These roasted crunchy chickpeas are a wonderful snack for the entire family and great to serve to guests (they’ll think you slaved for hours). Chickpeas, aka garbanzo beans, are full of nutrition and are a great source of fiber, protein and iron among others things – and these your body need to function properly.

The soluble fiber in chickpeas helps stabilize blood sugar levels. Chickpeas can help you balance blood sugar levels while providing steady, slow-burning energy. They have low GI value of 28 – 32 which simply means the carbohydrate in them is broken down and digested slower than higher glycemic foods. This is key for weight loss as it helps to controls appetite and keeps you feeling satiated longer.

 

Roasted Crunchy Chickpeas

Makes 4-6 servings 1/4 to 1/2 cup servings

Ingredients

• 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas
• 2 TBLS olive oil
• 1/2 – 1 tsp salt

Add any of these to your desired taste to spice up even more – make it your own fun recipe.

• 1/2 – 1 TBLS paprika or smoked paprika
• 1/2 – 1 TBLS cumin
• 1/2 – 1 tsp cayenne
• 1/2 – 1 tsp cinnamon
• Thyme, rosemary, finely chopped green onion

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400º. Rinse and drain the chickpeas well so there’s no excess water added. Toss all ingredients together in a bowl, then bake on a baking sheet for 20-30 minutes until golden brown and crunchy, turning them halfway through.

Be sure to spread them out on a large baking sheet (or use two smaller ones) so they have room to cook and are not crowded. If too close, they’ll steam and get soft instead of roast and get crunchy.

Let cool and serve warm or room temperature. (I love to eat them while they are still warm – sooo good!)

After they’ve completely cooled, store in an airtight glass container.

Serving suggestions:

• Snack with some veggies
• As a salad topper
• In a lettuce wrap
• Add to a quinoa veggie bowl