How to Make Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas

Looking for a healthy, flavor-packed snack?! These easy roasted chickpeas are your ticket! Roasted in the oven, chickpeas are transformed into a nutty, crunchy, savory snack! Be sure to check out the tips and video below for how to roast chickpeas so that they maintain their crunch.

Are chickpeas good for you?

Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are a regular item on my shopping list! They are satisfying and nutritious--a good source of plant-based protein, fiber, and carbohydrates. And those on heart-healthy, diabetic, and weight-loss diets can especially benefit from chickpea recipes as a healthier option to meat and soy-based proteins (source).

And it's not hard to find delicious ways to use chickpeas! I use them in my cooking all the time--from making creamy hummus (obviously) to warm-your-belly pots like Mediterranean bean soup, Greek braised eggplant, and Moroccan vegetable tagine. And on busy nights, it's something like Mediterranean couscous salad.

If you're after a crunchy, savory, flavor-packed snack: roasted chickpeas! 

Roasted in the oven, chickpeas magically transform into an amazing crunchy, salty, savory snack (or you can throw them on your salad in place of croutons!)I like to eat them hot out-of-the-oven. Irresistible!

How to roast chickpeas

This easy, savory snack is very easy to make, all you need is a hot oven and three key ingredients: chickpeas, olive oil, and salt. Here is what you do:

• First, Dry Chickpeas very very well! In this recipe, I start with 2 cans of chickpeas. The most important step is to make sure the chickpeas are absolutely dry. So once you've rinsed the chickpeas, use paper towels to dry them very well. Then leave them in a colander for a while so that they would release any moisture. The dryer and less moist (not my favorite word btw!) the chickpeas, the crispier they will be once roasted.
• Coat with olive oil and a good pinch of kosher salt. And transfer the chickpeas to a large baking sheet, making sure to spread the chickpeas well so that they are in one layer.
• Roast in a high heated oven at 400 degrees F for 20 to 35 minutes or until the chickpeas turn golden brown and crispy to your liking. Shake the sheet pan on occasion (every 10 minutes or so).
• Season the chickpeas immediately after roasting. In this recipe, only kosher salt and olive oil are applied to the chickpeas before roasting. I like to wait until I pull the chickpeas from the oven before adding any more spices or seasonings. This way, the spices don't interfere with the "crisping" process. More importantly, spices have the tendency to burn and become bitter.

How to season them

There are so many ways to season ans spice up roasted chickpeas. The possibilities are literally endless.

This time, I went for warm Middle Eastern and Moroccan flavors.

I used a combination of two of my favorite blends: za'atar (made of Mediterranean wild thyme and toasted sesame seeds) and harissa (a unique North African blend of three types of chili along with warm cumin, coriander and more.) I also like to add a bit of sumac for tang. (By the way, you can find these spices at our  online shop).

The beauty here is that you can play with all sorts of flavors to dress up your roasted chickpeas. Here are a few more flavor combinations you might like:

• Feeling something more herby and bright? Use finely minced fresh herbs like parsley, mint, or basil + sumac or lemon zest!
• For Greek or Italian, try adding a bit of thyme, oregano, or even piney rosemary (chop up your dry rosemary as it can be too hard.)
• Want something warmer or on the spicy side? Add cayenne or a bit of your favorite chili pepper (I like Aleppo pepper, which is not too hot but has a nice, easy kick!)

Roasted chickpeas from dried

I often use canned chickpeas in this recipe because that's what I buy more of, but if you have a bag of dry chickpeas and you're wondering if you can make this chickpeas recipe from dried chickpeas, yes you can! In fact, baked chickpeas from dried can be even more crunchy! You do not have to cook the dried chickpeas before you roast them. Here is how:

• When making this recipe from dried beans, start by soaking the chickpeas in plenty of water for about 24 hours. They will expand and at least double in size, which is what you want.
• Before you roast them, be sure to dry the chickpeas very well.
• Bake the chickpeas on a large sheet pan at 400 degrees F until they are nice and crispy (about 20 to 35 minutes).
• Season with your favorite spices just as they come out of the oven.

Why are my roasted chickpeas not crunchy?

Here are a few tips to make sure your chickpeas are as crispy as possible:

• Make sure they are perfectly dry before roasting them. Whether you're using canned chickpeas or if you've soaked some dried chickpeas to make this recipe, dry them up as well as you could.
• Want to go the extra mile? Peel the chickpeas (garbanzo beans.) I'm lazy, and I don't peel my chickpeas. But, because the skins of the chickpeas can hold some moisture underneath them, it's not a bad idea to peel them off and dry them some more with a paper towel
• Do not skimp on the olive oil. I use about 3 tablespoon quality extra virgin olive oil (Private Reserve Greek EVOO.) I may even use more if I don't feel that the chickpeas are well-coated with the oil. You can use less if you like, but your chickpeas will not be as crispy.
• Use a high-heated oven anywhere from 400 degrees F to 450 degrees F. Ovens do vary, so you are the best judge of that for your oven.
• Do not use parchment paper on your sheet pan. For me, the heated surface of the sheet pan will do a much better job to crisp up the chickpeas. And in fact, if you want to go the extra mile, go ahead and heat the sheet pan in the oven before adding your chickpeas (but be careful not to burn your hands working with the hot sheet pan).
• Roast the chickpeas long enough, and do not pull them out of the oven until they are golden brown and crispy to your liking. This can be anywhere from 20 to 35 minutes, depending on your oven.
• Shake the pan and toss the chickpeas every 10 minutes so that all sides of the chickpeas have a chance to be touching the heated surface.
• Let the crispy baked chickpeas fully cool before storing. A glass jar is the best to use for storage, keep the lid somewhat lose will allow the chickpeas to breathe and keep them crispy for longer.
• And finally, chickpeas will lose their crisp after a couple of days, you can re-crisp them by simply sticking them in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes or so as needed.

How long will roasted chickpeas last?

You might wonder, how to store roasted chickpeas so that they at least maintain some crunch.

I love them right out of the oven. When they sit for a while and cool off, roasted chickpeas will lose a little bit of their crunch. BUT, they turn nutty, intense with flavor, and a bit chewy on the inside. In my opinion, still irresistible.

If you've used fresh herbs or lemon zest, I recommend you enjoy the chickpeas as soon as possible. But otherwise, if you just used some dry spices to give them flavor, you can store cooled roasted chickpeas in a glass jar. They'll last for 4 to 5 days. And as I said earlier, Leaving the storage jar lid a bit lose, allows the chickpeas to breath, keeping them crispy for longer.

And by the way, you can freeze roasted chickpeas for about 1 month!

More chickpea recipes

If you love chickpeas and are looking for more ways to use them, check these two articles out:

• 21 Mediterranean Chickpea Recipes that Aren't Hummus
• How to Cook Chickpeas (3 Ways!)

More healthy snacks

Browse Top 50 Mediterranean Diet recipes. Browse all recipes here.

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4.91 from 41 votes

Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas

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Suzy Karadsheh

Make these crunchy chickpeas for an easy, healthy, flavor-packed snack! Salt and olive oil is all you need for the roasted chickpeas, but if you want to jazz them up, add some spices or seasoning as soon as they're out of the oven!

Prep – 5 mins

Cook – 25 mins

Cuisine:

Mediterranean

Serves – 30 tablespoons

Course:

Snack

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 15-oz cans chickpeas drained and rinsed
• ▢ Extra virgin olive oil, I used Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ Kosher salt
• ▢ Seasoning of your choice, I used za'atar, sumac and harissa

Instructions

 

•  Drain and dry chickpeas very well.  Dry them up using some paper towels and leave them in a colander until they have dried as much as possible (OR you can spread them on  a large baking sheet lined with paper towel for a while.)
• Heat the oven to 400 degrees F and position a rack right in the middle.
• Spread the chickpeas well on a bare baking sheet (do not line the baking sheet with parchment or foil.) Drizzle a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil and season with kosher salt. Toss chickpeas and make sure they are well-coated with the olive oil. Spread them out well on the sheet.
• Roast in heated oven anywhere from 20 to 35 minutes, shaking the pan every 10 minutes or so for even cooking. Don't rush it, make sure the chickpeas turn a deeper golden brown and the exterior is nice and crispy, that's when they're ready.
• Season roasted chickpeas. Once you take the chickpeas out of the oven, immediately season with spices of your choice. This time, I used za'atar, sumac, and harissa blend  (up to 2 teaspoon each) for warm Middle Eastern and Moroccan notes. Play with the amounts to your liking, and change up the spices according to what you have. (see more flavor ideas up in the post)

Video

Notes

• Makes nearly 2 cups or 30 tablespoons. The serving size here is 1 tablespoon.
• Roasted chickpeas from dried: If you'd like to make this recipe from dry chickpeas, do not cook them! Simply soak the dry chickpeas in plenty of water for 24 hours. They will expand and at least double in size, that's what you want.  Follow the same instructions for drying and roasting.
• How to Keep Chickpeas Crispy: roasted chickpeas are best warm right out of the oven, they are crispiest at this point. Once they cool off and are stored for a time, they will maintain some crunch, but they will soften a bit on the inside. Still a very tasty and additive snack. If you want to re-crisp them, you can put them in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes when you need to. 
• Storage Tip: You can store cooled roasted chickpeas in a glass jar. They'll last for 4 to 5 days. And Leaving the jar lid a bit lose allows the chickpeas to breath, keeping them crispy for longer.  You can also freeze them for later.
• Visit our online shop to browse our olive oil bundles and all-natural and organic spices used this recipe and more!

Nutrition

Calories: 33.2kcalCarbohydrates: 3.8gProtein: 1.4gFat: 1.5gSaturated Fat: 0.2gSodium: 78.8mgPotassium: 40.8mgFiber: 1.2gVitamin A: 4.3IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 9.9mgIron: 0.4mg

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*This post originally appeared on The Mediterranean Dish in fall of 2019 and has been recently updated with new information for readers' benefit. Enjoy!