Lunchbox Favorites

Crispy Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas

[donotprint]

These crispy chickpeas will give you lots to feel great about.  They are a great grab-n-go crunch that is good for you too. You can toss a baggie of these in your kids lunchbox, your lunchbox, purse or gym bag. Instead of reaching for a high-carb, overly salted chip, you can make your own. From sweet to savory. The gamut of flavor is wide open, be creative and have fun with this recipe.

A little bit about chickpeas (garbanzo beans):

  • Garbanzo beans are inexpensive and easy to find. Buy them dried or canned.
  • Versatile. They can be used in soup, stew, chili, on salads, tossed with pasta, added to sauces, made into hummus….or roasted. You can even use the flour in baked goods. I have seen everything from cookies to cakes, muffins & brownies with chickpeas as a base.
  • Chickpeas are a very good source of folic acid, fiber & manganese. Also rich in the minerals iron, copper, zinc, and magnesium.
  • They are also a good source of protein.
  • They are low glycemic….good for insulin resistant and people with diabetic conditions.


Variations

  • I sometimes use these to top my yogurt parfait. They add a nice crunch and some extra protein.
  • Toss some on you oatbowl instead of nuts….or with them.
  • They are great in kids lunch boxes. A peanut-free way to enjoy a healthy snack, safe for “nut-free” zones.

What’s your favorite way to use chickpeas?  How will you season yours?

[/donotprint]

Crispy Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas

Assume about 1/2 cup per person. This recipe will yield about 6 servings.

NOTES:

  • You can use regular olive oil or flavored. Roasted garlic to various herb blends would  be great.
  • If you are going sweet you might want to add a bit of maple syrup, honey or agave before roasting.
  • You can also toss them with some hot sauce if you want them spicy.
  • Some seasonings to consider: Black Pepper, Rosemary, Smoked Paprika, Oregano, Curry Powder, Chili Powder, Chinese 5 Spice, Herbs de Provence, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cardamom, Ground Ginger, Ground Mustard, Allspice, Cayenne, etc…. the only rule, don’t over think it and just have fun with unique flavor combinations.

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 cups cooked Chickpeas (also called Garbanzo Beans)
  • some Canola or Olive Oil to lightly coat
  • Seasonings: I like sea salt and smoked paprika

METHOD

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Toss chickpeas with spice, salt and a small amount of oil. Put them on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for about 30-40 minutes until golden brown and crunchy. Toss them every 10 minutes. Let them cool completely before serving. They get much more crunchy after they cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

    [print_link]

    Chickpea Recipe Links




    ~ Marla Meridith

    Join the Conversation

    74 thoughts on “Crispy Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas

    1. Oooohhh…sounds yummy and will try later.
      One idea, if I may: what about heating the curry powder in the oil first, just for a minute or two to bloom it? That way you won’t have the “raw” taste.

    2. You absolutely ROCK. I am going to have my students make these where we get back from spring break. Husband and I are actually heading to London UK tonight. I do nutritious snacks with my 12 year olds at school and have never done this. I will link to you and let you know how it goes once we get this happening. Thank you for thinking up and creating this wonderful food.
      Big Bear Hug!
      Valerie

    3. what a great idea….I love the texture of cripsnesses to the chickpeas…we put chickpeas in our brown rice salad or make dip with chickpeas….cute pics…
      sweetlife

    4. Mike really loves roasted chickpeas…he likes them extra spicy! 🙂 I never even thought to make them sweet, what a great idea, Marla! I’d like to do a batch with honey and cinnamon for a crunchy yogurt topping!

    5. Marla

      I am so impressed with your site! Love the layout and design of your site and the recipes are great easy and healthy and delicious
      I will check back often!

      Joumana

    6. You read my mind! I’ve been craving these but haven’t yet looked up a recipe -thanks for making it easy. My Armenian family always had roasted chickpeas in bowls at family gatherings. Yum! It’s been a long time.

    7. you know ive seen these done alot and i have heard everything from amazing to just “okay”. i am impressed with you saying they are really good, b.c if they get your stamp, they really are good 🙂

      and glad the lunchbox will come in handy, and i hope you have a super weekend!

    8. roasted garbanzos are definitely one of my favorite noshes–they’re so tasty that i tend to devour an entire batch without even realizing it! i love your presentation and flavor suggestions. 🙂

    9. I love roasted chickpeas! They definitely satisfy that snacky salty crunchy craving when it seems like nothing but a chip will (not that I ever keep chips around but the craving still hits at times!). My favorite are topped with something spicy…a little wasabi powder maybe? Usually does the trick.

      Where did you get those popcorn-like chickpea containers? They are fantastic!

    10. I’ve been craving these too- I tried hot wing sauce once (recipe on my blog) and I can’t get past using that, soooo good. A friend of mine recommends putting nutrtional yeast on them.

    11. Looks delish! And by the way, please e-mail me your mailing address ASAP so I can get you your Glee Gum since you were a winner for my giveaway!! Thanks :-).

    12. Hi Marla: I didn’t realize it was you at the FBF Seminiar yesterday sitting up front! You had some great questions and input. It was a great seminar and I apologize for not having introduced myself.

    13. Roasted chickpeas are one of the best snacks! I also like to add them to my salads. I think my favorite batch that I made had a little maple syrup, cider vinegar, and cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. I also really like them with a spicy southwest seasoning blend.

    14. I remember my coworker went back to the Philippines and brought back these delicious roasted chickpeas. I never thought about making them myself. What a great idea!

    15. Marla, your photos are STUNNING!!! I am so impressed with you! You better bring that camera and share your wealth of photo knowledge with me at BlogHer!! Love the crunchy roasted chick peas! I’ve made them several times and just love their crunch…and fiber 🙂

    16. I *just* bought chickpeas with plans to make hummus… I may make this instead!
      Marla Says:
      I had done the same, I ended up roasting some & adding others to soup. One day hummus!

    17. I tried making a similar recipe a while back but I ran into a couple of problems, while they were in the oven, some would actually pop out of the baking pan, is that normal? Also when I took them out of the oven to cool down, they were a bit mushy on the inside, almost like they never really were that crunchy, I want to try your recipe. Any pointers you can give me? I will say I drained the garbonzo’s and let them air dry for a couple of minutes before I tossed them in some oil and put into the oven. Thanks so much!

    18. HEY! Just started reading your blog and I like what you eat! The chickpeas look like a great idea, I just printed the recipe to give them a try maybe this weekend!
      The spice combos are a great help, can’t wait to try them!

    19. Marla, I used to buy this roasted chickpeas at the Middle Eastern store. I am so glad you posted this recipe, I don’t need to buy them anymore. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

    20. Well, that’s one of the cutest blog posts I’ve ever seen. Talk about making good nutrition fun! I’ve made roasted chickpeas before and could never get the time and temp right. I will definitely plan on giving these a try.

      1. I am so happy you guys are loving this post. You will be so pleased if you try these chickpeas. I have been munching on them daily!

    21. Nicole over at Cooking with Coley recommended your blog and I’m so glad I checked it out!! I have been wanting to try a roasted chickpea recipe forver! Thanks for the great seasoning suggestions. I don’t think I would have thought of these on my own.
      Marla Says:
      Thanks for coming over to visit!!

    22. These chickpeas sound fantastic! I love roasting food of any kind and I never thought chickpeas. Question…can you do it with canned chickpeas or do you have to cook them first?
      I totally have done the garbanzo brownies and they were horrendous!! Hahaha!

    23. well I tried these last night with canned chickpeas, they turned out ok but not really crunchy…maybe I should use fresh/cooked ones? Or perhaps I didn’t bake them long enough, I was a bit distracted when I was doing these and dinner.

      1. I would say cook them a bit longer. They can be a bit fussy….everyone’s ovens can cook at different temps etc. Once you have the time write it down so you don’t forget for next time. Make sure the chickpeas are on a single layer and you toss them frequently, otherwise they will just steam. xxoo

    24. Marla, I tried these and really liked them but they kind of have an aftertaste, that lingers in your mouth, its more so the texture rather than an aftertaste I guess that is not great. I am not sure if you have encountered that but any suggestions on how to get rid of that?

      Thanks

      1. I am not sure what you are getting as far as aftertaste, though I want to help you figure it out!! Do you think you baked them long enough? Perhaps the chickpeas were “soft” on the inside. I know when mine have not cooked all the way they are a bit chewy and kinda off. Maybe bake ’em a bit longer next time and toss them a bit more.

    25. I don’t know how time is getting away so quickly! I linked to this a while back on one of my weekly link roundups (post is under my name). Thanks for sharing – it sounds delicious!

    26. Pingback: Kitchen Cookware» Crispy Roasted Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)
    27. I love this idea and served in the popcorn container is so
      cute! When I was in Turkey, they sold them as snacks like this, but
      I never see this in the States. I didn’t think to make my own until
      now. Thanks!

      1. Adair: I would live to find these chickpea snacks on street corners. I could imagine they smelled amazing coming from the street carts in Turkey. I am wondering how they season them over there?

    28. Just wondering…is it necessary to use seasoning at all? I have too many preferences to appease, and would just prefer to do “plain” chick peas. Do you suppose it would taste ok if I only used sea salt?

    29. Hi there, this looks great. Just wondering do you use dried chickpeas and soak them first or already cooked chick peas in a can?