Roasted spicy chickpeas

A tasty, low-fat snack to start your New Year's healthy eating resolutions off right!  I've made roasted chickpeas before following the South Beach Diet's recipe, but they're pretty darn bland and I can't get my husband or kids to eat them (for whose benefit they are made, after all!)

Beans are a pretty healthy snack that most people don't think of.  If you roast them, they'll hit the same crunchy texture points that chips and nuts do but with less fat...see below:

Per 1/4 cup        Roasted Chickpeas             Raw Almonds
Calories             75                                        135
Fat (g)               4.5                                        11
Carb (g)            10                                          5
Protein (g)         3                                           5
(calculated by myfitnesspal.com)

So I decided to try making roasted chickpeas like I do roasted nuts...tossed with a bit of oil and some kind of seasoning...and it turns out that they're pretty darn good this way!  I used homemade taco seasoning so they're salt-free, but you could use packaged seasoning mixes like ranch dressing, mixed minced fresh herbs or sweet spice mixes like pumpkin pie spice.


Spiced Roasted Chickpeas
Makes 7 servings

1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp olive oil or melted butter
1 tbsp taco seasoning or other spice mix

Pat chickpeas dry in a towel.  Toss with oil and spices.  Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and roast 50 minutes at 350F, until chickpeas are crunchy and lightly browned.  Shake the pan every 15 minutes or so; you'll know they're done when it sounds like you're shaking a pan full of marbles.  Store at room temperature in a loosely covered container.  They'll keep a few days. Pin It