Published: · Last Updated: by Katie Trant · 11 Comments
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You're going to love these Crispy Roasted Chickpeas! They're crunchy, salty, and a little bit spicy. Totally vegan and gluten-free, these oven baked chickpeas make a great snack and they're a perfect topping for salads. Your roasted chickpeas will turn out extra crispy thanks to a simple trick I'll teach you below.
Many years ago I was sitting at a bar in Rome having a glass of bubbles when our server plunked down a bowl of crispy roasted chickpeas to nibble on. Man, were they ever good!
Soon after that I learned how easy it is to make your own roasted chickpeas at home. Once you know how too, you'll be in crispy, crunchy plant-based snacking heaven any time you want. They're as moorish as potato chips, but way healthier and much more satisfying since they contain a ton of plant-based protein and dietary fiber.
It's no secret that we're huge fans of beans here on HNL, and if we can make a delicious snack out of our favourite superfood, all the better!
Super quick, let's get one thing out of the way: what's the difference between garbanzo beans and chickpeas?
The difference is there is no difference. Same bean, different name! The word garbanzo has Spanish origins and the word chickpea is more commonly used in English. So you can call these roasted garbanzo beans or roasted chickpeas as you see fit.
Ingredients for Roasted Chickpeas
The ingredient list is short and sweet for this crispy crunchy snack! You'll need to grab some:
- Chickpeas --> Canned chickpeas or cooked from dried are both fine. (Related: Instant Pot Chickpeas)
- Oil --> I'm using olive oil for these beauties.
- Salt and pepper --> To make these dang tasty.
- Spices and / or herbs --> We'll discuss your options below!
How to roast chickpeas
Step 1: Friends, stay with me here. For the crispiest roasted chickpeas I'm going to ask you to peel your chickpeas.
I promise you this step will only take a few minutes of your time. It's almost meditative work to pinch a chickpea between your fingers and feel it slip out of the skin, plop it into a bowl, and repeat. Here's a guide on how to peel chickpeas if you need a visual.
If you're really opposed to it you *can* skip this step, but I must warn you that taking the time to peel your beans really does yield *much* crispier roasted chickpeas in the end.
Step 2: Whether or not you've peeled your chickpeas, you also need to dry them. Are these beans high maintenance or what?! I use a clean and lint-free kitchen towel and give them a good pat dry. Paper towel is also fine for this job.
Step 3: Once dried, place your garbanzo beans into a bowl and add the olive oil, salt, and pepper. But - and this is important - we'renot going to add any other seasonings until AFTER the beans are roasted.
Step 4: Spread your oiled beans out on a baking sheet and give it a shake it to spread them out in an even layer. Then place this pan into a oven to roast for about 30 minutes. We're going to give the pan a shake about every 10 minutes and keep a very close eye on it.
Beware of exploding beans! As your roasted garbanzo beans get close to done, the odd bean will POW! Pop when you reach in to shake the pan.
Step 5: Season your roasted chickpeas! We're going to add our seasonings the second they are done baking. This will prevent the spices and seasonings from burning while the chickpeas are roasting, and also will help ensure the best crunch.
Roasted Chickpea Seasoning Suggestions
In this recipe I've kept it pretty simple and have seasoned my roasted chickpeas with just smoked paprika and a bit of salt. But the options for mixing up your seasonings are endless!
- Keep it simple with just oil and salt
- Lemon zest
- Finely grated Parmesan (or other hard cheese)
- Za'atar
- Duukah
- Freshly minced herbs
- Smoky cumin and coriander
- Chili powder
- Garlic powder
- Curry powder
- A pinch of cayenne if you want to bring some heat
- Basically any seasoning blend from Trader Joes (I love the Cheesy one and also Everything but the Elote, and Everything Bagel seasoning for my roasted chickpeas)
Tips for the Best Roasted Chickpeas
There are a few steps you can make to ensure your roasted chickpeas are as crispy and delicious as possible! Here's what you need to know:
Peel your chickpeas
Many people will choose to skip this step. That's ok! I have always found that peeling the beans does yield the crispiest roasted chickpeas, but it's totally up to you.
Make sure your chickpeas are really dry
The thing with removing the skins and then patting them dry is that you're removing as much moisture from the surface of the bean as you possibly can. Trapped moisture = not crispy. A dry, bare naked bean, on the other hand, will crisp up like an old man at the nude beach. I know you know what I'm talking about.
Coat the chickpeas in oil
Make sure that each and every chickpea is fully coated in oil - and don't skimp on it! If your beans are looking a little dry, add a little extra oil to the pan to ensure they're all fully coated.
Do not use parchment paper
Skip the parchment, silpat, or any other sort of non-stick liner. You want your chickpeas to have direct contact with the hot sheet pan in order to achieve optimal crispiness. Be sure to give the pan an occasional shake while roasting so you move the beans around and different sides of them get contact with the pan.
Cool before storing
Roasted chickpeas will always be crispiest when they're fresh out of the oven, but if you're planning to store them it's super important that they're fully cooled before you transfer them into any sort of storage container. Warm beans packed into a container will create steam and steam will create soggy beans.
Recipe FAQs
How to tell your roasted chickpeas are done
When your chickpeas are finished roasting they'll be a nice golden brown colour, will have shrunk considerably, and will be quite crispy. Some beans will appear split down the middle. Please note - your chickpeas will continue to crisp up as they cool.
When should I season my roasted chickpeas?
You can season 'em up as soon as you take them out of the oven. Any sooner than that and you risk burning the spices. I like to toss mine in a half teaspoon or so of hot smoked paprika, but feel free to play around with other seasonings. You can also use fresh herbs, lemon zest, etc.
How to store roasted chickpeas
Once your roasted chickpeas are fully cool, you can room temperature in a container without a lid. If you store them with a lid on, they'll lose their crispiness.
Please do not put your roasted beans in the fridge.
How long do roasted chickpeas last?
Most folks will tell you that roasted chickpeas will only keep for a few days before they lose their crunch, but I have a bowl of crispy roasted garbanzo beans in my kitchen cupboard that have been in there for two weeks and they're still nice and crunchy.
Can you use dried chickpeas instead of canned?
You sure can! If you've been doing some batch cooking and you've got a big batch of chickpeas you cooked from dry, you can certainly use those chickpeas in this recipe.
You can also use dried chickpeas that have been soaked overnight - you don't even have to cook them first! Simply soak for 12-24 hours until the chickpeas have doubled in size, dry thoroughly, coat with oil, and roast in the oven. These babies will be extra crispy.
Why are my roasted chickpeas not crunchy?
This could occur for a number of reasons. First, you've gotta make sure they're really really properly dry before they go into the oven. Wet chickpeas = soggy chickpeas. Second, ensure you have roasted them for long enough. Every oven is different, and it may take a bit more time than indicated to get perfectly crunchy chickpeas in your oven. Also be sure to give the pan a shake every 10-ish minutes while the chickpeas are roasting in order to expose all parts of the bean to the heat.
Ways to use Roasted Chickpeas
Aside from snacking on roasted chickpeas directly out of the oven, there are lots of great ways you can use this recipe:
- I love to use them in salads (like this Kale Caesar Salad) in place of croutons.
- Roasted chickpeas are great crunchy soup toppers. Try them with this Healthy Cauliflower Soup.
- Add to meal bowls for added protein and crunch.
- Add to sandwiches or wraps.
- Just eat them by the handful!
Are Roasted Chickpeas Healthy?
You bet they are! Chickpeas contain about 12.5 grams of fiber per cup, which is 50% of the recommended daily intake of dietary fiber.About two-thirds of the fiber in garbanzos is insoluble, which is great for digestive health.
The protein + fiber combination in chickpeas is key for stabilizing blood sugar levels, as both protein and fiber move through our digestive systems at a moderate pace.
Chickpeas are also notable for antioxidant nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene. Not only that, chickpeas contain valuable amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids, including alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the body's omega-3 fatty acid from which all other omega-3 fats are made.
Other recipes you might enjoy:
Baked Zucchini Fries
Crispy Potato Wedges
Olive Oil Braised Chickpeas
Air Fryer Kale Chips
Chickpea Fries
Chickpea Fritters
Italian Rice Balls
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4.80 from 5 votes
Roasted Chickpeas Recipe
You're going to love these Crispy Roasted Chickpeas! They're crunchy, salty, and a little bit spicy. Totally vegan and gluten-free, these oven-baked chickpeas make a great snack and they're a perfect topping for salads.
Course Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword Roasted chickpeas
Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes minutes
Total Time 45 minutes minutes
Servings 6
Calories 259kcal
Author Katie Trant
Ingredients
- 28 oz chickpeas Approx 2 cans, or 3 cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon hot smoked paprika.
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
Pre-heat your oven to 350°F / 180°C.
Drain and rinse your chickpeas. Pat dry, and then gently roll them between two clean kitchen towels to start removing the skins. Remove the remaining skins by pinching each bean between your fingers and sliding the skin off.
28 oz chickpeas
Place the peeled and dried chickpeas into a bowl, and combine with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet, using two sheets if necessary to prevent over crowding (crowded beans will steam rather than crisping).
Place into the oven to roast for 30 minutes, shaking the pan every 10-15 minutes to turn the beans.
When the roasted garbanzo beans are golden brown and crispy, remove from the oven and toss with any desired seasonings.
½ teaspoon hot smoked paprika.
Use immediately or store in a container without a lid for one week.
Notes
- Nutrition values are an estimate only and are based on six snack-sized portions
Nutrition
Calories: 259kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 203mg | Potassium: 384mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 120IU | Vitamin C: 1.7mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 3.9mg
This recipe was originally published April 21, 2012. It was retested, rephotographed, and updated May 7, 2019. Most recently edited and updated March 11, 2023.
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Leah
Is it really necessary to peel the chickpeas? I know some do this when making hummus, but I never have. I would think the crispy skins would be great.
Reply
Katie Trant
Peeling the chickpeas will always yield a crispier roasted chickpea since there will be a bit of moisture trapped between the skin and the bean. But you can certainly skip this step if you prefer - this is addressed in the recipe FAQ section 🙂
Reply
Maria
Do you think removing the hull will reduce the amount of fiber in the finished product, akin to what happens with grains and produce? Surely still high fiber and better for you than most snack foods, but it does make me wonder ...
Reply
Katie Trant
You will definitely lose a bit of the fiber, but yes, overall a very healthy and still high-fiber snack.
Reply
Katie
I always peel chickpeas!! I can’t help it - it’s like bubble wrap & sort of addicting haha.
Reply
Polly
Hi there, I made them and I love them! It reminds me a lot of a south moroccan street food snack, they do something similar with the chickpeas and then serve it mixed with salted peanutsReply
Lucy
Love chickpeas. And paprika. Mixing the two sounds like heaven!
Reply
themuffinmyth
They are pretty heavenly! I hope you give them a try.
Reply
Leanne
These look like a fantastic snack! I'm proud to say I may even have all three kinds of paprikas on hand ... I wouldn't have thought to try rosemary and thyme with them, but that makes it sound even better (Is thyme even inappropriate??). Thanks for the recipe!
Reply
Leanne
Oops, meant "ever" inappropriate. Doh.
Reply
themuffinmyth
Ha! Thyme is *never* inappropriate!
Reply
