate it all at one go!
Pam
We made ours with Cajun seasoning too, and we added a little smoked paprika. Yum!
Gail Montero
Love that this is a guilt-free snack alternative! YUM!
Claudia Lamascolo
Since we are big snackers at night these are so much healthier than chips and my husband loved them!
Tania
I adore chickpeas and this recipe is just perfect! Such a healthy way to snack too!
marie johson
Roasted chickpeas are a great protein-packed snack. Thanks for sharing. :)
Joe
These look great, I'm sure the garam masala gives them a good kick - will have try these!
Hannah
These look delicious! I have seen a similar thing done with edamame beans too. These might be my new go to snack!
Dannii
They are a yummy snack, aren't they!
Chantelle
Hi, would these would with fry light/ oil spray or does it need to be olive oil?
Dannii
Yes, frylight would work, but it won't get as crispy.