Healthy roasted chickpeas are just the savory snack you’ve been craving. If you have a can of chickpeas, you can make these oven-roasted chickpeas. They’re crispy, crunchy, delicious and so easy to make.
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Crispy chickpeas are easy to make in the oven with canned garbanzo beans and a few of your favorite spices. That’s it and you’ll have a super healthy munchie that’s the perfect snack, any time of day. They’re crispy, crunchy, delicious and so easy to make in the oven or air fryer.
This chickpea recipe is one of my personal favorites when I’m craving savory snacks or when looking for something healthy and crunchy to put on top of salads, nourish bowls or soups. If you lI make a big batch to last for the week…though this high-protein snack is often gobbled up within a day or two.
Why you’ll love these Crispy Chickpeas
- Easy to make. No olive oil or parchment paper needed.
- Stay good at room temperature…which is the main challenge for many healthy snack options.
- Simple pantry ingredients.
- Crispy texture is sure to rival potato chips in terms of satiety and the best part is these contain fiber, plant-based protein and no trans fats!
- Two different ways to achieve crunchy chickpeas without oil: oven roasted on a large baking tray (this is ideal for large batches) or you can make crispy air fryer chickpeas in your air fryer basket.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chickpeas: Cans of chickpeas make this recipe super easy, and you can also use black beans, kidney beans or pinto beans in this recipe.
- Seasonings: I used garlic powder, salt and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Use YOUR favorite seasonings. You can skip the salt if you’re on a low-sodium diet, or try one of the flavors listed below.
- No oil: I find that the chickpeas are actually much more crunchy when roasted without oil. Dry roasting works in the oven or the air-fryer.
Dan Buettner, author of The Blue Zones (his study of the 5 places around the world where people consistently live to or past 100) recommends a daily dose of beans. In his new book The Blue Zones American Kitchen, he says that beans are packed with more nutrients per gram than any other food on earth. Fabulous! Just one more reason to adore this crispy satisfying snack!
Variations
Dry roast your beans with whatever kind of spices you prefer, with the same method as listed in the recipe card.
- Crunchy Taco Flavored Beans: Sprinkle on 2 teaspoons of my no salt taco seasoning and otherwise follow the recipe. This is a particularly good flavoring to use with black beans. Follow the directions on the recipe card, with rinsed and drained black beans that are dried and then sprinkle on 2 teaspoons taco seasoning.
- Ranch Flavored crispy chickpeas. This is my new favorite way to enjoy these. The nutritional yeast in the ranch seasoning mix gives them a subtle cheesy flavor that’s fabulous. You can also add a bit of lemon zest for a touch of zing.
- Curry: Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon curry powder, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ¼ teaspoon hot chili powder and ¼ teaspoon mustard powder.
- Asian: Sprinkle dried chickpeas with 2 teaspoons asian 5 spice before roasting.
- Cajun: A combination of smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper and white pepper gives a spicy and subtly smokey flavor that is so addictive!
- If you prefer sweet snacks, sprinkle on ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon date sugar and a pinch of sea salt. A delicious way to enjoy chickpeas.
How to make Crispy Roasted Chickpeas
The first step is to rinse and drain the chickpeas. Use a clean kitchen towel and rub vigorously to simultaneously dry and rub the skins off and dry them. This is the most crucial step in achieving crispier chickpeas.
Next, spread the dry beans in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
Sprinkle on the garlic powder, cayenne pepper and sea salt and mix well. I think it’s easiest to use your hands to fully distribute whatever kind of spices you’re using.
Place in a preheated 450 degree oven and IMMEDIATELY turn the temperature down to 350. Roast for 15 minutes. Shake the pan or stir with a spoon to roll them around and then put them back in for another 10-15 minutes until crispy.
Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Air fryer directions
Preheat the air fryer to 390. Rinse and dry chickpeas as directed above. Place chickpeas in a large mixing bowl, sprinkle on the spices and thoroughly mix. Transfer to the air fryer basket and cook for 15 minutes, shaking the basket a couple times during cooking.
How to store
Crispy dry roasted chickpeas will stay crunchy if stored properly. It goes against intuition, but do not store them in an airtight container. If your store roasted chickpeas without a lid, they will keep their crisp longer. That’s right, leave them at room temperature uncovered. Or, store in a paper bag, loosely rolled at the top.
If your chickpeas aren’t crunchy
- You didn’t bake them long enough. Check cooking times in the recipe card for sheet pan roasting and air fryer temperature and timing.
- You didn’t dry them thoroughly before baking. Damp chickpeas will produce soggy roasted chickpeas.
- You didn’t remove the loose skins. Gently rubbing the chickpeas in a clean dish towel to remove the chickpea skin will produce the crispiest results.
What to serve with Crispy Roasted Chickpeas
I like to use these in place of traditional croutons, sprinkled into soups and salads.
- Vegan Kale Caesar Salad.
- Dairy-free Tomato Soup
- Butternut Squash Soup.
- Green Beans Almondine. For those with nut allergies…simply replace the almonds with these crunchy chickpeas…so so good!
Debra’s Pro Tips
- Once your chickpeas are spread on the sheet pan, before sprinkling on the spices, give them one more rub with a clean dish towel or paper towel to make sure they’re dry and the skins have been dislodged.
- Yes, you can buy already roasted chickpeas in the grocery store, but make sure to read the list of ingredients. Next time, you’ll try this easy roast chickpeas recipe instead.
- Save money and turn dry chickpeas into the equivalent of canned chickpeas in your instant pot.
- Craving french fries? Try a batch of these, or some sweet potato fries.
Crispy Chickpea FAQs
There are three reasons your chickpeas may not have come out crunchy. 1) You didn’t bake them long enough. Check cooking times in the recipe card for sheet pan roasting and air fryer temperature and timing. 2) You didn’t dry them thoroughly before baking. Damp chickpeas will produce soggy roasted chickpeas. 3. You didn’t remove the loose skins. Gently rubbing the chickpeas in a clean dish towel to remove the chickpea skin will produce the crispiest results.
Roast cooked chickpeas in your favorite spices for a delicious and healthy snack. They’ll be crunchy, savory, tasty and totally satisfying.
More healthy chickpea recipes
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📖 Recipe
Healthy Roasted Chickpeas
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 15.5-oz. cans chickpeas
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450. For air fryer directions, see the notes section below.
- Drain, rinse and drain again the canned chickpeas. Spread them out on a clean kitchen towel and rub vigorously (but don't smash them) to thoroughly dry. Discard the chickpea skins that fall off. The more skins you're able to peel away, the crispier the chickpeas will be.
- Spread the chickpeas out on a large rimmed baking sheet that is big enough to fit them in one layer. Use a paper towel to give them one last rub to absorb any lingering moisture.
- Sprinkle with spices and use your hands to mix until they're evenly coated.
- Place in the oven and turn the temperature down to 350. Set the timer for 15 minutes. Shake the pan or use a spoon to roll them around. Place them back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes until firm and crispy.
Notes
Nutrition
Note
The nutrition calculations were done using online tools. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information is accurate, complete and useful.
Isla
Lovely recipes 👍
Debra Klein
Thank you! Enjoy.
Tyanne Johnson
One of my favorite flavors to make chick peas!
Debra Klein
Mine too!