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Oven roasted chickpeas make a great vegan, gluten-free bar snack (or snack snack) that just seems like fun, delicious food. Here’s how to make them in a variety of fabulous flavors.
Why we love this recipe
I sometimes think about what it would have been like to be human before the dawn of crunchy snacks. Let’s just say I’m grateful to have been born after that dark, dark time.
Oven roasted chickpeas are popular for a reason. They have all the crave-inducing qualities of a good chip, paired with the impeccable nutritional profile of a can of beans. This recipe:
- Comes together quickly and easily with common pantry ingredients
- Stays crispy for days, if you can get the batch to last that long
- Adapts to a wide variety of your favorite flavors
- Pairs beautifully with a good beer, if you’re into that sort of thing
I first published this recipe here way back in 2011. I’ve since updated the post for clarity and added some flavor options, but the basic recipe remains the same.
What you’ll need
Here’s a glance at the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe.
- You can make this recipe with canned chickpeas or ones you’ve cooked yourself. Although most chickpeas sold in the U.S. are of the same variety, they vary pretty substantially in size. Canned chickpeas also vary a lot in moisture content by brand. You may have to experiment a bit with cooking time to find the sweet spot for your type.
- Beyond chickpeas, the base recipe requires only olive oil and salt. I like to add additional seasonings — see the section below for lots of suggestions.
How to make it
Here’s an overview of what you’ll do to make a fabulous batch of crunchy roasted chickpeas. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below.
- The name of the game here is dry. First you’ll drain and rinse your chickpeas, shaking off any excess moisture. Then place them in a single layer between clean kitchen towels or multiple layers of paper towels. Gently press and roll them around to dry and loosen some of the skins. Remove and discard any loose skins that result from this process, but definitely don’t worry about getting rid of them all.
- Spread the beans in a single layer on a sheet pan lined with parchment or a silpat. Roast in the center of a 400°F oven for five minutes to give them a chance to dry out a little bit more.
- Remove from the oven, let cool until you can touch them, and then toss with olive oil and salt. Roast for about 40 minutes more, depending on size. Pull the batch out of the oven, remove a few and let cool to test for crunch. You can decide on your preferred level of crunch, keeping in mind: (1) they will continue to crisp up as they cool completely and (2) you may prefer a slight give in the very center of at least some of the beans, but know that they will not remain crisp for a period of days if you leave them this way.
- Toss with additional seasonings and serve.
Recommended seasonings
Oven roasted chickpeas have a remarkably adaptable flavor profile that takes well to a variety of seasonings. Here are some of my favorites.
Toss with beans immediately after roasting:
- Ranch: 2 tablespoons packaged or homemade ranch seasoning
- Smoky garlic: 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika + 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika + 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- BBQ: 2 tablespoons rib rub
- Cinnamon sugar: 2 tablespoons granulated sugar + 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Toss with beans halfway through roasting:
- Soy and lime: 2 tablespoons soy sauce + 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice + zest of 1 lime after roasting
Before roasting:
- Salt & vinegar: Place the drained chickpeas in a pot along with 3 cups distilled white vinegar. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and let sit for 30 minutes. Drain and proceed as directed with the recipe, using 1 teaspoon fine sea salt.
Expert tips and FAQs
You can! If you’ve cooked them until they’re crunchy throughout, oven roasted chickpeas will keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for a week.
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Oven Roasted Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked chickpeas, from two 15-ounce / 425-gram cans
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- See notes below for additional seasoning recommendations
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F with a rack in the center.
- Pour chickpeas into a colander, discarding liquid, and rinse thoroughly. Shake off any excess moisture.
- Arrange chickpeas in a single layer between clean kitchen towels or multiple layers of paper towels. Gently press and roll them around to dry thoroughly and loosen some of the skins. Remove and discard any loose skins that result from this process, but definitely don't worry about getting rid of them all.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or a silpat, and spread chickpeas evenly over the surface.
- Roast for five minutes.
- Remove baking sheet from the oven and toss the chickpeas thoroughly with the oil and salt.
- Roast for about 40 minutes more, depending on size. Pull the batch out of the oven, remove a few beans from the baking sheet, and let cool to test for crunch. See note 2 below for more information.
- Toss with additional seasonings and serve.
Notes
- You can make this recipe with canned chickpeas or ones you've cooked yourself. Although most chickpeas sold in the U.S. are of the same variety, they vary pretty substantially in size. Canned chickpeas also vary a lot in moisture content by brand. You may have to experiment a bit with cooking time to find the sweet spot for your type.
- You can decide on your preferred level of crunch, keeping in mind that beans will continue to crisp up a bit as they cool completely. You may prefer them crisped all the way through, or you may prefer a slight give in the very center of at least some of the beans. Just keep in mind that only fully crisped beans will stay crunchy for multiple days. Softer beans need to be consumed within about 24 hours or stored in the fridge to add to salads.
- If you've cooked them until they're crunchy throughout, oven roasted chickpeas will keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for a week.
Additional recommended seasonings
Toss with beans immediately after roasting:- Ranch: 2 tablespoons packaged or homemade ranch seasoning
- Smoky garlic: ½ teaspoon smoked paprika + ½ teaspoon sweet paprika + ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- BBQ: 2 tablespoons rib rub
- Cinnamon sugar: 2 tablespoons granulated sugar + 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Soy and lime: 2 tablespoons soy sauce + 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice + zest of 1 lime after roasting
- Salt & vinegar: Place the drained chickpeas in a pot along with 3 cups distilled white vinegar. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and let sit for 30 minutes. Drain and proceed as directed with the recipe, using 1 teaspoon fine sea salt.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I love chicpeas and I was so excited to make these. Got a question though. Is the texture supposed to be crunchy like a corn nut or a little tougher? I followed the instructions carefully but my teeth kind of hurt after eating them. I love the flavoring but i wasn’t too excited about the texture. Please let me know any tips to make it just right!
Hi, Kristy! Roasted chickpeas do turn out a little denser than corn nuts, but they definitely shouldn’t hurt your teeth. They get too hard if you bake them for too long. I’m actually going to shorten the cooking time in my recipe based on your feedback so other people don’t have this issue — I think my tiny British oven took longer than it should have to get them crispy. Thanks for the feedback. Hope you’ll try again!
Thanks Carolyn! I do agree all ovens are different. I’m going to tweak the cooking time or the temp based on my oven. Can’t wait to make it again!!
I can’t believe my eyes. A roasted chick pea recipe. I have been looking for this for years. I had them many years ago at a friend of my mother-in-laws house and loved them. Now I can make them myself anytime. I like chick pea’s but no one else in the family does. Maybe they might try these.
Hahaha we always used to call them “butt beans” growing up :). I have tried a recipe for roasted garbanzos before, but they just turned out dry and soft. This recipe has a much longer cooking time so hopefully i’ll get that delicious roasted crisp/crunch. Just have to dip into my stockpile of canned beans. Thanks!
Little tiny butts: hilarious, brilliant and totally mind-blowing that I’ve never looked at them that way. Because that’s a way I’d totally look at them. And now I’ll never seen them any other way.
I can just imagine how addictive these are!
Can’t wait to make these! What a great snack! So psyched!!
In my house we refer to these little mites as “chicken brains” … which makes them much more attractive to children of a certain age! I love roasted chickpeas and these spices look yummmmy.
Roasted Chicken-peas. Now that is new. Not from the sense of eating them, we get plenty in Indian stores but to make them at home. Yum yum ….
I have to give these a try.
Hi, Rituparna. These are so easy to make, it’s definitely worth doing it at home. I actually almost did a garam masala version too — I’m sure they’d be really good.
Glad to have been introduced to your blog. I am always on the hunt for new Indian recipes!
I was just thinking about how I had to make some roasted chickpeas because I am constantly coming across recipes for them – these two types look great! (We also have clandestine kale chip making in common.) Thanks for sharing!
Here’s to secret kale and crunchy chickpeas! Thanks for visiting, Leah.
Super duper psyched to make and try these!! Our family LOVES chickpeas…so this is sure to please us all! 🙂 I am especially looking forward to trying the soy & lime!
Woohoo! They’re great party food. And since I need you to act like I’m present at all your parties even when I’m not, I think you should definitely make them! You could do taco or fajita seasoning for Mexican Fiesta….