Crispy Chickpea Snack Bites

A home-kitchen snack built around baked chickpeas that are dried well, seasoned, and roasted until crisp. The texture is crunchy at the edges with a nutty center, and the seasoning stays simple enough to keep the chickpeas front and center.

By Julienne

Cook time: 35 minutes

Servings: 10

Ingredients

• 480 g canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed well dried on towels
• 15 ml olive oil
• 4 g fine salt
• 2 g smoked paprika
• 2 g ground cumin
• 2 g garlic powder
• 1 g black pepper freshly ground
• 0.5 g cayenne pepper
• 2 g lemon zest finely grated
• 5 g fresh parsley finely chopped

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 220°C. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. The oven is fully preheated and the pan is lined.
2. Spread the drained chickpeas on a clean towel and dry them thoroughly, rolling them gently to remove loose skins if desired. The chickpeas feel dry to the touch and no longer look wet on the surface.
3. In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas with 15 ml olive oil, 4 g salt, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, black pepper, and cayenne if using. Toss until the chickpeas are evenly coated. The chickpeas are evenly seasoned with no dry spice patches.
4. Spread the chickpeas in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. The chickpeas are in one layer with space between them.
5. Bake for 25 minutes, then shake the pan or stir the chickpeas and continue baking for 8 to 10 minutes more, until the exteriors are deeply golden and crisp. The chickpeas sound dry and crisp when stirred, with browned, blistered skins.
6. Transfer the chickpeas to a bowl and toss immediately with lemon zest and parsley. The chickpeas are fragrant and evenly finished with herbs.
7. Serve warm or at room temperature. The bites are crisp on the outside and ready to eat.