These crispy baked garbanzo beans are flavorful, crunchy, and full of plant-based protein. They make a great snack or salad topper and are very customizable.
Garbanzo beans, also commonly called chickpeas, are full of fiber, vitamins, and minerals making them a very nutrient-dense, healthy snack. Not only are they an incredibly versatile ingredient, but they're also inexpensive.
When baked or roasted, they become nice and crispy and can be used similarly to croutons in salads for a more wholesome option, added on top of dragon bowls when you want a crunchy element, or made into chickpea breadcrumbs to sprinkle on top of pasta.
Ingredients
- Canned garbanzo beans - the only ingredients should be garbanzo beans or chickpeas, water, and salt.
- Extra virgin olive oil - you can also use avocado oil for a more neutral flavor. The oil helps the seasonings stick to the garbanzo beans and also crisps them up.
- Spices - I used smoked paprika, ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and kosher salt. Feel free to use any seasoning you like though such as DIY taco seasoning, Italian seasoning, or just salt and pepper. If going the sweet route, wait until after they've finished baking to toss with a little more oil and granulated sugar so the sugar doesn't burn in the oven.
How to Make Crispy Baked Garbanzo Beans
Step 1. Drain canned garbanzo beans and rinse under cold water.
Step 2. Thoroughly dry the garbanzo beans with an absorbent clean kitchen towel or paper towel. Pat them dry by gently rubbing the towel back and forth. Remove as much moisture as you can, then spread the beans out on the towel to further dry out for an additional 10-15 minutes. Discard any skins that fall off or are loose.
Step 3. Place the dried garbanzo beans into a mixing bowl and toss with the olive oil and seasonings of choice until well-coated.
Step 4. Spread out the seasoned garbanzo beans onto a rimmed baking sheet (no parchment paper necessary). Bake them at 350ºF/180ºC for 20 minutes, shake the pan, and rotate it, then bake for another 20 minutes. Do a crunch taste test and add an additional 3-5 minutes if needed. They'll continue to crisp up as they cool.
Frequently Asked Questions?
It's not necessary to remove all the skins. Just remove any that fall off during the drying process. If you see any that are attached, but loose, gently remove them as well.
There's no difference between the two. They're both a legume with just different names. At the store, you'll notice some cans say chickpeas while others say garbanzo beans, but they're the exact same thing.
Yes, they're full of protein, fiber, and complex carbs.
Roasted garbanzo beans are best the day you make them. After that, they lose their crispiness.
If you have leftovers, store them in a bowl with a clean kitchen towel loosely over the top at room temperature. To crisp them back up, put them back in the oven for 10 minutes at 350ºF/180ºC.
Top Tips
Don't skip the additional 10-15 minutes of drying time. Excess moisture means they won't crisp up as much. I've made them multiple times, and the extra drying time is the key to crispy garbanzo beans.
No parchment paper is needed. Usually when it comes to baking, parchment paper or silicone baking mats are helpful, but for this recipe, direct contact with the hot pan helps them further crisp up.
More Healthy Snacks
Crispy Baked Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas)
Ingredients
- 15 ounce can of garbanzo beans or chickpeas
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
Seasoning (or use 1 ½ teaspoons seasoning of choice + salt)
- ½ teaspoon diamond crystal kosher salt reduce by half if using anything else
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉/180℃. Drain canned garbanzo beans and rinse under cold water.
- Thoroughly dry the garbanzo beans with an absorbent clean kitchen towel or paper towel. Pat them dry by gently rubbing the towel back and forth. Remove as much moisture as you can, then spread the beans out on the towel to further dry out for an additional 10-15 minutes. Discard any skins that fall off or are loose.
- Place the dried garbanzo beans into a mixing bowl and toss with the olive oil and seasonings of choice until well-coated.
- Spread out the seasoned garbanzo beans into a single layer onto a rimmed baking sheet (no parchment paper necessary). Bake them for 20 minutes, shake the pan, and rotate it, then bake for another 20 minutes. Do a crunch taste test and add an additional 3-5 minutes if needed. They'll continue to crisp up as they cool.
- These are best eaten the day you make them. If you have leftovers, store them in a bowl with a clean kitchen towel loosely over the top at room temperature. To crisp them back up, put them back in the oven for 10 minutes at 350ºF/180℃.
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