Actually Crispy Baked Chickpeas (2024)

Friends, the day has arrived! The day that actually crispy roasted chickpeas (not fried) can happen in your kitchen! Like, it’s a real thing!

Let’s do this!

The magic of this 4-ingredient, easy recipe starts with cooked chickpeas. I went for canned because: easy. But I also suspect you could use home-cooked if that’s your thing.

The #1 crispytipis to rinse, drain really well, then dry really well. Like, really, really well. The less moist (ew, sorry) the chickpeas are, the crispier they will become!

Once your chickpeas are dry, this brings me to tip #2: Peel the skins!

Peeling the skins is onerous and annoying. Yes, I know. But in my experience, it does help them crisp up a bit more in the oven. And when it comes to crisping chickpeas, every little bit helps!

Now, it’s time for oil (if oil-free, you’ll omit this step) and salt. This brings me to tip #3: You’ll want to wait to add any other seasonings until after they’re done baking. I’ve found that too much seasoning can interrupt the crisping process, almost by trapping in the moisture and not letting the chickpeas “breathe.”

Next step is tip #4: Bake at 350 F (176 C) for 40-50 minutes. In experimenting, I found that, at too high a temperature, the chickpeas burn quickly while being tender in the center. And if too low, no crisping seems to happen for a very long time. So 350 degrees is the sweet spot.

Tip #5 is to let the chickpeas cool once out of the oven, and tip #6 is to store without a sealed lid. Doing so lets the chickpeas breathe and stay crispy longer than just 1 day.

That’s it, friends! You now have crispy roasted chickpeas. They’re:

What goes with roasted chickpeas?

I love these chickpeas as a straight-up snack at home or on the go. They’re also great atop things like salads, soups, and Buddha bowls!

Try these chickpeas with my Curry Roasted Fennel Salad, Garlicky Kale Salad, Sweet Potato Noodle Pasta, Curried Butternut Squash Soup, Butternut Squash Pizza, Greek Goddess Bowl, or Sweet Potato Chickpea Buddha Bowl! They’d also be equally tasty on my Mediterranean Baked Sweet Potatoes. What I’m saying is: They’re delicious on pretty much everything!

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. We’d LOVE to see what you come up with. Cheers, friends!

Actually Crispy Baked Chickpeas

4-ingredient baked roasted chickpeas that are ACTUALLY crispy! Simple methods, BIG flavor, so crunchy and delicious! Plus, plant-based and gluten-free.

Author Minimalist Baker

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4.82 from 94 votes

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

1 15-ounce can chickpeas (drained and very well drained + thoroughly dried)
1 Tbsp avocado or other neutral oil (if avoiding oil, omit and don’t rinse chickpeas out of the can – just drain)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp seasonings of choice (such as DIY Curry Powder, Shawarma Spice Blend, or chili powder)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and set out a bare baking sheet (or more, as needed).
Drain chickpeas well. If using oil, rinse well with water and thoroughly drain. If omitting oil, simply drain well and skip rinsing with water.
Once drained well, spread the chickpeas out on a clean, absorbent towel and use your hands to gently roll and dry the chickpeas. Some of the skins should start coming off. You can opt to peel all of the chickpeas – which can help for extra crispiness! – or simply remove the skins that come off. Either way, the chickpeas will crisp up. I just found that peeling them does yield slightly crispier chickpeas.
Transfer the chickpeas to a mixing bowl and top with oil (or omit) and salt. Mix well to combine. DO NOT add the other seasoning at this point – it can interrupt the crisping process, so wait to add until after baking.
Bake for a total of 40-50 minutes or until golden brown and dry/crispy to the touch. I like turning my pan around and shaking the chickpeas around at the halfway point for even cooking. Note: peeled chickpeas cook faster than unpeeled. If omitting oil, they will also cook faster.
Remove from oven and toss with seasonings (if desired) while still warm. Then let cool 5-10 minutes – they will continue crisping as they cool.
Serve as is or atop bowls or salads! To store, place in a storage container or jar and DO NOT tightly cover. Instead, crack lid so they can “breathe” a bit. I found that this helped them stay crispy longer. These are best in the first day, but they will last for 4-5 days at room temperature. Alternatively, seal well and freeze up to 1 month.

Video

Notes

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with oil.

Nutrition (1 of 4 servings)

Serving: 1 servings Calories: 120 Carbohydrates: 14.7 g Protein: 4.6 g Fat: 5.2 g Saturated Fat: 0.5 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.08 g Monounsaturated Fat: 2.75 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 427 mg Potassium: 81 mg Fiber: 4.2 g Sugar: 2.6 g Vitamin A: 50 IU Vitamin C: 0.8 mg Calcium: 30 mg Iron: 0.9 mg