These oil-free dry-roasted chickpeas are super simple to make and a healthy snack for adults and kiddos alike. All you need is a can of chickpeas, your favorite seasonings, and a little time to watch the oven.
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Why I Love This
This recipe is a homemade version of the trendy dried chickpea snacks you’ll find at the store. But this one is healthier and will cost you a lot less.
Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are loaded with vitamins and minerals, including magnesium and potassium. They are also full of fiber and help support gut health and weight loss. And because this recipe is oil-free, you can enjoy it guilt-free.
Another great feature of this recipe is that it’s easy to customize. I use just a few simple spices to make mine, but you can add or change the spice blend to fit your needs. You can go spicy, sweet, herby, or whatever fits your fancy.
While these chickpeas take some time to cook, the recipe itself is actually incredibly simple. Other than rinsing and mixing the spices and stirring on occasion, you really don’t need to do much.
A simple, healthy snack that’s low-fat, high in fiber, and seriously delicious? What’s not to love!?
Ingredients
- Chickpeas – Look for a 15-ounce can of organic chickpeas. Be sure to grab a “no-salt added” option if you’re watching your sodium intake.
- Garlic Powder – This beloved spice provides a real kick to counteract the bland flavor of the chickpeas. Any garlic powder will work, but my favorite is this one.
- Paprika – This spice provides a complex tango of sweet, smokey, and spicy. It’s the perfect way to give your roasted chickpeas a ton of flavor without overloading them. There are plenty of great options for paprika out there, but this option has always been my go-to.
Substitutes
The substitute options for this recipe are endless. You can replace the garlic and paprika with any spices and herbs you’d like or add more on top of them. Here are a few flavor mixes I’ve tried that work well together:
- Curry powder and salt
- Dried dill, parsley, chives, garlic powder, onion powder, onion flakes, salt, and pepper
- Garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika
- Smoked paprika, ground cumin, ground turmeric, garlic powder, lemon zest, chopped fresh dill
- Cinnamon, vanilla extract, and maple syrup
- Nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and salt
- Chili powder and lime salt
How to Make
This oil-free crispy dry-roasted chickpea recipe takes about an hour to cook but requires very few steps to prep. Here, we take a quick look at the process so you can see just how simple this delicious snack truly is to make.
Prep
Step 1: Drain and rinse the can of chickpeas. Any standard colander will work well for this.
Step 2: Spread the chickpeas out on a paper towel or clean dish rag and blot dry with a second towel. They should be slightly moist when you’re done, but not wet.
Step 3: Place the chickpeas in a bowl and add the spices. Mix well until they are covered. Leaving your chickpeas slightly moist will help the spices stick better.
Step 4: Spread them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. Putting something between the chickpeas and the pan is important to prevent sticking since we aren’t using any oil.
Cooking
Step 1: Cook at 400 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes. Stir them every 20 minutes or so to prevent them from burning and to ensure they cook evenly.
Expert Tip
These beans won’t exactly look delicious once they’re done, but they will taste that way, I promise!
The key to making sure that’s true is to stir them frequently while they’re in the oven. We want them to dry out evenly so we get that delectable crunch. But if they begin to burn on one side, that’s all you’ll be able to taste when they’re done.
Taste them as they cook and remove them from the oven once all the moisture has been cooked away but before the edges start to turn from golden-brown to black.
Want More Chickpeas?
Roasting isn’t the only way to enjoy this versatile ingredient. Chickpeas can be used in a number of recipes, from snacks, to savory meals, to easy lunches.
One of my favorite vegan uses for chickpeas is in chickpea salad sandwiches. This easy lunch is perfect for kids and adults and can be customized with your favorite spices, pickles, green onions, and more.
Chickpeas are also a versatile dinner ingredient. They are the star of our vegan meatloaf, stuffed zucchini boats, and vegan cobb salad.
They can also be used for breakfasts, like our healthy chickpea omelet. And the liquid from your chickpea cans (known as aquafaba) is the perfect egg replacer for desserts, such as in our vegan chocolate mousse.
FAQ
Why are my chickpeas burning before they’re fully dried?
Most likely, because you aren’t stirring them often enough. It could also be that your oven is cooking a bit hotter than most. Try adjusting the temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and see if that helps.
Why isn’t my seasoning sticking to my chickpeas?
If you dry your chickpeas too much, the seasoning won’t stick. Run them under water again, quickly pat dry to remove most of the moisture but not all of it, and try again.
Can you roast dried chickpeas without soaking?
Yes, you can roast dried chickpeas without soaking them first, but they take much longer to cook. We recommend using canned chickpeas for this recipe because they cook much more quickly and take less prep work.
Storage
These oil-free crispy dry-roasted chickpeas will easily last five days or more. The tricky part is keeping them crispy. How you store them plays a big part in how crunchy they are when you dig back into them later on.
On the Counter
This is by far the best storage method for short-term storage.
Simply place your roasted chickpeas in a bowl and set them on the counter. You can place a paper towel over them to keep flies and dust out.
They will stay crispy and fresh for about two to three days this way.
In a Jar
Another option for countertop storage is to place them in a jar with a tight fighting lid.
They stay fairly crispy this way and won’t get stale, even after three or four days. But I wouldn’t store them this way much longer than that.
In the Fridge
For longer storage, pop that glass jar in the fridge.
The humidity in the fridge will take away some of that crunch, but they’ll last up to a week this way. Once you are ready to snack on them again, just pop them in the oven at 400 degrees for about ten minutes or until they crisp back up.
Serving Size
This recipe makes enough roasted chickpeas for about three snacking adults. You can easily double or triple it by adding another can or two of chickpeas and adjusting the seasoning amount accordingly.
Oil-Free Crispy Dry-Roasted Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 1 15.5 oz can chickpeas drained and rinsed (you can also use dried chickpeas, just soak them overnight first)
- ½ tsp salt or to taste
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Toss chickpeas, salt, and spices together in a small bowl until the chickpeas are evenly coated.
- Spread chickpeas evenly on a cookie sheet and bake for anywhere from 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally until they get hard and crunchy.
- Serve immediately or allow to cool first, they are good both ways!
Nutrition
Making now…Everything But The Bagel, 21 Seasoning Salute and nooch. Can’t wait!
Great recipe but the time to roast is WAY off! They looked awesome at about 30 minutes. Because I’ve never made them I stuck to the instructions.. Smelled something burning after about 35 min! They were toast! Disappointed but will make them again only roasting till golden brown.. Note ovens vary but I was leery of 60 min at 400. Should have trusted my instincts…
Will def try them again! Need to buy more !
Nice and crunchy. 45 minutes was a little too long. I think 40 minutes would have been enough. I added some dried parsley flakes. Reminded me of corn nuts. Will make again!
Just made these! Yum!!! I added dried lemon zest and it gave it a nice zing! Baked for 40 mins, turning them over at the 20 mark, and they turned out perfectly crispy. Thanks for sharing!
Making these babies now, I’m so excited!! I always buy the chickpea snacks at the store. NO MORE!!
Try smoked paprika it’s to die for!
Would love to try to make these in my air fryer!! Has anyone tried making them that way?
I did but they weren’t crunchy. I think I didn’t leave them in the fryer long enough. I’m going to try it again.
Last post was 2012, wow! I am making this now. Thanks for the recipe!
EDIT: Sorry, I see you have more recent posts. Not sure why I didn’t see posts beyond 2012 earlier.
There was a big gap is we purchased the website and started ramping things back up earlier this year. We hope you enjoy our recipes, new and old!
All the other roasted chickpea recipes I have seen tell you to dry off the chickpeas after rinsing. This recipe does not say to do that. We really don’t need to dry them?
I have made these many many times but always tossed in oil :(:( am making today with no oil for my first time. I soak my own beans over night, drain and boil for about 50 minutes. If you do this try boiling them in part water and part white vinegar then bake them with sea salt.
Yum!!
Stoked that there’s an oil free version! I’ve been dying to use chickpeas as croutons in a salad.
I grind a mixture of herb de’province (lavender spice) onion powder, cumin, basil, turmeric and rock or kosher salt. I grind it in a coffee grinder. No garlic salt. I am allergic
I also add 1 can of black beans to 3 cans of chickpeas. I want to experiment with other types of beans. These roasted chickpeas are an awesome portable snack for those you are Diabetic and watching your sugar. Or when your sugar is low and you need glucose or something with sugar to bring your level back to normal the roasted chickpeas will give you enough protein your.sugar will level out and not spike.
I baked for 40 minutes and they were perfect. I used Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy. They reminded me of “cornnuts” that you can find at the convenience store.
I’ve used dried, soaked and a short simmer with great results!
Can you soak overnight and then simply roast….or do I need to boil them?
I think as long as they are fully soaked and softened to the point that you would eat them raw, then that’s fine!
I tried making these last week, but couldn’t get them hard and crunchy. Even increasing the baking time the centers were still soft. Any suggestions?!
Every time I’ve tried to roast chickpeas they don’t work! I use dry ones, straight from a packet. I soak them overnight, and then just pop them in the oven. They never work! What am I doing wrong?
They are cooked first. Canned chickpeas come pre-cooked. If cooking them yourselves from dry, cook first. Then roast.
These look terrific! Pinterest won’t allow me to pin your photos of the chickpeas. Is there a way you can change that so we can share the love?
I’ll look into it, you should be able to share all my photos.
I have to try those. They look great!
Same question – if we soak our own chickpeas, do we cook them first? Or directly bake them after soaking?
Soak first, then bake once they are soft.
So I tasted them after 40 mins on my second round of rotating them around and they were yummy! A little soft in the middle still so I put em back for the last 20 mins. Too bad the last 20 mins managed to burn them. I’m thinking slight lower cook temp or shorter cook time?
Just made my first batch and loving them! Can’t wait to try different seasonings. AWESOME! My 9-year old is going to love these too. What a terrific snack to replace popcorn, crackers, etc.
I love making roasted chickpeas.
Disappointed I couldn’t pin this to pinterest. 🙁
Just made them, they’re delicious! Question about using dried chickpeas… I used beans that I had already soaked and cooked. The way your recipe reads, it sounds like I just have to soak them, and not cook them before roasting? (that would be great!)
thanks for the recipe, we all love it!
These sound amazing! <3
I tried to make roasted chickpeas once, and they didn’t turn out so well; I will have to try again! The next time you make them you should try them with a mix of nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder. I put this mix on popcorn and it is delicious!
looking at these chickpeas, i feel like making them soon. just that never tried making these.
in india we do get roasted as well as fried chickpeas all spiced with indian masala. the roasting is on hot sand and not in the oven.
Wonder why I have never made it too! I am constantly looking for savory snack ideas and this one is perfect.
I’ve been making these for nearly a year with various seasonings. They are a great snack for children; my 4-year-old loves them. She’s already leaning towards a vegan diet, just like her daddy!