Not sure how to get your roasted chickpeas ACTUALLY crunchy? Read on… This healthy and delicious snack is super crispy, deliciously seasoned and really easy to make. Gluten Free; Dairy free; Vegan
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What are Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas?
If you have never eaten Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas, let me introduce you… These little balls of savoury crunchiness are a wonderfully simple, yet delightfully moreish, low-calorie healthy snack. They are literally crispy chickpeas! Seasoned and roasted to perfection… Simple to make at home… AND, they stay crunchy for days.
Yes… That’s right… I have found a way to make roasted chickpeas that actually, really DO stay crunchy.
What are chickpeas?
Chickpeas are part of the legume family and are also known as garbanzo beans. Although they’ve more recently become common in the western diet, they have in fact, been grown and enjoyed in the Middle East for thousands of years. Chickpeas have a lovely nutty flavour which does not overpower, so pairs well in many recipes.
A key ingredient in Houmous, curries and poppadoms, you may find you already eat chickpeas often. At Gluten Free Alchemist, we also use the flour from ground chickpeas (known as Gram Flour) in some bakes and breads. Indeed, it is a key ingredient in our very popular gluten free Roti Soft Flatbread recipe, as well as our Indian Flat Breads.
What’s good about Roasted Chickpeas?
Chickpeas are also supercharged with nutrition. Packed with plant-based protein and fibre, they are a perfect addition to any diet and are especially helpful for vegans and vegetarians. But they also pack a punch when it comes to vitamins and minerals too. They’re a great source of B vitamins and folate, as well as minerals such as manganese, iron, phosphorus, potassium and calcium.
So, the option of a recipe that combines all that good stuff in a handy, on-the-go filling snack is a must… And that’s where my Super-Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas come in. Perfect nutrition… Deliciously moreish… Naturally gluten free… Simple to make.
But that’s not all… Crispy Chickpeas are also genius for using up the chickpeas left for anyone who needs to filter off the liquid aquafaba for egg-free baking too. And let’s face it… If you need to use aquafaba for baking… that adds up to a LOT of tins of chickpeas.
What do I need to make Crispy Chickpeas?
Crispy Roasted Chickpeas are really easy to make… They don’t need many ingredients. And they don’t need much by way of equipment either.
Basic ingredients for Roasted Chickpeas
- Cooked chickpeas (canned is good)
- Olive (or other mildly-flavoured) oil
- Spices and seasonings
Equipment needed…
- Small saucepan
- Kitchen paper towels
- Wooden spoon
- Baking tray
- Oven
What is the secret to getting Roasted Chickpeas REALLY crunchy?
The trouble with many recipes for roasted chickpeas is that they claim to be crunchy, but an hour after they have come out of the oven and cooled, they have become soggy and chewy. And that’s not good enough… But this recipe is different!
Why? Because I have worked out a way to ensure Roasted Chickpeas are always Crispy Chickpeas… And that means they stay crunchy not just for an hour, but for days after they have been made… even if left to the air.
how to get crispy chickpeas…
- Make sure the chickpeas are thoroughly dry before preparing them… Use clean kitchen paper towels and wrap the cooked chickpeas well to remove any remaining moisture.
- Get the balance of oil right… The crunchiest Roasted Chickpeas need enough oil to help them crisp, but not so much that they absorb the oil and become greasy and chewy on cooling.
- Most important of all… To get truly crispy chickpeas, the way you roast them matters. It’s a three-stage (but still simple) process. a) lightly fry them off with the spices before they go into the oven. b) Roast for about 25 minutes in a moderately hot oven… That’s hot enough to crisp, but not too high or too long that they burn. c) Turn the oven off, but LEAVE the chickpeas IN the oven to cool as the oven cools… This last stage helps to dry out any remaining moisture, leaving you with roasted chickpeas that are super-crispy.
The ‘spice’ for Spicy Chickpeas
The recipe I have shared below is lightly spiced with Smoked Paprika and cumin and a little ground coriander and garlic powder for balance and sweetness. However, Roasted Chickpeas are super-versatile and can be flavoured in many ways. And if you like your snacks to be spicier, simply add some chilli powder into the mix.
Alternative spicing and flavours for Roasted Chickpeas…
- Spice your crunchy chickpeas creatively… Options include adding ground chilli, paprika, turmeric, cumin, coriander, garlic, mustard, curry powder, cayenne, cardamom, pepper, salt and more…
- Give a zing with a sprinkle of citrus zest or a drizzle of lemon and lime.
- Try ‘herby’ with some ground basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, tarragon, parsley or fennel.
- Play with flavours from around the world using ready-mixed Za’atar, Garam Masala, Ras El Hanout, Herbes de Provence, Jamaican Jerk, Cajun and Creole Seasonings and even BBQ rubs.
- Lock in the delicious flavours of Italy with Pesto Roasted Chickpeas (green or red). It’s easy to use jarred pesto as both the oil and flavour addition in one… But it is definitely worth draining and removing a little of the pesto oil through a tea strainer before adding, or the excess of oil will affect the crunch.
- You could even go ‘sweet’ with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup, alongside some ground cinnamon, ginger, vanilla powder, orange zest, cardamom and star anise.
Ways to eat Crispy Chickpeas
The easiest way to enjoy Roasted Chickpeas is scooping handfuls from bowl to mouth. But they are also perfect for adding a healthy crunch to lots of other dishes too…
- Add a sprinkle to a yummy Buddha Bowl.
- Sprinkle on top of Baba Ghanoush or Hummus for some contrasting crunch.
- Use to pep up a summer salad.
- Offer to party guests as a perfect appetizer ‘bar snack’ or pop in a lunch box.
- Serve on the side with vegetable soup instead of toast.
- Take on a hike to sustain energy levels or on a picnic.
- Add to a Frittata.
- Serve on top of your favourite pasta dish.
Ready to make Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas?
Do let me know if you make my Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas and tell me what flavour changes you made… It’s great to have recommendations from readers who have got creative with recipes and made new discoveries.
And don’t forget to follow Gluten Free Alchemist on Social Media too… It’s often where I share sneak peeks of recipe development and new gluten free discoveries. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest are my favourite haunts…
Crispy Spiced Roasted Chickpeas
Key equipment
- sieve
- kitchen paper
- Small saucepan
- Oven
Ingredients
- 400 g 1 x can of chickpeas drained and dried. Once drained should give about 230-240g chickpeas
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1½ tsp smoked paprika See NOTES
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¾ tsp ground coriander
- ½ to 1 tsp garlic powder optional
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
- Thoroughly drain the chickpeas using a sieve (save the aquafaba (water from the chickpea can) for cooking egg free/vegan bakes if you wish).
- Rinse the drained chickpeas thoroughly with cold water and then dry them well on/with absorbent kitchen paper towels.
- Preheat the oven to 200 C/400 F/Gas 6.
- Put the chickpeas in a small saucepan and add the oil. Stir thoroughly to ensure the chickpeas are evenly coated with the oil.
- Add the spices, garlic (if using) and salt. Stir again until the spices coat the chickpeas well.
- Place the saucepan over a medium heat and (once hot and lightly sizzling) gently fry for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring very frequently so that the spices don't burn.
- Take the pan off the heat and transfer the chickpeas to a baking tray, spreading evenly (you can line the tray with baking paper if you wish).
- Place the tray into the hot oven and bake for 25 minutes, stirring the chickpeas half way through.
- After 25 minutes, turn the oven off and open the door for a couple of minutes to cool the oven’s harsh heat slightly, but do not remove the chickpeas.
- Shut the oven door and leave the chickpeas on the tray to cool inside the cooling oven for at least a further 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and if there is still any warmth in the chickpeas, leave to cool completely on the tray, before transferring to a bowl or container.
Notes
Nutrition
© 2019-2023 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or any part of this recipe on any other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist
Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas shared with
- Fiesta Friday #360 with Angie
- Meatless Monday with Confessions of a Mother Runner and A Whisk and Two Wands
- Cook Blog Share with Recipes Made Easy
- Full Plate Thursday #516 with Miz Helen’s Country Cottage
- What’s For Dinner #294 with The Lazy Gastronome
- Sundays on Silverado #20 with The House On Silverado
Was very excited to try this recipe. They came out very well. One query though. Some of my chickpeas came out perfect, some still slightly chewy and some really crispy to the point of rock hard. Can you suggest why there was variation.
Hi Hamish.
I’ve never had rock hard ones, but did have some which were a little chewier, mainly before I sussed the drying process in the oven. It sounds as though the chickpeas have cooked unequally?
I would suggest not frying for too long and keeping the chickpeas well stirred. Spread as well as possible on the baking tray (if they bunch, they will cook and dry less evenly). And stir more frequently during the oven process too. Hopefully that will help.
Best wishes
Kate
These are amazing and so much better than any I’ve made, going back 10 years! I am so glad I found this recipe. I made it for our very intimate New Year’s Eve dinner, pandemic style. Thank you and happy new year!
You are SO welcome Alene. Really pleased that they worked well for you.
Happy New Year and stay safe xx
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Thank you for sharing at #OverTheMoon. Pinned and shared. Have a lovely week. I hope to see you at next week’s party too! Please stay safe and healthy. Come party with us at Over The Moon! Catapult your content Over The Moon! @marilyn_lesniak @EclecticRedBarn
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Thanks Marilyn. And thank you for hosting x
I love roasted chickpeas, this looks yummy! Hope you had a great Christmas and thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday,516. We hope to see you back here again soon!
Miz Helen
Thank you Helen. Me too! xx
sounds like a tasty little snack that is very good for us as well
thanks for sharing come see us at shopannies.blogspot.com
Thanks Angie. Definitely a super-healthy snack. x
I’m defintely going to try your method as when I’ve tried other recipes, the chickpeas have gone soggy.
Definitely try this method Kat… It made all the difference to the texture. Super-crunchy xx
This is another recipe on my mega list that I somehow just haven’t managed to get around to. Great tips on how to make your chickpeas super crunchy and they sound delicious too.
Hope you have a Merry Christmas and I wish you all the best for 2021.
Thank you Choclette. And Merry Christmas to you too…
Definitely try this method… It made all the difference to the texture xx
I love crunchy chick peas. Great seasonings on these. Thanks for linking up today
Thank you Deborah.
Have a great Christmas x