I can’t seem to make enough of this stuff to last more than just a few days. Not only are they a great gluten-free snack that give a nice fiber & protein kick, but they are also great treats when the sweet tooth comes knocking.
Whenever I make a batch of these… the traffic flow to the kitchen increases to the point where I have to hide the batch or they are gone in one day!
Hmmm… You know what, I need to go get a handful… just made some fresh today! Only I know where they are. I’ve gotten good at hiding things from my family when I need to… hehe! be right back!
Anyway, I’m sure you are one of the many mamas (or dads) out there looking for a good variety of snack recipes that are nutritious, inexpensive and easy to make.
Well, you can just add this to your list of homemade snacks to make!
I promise, promise that you will love it and your kids too! I tested these out with my friends from Wisconsin that came down to help us last month. I burned them a little because I had too much going on at once (don’t do that!), but they still liked it and their kids enjoyed it too!
After making these awesome roasted chickpeas several times… I’ve finally got it down where they are just perfect. The first time I made them… my girls didn’t like them at all. I tried again and they each ate a bowl, but it didn’t really fly. Tried it the third time and they each ate a bowl then asked for more!
After messing around with several different recipes, I found that it is ideal to first roasted the chickpeas with butter or oil (you can dry roast if you prefer, which would take less time, but won’t be as flavorful)… then create a syrup of sort using a mixture of melted butter or oil, spices and sweetener to stir in after the chickpeas are roasted. Many of the recipes just say to mix it all together and stick in the oven, but I’ve found that they burned too easily or the flavors just don’t “pop” or, if using raw sugar, it just didn’t glaze nicely around the chickpeas.
For examples… Look at the pictures… the ones that Naomi is holding (top two pictures) are perfectly glazed, while the ones that Tabi (above) is holding has some burned areas with an uneven coating of sweetener.
I also found that you really can’t be shy with the sweetener. So many of the recipes call for only a couple teaspoons of sweetener per cup of chickpeas… ugh. I tried that and it really didn’t taste sweet at all and I don’t have a very strong sweet tooth. If you are using good sweeteners such as raw honey, rapadura/sucanat, maple syrup or coconut sugar… there’s really no need to hold back! Lately, I’ve been using the leftover syrup from making candied orange spice peels… the light orange flavor is simply delicious and the syrup glazes perfectly around the chickpeas! Yum!
Lastly, most recipes tell you to peel the skin off the garbanzo beans… forget it! I’ve tried many different methods to get them off and decided that it wasn’t worth it. Of course, I tend to pull out clumps of skins after washing the beans… so the job gets half done, more or less ;o)
So, with all that said… please don’t think it’s complicated. I’ve basically got it figured out for you so that it should be a breeze… unlike it was for me during the first few times I made these guys!
If you want to make it super easy, just buy the can… but with all the BPA used in cans these days, I don’t recommend it unless you buy this particular brand (BPA free). I prefer just soaking and cooking my own beans… so much cheaper and I don’t have to wonder how much BPA is getting into our bodies!
Make sure to hang around the kitchen when making these because every time I keep an eye on them while doing something else in the kitchen… they come out perfect, but if I get distracted, leave the kitchen and leave them too long… they get burned. Maybe that’s just me :o)
Again, I promise you and your kids will love it… just try it a couple times and see what happens. Enjoy! If you really don’t like it… just let me know in the comments below.
NOTE: You can do this ahead of time and store the beans in the fridge.
Sort through the beans and remove any bad beans, rocks and dirt. Rinse them off and cover with very warm water. Stir in baking soda and set it aside. Allow it to soak overnight or preferably up to 24 hours. After they’ve soaked, drain them and rinse them off VERY good.
Put them in pot and cover with water. Bring to boil on high heat and skim off any scum that rises. Bring it down to low heat, cover it and let it simmer until soft. Drain them in a colander and rinse them really well. Let them drain for about 10 minutes to cool and dry out.
Turn the oven on to 375 F.
Pour the beans onto two baking sheets and spread them out. If they still look wet, dry them off with a paper towel. Cut or scoop your choice of butter or coconut oil onto the beans. Put them in the oven for 30 minutes to 1 hour or longer (time varies from oven to oven and moisture levels). Stir the beans after 5-10 minutes of roasting to evenly coat the beans with butter or oil. Stir once more about 20 minutes later. Test taste them towards the end. They are done when crunchy and lightly browned.
Meanwhile, choose one of the 4 flavors varieties given below and make a syrup by melting your choice of butter or coconut oil. Stir in sweetener and spices. Keep the heat on medium low, you don’t want the mixture to burn. Stir until everything dissolves. Set aside.
While hot, transfer chickpeas into a bowl and thoroughly mix with your choice of syrup. Spread chickpeas back on baking sheets and roast for additional 8-10 minutes, stirring once or twice, or until the chickpeas look glazed.
Take them out and stir again. Grind or sprinkle sea salt over them (optional). Allow them to cool to room temperature (if you have self-control and can hold off the kids!) and store them in an airtight container. They should last up to a week no problems, but I haven’t been able try that because all the batches I’ve made have never last more than 2 days!
Honey Chai
3 Tbsp butter or coconut oil
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp finely ground white pepper (optional)
sea salt (optional)
Salted Caramel
3 Tbsp butter or coconut oil
3/4 cup coconut palm sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
coarse sea salt
NOTE: I have discovered that using dry coconut sugar does not work for this recipe as it doesn’t melt very well into the butter or oil. Coconut sugar paste is the best kind to use and can be bought at an Asian store. The paste is what I have used for making my salted caramel chickpeas with success before posting this. If you made this and had bad results… I am sorry… I hope you will try again using coconut sugar paste! It is delicious!
Pumpkin Spice
3 Tbsp butter or coconut oil
1/2 – 3/4 cup maple syrup
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
Tangy Orange Spice
3 Tbsp butter or coconut oil
1/2 cup rapadura or sucanat
3 Tbsp dried orange powder (or just stir in 6 Tbsp orange juice)
2 tsp orange zest
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp sea salt
PS- These are fantastic snacks for traveling!
Thanks for the detailed instructions — I have seen these, but have not made them yet. I particularly appreciate the tip about dousing them in a flavored syrup instead of baking the whole mess together.
Sharyn – my pleasure! Yes, I think it makes a differences using the syrup rather than just mixing it all together. Ends up getting burned rather than nicely glazed.
Yum! I’ve been thinking about making these, but I had in mind more of a savory than sweet but your’s look so good…. I’ll have to let you know what I do.
Katie- that’s another post I am planning to do! I have a few savory flavors… so yum!
I just made some flavored with honey chai for the Super Bowl. I put some plain into a bowl and sprinkled with sea salt – they’re more addictive than Pringles! Just baked and salted they remind me of corn nuts, only much healthier. Thanks 🙂
Kristine – Awesome! Yeah, that are so good. I made some Honey Chai a couple days ago too! They are going fast… love the spicyness of it.
I just made these this morning, and wow, the flavor is amazing! I did half a batch of orange spice, and half honey chai. Mine aren’t crunchy though…do you know what I did wrong? Did I overcook them before roasting? Thanks for your help (and awesome recipes!)
I would love for you to come share this post on my link-up, Make-ahead Mondays, at Raising Isabella!
http://naturalparentingunnaturalworld.blogspot.com/2012/02/make-ahead-monday-6.html
Hope to see you there!
What a fun idea to roast them, then glaze them and cook them again. Such great advice if your family is not enjoying them plain, like most people.
I’ll be hosting whole food wednesdays at beyondthepeel.net if you’d like to come over and share, we’d love to have you!
I will have the linky party up late Tuesday.
Abby – sounds like you need to let them roast longer in the glaze. Really, every oven is different and temps vary and times vary. You want to keep them in there until they are crunchy… need to make sure you taste them before you take them out. If they are still soft… then leave them in for another 10 minutes and try them again. When they start to get the crunchy feel… take them out and let them cool. The cooling process will help them get more crunchy. Glad you love the flavors! We love em all!!
Sarah – I will come check it out. Thanks for the invite!
France – I will come check your linky party too! Thanks for the invite ;o)
These look great!!! I love chick peas and can’t wait to try them. I would love for you to post them on my blog carnival superfood sundays…..
http://www.painfreepregnancy.org/2012/02/superfood-sunday-blog-carnival-february.html
Hey! So I’m still learning about soaking grains, seeds, beans, etc and was wondering if the baking soda in this recipe qualifies as a acid medium? Other recipes I’ve see call for whey. If baking soda is an acid medium, can I soak other seeds and beans in baking soda as well?
Thanks!
Kristi – thanks for the invite! I will check it out.
Liz – actually, baking soda is the opposite… it softens the water and softens the beans to help release the stuff that causes gas. If you leave your beans soaked for 24 hours or longer… it starts to smell.. um, well… stinking, right? Anyway, no you can’t soak seeds, nuts or grains in baking soda as they have a different structure than beans. You can soak ALL beans with baking soda though.
These look great! I have made roasted chickpeas before, but never sweet! I am going to have to try this!
Jenn – the sweet roasted chickpeas are amazing. I tried some savory flavors and enjoy them too. Hope you like them!!
Thanks for sharing this post at Make-ahead Monday! I hope to see you again next week!
Sarah @ Raising Isabella
http://naturalparentingunnaturalworld.blogspot.com
I can’t wait to try these! We LOVE roasted chick peas, but we always do the same recipe- lots of nutritional yeast, Bragg’s, garlic powder and any other spices we are in the mood for.
Can’t wait to try some variety:-)
Cannot wait to try this! My kiddos love cereal ad have also gotten tired of granola and I dont buy the processed stuff so I can’t wait to try this out!! Thank you!
I just made some of the honey chai but they are totally stuck to my cookie sheet! What did I do wrong? Did I make too much glaze? Or were they not spread out/apart as much as they should have been to not stick? The flavor is great…if I can just get them off the pan without breaking them up! 🙂
Hello Jamie! Did you stir the chickpeas while they were roasting? Usually you want to do that a couple times to help prevent them getting stuck and for the chickpeas to get evenly glazed as much as possible onto them rather on the pan. I’ve never had this problem! Next time you can always throw on some oil or butter to while the pan is still hot before putting the chickpeas back on to help prevent stickiness. Hope I was helpful! Hope you have a better try next time! Don’t give up… it is sooo worth it. I had to do it a few times before getting the hang of it… almost every oven is different and gives different results.
Hi Marilyn,
I love these! I just made the honey chai with whole crushed cardamom! I would love if you would share your savory flavors, as I am off and on the yeast diet ad lot and often can’t have sweeteners.
Thanks!!!!!
Let me say….yummy!! I just made the pumpkin spice ones and LOVE! them. I’m already thinking easy Christmas gifts for family and friends. I would love to make a garlic or chile flavored ones. I may be experimenting in the future. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Making them right now, excited to taste them!!! I soaked my beans a good 24 hours & they stink. Are they ok, did I soak too long, are they bad?
That’s okay! Simply wash them off really good and it won’t affect the flavor of the beans. The smell you are smelling is normal and is actually a good sign… means the enzyme that causes the gas has been pulled out into the water.
Where do you get the coconut sugar paste – i am having trouble finding in that form.
Hi Becky! I have more success getting paste from local asian/indian stores. They often carry hard things of coconut sugar that is moist and can be grated.
Hi, i have made these a bunch of times, and we all love them. i have even been playing around with the flavorings. but this time when i cooked the chickpeas, it looks like the skins have come off of them and i can’t seem to get them off. They are in the oven now fingers crossed they cook up and i can separate them after. Did i cook my beans too long?
Hello HP! Don’t worry! They will be fine and the skins will get crunchy. You won’t even really notice them. So glad you love these guys… we do too!! They are sooo yummy!
Do you use a cup of chickpeas for each recipe or is the 4 cups of chickpeas for one flavour ?
I am really glad I found this recipe as I have a back problem and its so much easier getting the dried stuff ! I have tried making dried bean,seed and saltana mixes with dried beans but they were hard do you know how to solve this ? I know you can use canned beans which has the weight and BPA problems so I would rather use dried. I would love to know how they make these The Food Dr Whole Grains Oriental Spice, sadly compleatly overpriced the hard bit os the beans the flavouring is half soy sauce half five spice with some garlic, yum…..those fifing beans !
Hello Claudia! It’s 4 cups of cooked chickpeas for one flavor.
I’m not sure about your other question.