Easy, Healthy Snack ~ Spice Roasted Crunchy Chickpeas Recipe

I really like snacks.  I definitely prefer to graze throughout the day rather than having three large meals.  I'm always on the look-out of a snack that is great tasting, but also is somewhat healthy.  I don't know about you, but one of my favorite types of snacks is those of the savory, crunchy kind.

Spice Roasted Crunchy Chickpeas are an easy, inexpensive, delicious, protein packed snack that you and your family will love.  If you've ever had corn nuts and you like those, then you will certainly like these!

Spice Roasted Crunchy Chickpeas Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cans chickpeas (or garbanzo beans)

1-2 tablespoons of olive oil

Dry spice seasoning (any flavor you like)

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Drain, rinse and pat dry the two cans of chickpeas.  Place chickpeas onto a large baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and a liberal amount of any dry spice mixture you like.  Toss to coat.  I used a southwestern seasoning on mine, but you could use a taco seasoning, curry powder, or chinese five spice.........whatever you and your family like.

Bake chickpeas for 40 minutes until they are completely dried out and crunchy.  Check on them around 30 minutes to make sure you don't have any burning since oven temperatures can vary a little.  You know they are almost done when they start to shrivel up and become about half of their original size.  It should take the entire 40 minutes for them to dry out.  

Store in an air-tight container.  

This is a great recipe that the kids can help out with in the kitchen.  Let them pat the chickpeas dry, drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle the seasoning.  And then let them mix it all up.  They will love getting their hands in there!

These crunchy chickpeas are loaded with protein and if you get your cans of chickpeas on sale, they will only cost you pennies to make.  Try finding some seasonings that your children enjoy and this would make an excellent snack to send in school lunchs.