Start Your New Year Snacking With This Protein-Packed Roasted Chickpea Recipe
With the holidays’ indulgence behind us, it’s time to think about freshening up our lifestyle and getting back to the healthier eating habits (hello, salad recipes!) we may have left behind. This doesn’t mean deprivation and torturous detoxes, just making mindful eating choices, like with snacking. When the seemingly never-ending supply of office chocolate disappears, we can turn to a sweet or salty snack between meals that’s actually good for you — roasted chickpeas! This snack is protein packed, full of fiber and vitamins and flavored with clean, wholesome ingredients, not to mention super simple to make. If you’re getting tired of the kale chip phenomenon, we think you’ll love these as your go-to snack for your January resolutions and beyond.
Ingredients:
— 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
— 1 Tablespoon light olive oil or grape seed oil
— 1/4 teaspoon salt
For Chili Lime Chickpeas
— 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from about 1 small lime)
— 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
— ½ teaspoon spicy chili powder
— ½ teaspoon cumin
— ¼ teaspoon salt
For Honey Cinnamon Chickpeas
— 1 tablespoon runny honey
— 1 teaspoon light olive oil or grape seed oil
— 1 teaspoon cinnamon
— ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the drained and rinsed chickpeas on a clean dish towel and pat dry as thoroughly as possible. If some of the skins of the chickpeas come off while doing this, you can discard them, but there’s no need to remove the skins from all of them.
3. Transfer the dried chickpeas to a mixing bowl and toss with one tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch or two of salt until well combined.
4. Place on a lined baking sheet and cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring every ten minutes to help them brown on all sides and check for doneness. Once the chickpeas are golden brown and crunchy, remove them from the oven and let cool for a couple minutes.
You can eat the roasted chickpeas as is, or, while they’re still hot, toss them with the seasoning ingredients as follows:
For Chili Lime Chickpeas:
Mix the lime juice, spices and salt together in a small bowl and add to the still warm chickpeas. Once the chickpeas are well covered in the spice paste, place them back on the sheet pan and bake for another 2-5 minutes to crisp up the coating. Let cool, then enjoy! Leftover roasted chickpeas will keep in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
For Honey Cinnamon Chickpeas
Mix the honey, oil, cinnamon and salt together in a small bowl and add to the still warm chickpeas. Once the chickpeas are well covered in the spice paste, place them back on the sheet pan and bake for another 2-5 minutes to crisp up the coating. Let cool, then enjoy! Leftover roasted chickpeas will keep in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
Dry off the rinsed and drained chickpeas with a clean dish towel — this will help them get extra crispy when they bake in the oven.
Season the chickpeas simply to start with a bit of oil and salt.
Place the chickpeas on a lined sheet pan and bake until they’re golden and crunchy.
For the chili lime chickpeas, mix the lime juice, spices and salt together to make a paste, then add it to the roasted chickpeas, stirring well to coat. Pop them back in the oven on the sheet pan for a couple more minutes to help crisp up the coating and then they’re ready to eat!
For the honey cinnamon chickpeas, mix the honey, oil, cinnamon and salt together and add to the roasted chickpeas, stirring well to coat. Pop them back in the oven on the sheet pan for an extra couple minutes to help crisp up the coating and then they’re ready to eat!
Who said healthy snacking couldn’t be a party? Get creative and experiment with your fave flavor combinations too!
These chili lime chickpeas are tangy and with a gentle hit of smokiness and spice — add a bit more chili powder or cayenne if you want to amp up the heat factor.
The honey cinnamon chickpeas have a total kettle corn vibe, with the sweetness balanced by a little salty kick — so good!
Share your healthy snacking pics with us on Instagram and tag them with #iamcreative.
