This snack!! Crispy Roasted Chickpeas are one of my favorite snacks ever and I swear I went for a day or so once eating only these. (Lol or sad?)

What’s so great about these is that they are super portable — you can take them with you ANYWHERE, even into a movie theater in your purse, on a long car ride, etc. So easy to take with you! That and they are composed of mostly chickpeas and a little bit of spice…

Chickpeas on the plant, image via Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0

But, what’s so great about chickpeas?

Well, for starters — protein and fiber! When you eat just a cup of chickpeas, you get HALF of the daily recommended requirement for your fiber. THAT’S A LOT! And it’s healthy, whole-food based plant protein, and you can feel good about that.

And according to Dr. Fuhrman’s website:

Beans are nutritionally unique.
Beans and other legumes (such as lentils and split peas) are the ideal starchy food. When many people think of high-fiber, starch-containing foods, they think of whole grains, which are healthful foods, but beans are nutritionally superior. Beans and other legumes have uniquely high levels of fiber and resistant starch, carbohydrates that are not broken down by our digestive system. Though indigestible, these carbohydrates have a number of valuable health effects. First, because they are indigestible they reduce the total number of calories that can be absorbed from beans. Fiber and resistant starch also limit the glycemic (blood sugar raising) effects of beans. Finally, when resistant starch and some fibers reach the colon, they act as food for our healthy gut bacteria, which then ferment it into anti-cancer compounds in the colon.

Chickpeas are also called garbanzo beans, in case you were wondering. And chickpeas (and other legumes and beans in general) have been known to be a great source of food satiety. Meaning that if you eat them, you are more likely to be satisfied and crave less.

And we all need some more of that, don’t we? …just me?  :P

Chickpeas aren’t always cream-colored. (Image by © Jorge Royan / http://www.royan.com.ar, CC BY-SA 3.0)

So you can really snack on chickpeas as much as you want (as long as they’re not loaded with oil or salt). For this particular recipe, after you’ve made them, store these uncovered for a day or so to keep them crispy. If you store them in a container, they will likely lose their crispiness. Or you can just roast them for a few minutes again to crisp them up again!

Crispy Roasted Chickpeas Recipe

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

50 mins

Total time

55 mins

 

PRO TIP: If you don’t dry the chickpeas enough, it may take longer for them to crisp up, or they may not crisp up at all. All ovens and kitchen condivtions such as humidity levels are different, and these can be finicky to get perfectly crispy. Good news is I love them crispy or not, and they still make a great snack either way! Bonus Tip: Use any kind of seasoning you like - Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute is my current fave!

Author: cheri

Serves: 1-2 snacks

Ingredients

• 1 15.5-ounce can chickpeas/garbanzo beans
• Olive oil, use a mister for spraying
• Garlic salt
• Onion salt
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Rinse the chickpeas and drain well. Use paper towels to dry them as much as possible. Some of the skins will come off, you can discard them but it’s not necessary to peel them all off -- they help with the crispiness!
2. On an aluminum foil lined baking tray, place all of the chickpeas in a single layer. Use a mister to spray the chickpeas with olive oil (or just drizzle some if you don’t have a mister). Sprinkle, garlic and onion powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Turn the chickpeas with your hands or a spoon to make sure the oil and seasonings lightly cover all surfaces.
3. Roast in the oven for 35 minutes and then shake the pan to turn the chickpeas. Roast for another 20-30 minutes or until they are dark golden brown and crispy inside. Make sure to check them periodically so they don’t burn.

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This is another recipe from my free e-cookbook of my favorite healthy recipes. Be sure to get your copy if you haven’t already!

What is YOUR favorite way to use chickpeas?