Spicy Roasted Garbanzo Beans Recipe

The truth is that not all snack foods get the attention they deserve, especially if they're healthy ones. In fact, one hidden gem that deserves way more credit than it's currently getting is the roasted garbanzo bean. And, perhaps best of all, this snack can be made in the convenience and comfort of one's home with some serious ease.

While this spicy roasted garbanzo recipe, crafted and perfected by recipe developer Susan Olayinka of The Flexible Fridge, can be ready to go in 50 minutes, don't let that time frame fool you. "I will say this is a beginner difficulty [...] as there are easy steps in this recipe," Olayinka said. "Probably the most challenging thing is to roughly take the skins off the chickpeas, but this isn't to do with cooking skills but to do with patience!"

In less than one hour, you can have the "it" snack food of the summer, fall, winter, or spring, as spicy roasted garbanzo beans are really a year-round treat. It's all but certain that, once you try this recipe, you won't be surprised when it becomes a mainstay in your household.

First, you'll need to gather the ingredients for the recipe. You'll need 1.5 cups of garbanzo beans (equivalent to 1 drained can), two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, one teaspoon of onion powder, one teaspoon of garlic powder, one teaspoon of black pepper, one teaspoon of paprika, one teaspoon of cumin, and one teaspoon of salt.

You'll also want to take this time to preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line a baking tray with foil.

First, you'll need to drain the chickpeas from the can and place them in a sieve or colander. Next, wash the chickpeas under cool water until the water below the sieve runs clear.

Then spread the chickpeas on a large cutting board lined with paper towels to soak up any remaining water. Pat the chickpeas dry and remove any loose skins that you find in the mix. This step may take a little extra time, but removing the skins will greatly improve the texture of the final snack.

Finally, transfer the chickpeas to the lined baking tray. Drizzle the chickpeas with olive oil and sprinkle them with salt, mixing them to ensure an even coating of oil and salt over the legumes.

After the chickpeas are prepared, you'll roast them in the oven for 45 minutes at that good old standard of 350° Fahrenheit, or until they are crispy and a lovely golden brown color. This is the longest step of the recipe, to be sure, but it's a rather easy one as you're simply sitting back and allowing the oven to do its magic. Perhaps you want to make yourself a nice cup of tea or coffee in the meantime as a reward for picking this simple and delicious recipe.

While the chickpeas roast, mix the onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, paprika, cumin, and salt in a bowl. Set aside until the chickpeas are finished roasting in the oven. Then, when the chickpeas are fully cooked, remove them from the oven and place them into a separate, heat-resistant mixing bowl. Pour the spices from the previous mixing bowl on top of the chickpeas and mix until they're evenly coated.

And though this is a pretty simple recipe altogether, make sure that you don't dawdle when it comes to seasoning the chickpeas. "The seasoning can be added immediately when they come out of the oven," Olayinka said. "When it's hot, the seasoning tends to stick to food better."

Once that's done, transfer the garbanzo beans to a serving dish and enjoy. Yes, it really is that simple! However, if you're not ready to eat them once they're finished, you can also store them in an airtight jar for later.

Roasted garbanzo beans are a great snack on their own, but that doesn't mean they have to be served alone.

"This tends to pair well with roasted corn," Olayinka said. "Readers could make a dry roasted mix that they can use as a snack ... such as roasted garbanzo beans and roasted corn." Think of some other store-bought snack mixes you may have had, only with the satisfaction of making it in your own kitchen and with the ability to control the exact amount of salt, spice, and other ingredients that go into the mix.

That said, Olayinka wants people to know how delicious and healthy roasted garbanzo beans are as a snack. "[I]t is healthy, it's full of fibre, it's great for protein and great for vegans and vegetarians," she exclaimed. One bite of this super easy, healthy snack and you'll be sure to agree, too.