Crunch crunch crunch nom nom nom. Oh, pardon me, I was just noshing on the most addictive snack ever… Spicy Crispy Chickpeas! These are yummy, spicy, crunchy, and versatile… and they couldn’t be easier (or cheaper!) to make. Not to mention they are high in fiber, high in protein, and low in fat, which makes them the perfect guilt-free energy boosting midday munchie. I don’t know about you, I always find it difficult to find healthy snack foods that I actually WANT to eat. Fruit is usually my go-to healthy snack, but sometimes you just want something salty, savory, and crunchy to munch on. Roasted chickpeas are a healthy substitute for not-so-healthy snacks such as potato chips, and will give you that salty and flavorful crunch you are looking for with completely natural, unprocessed ingredients. You can eat them on their own, add them to a trail mix, or even use them in place of croutons in a salad (I love using them in this roasted chickpea salad!). They’d be a great addition to a cheese board or charcuterie plate. And while I used cayenne pepper and cumin to season mine, you can use other spice combinations, both savory and sweet, with this basic roasting method.
How to make CRISPY spicy roasted chickpeas in the oven
If you’ve ever made roasted chickpeas before, perhaps you’ve run into the problem that they are delicious fresh out of the oven, but tend to get a bit soggy after a day or so. Not these! These roasted chickpeas. stay crunchy for DAYS after baking them. The trick is dehydrating them fully in the oven! Kind of like with oven-dried tomatoes. Here’s how. Now, for the top-secret awesome trick. After you are done roasting, turn off the oven, and allow the oven to cool with the chickpeas still inside. The key to the crunchiest roasted chickpeas is to completely dehydrate them. Food is usually dehydrated at a low temperature for a long amount of time. By allowing the chickpeas to continue to cook at a low temperature after roasting at a high temperature, you will continue to cook the inside and dehydrate the chickpeas completely without burning them. Leave them in until the oven cools, or even as long as overnight.
Tips and tricks
Save energy by roasting them in the oven with other things. I made these while I was baking meatloaf, in preparation for snacks for the upcoming week. It’s easy to throw them in the oven with other things you are cooking, since there is so little prep involved, to save time and not waste energy cooking them on their own. I turned off the oven and, while we were eating, I kept the chickpeas in the oven until they were cool. When we cleaned up from dinner, I was able to transfer them to a mason jar to store.Make sure you pat the chickpeas as dry as possible after rinsing them off. This will help ensure they crisp up in the oven and not remain waterlogged.Store the roasted chickpeas in an airtight container or mason jar. Otherwise, they may become stale.
How long will roasted chickpeas last, and stay crispy, for?
These roasted chickpeas are best consumed within 5 days, and will remain crispy for that long. Make sure to store them in an airtight container or jar. And they’re fine at room temperature!
Other roasted chickpea recipes
Cinnamon Sugar Roasted Chickpeas from Sally’s Baking AddictionHoney Sesame Roasted Chickpeas from Simply ScratchIndian Spiced Roasted Chickpeas from 100 Days of Real Food / A Spicy PerspectiveParmesan and Herb Baked Chickpeas from The Clever CarrotSpicy Roasted Chickpeas with Rosemary and Brown Sugar from Cookin’ Canuck
Other healthy snack recipes
Peanut Butter and Banana Energy BarsBreakfast CookiesEasy Classic HummusRosemary and Honey Roasted AlmondsNo-Bake Granola Bars
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