Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

I just can't contain my excitement over these Spicy Roasted Chickpeas. I mean they are just so good and on top of it, they are a great healthier snack option. Just about every nutritionist these days says we should eat beans daily. Yawn. Beans bore me. I can potentially get excited about chickpeas though, and these spicy roasted chickpeas are great to eat warm right out of the oven when your watching Justified or Downton Abby – or whatever show it is that you can't seem to watch without snacking.




I begged my youngest daughter to taste test just one – my "vegetarian" who eats meat, but no vegetables (or fruit for that matter), who has been known to eat three cupcakes at once, who sings rap songs entitled "I hate Carrots" – and she took the bowl away and claimed them as hers. I then thought I heard something to the likes of "it tastes like popcorn, they're SOOOOO good"! "What did you say?" I just had to hear it again. She then finished the bowl! My other two girls did manage to snatch a few before they were gone and concluded, "those chick peas were amazing!

I had tried several roasted chickpeas recipes online, but they were all too bland, so I came up with my own spice mixture which I tested several times with various amounts of spices. I am finally happy, and the spice mixture can also be used as a spice rub for pork or to season other foods, like roasted nuts.

If you are serving more than a few people, double up on the recipe and increase cayenne to 1/8th of a teaspoon. 

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas 

1 can chickpeas

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Spice Mixture:

1 1/2 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika (pimentón)

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

pinch of cayenne

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Rinse the chickpeas beans in a colander, and then using a paper towel dry them as best as you can. Allow them to sit and air dry for several minutes until fully dry.

Mix all of the spices together in a medium sized bowl. Add the dried chickpeas (add any skins that have fallen off too as they become crispy and delicious) and oil, and then mix until the chickpeas are evenly coated with the spice mixture.

Spread the chickpeas out on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes. Taste for crunchiness, and if they are still soft in the middle bake a few minutes longer ( but no more... they burn quickly at this point, so watch carefully) until crunchy.

Serve while warm.