Chickpeas make some of the best snack ingredients. They’re filling, healthy, and vegan-friendly. They’re also gluten-free friendly, sugar-free friendly, and so much more.
The downside is that they can seem a little odd as a snack. Most of the time, you’ll add chickpeas into a curry or a casserole dish to help bulk it out. You may decide to add them to salads but would you really consider them as a snack?
Well, you should start using them that way. To make it easier for you to get started, we’re sharing your ultimate roundup of chickpea snack recipes. You’ll be surprised at the ways that you can use them throughout the day.
Start with Some Roasted Chickpeas
One of the quickest ways to use chickpeas as a snack is to opt for roasting them. This doesn’t mean just throwing them out on a baking tray and putting them in the oven for a few minutes. You can add all sorts of flavors and spices to them. Roasted chickpeas are the perfect alternatives to chips. You get away from the hydrogenated fats and opt for sugar-free, fat-free, healthy legumes instead.
Here are a few roasted chickpea recipes to try out.
Cayenne Pepper Roasted Chickpeas
Let’s start with one of the easiest ever recipes to make. You don’t want something that takes hours to prepare and make for a snack, do you?
Ingredients:
- 1 can of chickpeas, drained
- 2tbsp oil – olive, coconut, almond will all work
- Garlic salt, to taste
- Cayenne pepper, to taste
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 450F
- Dry out the chickpeas by blotting them with a paper towel and then add them to a bowl
- Cover with the oil and season with your salt and pepper
- Spread out on a baking tray and bake for around 30 minutes, until they are crunchy and browned
They may need slightly longer than the 30 minutes. Just keep an eye on them from this point to avoid them burning.
Cumin and Red Pepper Chickpeas
The second roasted chickpeas recipe does call for a few more spices. This is great if you want a slightly more oriental taste to your snack.
Ingredients:
- 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2tbsp oil
- 1tbsp cumin, ground
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2tsp chili powder
- 1 dash of crushed red pepper
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 350F
- Whisk the oil and all the seasonings in a small bowl and then add the chickpeas
- Spread the chickpeas on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 30-45 minutes, until crunchy and browned
Like with the previous recipe, keep an eye on the chickpeas after the first 30 minutes in the oven as they may burn depending on the make and model of your oven.
Roasted Garlic Chickpeas
This next recipe focuses more on the garlic than the other spices. There is also a cheesy flavor with the parmesan, which can help satisfy some of those savory cravings that you can get throughout the day. If you want to create a more oriental and Indian taste, you can add some curry powder or cayenne pepper to the mix.
Ingredients:
- 2 cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1/2tsp salt
- 1tsp garlic, crushed
- ½ cup of parmesan cheese, grated
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 400F
- Lay the chickpeas on paper towels and dab dry
- Mix a tbsp. of the oil and the chickpeas together in a bowl
- Add in the other ingredients, except the remaining oil, and coat completely
- Lay out the chickpeas on a baking tray and then drizzle the rest of the oil over the top
- Roast for 20 minutes and then stir, placing back in the oven for up to an hour
Keep an eye on the chickpeas to avoid burning. Watch for them going crispy and golden.
Honey Roasted Chickpeas
Sometimes you want something sweet for your snack. Instead of reaching for the high sugar chocolate bars, why not opt for some sweeter chickpea snacks? These honeys roasted chickpeas will have far more protein while curbing those sugar cravings that you get.
Ingredients:
- 1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1/2tbsp oil
- 1tbsp honey
- 1/2tsp cinnamon
- 1/8tsp nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 375F
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper
- Place your chickpeas on a paper towel and dab them dry
- Spread the chickpeas on the baking tray and bake for around 45 minutes, until they are crispy
- While hot, place them in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients
You can eat the chickpeas straight away, or you can put them back in the oven for another 10 minutes. The extra time in the oven will help the honey caramelize over the chickpeas to give a slightly glazed look and less sticky feel.
It’s possible to store roasted chickpeas in an airtight container, like a mason jar, for a couple of weeks, taking just a handful now and then as a snack.
Opt for Pan-Cooked Chickpeas
Another way to enjoy chickpeas is to cook them in a skillet to make them slightly crispy. This option is quicker than roasting but doesn’t quite get the same crunchy texture. You can still add all sorts of herbs and spices to create just the right taste for your snacking needs.
Ingredients:
- 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2tbsp oil
- 1/2oz of parmesan cheese, grated finely
- 1/2tsp garlic powder
- 1/2tsp oregano, dried
- 1/2tsp salt
- 1/2tsp lemon rind, grated
- Pinch of black pepper
Method:
- Pat the chickpeas dry
- Heat the oil in a skillet on a medium to high heat and add in the chickpeas, cooking for 17-20 minutes
- Place the chickpeas in a bowl with all the other ingredients and toss to coat evenly
Serve the chickpeas while still hot for the best results, or you can place out on a baking tray to cool and the transfer into an airtight container.
Get a Little More Extravagant with Your Snacks
Why not focus on some more extravagant snacks? Sometimes you don’t just want to have chickpeas on their own, even if they are covered in various herbs and spices. You want to find a way to throw them with other snacking food. Here’s a look at some delicious recipes to do just that.
Lettuce Wraps with Chickpeas and Quinoa
Let’s start with something extremely simple and quick to make. This snack is completely vegan, sugar-free, and gluten-free friendly. The lettuce wraps are deliciously filling and easy to eat with just one hand! There’s no need to add cutlery for yet more washing up. They’re best made just before you eat them.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of quinoa, cooked
- 1 ½ cups of chickpeas, cooked
- 1 cup of bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup of kale, shredded
- 1 cup of carrots, diced
- 1 cup of celery, diced
- 2tbsp lemon juice
- 2tbsp chives, chopped
- 2tbsp oil of your choice
- 1tsp Dijon mustard
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 16 romaine lettuce leaves
Method:
- Mix all the ingredients up to the celery together and then add in the chives
- Whisk the lemon, oil, and seasoning in another bowl and then pour over the chickpea mix
- Stuff the chickpea mix into the romaine lettuce leaves and serve
This will serve between two and four people. You can use half the mixture to cut down on the amount that you make. If you want to create ahead of time, do up to step two and place the mixture in a covered bowl in the fridge ready for use later.
Chickpea Salad with Mint, Lemon, and Edamame
When you want something that is low-GI diet friendly, this is a snack that you want to try out. Everything is suitable. It’s also perfect for vegan and gluten free diets.
Ingredients for the Dressing:
- Juice and zest of one lemon
- 1/2tsp garlic, crushed
- 2tbsp oil of your choice
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Ingredients for the Salad:
- 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 ½ cups of edamame, shelled and cooked
- ½ cup of green onions, chopped thinly
- 1 cup of mint, fresh and chopped
Method:
- Pat the chickpeas dry while cooking the edamame; frozen edamame is often much easier for a quicker salad
- Whisk the lemon juice, zest, garlic, oil, salt, and black pepper together in a bowl
- Add the chickpeas and stir until completely coated
- Leave the chickpeas to one side for marinating, while continuing with the next steps
- Drain the edamame and prepare the rest of the ingredients, if not done so already, and then add them to the chickpeas
- Season more if needed
The salad can be served immediately or stored in the fridge for later. It can be left overnight, but will likely need a bit more lemon juice when you do come to eat it the next day. Don’t leave it for longer than 24 hours.
Curried Cauliflower and Chickpeas
Sometimes you want to add just an extra ingredient and some spices to add some zing to your snack. Cauliflower is an excellent choice and can be easily cooked in the microwave for a quick snack. In fact, you can eat it raw if you’d like! This is a chickpea snack recipe that you will want to try at least once.
Ingredients:
- 1 cauliflower head, florets chopped
- 1 ½ cups of chickpeas, cooked
- 2tbsp oil of choice
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1 1/2 tsp turmeric, ground
- 1tsp cumin, ground
- 1tsp coriander, ground
- Pinch of salt, to taste
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 400F
- Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, coating the chickpeas and cauliflower completely
- Spread across a baking sheet with foil and roast for 25 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender
- Serve warm
You can turn this snack into a dish. Add some quinoa on the side for a high protein, low carb meal suitable for most diets. You can add brown rice if you want some carbs in the mix.
Chickpea Balls
What about when you need something that is easy to take on the go? You don’t want to always rely on roasted chickpeas, right? And you want something that looks like the high sugary snacks that everyone else will have. This is where these chickpea balls come into play.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of chickpeas, dry
- 2tbsp tahini
- 1/2tsp salt
- 1/3 cup of melon, dry
- 1/3 cup of pumpkin seeds
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking tray with parchment paper
- Soak the chickpeas in water overnight
- Bring the water to a boil and then reduce the temperature to a slight simmer, cooking for an hour until the chickpeas are soft; alternatively, you can use cooked chickpeas!
- Blend the chickpeas in a blender and then add the tahini, blending together until smooth
- Add in the melon and salt, blending together
- Create small balls out of your patter and place them on the baking tray
- Blend the pumpkin seeds to create a powder and sprinkle over the top of the balls
- Bake for 15 minutes, until they are crispy on the outside
The balls can be served with a side salad if you’d like. They are delicious on their own as a snack.
Try out the different recipes depending on your mood and your time. The roasted chickpea snacks are some of the easiest, but they can take up time. You’ll need to keep an eye on the chickpeas towards the end of the cooking time to avoid any burning.
None of the recipes are overly complicated. They’re fun to make, and you’ll find the whole family requests them repeatedly. Just imagine never craving unhealthy savory snacks every again in the house, especially as you try out your own herbs and spices over the roasted chickpeas!
