Have you ever enjoyed the crunchy goodness of roasted chickpeas? Learn how to make your own roasted chickpeas at home for a delicious soup or salad topper, or to grab by the handfuls for a healthy snack!
I am a huge snacker. In fact, I am notoriously known for always eating. While this may be true, I can assure you that my smart snacking leads to increased energy, satiety, and focus as I try to stay on my A-game throughout the day. I am also a creature of habit, which means I usually reach for a an apple and peanut butter or smoothie most afternoons, say around 3:00 pm. But every now and then, I like to shake things up a bit.
Cue the crunchy goodness of roasted chickpeas!
Chickpeas are a great source of fiber and protein, two nutrients that are star players in keeping you fuller, longer. One cup of chickpeas contains 15 grams of protein and 12.5 grams of fiber. That’s half of the recommended daily amount of fiber for women!
Chickpeas are most commonly known for their key role in hummus, creating a creamy texture that is perfect as a dip or a spread. But lately, I’ve been enjoying my chickpeas another way – roasted. When chickpeas are roasted, they become crunchy rather than chewy, and are a great snack by the handful, or can even be used as a salad topper in place of croutons!
A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Make Roasted Chickpeas
The first time I made roasted chickpeas, I pulled them out of the oven when the timer went off and couldn’t wait to dive in once they had cooled down a bit. When I reached for a handful and popped one in my mouth, they were good, but I was slightly disappointed. They weren’t as crunchy as I had anticipated and still chewy.
[Tweet “Want to know the secret to perfectly crisped roasted chickpeas? Find out, here! #recipe”]
This time around, I figured out the secret to making insanely crunchy roasted chickpeas! Many recipes and tutorials will tell you to make sure the chickpeas are dry before roasting, but they leave out one crucial step.
In order to achieve the crunchy texture you are after, you have to remove the outer skin from the chickpea, first. Otherwise, it is too easy for water to get trapped in there and create a steaming affect when roasting. This results in chewy chickpeas, not crunchy.
To remove the outer skin, it’s really simple, just a little time consuming. First, drain and rinse a can of chickpeas and lay out on a paper towel. Gently roll them around to get rid of most of the moisture. To remove the outer skin, gently pinch the chickpeas and the skin should slide right off. It should be one swift motion! Continue the pinch and remove action until all of the chickpeas are in their most naked form.
Now, the easy part! Once the skin is removed, place the chickpeas on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and place in the oven at 400 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through to ensure even roasting. When the chickpeas come out of the oven, sprinkle with salt while still hot. That’s it! Easy, right?
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Roasted Chickpeas (five ways)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: snack
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Lay paper towels on a baking sheet and spread the drained beans out.
- Place another paper towel on top and gently rub to remove any excess water.
- Remove the outer skin by gently pinching the chickpea. The skin should slide right off. Repeat until all of the beans are in their most naked form.
- Once the beans are completely dried and the skin is removed, place them on a baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle olive oil over the beans and toss around with your hands to make sure all of the beans are coated evenly.
- Roast for 30 minutes, until chickpeas are dark golden brown and crisp.
- Toss halfway through to prevent burning.
- Once the chickpeas are out of the oven, sprinkle with salt while still hot.
Okay, here’s the fun part. Roasted chickpeas can be enjoyed in their simplicity with a little sprinkle of salt, just as the beans come out of the oven. Or, you can experiment to find your favorite flavor combination!
Sweet: honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sea salt from Popsugar
Spicy: cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, sea salt from CHOW
Moroccan: Crispy Roasted Chickpeas with Moroccan Spices from We are not Martha
Sweet and Salty: cinnamon, brown sugar, and sea salt from Cupcake Project
[Tweet “Get creative with your own version of roasted chickpeas for a delicious snack or salad topper! #healthy”]
81 Responses
It is almost funny how much I need this – – sharing sharing sharing 🙂
Hi Carla! I’m glad you enjoyed the post and thanks for sharing!
I love chickpeas, and plan to try this recipe! Thanks!
Yay! Let me know what you think, Adrienne!
YUM! Love roasted chickpeas!
They are my new favorite thing ever!
I love roasted chickpeas but I never mad my own! I definitely will be trying these recipes. The spicy and the sweet and salty sound right up my alley.
LiveLifeWell,
Allison
It is so easy and great to have on hand! I have been throwing them on everything lately for a little crunch.
These chickpeas look so good. I’m a huge snacker also, so I can totally understand you reaching out for a snack in the afternoon.
It is totally necessary. There is more time between lunch and dinner than there is between breakfast and lunch, so a snack is much needed!
I would never have thought to remove the skins. Making these today!
In my experience, it’s a game changer!
I’ve been meaning to roast a can of chickpeas I have in my cupboard! Glad I came by this post!! 🙂
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Perfect! Let me know how they turn out!
Ahh!! Who knew?! Totally trying this next time! Sometimes mine come out great.. other times… soggy. Either way– I still eat them because I hate wasting food! My favorite way to do them is just with EVOO + Flavor God garlic lovers 🙂
That sounds delicious! I noticed a big difference in how they turned out when I removed the skin, but I guess everything flops from time to time, right?
I LOVE roasting chickpeas! I wish I’d found your guide before I went through the whole process of figuring out how to make these things perfectly crispy. Awesome guide!
Thanks, Sarah! It is my new favorite snack and I can’t wait to have the different flavors on hand.
Yummy! My toddler LOVES chickpeas, I should make her this as a snack.
I would love it if you came to link up at our party:
http://www.raisingfairiesandknights.com/category/bloggers-spotlight/
It’s a link party and pin-up party, two parties in one! All posts will get pinned to our group pinterest board.
She would love these for her snack! I am going to put your linkup in my google calendar so I don’t forget each week 🙂
i love chickpeas, but i’ve never made them before. you are really helping me branch out in my food selections 🙂
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Haha… yesss!! I love that. You must try these! They are so good.
Ah! I am still trying to perfect this. Even when I remove the skin, mine never are crunchy enough.
Hmmm… maybe it has something to do with the temperature of your oven? I was so happy and impressed when my came out insanely crispy, but I get the frustrations of chewy chickpeas!
I love to add crunchy chick peas to my salads! It’s a great taste paired with a different texture 🙂
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Yes! I have been putting them on everything lately 🙂
I’m a big snacker too. I like adding nutritional yeast to roasted chickpeas. Sometimes I add curry powder or garam masala for a kick. 🙂
What a great idea!! I’m trying that next. Thanks, Christine!
I have always had store bought roasted chick peas and your post is too good to not give them a try at home myself! Its perfect because I love chickpeas, in all forms, YUMMM!!
xx, Kusum | http://www.sveeteskapes.com
Oh, you definitely should! They are cheaper and more yummy because you can use any flavors you like!
Great tips for these chickpeas! Can’t wait to do this, they sound so good!
Let me know how they turn out!
I’ve never been able to get chickpeas right, but the skin trick must be it! Thanks!
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I really think the skin trick is the secret to the perfect crunch. Let me know if you give it a try!
Roasted chick peas are one of my favorite snacks. I didn’t realize they were so good for me!
Yes they are… all the more reason to eat them by the handfuls, right? 🙂
This is absolutely brilliant. I have leftover chickpeas from a Chickpea and Chorizo soup that I made the other day and I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out what to do with them. This recipe found me at the perfect time!
Yay! Enjoy your roasted chickpeas! That soup sounds delicious.
I love love love roasted chickpeas. But it took me sooooo many attempts to get it right at first. This post would have been insanely helpful! I love the sweet version but you have some other great variations I need to try!
Thanks, Chrissa! I hear ya – I was so disappointed when mine turned out chewy, until I discovered the skin trick!
Such a fan of roasted chickpeas. Yours look and sound fantastic. They’d be a great snack for game day, too!
Thanks, Amanda! These would be a fantastic game day snack!
These sound really good!! I’ve never tried roasting them but I need to!
Oh, you must! They are addicting and so so goo