Appetizers
Cinnamon Roasted Chickpeas
Cinnamon roasted chickpeas are a lighter and flavorful snack — you'll find these are the reliable munchie to crush cravings and keep you full!
Cinnamon roasted chickpeas are a lighter and flavorful snack — you’ll find these are the reliable snack to crush cravings and keep you full!
At a glance
What stands out: They’re straightforward to mix and are a nutritious snack.
How long it takes: 35 minutes, mostly hands off
Equipment you’ll need: small sheet pan, mixing bowl
Servings: 4
With a hint of cinnamon and honey, these coconut oil roasted chickpeas seem like a sweet treat but aren’t. Add just a bit of sea salt and you have that reliable sweet/salty combo that hits all the buttons.
We're always on the search for speedy, straightforward, and lighter snacks. Of course they have to be rich, too. You’d think in this endless quest for great snacks, we'd be better about having them with us at all times.
We were in Napa Valley this past weekend which for us Michiganders involves pretty much two full days of travel. So, of course, we had our carry-on full of great snacks to keep us from hitting the wall.
Oh wait, no, we didn’t. Dream on, girl. On the way out of our house, we managed to get our act together enough to grab one of the blender banana oatmeal muffins We had made for our family and a couple of clementines but that was the extent of it.
These cinnamon roasted chickpeas would have been reliable for putting in our carry-on. Filling, lightweight, durable and oh, so tasty! We wish we would have thought of that before we left.
About Roasted Chickpeas
Roasted chickpeas aren’t only reliable for travel, they’re also reliable for families with nut allergies (like ours!). They offer the protein and crunch that’s reminiscent of a nut and they have the same ease – you can throw them in a bag, in your purse, the car, diaper bag, whatever. They are totally mess-free.
Roasted chickpeas are also simple to make and it’s straightforward to mix a double batch. The flavor combinations are endless; we want to try some of the seasonings we use with these pumpkin seeds like maple chili powder, curry lime, ginger soy, or pumpkin pie spice.
Maybe some of you are familiar with our crispy chickpeas recipe. Same sort of deal, except that this recipe leans just a tiny bit more to the sweet tooth instead of savory.
For those of you with air fryers, try air fryer chickpeas for even more crispness.
What You’ll Need
- Canned Chickpeas: You may know them as garbanzo beans. Same thing, different name. For more about that, take a look at the FAQ section.
- Coconut Oil: Look for virgin (unrefined) coconut oil to add a bit more flavor to the chickpeas. Refined coconut oil has a neutral scent and flavor. For more about the differences between the two oils, check out this article by Healthline. Since coconut oil solidifies at room temperature, melt it before adding it to the chickpeas.
- Honey: Just one teaspoon of honey adds a hint of sweetness. Think honey-roasted peanuts!
- Cinnamon: This warm spice imparts a sweet sensation but with no added sugar. Curry powder could be substituted for the cinnamon for a different taste sensation.
- Salt: Optional, but everyone loves the sweet/salty combo. Use a coarse salt for a standby results.
How it comes together
Open a can of chickpeas, drain them, rinse with cool water, and drain again.
Spread the chickpeas out on paper towels or a clean, lint-free cotton dish towel.
Roll them around to dry them and loosen the skins. Look for a transparent skin that is easily rubbed off.
Make sure the chickpeas are good and dry. The drier they are, the crunchier they’ll get. If you have extra time, let them dry on the countertop for a half hour or more.
Add them to a mixing bowl with the melted coconut oil, honey, cinnamon, and salt (if using). Stir them around until the chickpeas are coated.
Spread them out in a shallow baking pan or small sheet pan.
Bake them at 400°F for about a half hour, giving the pan a careful shake every ten minutes or so. The round little chickpeas roll around pretty easily so don’t get too vigorous with the shaking. We've ended up with chickpeas all over our oven that way!
When the chickpeas are golden brown and crispy, remove them from the oven and allow to cool before enjoying them.
Before you start
Make It Your Own
- Make your roasted chickpeas vegan by replacing the honey with a different sweetener such as maple syrup or agave.
- Substitute a teaspoon of vanilla paste for the cinnamon for vanilla roasted chickpeas.
- Make cinnamon sugar chickpeas: Mix 1 teaspoon cinnamon with 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Coat the chickpeas with melted coconut oil, then add the cinnamon sugar mixture and stir to coat. Spread on baking pan which has been lightly sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake as directed.
Keeping leftovers
Roasted chickpeas are crunchiest the same day you make them. To keep them as crunchy as possible, store them at room temperature in a loosely covered container, like a bowl covered lightly with a paper towel.
On-the-go lighter snacks
Looking for more snacks that you can munch on while you’re out and about? Try:
- Cranberry Oatmeal Energy Balls (nut-free)
- Sugar-Free Cinnamon Roasted Almonds
- Olive Oil Roasted Almonds
- Lighter Pistachio Snack Mix from Lauren Kelly Nutrition
- Naturally Sweetened Blueberry Fruit Roll-Ups from Sugar-Free Mom
- Yield: 4 servings
- Prep: 5 minutes
- Cook: 30 minutes
- Total: 35 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 can (16 oz.) chickpeas, low sodium if possible (garbanzo beans)
- 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil (see note)
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch of salt, optional
Method
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Rinse and drain chickpeas. Spread out on a lint-free towel and dry well, rubbing to remove skins.
- In a medium bowl, toss chickpeas with melted coconut oil, honey, cinnamon, and salt until well-coated.
- Spread on small rimmed baking sheet in single layer. Bake for 25-30 minutes, shaking pan every 10 minutes to stir chickpeas. Bake until crispy and golden brown.
- Let cool completely before enjoying.
Notes
Either refined or virgin (unrefined) coconut oil may be used. Refined coconut oil has a neutral taste and odor, while virgin coconut oil will taste somewhat tropical.
Roasted chickpeas are crunchiest the same day you make them. To keep them as crunchy as possible, store them at room temperature in a loosely covered container, like a bowl covered lightly with a paper towel.
Replace the honey with maple syrup or agave to make this recipe vegan.
