These Oven-roasted Chickpeas are the ultimate healthy snack – black-speckled golden and crispy balls with a buttery interior and a spicy kick
My gift to you today is this Oven-roasted Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans) recipe which are black-speckled golden and crispy balls with a buttery-soft interior, and a hot and spicy kick.
I call them my savoury balls of crunchy nuttiness, and I mean it, I literally go nuts for these oven-roasted chickpeas, which is great, as they are my go-to snack on the weekends. The last few weeks, I have been roasting a big batch of chickpeas to snack on, and by Monday, it’s all gone! And in this post, I am going to share the secret to making the most amazing roasted chickpeas I have tasted.
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Roasted chickpeas are excellent as a snack - savoury, salty, crunchy, nutty and healthyClick To Tweet.
Chickpeas have a long history with Africa and are a staple in many African cuisines. Nutritionally, these little seeds pack a punch, way above their weight. They are nutrient-dense, and an excellent source of protein, cholesterol-lowering fibre, and are high in folate (folic acid) and magnesium, which both help to reduce the risk of heart disease.
Their high fibre content is also great at preventing blood sugar spikes after meals which is another reason I always have a bag of chickpeas (Garbanzo beans) in my pantry, or a saucepan of Ethiopian chickpea curry (another one of my favourites) simmering away.
Oven-roasted chickpeas? Think popcorn with oodles of bite and flavour. Oh, plus they are easy and super quick to prepare. First, a few tips!
No canned garbanzo beans
Especially so, if if you are on a low-sodium diet or just want to watch your heart health. Canned chickpeas are usually quite high in sodium. Reach for my favourite brand of organic dried chickpeas or any brands you prefer. You’ll need to soak the chickpeas overnight before roasting them so plan ahead.
How to spice your chickpeas
Many recipes call for spicing the chickpeas first and then roasting them. I have found that doing so, increases the propensity for the spices on the chickpeas to burn, leaving you with burnt-in-places, and bitter roasted chickpeas.
Some recipes call for spicing the chickpeas after roasting. In my opinion, I find the spices are a tad too raw and overwhelming. The best method I have tested, which delivers beautifully flavoured chickpeas each time, is roasting the chickpeas first for about 15 minutes, then spicing them and returning them to the oven for another 5 minutes…et voila!
Achieve the crisp factor
I find, that oven-drying the chickpeas first for a couple of minutes, before oiling and salting and returning to the oven for another 15 minutes is the magic combination to super crispy chickpeas. So there you have it – the secret to scrumptious, crispy, nutty and healthy roasted chickpeas snack – for those moments when the cravings come knocking.
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This recipe has been added to your Meal Plan
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| Servings | Prep Time |
| 4 people | 1 day |
| Cook Time |
| 25 minutes |
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- Soak chickpeas in a bowl of cold water overnight for at least 17 hours. Ensure all the chickpeas are covered by the water.
- The next day, drain and rinse the chickpeas. remove any skins that have come off and discard. Don't worry about any other skins that are intact. You can leave these on. Try to drain the chickpeas as best as you can to get rid of as much liquid as possible.
- Pre-heat your oven to 180ºC (fan-assisted) or 200ºC. While the oven is heating up, place chickpeas in the warm oven for 5 minutes to dry out the chickpeas. This step is important as it allows the chickpeas to dry sufficiently enough to allow the spices roll on easier. This prevents the chickpeas from becoming burnt and bitter.
- Remove from oven after 5 minutes. Toss with extra virgin olive oil, salt and black pepper. spread on parchment paper (not mandatory but since my baking pan has seen lots and lots of use and now looks like something from the archives, I always use parchment paper as this makes cleaning up so much easier).
- Roast for 15 minutes. While the chickpeas are roasting, mix together the cinnamon and sweet paprika. Remove chickpeas from oven and toss with the cinnamon and paprika, then return to oven for 5 minutes.
- Allow to cool completely, and if you have resisted eating them till this point, you now have my blessings to tuck in.
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The information shown is an estimate, and does not replace a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Please let me know how it turned out for you. Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #africaonyourplate.
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