Roasted chickpeas make a great protein-packed vegan snack! Enjoy them on their own, or add them to your favorite healthy dishes for crispy texture.
If you like chickpeas, you’re going to LOVE this roasted chickpeas recipe!
It’s no secret I’m a fan of chickpeas – they’re a great addition to soups, stews, salads, sandwiches, you name it. Not only are they a good vegetarian protein source, but they can also bump up the textural contrast in a dish. If you’ve been reading the blog for a while, though, you know that I’m not a fan of mushy food. Sometimes I’m craving something crispy in a salad, and chickpeas’ soft texture won’t satisfy me.
Enter: roasted chickpeas. They still have all the protein and heartiness of regular chickpeas, but they’ve become an irresistible salty, crunchy ingredient. Even better, they’re a great healthy vegan snack on their own!
How do I make roasted chickpeas?
Roasting chickpeas is simple! Start with three basic ingredients: cooked or canned chickpeas, extra-virgin olive oil, and salt. Then…
- Preheat the oven to 425° and drain and rinse your chickpeas.
- Spread the chickpeas on a kitchen towel and gently pat them dry. It’s essential to make sure they’re totally dry before you toss them with the olive oil – damp chickpeas won’t crisp up in the oven. Discard any loose skins from the outside of the chickpeas.
- Transfer the chickpeas to a parchment-lined baking sheet and toss them with a drizzle of olive oil and generous pinches of sea salt. Spread evenly on the baking sheet.
- Transfer the baking sheet to your preheated oven and roast until crispy. I start checking at 20 minutes, but it can take up t0 30 minutes for them to become really crisp.
- Remove from the oven and, while the chickpeas are still warm, toss with pinches of your favorite spices.
So simple! Your roasted chickpeas are ready to eat.
Tips & tricks for making the best roasted chickpeas!
Here are some of my favorite tips for making great roasted chickpeas.
- Eat them fast! Roasted chickpeas are best day-of, and they lose their crispiness as time goes on. I aim to finish up a batch by the second day for best texture and flavor.
- Store them at room temperature. Don’t refrigerate these guys. They become chewy quickly! I recommend leaving them in a bowl or jar on the counter, loosely covered with a piece of foil.
- Spice them up! I like to toss my chickpeas with spices right as they come out of the oven. Try using a dash of paprika or your favorite spice mix. Chili, curry, or shawarma spices would all be great here. They’re also delicious with Everything Bagel Seasoning!
I made roasted chickpeas! What should I do with them?
Enjoy them as a snack, toss them in a simple salad, or use them in any of these recipes:
- Cherry Tomato Couscous Salad
- Chickpea Shawarma Wraps
- Rainbow Kale Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing
- Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
- Tahini Noodles with Carrots & Chickpeas
- Caesar Salad
- Panzanella Salad
- Bright Spring Salad
For more snacks and appetizer ideas, check out this post!
More Plant-Based Proteins
If you love this recipe, try making Crispy Baked Tofu, Marinated Baked Tempeh, or protein-rich lentils next!
Crispy Roasted Chickpeas
Equipment
- Baking Sheets (I use these nonstick ones from USA Pan Bakeware)
Ingredients
- 1½ cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- Sea salt
- Paprika, curry powder, or other spices, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Spread the chickpeas on a kitchen towel and pat them dry. Remove any loose skins.
- Transfer the dried chickpeas to the baking sheet and toss them with a drizzle of olive oil and generous pinches of salt.
- Roast the chickpeas for 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Ovens can vary, if your chickpeas are not crispy enough, keep going until they are!
- Remove from the oven and, while the chickpeas are still warm, toss with pinches of paprika, curry powder, or other spices, if using.
- Store roasted chickpeas in a loosely-covered container at room temperature. They are best used within two days.
Can this be done with dried beans?
Hi Deano, you can but they need to be fully cooked first: https://www.loveandlemons.com/how-to-cook-beans/
I LOVE roasted chickpeas! I pat em dry and add oil and seasonings, then roast. We eat them like popcorn. Yummy!
Oh my, roasted chickpeas are delicious! Thank you for your recipe! 🙂 Some of the chickpeas exploded though. Did I not dry them well enough or did I use too much oil?
I’ve tried several methods and this recipe was spot on! I followed the steps exactly and for baking, it took about 35 minutes and they turned out perfect. This is my go-to recipe from now on! I used dried beans which I soaked overnight and then pressure cooked. Next time, I will try with precooked beans to see if the results are the same.
Hi there! I’d like to share how life changing this recipie was for me 🙂 My name is Elle and i’m a diagnosed autistic. A large amount of autism for me is sensory issues, meaning I struggle to eat a lot of food because the texture sends me into a meltdown. Because of this, my whole life i’ve been eating a very small group of food- basically toasted cheese sandwiches and plain pasta. I have multiple times in my life been dangerously underweight, leaving me depressed and very unwell. One day I decided to find recipes that I think will help me improve my pallet and I came across this gem! ever since, I’ve been able to eat so many more things simply by putting a few roasted chickpeas on top! now i can eat rice, salads, curries and more!!! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe :)))))
I made this last night as a snack and season them in a bowl while they were hot out of the oven. Draped them with foil and let them sit overnight and they were soggy as all get out this morning.
Would a better approach have been to season them on the tray and let them cool fully before putting them in a container? (again, the container was vented but maybe it was too early?) I’d like to try again and have crunchy results the next day.
Hi Stephanie, I always think they’re best and most crispy on the first day. I’d definitely let them cool completely before covering.
Another option (this might be a pain) but you can toss them back in the oven, or a toaster oven if you have one, to re-crisp on day 2.
Thank you for responding. I will have to try letting them cool completely first. I think I might try a second batch tonight. As they were super soggy this morning.
I cook dried chick peas in the instant pot. Better texture than canned and no chemicals. they roast beautifully and never last long. they get eaten!
These sound great, can’t wait to try! Your recipe for crispy tofu cubes is equally appetizing. Glad to have found your site!
Can you use canned chick peas i have a bunch given to me.
yep! Drain, rinse, and pat them dry first.
Ive been able to get mine crispy in a skillet with olive oil. I typically will toss it in cumin and put on top of sautéed spinach and feta. I use your recipe when Im too lazy to stand at my stove and cook in the skillet.
Amazing recipe and so so easy to follow!
If anyone is looking for a quick hack to speed up the drying out process – try roughly towel drying the chickpeas before pouring them into a large plastic bowl. You can then user a hair dryer to quickly remove any excess water before placing the chickpeas to the baking sheet. It works wonders! 🙂
ha, what an inventive tip!
These were delicious! Very crispy and crunchy, I rinsed and dried them well. Drizzled a small of EVOO and salt as directed. Too rack of oven for 2o min.
I tossed with a mix of smoked paprika, sugar salt and cayenne.
This will be my new go to.
I’ve tried many of, “Crispy Chickpeas” recipe and this is by far the most straightforward and well amazingly delicious recipe!
BTW-Has anyone tried this from dried chickpeas? Just curious as I love crispy chickpeas and well bought bagged chickpeas at the beginning of quarantine!
Hi Amy, I’m glad you loved them! You can make them from dried beans, you just have to cook them first: https://www.loveandlemons.com/how-to-cook-beans
Just be sure not to overcook them – if they’re mushy they won’t stay in tact to become crispy later in the oven.
If that’s too much work, my falafel recipe uses dried chickpeas without cooking them first: https://www.loveandlemons.com/falafel/
Hope that helps!
These are so yummy and easy to make, but do you know the nutritional info?
Air fried chickpeas in tacos and burritos are just amazing!!!!
If you could post the nutritional information that would be so helpful!
Isn’t it on your can of chickpeas?
First time making them and they came out beautifully! I used canned chickpeas and the recommended 20 min
Hi Sophia, I’m so glad you loved them!
Simple, easy, and delicious!
I made these tonight and they were exactly what I was craving! Thank you so very much! I added the Northwoods Fire and Roasted Garlic from Penzeys Spices. I couldn’t get them toasted as crisp as I wanted in my oven, so finished them in my Instant Pot Air Fryer. Perfect! Thank you!!!
Hi Susie, I’m so glad you enjoyed them! I agree, chickpeas are so great in an air fryer.
I agree that they can vary by oven (and also by brand of chickpea) – mine cook between 20-30 minutes at 400.