Healthy snacks that are just as satisfying as their salty, fatty mass-produced counterparts. Aren’t we all looking for those? I have recently found a snack that is just that for me- I’ve found it’s fully capable of replacing crisps and salted nuts in my daily routine. On top of that it’s really easy to make, super inexpensive, and packed with proteins and other nutrients that will make your body happy. I’m talking about roasted chickpeas! Ever since I first made these I’ve found myself making a new batch every week and greatly enjoying all the different flavour variations.
Instructions
Take a can or jar of chickpeas, drain them and rinse them. You could use dried chickpeas as well, in that case make sure to cook them first.
Pre-heat the oven to 220°C.
Spread your chickpeas out on a baking tray. Some recipes call for you to dry the chickpeas first, but I’ve found it makes next to no difference in the result so spare yourself the hassle.
Now it’s time to add your toppings of choice. You can flavour the chickpeas with whatever you like, the variations are endless. I like to use a base of olive oil, salt and pepper and then add my other seasonings. I’ve had great results with paprika + cayenne pepper and rosemary + garlic, but you could go for sweet options as well (sugar and cinnamon is always a good idea). Add all your toppings and seasonsings to the chickpeas and toss them well so they’re all evenly covered.
Put the baking sheet in your pre-heated oven for 45 minutes, or until the peas are nice and crispy. I like to come back every 10 minutes to check how the chickpeas are doing and to shake them around a bit, to make sure they’re roasting evenly. Towards the end of the 45 minutes I like to try one pea every time I come back to see if it’s crispy already. When they are done, take them out of the oven and allow them to cool down before eating them all in one sitting. Because that is very likely to happen. Just saying.
I’m so excited to try more flavour combinations! I haven’t tried anything sweet yet so I might try that at some point, but I’m more of a savoury kind of girl so I’m more likely to stick to salt, herbs and spices. What combinations would you try?
Everytime I try to make these, the peas just all explode and my oven gets really dirty… how do I avoid that, am I doing something wrong? Or is that just part of the fun? I find these things delicious but I’m always afraid to make them because of this exploding thing…
My favourite crispy chickpea recipe is 1/4th teaspoon of smoked paprika, 1/4 black pepper, 3/4 teaspoon of garlic salt, 3/4 chili, dash of cayenne (all measurement are approx haha) and I mix my spices in a stray mug first because I’m notorious for tipping too much chili in one spot and none in others! I’ll have to try a garlic/rosemary batch soon! Also, I must try your cooking method, I cook mine at 220 for fifteen minutes, the come out really crunchy, a tiny bit buttery right in the center!
Wow thanks for this recipe ! I have a can of chickpeas in my cupboard since months, and I didn’t know what to do with it (expect hummus, but I’m not a huge fan…)
Thanks to you I will have something to snack in front of my TV tonight <3
Hi Lucy! I’m sure that you’ll be glad to know that I tried these pretty much immediately! 😊 Heh, the chickpeas were absolutely fantastic.
I love this recipe. Not only did it turn out basically fool-proof quality, but I also came up with a lot of uses for this recipe- you can also make a salad and replace croutons with these!
Thanks a lot!
Hi Lucy,
thank you so much for the recipe. I am definitely trying this one as soon as I buy some chickpeas. My family doesn’t like chickpeas at all, now I can bake this yummy snack and they will see. :D
Where did you buy that bowl, it’s perfect. I have recently bought myself a wooden bowl but it’s just rounded. I love the shape you have.
(sorry if I made some mistakes, my english is not that good)
Enjoy the trip to Slovakia, will you stop even in the Czech Republic?
Yours,
Lenka
The bowl was a handmade gift from a friend :) I’ll definitely be stopping by CZ this summer!