The Secret to Crispy Roasted Chickpeas {+ Maple Cinnamon Recipe} (2024)

A few years ago I had my first taste of crispy, roasted chickpeasat a community food swap here in Minneapolis (which sadly had to dissolve because of state laws, boo). Seasoned with just sea salt and a little olive oil, they were addictive, and intriguing. Surprisingly brittleandcrunchy, they reminded me of corn nuts, but wait, theywere made frombeans!

I tried making them at home several times after that, but couldn’t replicate the texture. The gal who made them said said it was simple, just roasting them at 350 degrees, yet mine keptkept coming out with too much moisture, or burnt trying to get them crispy. She had to have had a certain technique, I was sure of it. Over the years I’ve tried dozens of recipes, on a questto achieve the texture that your mouth says deep-fried, but the truth says baked in the oven.

Finally, with ideas collected from several sources, my quest forhow to make crispy roasted chickpeas is finished.Like anything, I discovered it takes a little elbow greaseand a bit of time (mostly hands off), but it’s so worth it! Today I’m sharing my technique with you, alongwith a recipe for this maple cinnamon version frommy friend Amie of The Healthy Apple‘s new cookbook, “Eating Clean“. I’m also including the faster technique sheuses, which produces a nutty, softer chickpea– different andjust as lovely.Either wayyou choose tomake them, they’re worthy of eating by the handful.

How to make crispyroasted chickpeas:

1. Put on some good music, and get ready to PEEL. Yes, peeling each one of the garbanzo beans (interchangeable term forchickpeas) is key in getting these babies to dry out and take in the heat from the oven. The skins are wet, which means moisture is left underneath that skinif you don’t remove.The easiest way to do this isby rubbing the beans in between a towel, which will start the peeling process for you, then just finish with your hands. And I know you might think I’m crazy, but it’s actually kind of therapeutic, similar to those adult color books.
2. Thechickpeas are roasted without any oil for the first half of baking, which allows them to crisp up without turning greasy, a Melissa Clark trick.
3. This is also the point at which you’ll addspices or seasonings, otherwise the delicate spices have a tendency to become bitter beingexposed to pretty high heat.
4. Once you’ve added the oil and spices, you’ll bake for 15 more minutes, then open the door and let them cool inside the oven for maximum drying without burning. Alton Brown was the one who taught me this – he always has the answers.
5. Store them in a parchment paper bag, like these, instead of in a plastic storage container. This helps keep them dry, and doesn’t let moisture collect. The power of air circulation!

You can experiment with all sorts of seasonings, but I’m loving this maple cinnamon combination. Reminiscent of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, with just a few wholesome ingredients. Yum. I foundsunflower oil to be a nice blank canvas compared to olive oil, letting the pure maple syrup and cinnamon shine. {The oil and syrup come frommy partner, Now Foods!}

Now a little about Amie and her just published, “Eating Clean”, which is so much more than a cookbook. I admire her so much, compiling herstruggle with auto-immune disease and how sheused food and lifestyle changes to help managechronic illness in such a beautiful way. It comes from a genuine place in her heart, reaching out to those who want to feel better. As someone who has personally battled different auto-immune issues,I could relate. But even if you are as healthy as can be, I think you’ll find a lot of great things in the book, from delicious allergy friendly recipes that anyone would love, to strategies for removing toxins from your house and DIY cleaning solutions.There’s even anA-Z on how to cook pantry staples like grains & legumes, and personal car recipes for toothpaste, deodorant, etc. You can find many of the details, videos, and more recipes from the book HERE.

And perhaps what I love most about Amie’sphilosophy, a common theme throughout the book is this – “There is no ONE ideal diet.” As I’ve written about before,just because something works for someone else, your body may respond differently. And just because something is labeled a certain way like, vegan or paleo, doesn’t mean that your it works for your body either. Obsessing over those facts actually brings you down several other rabbit holes…. Something I wish I would have known last year while in the throws of trying to heal my small intestinal bacterial overgrowth by following the Auto-Immune Protocol (AIP).

The bottom line, as Amie says, is that “you are the expert on your body”. There are many different ways to eat healthy and nourish yourself. It’s all about finding your equation, the one that makes you feel satisfied and energized in all aspects, which certainly isn’t encompassed by just one label. If a food makes you feel lousy, or the house you live in, or the people around you, it’s not for you.

Such a great way to reflect on many pieces oflife. Grab the book, you’ll be glad you did. These roasted chickpeas would be the perfect snack to your reading session? ;) Enjoy!

This post is sponsored by NOW Foods, and they kindly gave me the cookbook as they are teaming up with Amy in promotion of her book. All opinions are my own, and I’m so grateful to work with great brands, as well as all of you who support me! Some of the links in the post are of Amazon affiliates, which I may make a small commission from should you purchase via clicking.