So many of the current low carb or slow carb snack items that you can order online or buy in the grocery store are basically processed food.
This recipe for crunchy roasted chickpeas satisfies the craving for a salty, filling snack that is still slow carb and doesn’t use overly processed ingredients.
Jump to: RECIPE | Tips to Make Them Crunchy
Slow Carb Snack with Crunchy, Salty Flavor
Roasted chickpeas are quite popular as a slow-carb snack and can satisfy that crunchy, salty flavor that is sometimes missing from a low-carb or keto lifestyle.
Roasted chickpeas can also be an extremely versatile snack to make, as you can easily change up the flavor with different blends of spices.
The recipe below is a blend of parmesan, herbs, and Worcestershire sauce. Parmesan adds an umami flavor to the chickpeas, and you end up with a robust flavor bomb that hits all the salty, crunchy, spicy notes.
Another favorite chickpea snack is roasted chickpeas with a Moroccan spice blend called harissa.
Tips for making the chickpeas “crunchy”
Sometimes roasted chickpeas can look crunchy, only to bite into a soft “beany” center. They’re still good that way, but we’re going for the crunch that you might be missing from the lack of tortilla chips in your slow-carb lifestyle.
So, here are a few tips to promote the crunch:
- After rinsing the chickpeas let them drain in a colander or on paper towels for quite a while. Dab them with a dry paper towel after draining. You want to get them as dry as possible.
- Fold the chickpeas inside of a kitchen towel and gently rub the skins off. The skins keep the moisture in and this helps make them more crunchy. Don’t worry if some skins are still left on.
- Cook the chickpeas without any oil for the first half of the roasting process. Add the oil and seasonings for the second half. A lot of recipes mix the chickpeas with oil and seasoning before roasting and the coating prevents them from crisping up as much.
- Bake (or roast) at 375 degrees F for about 40-45 minutes rather than at a high temperature for a shorter time (they will burn), or a lower temperature for a longer time (they won’t get crispy).
- After roasting, let them cool inside the oven for a bit with the oven door open and the heat turned off.
- Store them in a breathable container rather than a tightly sealed container.
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Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas with Parmesan
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 15 ounces canned chickpeas drained, rinsed and patted dry
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon chile pepper spice
- 2 teaspooons mixed dried herbs (I used a mix of oregano, thyme and rosemary
- 1.5 teaspoons garlic salt
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Rinse the chickpeas and let drain. Dry thoroughly with paper towels or a dish towel. The drier they are the crunchier they will be in the end. Wrap the chickpeas in a dry kitchen towel and gently rub and massage them to get the skins off. You want them as dry as possible for the crunchiest chickpeas. Don't worry if a few skins are still left on.2 15 ounces canned chickpeas
- Spread the chickpeas out on a sheet pan and roast without any oil for the first half of the roasting process (about 20 minutes). Check occasionally to make sure they are not burning. You may need to shake the pan every so often.While they are roasting whisk together the next 5 ingredients (oil, Worcestershire, chile spice, herbs and garlic salt). Toss the hot chickpeas with the oil and seasonings and roast for another 15-20 minutes (you may need to let them cool a bit if you are tossing by hand). A lot of recipes mix the chickpeas with oil and seasoning before roasting and the coating prevents them from crisping up as much.1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon chile pepper spice, 2 teaspooons mixed dried herbs, 1.5 teaspoons garlic salt
- Remove chickpeas from oven and mix in the parmesan cheese and roast about 5-10 more minutes or until brown and crisp, stirring twice (beans may pop during roasting). Serve warm or allow to cool prior to storing.2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
Notes
Nutrition
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[…] Click here for a low carb recipe that uses a harissa spice mix for the chickpeas. […]
I am confused about the roasting directions – you say to roast at 350 in your comments, but the recipe states to preheat the oven to 425? also you say to not put any oil on them for the first part of the roasting, but the recipe has you mixing them with the oil and spices right away. Please clarify – thanks!
I’m so sorry….no wonder you were confused. I have 2 different roasted chickpea recipes and it looks like I mixed them up with each other. I have updated and modified the directions in this recipe and I think it will be much easier to understand. Please let me know if there is anything that is still confusing, and thank you so much for your comment!