Roasted Chickpeas 
Photo by Gina Homolka
Roasted chickpeas make a healthy addictive snack with a nutty texture and flavor. Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans) are high in fiber, and a great source of protein, zinc, folate, iron, calcium and magnesium. This recipe is so simple to make and you can season them with your favorite spices. This is my favorite way to eat them.
HERE'S ALL IT TAKES
Servings: 2-3 servings • Time: 30-35 minutes
- 1 can chickpeas, drained
- olive oil spray
- salt
- chili pepper powder
- cumin
- paprika
- coriander
- curry powder
- garlic powder
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Drain the chickpeas in a colander and let them dry completely. Pat dry with a paper towel if needed.
Arrange chickpeas on a baking sheet in a single layer and roast for about 30-35 minutes, shaking the pan every ten minutes. All ovens may vary so make sure they don't burn. (They should be golden brown and crunchy on the inside when done, not moist.)
In a medium bowl, combine all the spices. When chickpeas are done, remove them from the oven and spray with olive oil spray. Immediately toss with spices while hot. Eat at room temperature.
These sound really good. My parents use roasted chickpeas as a coffee substitute. I wasn’t too excited about that, but I might have to try this.
Anna, Did you just write “coffee substitute?”
You can’t just leave me like that. How, why, what?
PLEASE PLEASE tell me your parents story of how they came to make roasted chickpeas a coffee substitute. I must know this story.
LOL, I am curious too!
I love roasted chickpeas. I make them all the time with various spices and seasonings. I swear I could eat a pound of them if I were left to my own devices.
What a killer idea. This sounds way better than bagged popcorn which I regularly find myself eating.
Jill,
Click the link in my first comment. It’ll take you to my dad’s blog where he explains it.
I’ve always sprayed with cooking spray, tossed with spices and THEN cooked them.
I love these…a little too much
Does anyone think this mght be better if you cooked your own chicakpeas, versus useing the canned? The Chicago Tribune food section this week (12/10/08) noted “the canning process changes the taste of the broth” (And so, I would presume, the taste of the chickpeas in the broth as well)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/food/chi-chickpea-salad-10dec10,0,191076.storyhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/features/food/chi-chickpea-salad-10dec10,0,191076.story
Im real interested in trying this (I dont ever remember eat chickpeas like this) but wondered if this ’snack’ would be worth the extra effort of making from ’scratch’?
tim
What did I do wong?
I was looking forward to crispy, crunchy, nut like texture and I got mushy bean texture inside.
A little more guidance…. How long do I let them ‘dry’ after taking them out of the can and rinsing them off? I drained, rinsed,and patted them dry and let them sit for about an hour. Then put in the oven for about 40 minutes.
The outside was a little crispy the inside was a bean. A boiled bean. Mushy. Yuch.
Tell me. What did I do wrong?
tim
Tim, which can of chickpeas did you buy?
I haven’t made these, yet.
I’m wondering about the size of the chickpea, the length of oven time, and maybe increasing the oven temperature for larger peas…
I’ll shoot Gina an email and ask her for some troubleshooting tips here.
Standard 12 oz can of Bushes best Garbanzo bean chickpeas. The chickpeas themselves were pretty small, maybe the size of a corn nut, or a little smaller.
I hope its something I did wrong. The flavor was good, it was just an expectation of texture that wasnt there….
Thanks,
tim
Hi Tim,
It sounds like they needed more time.
Since all ovens vary, I would try increasing the temperature to 400-425 degrees. Or, perhaps leaving them in a little longer. I usually test one to make sure they are crunchy before I turn my oven off.
Hope that helps.
Gina
Will try it again this week. I have high hopes for this.
tim
I'm Anna's dad, the one who uses garbanzo beans, chickpeas, as a coffee substitute. Check my blog gdpifer1@blogspot.com
Tim, it also helps if you rub the hull off the outside before you bake them. It takes a little longer, but it is definitely worth it.