Crunchy roasted chickpeas are so easy to make and these ones stay crunchy for days! The key is to leave them in the oven while the oven cools to really dry them out.
A great chip alternative
Lightly seasoned
Crispy and crunchy for days
Even a good gluten-free crouton substitute!
How To Make Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas
Roasting chickpeas is so quick and easy! These are ready in 30 minutes but hands off until the oven cools if you really want that crunch!
- Dry the chickpeas as much as you can.
- Spread them on a lined baking sheet.
- Drizzle with a touch of olive oil and season as desired.
- Bake at 400 F for 25 minutes.
- Turn off the oven and leave the chickpeas there until the oven cools.
- Remove, store, and enjoy!
Chickpeas Cooked From Scratch vs. Canned
I have found that I get better results using chickpeas I have cooked from scratch vs. canned chickpeas.
If you have never bought dried chickpeas and cooked them from scratch, check out my blog post and video on how to cook dried chickpeas.
Chickpeas cooked from scratch:
- Stay crunchier
- Are bigger
- And are way thriftier!
My guess is that canned chickpeas have been in brine for so long that they have a much higher water content on the inside. As they roast the water content evaporates and the chickpeas really shrink in size.
When I use my chickpeas cooked from scratch they stay much bigger in size and get quite a bit crispier.
The canned chickpeas are still crunchy and stay crunchy for days but if you want bigger savings, extra crunch, and heftier chickpeas then try cooking them from scratch!
Recipe Cost
Did I mention bigger savings with chickpeas cooked from scratch?
This recipe makes about 220g of crunchy roasted chickpeas and costs us about 80 cents CAD using chickpeas cooked from scratch!
When I use canned chickpeas I add over $3 to my cost!
How To Use Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas
These are a fantastic high fibre, high protein substitute for potato chips and make a great mid-day snack to take to work.
*Keep in mind that these are high in fibre so you will get fuller with fewer. They can also be a little tough on your stomach if you are not used to consuming many beans!
I love using crunchy roasted chickpeas as a crouton substitute for salads and as a topping for soups. I add them to this Grilled Tofu Vegan Caesar Wrap for crunch! I top my Sweet Carrot Ginger Soup with these Chilli Miso Roasted Chickpeas. They don't get as crunchy because of the miso paste but they are delicious!
Change up the seasonings and add some spice, use a curry powder for an Indian spiced version, or use Italian seasonings for a crouton substitute! Let me know in the comments below if your chickpeas stay crunchy and how you use them!
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Super Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas (That Stay Crunchy)
- Total Time: 30 minutes (plus cooling time)
- Yield: 220 g 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Crunchy roasted chickpeas that actually stay crunchy for days! Perfect high fibre alternative to potato chips & great as a crouton sub too!
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked chickpeas (cooked from scratch for extra savings)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- Sprinkle of Pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
*All the ingredients for this recipe are from our pantry and freezer tips!
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.
- If using canned chickpeas; drain the liquid from the can, rinse the chickpeas, and try to pat them dry as much as you can. *Use the chickpea liquid for my vegan Aquafaba Mayonnaise!
- Spread chickpeas on the lined baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with seasonings, and shake the pan to coat the chickpeas as evenly as possible. *Use two trays if the chickpeas are too crowded.
- Bake for 25 minutes. You can give the pan a quick shake at 20 minutes to jostle the chickpeas around. After 25 minutes, turn off the oven but don’t open the oven door. Keep the chickpeas in the oven as it cools down. This is what makes them really crispy!
- After a few hours when the oven is cool, remove the chickpeas and transfer to an airtight container for storage. Store on your countertop for up to one week (if they last that long!). Try them on this Grilled Tofu Vegan Caesar Wrap!
Notes
Approximate Cost: $0.80 CAD using chickpeas cooked from scratch. Using canned chickpeas adds about $3.29 to our cost!
I find that chickpeas cooked from scratch actually get much more crunchy than canned chickpeas. The canned chickpeas also shrink quite a bit when roasted (I suspect because they have been sitting in brine for so long and have a much higher water content on the inside which evaporates as they roast). The chickpeas cooked from scratch are bigger, crunchier, and thriftier!
Feel free to season these how you like. Try using curry powder, adding some spice or making an Italian spiced version as a crouton substitute.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Roasted
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern Inspired
Daryl
My roasted chickpeas have always been soft. This recipe was perfect. Ty! Added cayenne pepper because I like them pretty spicy. Will make without pepper for the kids. Great snack.
Kathryn Alexandre
I'm so glad these worked perfectly for you and gave you crunchy chickpeas! I love the cayenne addition! Thank you so much for trying them!
K
Your technique really delivers. I only had canned chickpeas available, and while they did shrink quite a bit as you mentioned, they turned out extremely crispy. I'll have to keep this recipe in mind!
Kathryn Alexandre
I'm glad they crisped up so well! It is strange how much the canned chickpeas shrink compared to home cooked chickpeas. Thank you so much for letting me know and I hope you make them again!
Jules
I've tried other roasted chickpeas but these are the bomb and work the best! I've been having them as a snack in my lunch at work all week! Can't wait to throw them onto salad and into wraps!!
Kathryn Alexandre
Great! I love this little trick to get them really crispy. I'm so glad you have loved them and have been enjoying snacking on them without them getting soggy! Thank you so much for the star rating and letting me know you're excited to use them in other recipes too!
Lisa
Really good! Make from dried & your technique worked to make them VERY crunchy. Seasoned them with a homemade everything bagel seasoning & added cayenne like the other commenter recommended - excellent!
Kathryn Alexandre
I'm so glad they got super crunchy and you loved them. I haven't tried everything bagel seasoning on them yet. That's a great idea!
Ilene Fields
Yes, perfectly crunchy! I soaked the chickpeas overnight, cooked them for about an hour, dried them on a towel for a few hours, seasoned them with Spike, a little salt, paprika, and garlic powder, baked as directed, left in the oven for a few hours, and can't stop munching on them! Made a 1/2 batch today. Perfect! Thank you!
Kathryn Alexandre
Awesome! That crunch is definitely addictive. I'm so glad you like them Ilene! Thank you so much for taking the time to write a lovely 5 star review!
B.
Hey, if I wanted to try to make salt&vinegar flavour, should I make dried chickpeas in vinegar instead of water then salt when putting them in the oven?
Kathryn Alexandre
Hmm cool idea! I’ve never thought to do that and I haven’t tried it but it does seem like it’s possible. I read that your house might smell like vinegar so have your range hood fan on and maybe be prepared to open a window. Then try to allow the chickpeas to dry as much as possible before roasting them. Let me know how it turns out for you and I’ll have to give that a try too!
B
Flavour was great when boiled in vinegar, but chickpeas used are low quality and don’t turn out great
Kathryn Alexandre
It's good to know that you loved the flavour when boiled in vinegar (I still haven't got around to trying that). Did you use canned chickpeas or dried? I've noticed that when I make these with canned chickpeas they shrink a lot more than when I use chickpeas I've cooked from scratch but I've still enjoyed them.
Kat
Do you think I'd ruin the crunch if I added maple syrup?
Kathryn Alexandre
Hi Kat, they might be a little less crunchy yes. I would still give it a try and see what you think because I make another version (Chili Miso Roasted Chickpeas) which has wet seasonings and they are less crunchy but they are delicious! If your roasted chickpeas are not super dry and crispy I would just recommend storing them in the fridge so that they last longer for you.
Jenny
I had an issue with these. I followed the quick soak method for dried chickpeas then followed your method above. My finished chickpeas are so hard that I'm concerned I'm going to break a tooth! This can't be right. Is there a fix, or start over?
Kathryn Alexandre
Oh no! It sounds like you may not have cooked the chickpeas. Did you proceed to roasting them right after soaking them? They do need to be soaked, then cooked in boiling water for 40 minutes to an hour until they are soft. Then you can pat them dry and proceed to roasting them. If you buy canned chickpeas they are already cooked so you can just pat them dry and roast them but the dried variety needs to be fully cooked before roasting. If you did indeed roast them just after soaking, they may not be salvageable. You can try boiling them but you might find that they don't sufficiently soften. I'm sorry for the confusion if this was the case and I definitely don't want you to break a tooth!