Learn how to roast chickpeas. Crunchy and flavorful, they make a great, healthy snack. This post will teach you how to roast chickpeas perfectly using my foolproof recipe!
*Originally published in March 2015*
Hi Friends!
Want to learn how to roast chickpeas? If I’m being totally honest, I’m not crazy about chickpeas just plain. I don’t particularly like them on salads or in a casserole. But grind them up into hummus and you’ve got my attention. Roast them into crunchy little puffs to snack on and it’s likely I could eat a whole can in one sitting.
Roasting chickpeas can be a tricky beast. I’ve had many failed batches. Through trial and error, and a little luck, I’ve figured out a few secrets and I thought I’d share them with you!
How To Roast Chickpeas
Perfectly Roasted Chickpeas
Ready? Three secrets to perfectly roasted chickpeas:
- Don’t use too much oil. It will make them soggy and they will never get crispy. I spray mine vs drizzle with oil. If you don’t have a can of spray oil or a Misto, use about 1/2 tsp per can of chickpeas. Just enough to coat so spices can stick!
- Don’t crowd the pan. Use a large baking sheet, especially if you’re roasted two cans at once so there’s enough room for air to circulate around them. These are my favorite pans (aff link)
- Start them in a cold oven, roast them and then leave them in the oven as it cools back down.
That third one is the one that came about by accident. A few years ago I REALLY wanted roasted chickpeas…but I was running late for a workout. I didn’t have time to let the oven preheat so I threw them in there right when I turned the oven on, let them roast as long as I could and then shut off the oven, left them in there and hoped for the best.
What I got was my best ever batch of roasted chickpeas.
Roasted Chickpeas Recipe
Here’s how you make them:
How To Roast Chickpeas
Perfectly roasted chickpeas using a super easy, foolproof method.
- Yield: approx 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 cans chickpeas (low-sodium or no-salt-added)
- oil for misting
- spices (i use paprika and cayenne pepper)
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
- Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Pour the chickpeas on top and use more paper towels to dry them off as well as possible.
- Remove the paper towels.
- Mist the chickpeas with oil, sprinkle with spices and shake pan gently until all the chickpeas are well coated.
- Place pan in a cold oven.
- Set oven to 425 degrees F and let roast for 25-30 minutes, shaking the pan halfway thru. The timer starts as soon as you put them in a cold oven and turn it on.
- When the timer goes off, stir once more, turn the oven off and leave pan in the oven for 3-4 hours.
- Remove and let cool completely before transferring to a storage container.
Notes
The exact roasting time will depend on your oven and you might have to test two batches. 30 minutes is perfect for my oven but leads to some burning in other ovens. Try 25 minutes first and add 5 minutes next time if needed!
So easy and delicious.
Play around to find your favorite spice mix. I usually choose cayenne and paprika but they’re also good with curry powder!
It might be a little trial and error with your oven as well depending on how hot it tends to run.
Don’t forget to use a big pan if you do two cans at once! Leave them in the oven for at least 2-3 hours after you turn it up, but really, you can leave them in there until it gets totally cold if you want to.
I like to make a batch right before I go to bed then just shut off the oven and take them out in the morning.
Look good?! Don’t forget to share with friends on Pinterest and Facebook!
Healthy snacks like these chickpeas are great to add to your weekly food prep routine so you have them on hand during busy weeks. If you liked this post, you’ll love my ebook – The Ultimate Guide To Food Prep. It dives into even more detail about how to food prep, troubleshoots common problems and provides tons of tips to make it easier!
Looking for more healthy snack ideas? Try these: 25 Quick and Easy After-Work Snacks or these 10 Healthy Toddler Snacks! You can see all my snack recipes here, including many packed with veggies!
Enjoy!
–Lindsay–
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Ooh, I’ve never roasted chickpeas, but for some reason they are making my mouth water!
I LOVE chickpeas in all forms it seems, but they are a favorite protein-packed snack for me and the kids these days that’s a lower fat option than eating nuts all day. I usually buy them pre-made, but that’s pretty pricey, so I should probably roast them at home more often.
let me know if you give them a try!
I had soaked over night and then cooked up a full 1 lb.bag of chick peas and then decided to freeze them till I was in the mood for hummus….I heard about this snack and it sounded like a good idea to me..I tried making them many ways but they were always still wet/soft in the middle. So after my last failure- soft seasoned peas…yuck… and since I had them seasoned up and had nothing to lose…I popped them in my oven- on 170 and went to bed. In the morning they were dried to perfection and the best ever. I took them to a party and everyone loves them.
glad to hear it!
Do I have to soak the dried chickpeas at all? Or, can I just slow roast them at a lower temp for a longer period of time like when I make kale chips? I have MS and am trying to eat healthier and lose weight but I need to make things that take very little energy. I have a 5 lb bag of chickpeas I purchased and need to use them and the roasted chickpeas sound delicious!
I would probably cook them according to package directions first and then roast them!
AHHHH I ALWAYS MAKE EM SOGGY!!
it must be the overzealous misting.
((sharing))
I go through phases with chickpeas. So easy to snack on but then I tire of it. I found that removing the skin helps a lot too for extra crunch. It’s a pain to remove but makes a huge difference.
i like adding them to my trailmix for a little variety!
I love the fact that you discovered the technique by needing to get to the gym! Sounds like my life! Lol. 🙂
haha right? sometimes you just get lucky!
I’ve bever roasted chickpeas before. I’ve always been intrigued by it. May have to give it a whirl this weekend!
definitely worth a try! they’re great in trailmix!
Thank you.
How long do these last Aprox?
probably a week or so!
Making these ASAP! Also saw them in the Food&Nutrition Magazine, yum! Your recipe sounds simple + delicious!
thanks! enjoy!
i love roasted chickpeas – i haven’t made them in way too long though – i think i have a bag of dried chickpeas in my pantry i need to soak!
perfect weekend project!
YUM! I love spicy chickpeas!!
It’s been a while since I made a batch of roast chickpeas, but I love them so much! I have definitely made the mistake of not letting them cool completely before putting them in a container. I have also made the mistake of eating them all before putting them into a container… haha! Happy Friday!
haha been there on both of those!
Love roasted chickpeas . . . and how many different flavor combos can be done!
endless possibilities!
I love the little burned halves!
This is so helpful! I have a couple cans in my pantry right now and will make this for an afternoon snack later today. So excited 🙂
yay! hope you enjoy!
I too pretty much only eat chickpeas in hummus. I would love to try these!
hope you like them!
I loooove roasted chickpeas! They’re such an awesome snack item!
one of my favs!
I’ve never tried roasted chickpeas before, they look appetizing. Would you send me a sample to try. 🙂
YESSS! Thanks so much for posting this! Crunchy chickpeas are one oft favorite snacks but I’ve never quite been able to get the crunch. Can’t wait to try this this weekend!
xo
hope it works!
Thanks so much! I’ve only had fails with roasted chickpeas, these are great tips to make sure I get it right next time.
lemme know how it goes!
I’ve been all about the roasted chickpeas lately and making a good batch took lots of trial and error. One of my favorite ways to season is with Cajun seasoning. I’m going to have to try your tip about the cold oven!
Roasted chickpeas are SO good!!! I’ve never tried starting out with a cold oven, but I definitely will be next time!
I am SO happy that you posted this because I quit trying because my chickpeas never came out right..only half of them would make it or they would be soggy, it was one of those things I just gave up on..but I do LOVE coconut oil wrapped chickpeas with cinnamon and nutmeg..I swear its like a protein packed meal with a dessert taste! Thanks for sharing your secrets xo C
Ha, I was just thinking about a healthy crunchy snack. I love making one sweet and one savoury batch. Thanks!
Thanks for sharing! I too have had a lot of mediocre batches and definitely not any that stayed crisp more than a few hours. I will definitely try your method(s) out!
i am definitely going to try this trick with the oven!
These look delicious! I love chickpeas so I’ll definitely be trying this recipe.
I really like these “second look ” posts where you share again your more important/popular posts!
this is a great idea!! i have never really made chickpeas like this but do love it in every form.
These look wonderful! I just tried them and burnt them though. I think it was because I took the skin off?? There was still 20 minutes left on the timer, I went do their ’10 minute’ shake and about half were black as can be, the others were shrunken up to itty bitty things. Nice and crunchy though…hehehe I AM going to give this another try tomorrow after I buy another can at the store!!
P.S. I found an easy way to take the skin off….spread them out on a paper towel and with another paper towel, rub them in circles (the entire tray, like with a paper towel in your palm)….the skins come right off! i was just trying to dry them good….found out after I had taken most of the skins off already….
hmmm you could always try with your oven at 400. some ovens run hotter than others.
Excellent idea! I did get another can of chickpeas today and will be trying this again, I haven’t given up…thanks for the suggestion!
i just tried these and I took the skin off and they burnt. So I tried again by lowering it down to 385.. Burnt again, even faster! Ugh I’m going to try again though… Is baking longer at a lower temp better? Or maybe it’s taking the skin off that makes them burn..
hmm you’re the second person who said they burned and you both took the skins off. i haven’t tried it that way to i don’t know, but it might be the reason. you could try them with the skin on…start watching about 1/2 way thru in 5 minute increments and turn it off when you see a couple get close to burned. or if you want the skins off then you might have to lower the temp.
Hi Lindsay,
I have dried chick peas and obviously need to soak them first, but do I need to boil them before roasting? Or can I roast them after soaking?
Thanks,
Kathy
you’ll need to boil them first to cook them
Thanks. How long should I boil them?
it should say on the bag i think? i’ve never cooked them from dry, only beans.
How long will these stay crispy (if they even last that long)? I always run into issues that they lose their crunch after a day or so.
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mine usually stay crispy for 3-4 days
One question for you – does the 45 minutes start as soon as you put the chickpeas in the oven (when it’s cold) or does the 45 minutes start once the oven is up to temp, as in your chickpeas have been in there already for 10 minutes while the oven warms up, and then you’d cook for another 45 minutes? Like 45 minutes at 425 versus 45 minutes with the heat on? Also, couldn’t get the recipe to print using the print button for some reason (just on this recipe – haven’t had a problem with your recipes in the past). Thanks!
As soon as you put them in the oven!
Whoops, I meant when does the 40 minutes start, not 45. 🙂 Thanks!
I just found this recipe on Healthy Aperture. It was perfect! I was afraid of burning so only cooked for 30 minutes in the toaster. Next time I might try a little longer, but definitely an improvement over my previous attempt ( with a different recipe). Thanks for the tips!
i’m so glad!!
Great recipe, thanks so much. We roasted ours with ground fennel seed, rock salt and a little black pepper. They are crunchy and delicious!
Uhm mine were totally burned. Are you sure it’s 425 for 49 min?!
425 for 40 minutes in my oven. But the time starts when you put them in a cold oven. So you put them in the oven, set it to 425 and immediately start the timer for 40 minutes. It’s not 40 minutes from the time it reaches 425.
I followed your steps but mine burnt…will have to go to 400 F instead of 425 🙂
Try checking them at 30 min too and see how they’re doing, then check them every minute or two near the end
Lots of problems with mine. They were way over done & lots burned by 30 minutes. Also needed more spices, plus more oil to make the spices stick. I used a convection oven at same temperature. Could that be a problem?
Definitely could have been the problem. Convection ovens usually need much shorter cooking times and the airflow is different than standard ovens
Thanks for the quick reply. I thought the convection oven would cook more evenly. I won’t give up though. Will try next time with a regular oven!
This recipe for roasted chickpeas are the best. They came out of the oven toasted and crunchy. Made them for my wine party people loved them but was a little to spicy so they didn’t get eaten much. I would defiantly recommend this recipe to everyone who loves chickpeas. Now I am going to try other spices on them.
Hi! I read another recipe saying that the chickpeas get soggy after cooling? Can I store these in tupperware so I don’t have to eat them all in one sitting?? I’m excited to try this recipe! Thanks!
i usually just leave them in a bowl without a lid and they last for a couple days. they will probably get soggy if you put the lid on tightly.
🙁 I just followed the recipe and they burnt from being in the oven for 40 minutes…..BUT I will not let this experience discourage me and I will try again soon but for only 30-35 minutes. I will let you know how the second run goes! Do you think it makes a difference in cooking time if the chickpeas are canned vs. cooking them yourself (from dried chickpeas) as I am trying to limit the amount of canned goods my family and I consume?
Did you start the time right when you turned the oven on? Not after it preheated? If so, i’d try 30 minutes and see how it goes. I don’t think there should be difference in canned vs home cooked.
Made these on Friday March 4, 2016 forgot what temperature to roast at so I put them in at 350 degrees for 40 minutes shaking pan every 10 minutes. Also preheated the over too. Rubbed off the skins, tossed with oil and seasoning. Let cool in oven and they turned out fabulous. Crunchy and very tasty. Definitely making these regularly. Thanks Lindsay!
Just made some with Rosemary and Pink Salt and was a great hit. Two tins finished in 20 minutes. Will definitely make again!
Question. Mine never hold the seasoning. I added cumin and salt and when they come out I taste nothing. when I add after nothing sticks. Any advice?
It should stick if you coat lightly with oil first? Does that not work?
Ok, after reading most all the reviews here is what I did and the results.
First of all this is based on baking in a convection bake oven, but I will comment at the end regarding my thoughts on a regular oven.
1) I didn’t have a mister for the oil so I sprayed the baking sheet lightly with a vegetable spray, I used Pam.
2) After draining and rinsing the chickpeas I spread them out on a few sheets of paper towels I placed on the counter top then patted them dry best I could with another layer of paper towels on top.
3) I left the skins on.
4) I then transferred the chickpeas from the paper towels to the lightly sprayed baking sheet. I lightly sprayed them one more time and then shook the baking pan to roll them around in the cooking spray.
5) I sprinkled cayenne pepper and paprika and a little sea salt on top and shook the pan again. I tasted one of the chickpeas and determined it needed more spice and then shook the pan.
6) I then placed the pan in the “COLD” oven and turned it on convection bake at 425 degrees (which is 400 in a regular oven).
7) I watched them closely and shook the pan every 10 minutes to keep them from sticking and to watch for burning. After 30 minutes I tasted a couple (watch out they are hot) and was happy with the crispness, inside and out. I turned off the oven and opened the oven door slightly and left them in there another 5 minutes, just in cast. Cooled them off and chowed down.
I’m happy with my outcome and will try different combination of spices
I followed your recipe, it works great. The only thing I did differently is slightly increase temperature and decrease time to make them more crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.
Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Made these Chickpeas last night. SO good! Thank you!!
These are so good! I have been using them as a healthy snack between meals. Thank you for the article!
Cannot wait to try this. I’ve tried making them before but they also came out soggy.
Doing it now.
I have just made these – they are great! Really satisfy the need for something with crunch without resorting to crisps (chips).
Thanks Lindsay