Roasted Chickpeas - Healthy High Fiber Snack Recipe

Roasted Chickpeas are crunchy little bites that remind me of wasabi peas with more substance. They have more fiber and protein than wasabi peas and they are baked as opposed to fried. They make an excellent afternoon snack.

I've finally given in to the roasted chickpea craze.  They are everywhere; on all the foodie compellation sites like Foodgawker and Photograzing.  However not all the directions are the same.  The temperature for roasting ranges from 360-450 F.  The time also varies from 20-60 minutes.  Plus there are as many seasoning options as there are recipes.

After browsing through all the online roasted chickpea recipes I could find (I literally have 10 tabs open and that's not all of them) I have decided on a plan of action. I will roast the chick peas at 300 degrees for an hour to dry them out and then roast them for an additional 30 minutes at 400 degrees to make them crispy. I am worried they will turn out too chewy in the middle if they aren't dried out first. I have not seen a recipe use this approach, but I know if I use a high heat for a short time to roast pumpkin seeds they would be chewy in the middle and that's not what I am after. I want crunchy garbanzo beans!

Just out of curiosity I compiled all the roasting temperatures and times on all those other recipes. Here's what I got:

350F for 40-50 minutes
360F for 40-50 minutes
400F for 30-40 minutes
400F for 30 minutes
400F for 25-30 minutes
400F for 30 minutes
425F for 30 minutes
450F for 30-40 minutes
And here are the seasoning recommendations:
Soy sauce and toasted sesame seed oilGarlic and onion powder plus piri piriCumin powder, paprika, fennel seeds powder, sesame seeds and sea salt to tasteRosemary, brown sugar and cayenneGarlic powder, salt, cayenneGranulated garlic, salt and pepperSmoked paprika and garlic saltCurry powder and sea saltSmoked paprika and kosher saltSo you can make these up however you want.  I chose garlic powder and cumin with a dash of cayenne.  One of the recipes recommended salting after baking to get a more even roasting.  I assume this is because the salt will pull the water from the outer layer of the pea, leaving the inside unequally moist.  I want the heat to be the only thing driving water out.  So I'm holding off salt until the chickpeas have cooled. 


4 cups of cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne hot pepper powder

Step 1:  Rinse and drain the chickpeas.  You want them as dry as possible.  Then spread them out on a cookie sheet (you want a cook sheet with sides) and drizzle the olive oil over the top.  Toss to coat.  Then sprinkle the seasonings on top. 

Step 2:  Bake the chickpeas at 300 degrees for 60 minutes.  Stir them around ever 15-25 minutes. 

Step 3:  Up the temperature to 400 degrees and continue baking for an additional 30 minutes until the chickpeas turn a nice golden color.  With the higher temperature you'll have to mix them more often, about every 10 minutes.  The chickpeas will get crisper as they cool so don't worry if they aren't completely crunchy when the time is up. 

Step 4:  Remove the chickpeas from the oven and allow them to cool.  Then sprinkle with kosher salt and they are ready to serve or stored in an airtight container.  They make a great snack or used as a garnish.