How To Roast Chickpeas

Exactly How I Roast My Chickpeas.

October 21, 2012

Say hello to my favorite snack.

I know I’ve talked about how obsessed I am with beans, but roasted chickpeas take the obsession to a whole new level. I eat these almost every single day and have been doing so for YEARS now. That is huge. They make salads palatable, snacks easier, and meals crunchier. I adore them. And this is the simple way I do it.

First, I make my oven HOT. Yeah yeah, I have no patience, but I also want them crispy as heck. I heat it to 425 degrees F. Hot hot hot.

Regardless of whether I’m using canned chickpeas (I drain and rinse in that case) or ones I’ve soaked myself, they are always cooked. And the first step is to place them on a paper towel and really dry them off. I take another paper towel and place it on top, then roll the chickpeas around to get them super dry. This also loosens some of the skin which I will quickly pick out. I don’t spend the time to take off every single one because, well… it’s me. What did you expect?

I spread them on a baking sheet that is usually lined with aluminum foil because it makes my life easier. Then I give them a quick spray of olive oil. In this case, I’m using the Trader Joe’s olive oil spray. I find that spraying or misting them works best, but if you don’t have an olive oil spray or a misto available, you can use a TINY bit of oil and toss to coat. Using a very small amount is key.

Then I season the beans with whatever I feel like. My go-to is salt, pepper, smoked paprika and garlic powder. I never measure a thing and just do a few shakes then toss them all around. I have seasoned chickpeas with everything under the sun. Cinnamon, nutmeg, dried herbs, chili powder – it really depends on what I want that day. It’s fun to play around with flavors!

Or maybe that’s just me. But no really, you can also add some sort of sugars (brown sugar, honey, etc) to add a caramel-like layer. UGH.

Anyway, season, and toss toss toss. Make sure they end up in single layer.

Then I bake them for 15 minutes, remove and do a few quick flips with a spatula and bake for about 15 minutes more.

Oh my gosh… I can’t even tell you how much I adore them. Unfortunately, they don’t stay super crispy for more than one day at a time, so what I’ve found to work best for myself is to make 2 cups at once… eat a cup or so… then I place the rest (once fully cooled) in a small plastic container, lightly cover with foil and just let it sit on the counter. I then eat them for dinner or the next day for lunch. I’ve also been known to keep a stash in my purse. I love them so much that I still think they are delish even if they’ve lost a bit of crunch. Huge staple in my life. Period.

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Yield: 2 cups

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked chickpeas (if canned, drain and rinse)
1-2 teaspoons olive oil, or olive oil spray/mist
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place chickpeas on a paper towel and pay completely dry. Remove any loose skins.

Place on a baking sheet and mist with olive oil or oil of choice. Roll around to coat. Sprinkle with seasonings of your choice and toss well to coat. Make sure chickpeas are in a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes, toss well and flip, then bake for about 15 minute. Let cool and eat!