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Chickpea Poppers

Full House.

For seventeen years, our household consisted of four people: Dad, Mom, Katie, and Michelle. Initially, it felt strange when my sister and I went off to college after so many years living in the same family unit. Now, however, it feels strange when we’re all back together under one roof! Strange, but wonderful. It’s especially nice to sit down to a family dinner again, just like old times. We took advantage the other night. My sister made the dinner, and I was in charge of salad and sides (grilled veggies). 

caesar

Above, a salad tossed with Crazy-Good Ranch Dressing.

That dressing is so good! I’m running out of things to put it on, having already tried pasta, salad, bulgur, steamed veggies, and roast veggies. The other day I made a really delicious bowl of random leftovers: roast cauliflower and baby bellas, fresh corn, and the ranch, all mixed up.

I’d planned to roast the chickpeas, but I just couldn’t fathom the idea of turning on the oven when it was 105 degrees outside. So I grilled them. Always a rebel. 

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The chickpeas went into our salads too. They made for a nice, crunchy alternative to croutons.

Chickpea Poppers

Found here: Recipes with Beans

  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1/8 tsp salt, or to taste
  • oil or oil spray
  • seasonings of choice (I used paprika and curry powder, but ginger or cinnamon would also be nice. Or you could even go sweet: try coconut oil, cinnamon, and perhaps even some sugar or stevia.)

Rinse and drain your chickpeas, then dry with a towel. Mix with a little oil or spray, then toss with your seasonings (optional: you can also add a little flour if desired). To grill, you can use a panini press, a griddle, or a grill pan right over your grill.

Alternatively, you can roast these in a 400-degree oven, for 30-40 minutes, tossing every ten minutes. Optional: make ’em twice as addictive by tossing them in Healthy Ranch Dressing.

dadus

Questions of the Day:

Do you still live with all your siblings?

It’s weird for me to think about the fact that it’s been six years since our family lived all together like when we were growing up.

Published on June 23, 2011

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126 Comments

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  1. Emily says

    Carmel corn chick peas is such a good idea!!!!
    My older siblings and I are 11 years apart so we don’t see each other a lot but when we do, it’s always exciting. I don’t know what I’d do if I was an only child!

  2. Stefanie says

    You look like your sister. 🙂 I have never roasted chickpeas because I always forget to when I have some chickpeas handy. Grilling them sounds good. My brothers have moved out and I am moving back in to my parents house. It is nice to have a choice of bedrooms since they won’t be moving back in any time soon. 😉

  3. Lisa Fine says

    I love roasted chickpeas!

    Our friends made them for us one winter night while we were waiting for our dinner to finish cooking. They made a perfect, popcorn-like snack, and they’re really good with some nutritional yeast.

    I haven’t lived with my sister since high school, but I’m lucky enough to see her at least every month, and we go on an annual trip to Disney World each year. 🙂

  4. Jenny says

    Yes, I’ve roasted chickpeas many, many times! There are some really good “recipes” (really just seasoning ideas) for roasted chickpeas over at “Peas & Thank You”! I love, love, love roasting them with Indian spices or smoked paprika. I’ve tried them with “sweet” seasonings, but really prefer them as a savory snack or salad topper.

    My brother’s studying in Singapore, and he’d NEVER come back to Canada, where I’m studying… Haha, when my family gets together, it’s usually somewhere in the middle of all of the places we live, like in Europe! Equal traveling time for each of us is only fair…

    Lovely picture of you, your sister and your father! Smiles all around~ 🙂 You can definitely see some similarities between you and your sister, but you both also have such healthy looking hair!

  5. vogelstar says

    mmm I have made these and love them. And I truly believe caramel chickpeas will be good. In middle eastern groceries, you can buy candy coated dry chickpeas. The mix of the sweet and salty work very well with these little guys.

  6. tea-bag says

    i LOVE roasted chickpeas! i like to vary the spices to make them sweet or savory but my fav is a mix of indian spices! i’ve never tried them grilled, though – awesome!

  7. Jennifer JCD says

    LOVE the photo of you, your Dad, and your sister!! Adorable!

    Mmm… roasted chickpeas make an awesome snack!! So glad you had the chance to try them. Yummy!

    It’s been a long time since my family has lived together, and thankfully we all live in the same part of the town in which I grew up, so we get together a lot for dinners or play games. It’s nice having family just a quick bike ride away. Daaaddddyyy… the lock on our patio door isn’t working, can you fix it? And sure enough he comes over to do it. hehehe… I love having family so close. 🙂

  8. Rebecca says

    I love roasted chickpeas! I had kind of forgotten about them, so thanks for the reminder! I’ve made them with a chili powder and cumin spice combo.

  9. Sam says

    Roasted chickpeas are awesome! I bet grilled would be really fun too, gotta try that. Right now I live with my boyfriend, my brother still lives at home with mom and dad!

  10. Amy says

    I’ve tried roasted chickpeas twice before, and both times they came out tough on the outside and chalky inside. I don’t know why…:(

    Grilling chickpeas sounds more down my alley though–definitely going to have to try that sometime!

  11. Julie H. of Spinach and Sprinkles says

    I have never tried roasted chickpeas but will be making them ASAP now, thanks to you…. I really mean that; thanks for the idea. I don’t know why I never thought of doing that!
    I’m just betting the husband would think it was weird if I still lived with my sister, and my brother-in-law would think it would be even more crazy…. My sister and I would *LOVE* to still live together. The two of us and our husbands, awesome. I do love when we are all together like old times.

  12. Amber K says

    Nope, I never have! In fact, I rarely roast everything because I have absolutely zero patience when it comes to waiting for food. If they could find a way to get that roasted flavor in 10 minutes or less, I’m there, lol 🙂

  13. Nichole says

    My dad sometimes makes fried chickpeas with spinach and garlic. They’re soo good, and I imagine roasted chickpeas are similar. As for siblings, my older sister is 9 years older than me. She was in college when i was 10. How crazy is that? So i guess most of my ‘growing up’ years were spent feeling more like an only child. Now that I’m in college, living at home feels weird.

  14. Michaela says

    you can definitely tell you are related 😉
    I am not living at home anymore, but my older brother has moved out before me, anyway. It was really strange at first. Sometimes I really miss it, other times I am glad of having my own space and peace 😉
    I made roasted chickpeas only the other day and people couldn´t stop eating them!

  15. Liz @ Tip Top Shape says

    I LOVE roasted chickpeas! I made them for the first time a month or so back using a recipe from Eat Drink and Be Vegan. The recipe is on my blog, too.

    I totally get what you mean about the house feeling weird when out of towners come home. My brother lives in Virginia now for Grad School and whenever he comes home it feels strange. A good strange, though!

  16. Angela says

    I don’t live with my siblings, but my sister lives right down the road from me.

    I was just eating a salad with chickpeas and reading your blog about chickpeas. I just warmed mine in the microwave, but grilling or baking would be soooo much better I imagine. The caramel ones sound interesting.

  17. Emily @ Glitz Glam Granola says

    Ohh I haven’t tried roasted chickpeas but they sound good! I like the idea of them being a crunchy salad topping! I think Trader Joes sells them like that in a bag, but I bet they aren’t as good as making them yourself.

    And it’s been a long time since I’ve lived with all my siblings! But I think that it just makes it more fun when we all get together! Feels like old times!

  18. Jen says

    The first time I had fried chickpeas at a faux speak easy and they were the best thing I’ve ever eaten!!! I had to make them myself I just did canned chickpeas and tossed them with olive oil and some herbs and s&p! They are now a fav snack but I’ll have to try roasting them! It’s probably healthier!!

  19. Freya says

    YES I love roasted chickpeas! I like coating them in maple sizzup and cocoa powder and cinnamon, then roasting – it’s like dessert popcorn 😀
    My sister actually officially mvoes out on Sunday, but she’s barely been here the past 3 years anyway! I like it better this way, we don’t get along..

  20. katie @KatieDid says

    It’s been nearly 7 years since all three of my brothers and myself lived under one roof (and we are all under 25 years of age). And now our lives are literally sprawled out all over the globe so we very very rarely get to all be together. Last year it didn’t even happen once! It’s sad but makes the few times we do very special.

  21. Ally says

    You weren’t kidding! I made the ranch dip you have been RAVING about today and YUMM-O; it is fantastic! Even my non-vegan hubby thought it was great with our Morning Star buffalo wings!

  22. Katy sparrow says

    With my brother married off and me heading to grad school (in Texas!), it looks like my fam wont ever live under 1 roof again..but thats ok! Adventures and fulfilling work are on my horizon.
    I havent had roasted chickpeas but gotta try em!!! I think they are street food in India and in the Middle East..wrapped in paper cones. I read about them in a novel I think and they sounded delish! I think the character in the book was very poor and hungry and smelling the roasted chickpeas in the street was a treat and yet torturous.

  23. Chocolate, Cheese and Wine says

    I have been loving Chickpeas lately – they are so good. I like to roast them and top with balsamic reduction – delicious!

  24. Lauren @ What Lauren Likes says

    I live with the whooole fam 🙂 my older sis has been in aussieland since Feb fo school, so I know how weird that can feel ( not having them around the house). I LOVE roasted chickpeas!!! I roast them in oil, paprika, salt, peppa, or sometimes cinnamon and brown sugar…so.so good!!

  25. Lenna says

    You and your sister have really lovely hair! Good genes probably? 🙂
    I love roasted chickpeas, but I love just anything made of/with chickpeas 🙂
    Me and my sister have already own living, but we return to our parent´s house every now and then…

  26. Lacey says

    “KFC” Kentucky-“fried”-chickpeas!:
    1can chickpeas drained/rinsed
    1 T flour
    some olive oil
    pepper, alt, and cardamom
    toss together and roast sooo good!

  27. Jen says

    Yes, I’ve tried roasted chickpeas…and I’m obsessed with them. I love roasting them with different spices and flavorings. Sauteed chickpeas are also REALLY good. I love when they get hot, and their texture gets a little bit softer. Garbanzos are one of my favorite beans, hands down. They’re so versatile.

  28. Lindsay@ In Sweetness and In Health says

    Ooohh I want to try roasted chickpeas! You look so pretty in that pic! I wish my hair grew fast 🙂

  29. Alyssa says

    That’s it, I’m roasting chickpeas tonight.
    I can attest to the addictive power of your ranch dressing. I made some the other day and have been pouring it, dipping stuff in it, slurping it, DEVOURING it ever since! Even my fairly picky husband likes it! (We’re working on the kids, but they’re not fond of ranch dressing in general, so it’s a bit of a harder sell. We’ll get there!)

  30. Oc Ziegler says

    Yummm I gott try the caemel corn ones somehow!!
    You and your sister are both such gorgepus girls 🙂

  31. Erin says

    I love roasted chick peas. But the recipe I found had you roast them with shelled pistachios and they were wonderful!
    I made your chocolate chip blondies the other night. I didn’t tell my family they were healthy. Even my kids liked them! Thanks!

  32. Teniesha @ Vegan on the Go-Go says

    I’ll have to give roasted chickpeas a second go–my first attempt, they were TOO hard and crunchy. As for caramel corn chickpeas, I had an idea, though considering desserts are your genius, you’ve probably already thought of it! Sometimes, I’ve found that dried dates taste like caramel . . . perhaps you’ve noticed that, too? Good luck! 🙂

  33. LizAshlee says

    I have tried them before…we used to eat them a lot actually..and they are great on salads or as a snack alone! I haven’t made them in such a long time though. I agree, too hot to turn on the oven!

    Beautiful family photo! You & your sis are gorgeous! What type of work does she do? Does she like to create yummy treats like you?

    My younger sis & I are super close…we both love reading blogs but she never looks for recipes like I do:)

    Have a wonderful day!!

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      She is the EXACT opposite of me! Really! I’m a vegan… she works in a burger place! She’s worked there for a year after graduating from college, but now she’s looking for a real job.
      And she likes meat/protein more than carbs or chocolate. I do not know how we are related lol!

  34. Ragnhild says

    Beautiful family!!
    I love roasted chickpeas, but havent had it in ages- I must make them soon again:)

    I have one older sister, and two younger brothers. This summer, my youngest brother moved out from my parents, so now we all live apart. My sister is actually moving to Russia soon (crazy lady), I live in Oslo (capital city in Norway), one brother is in the military, and the last one lives at his school!

  35. chelsey @ clean eating chelsey says

    I love roasted chickpeas and I cannot even fathom putting the oven on in warm weather! I’m always grilling ridiculous things – hence the reason I made muffins on the grill. 🙂

  36. Juliet says

    I don’t live with my siblings anymore- I was the older sister who moved out first! And I have not yet tried roasted chickpeas… which is surprising, seeing as they are one of my favorite foods! I need to work on that!

  37. kathryn says

    I actually JUST moved out of my parent’s house, but not very far – I live right above them with my brother :p
    It’s really nice, though. Now I have free reign over the kitchen and there’s always quiet 🙂

  38. Mary @ Bites and Bliss says

    I’ve recently fallen IN LOVE with roasted chickpeas!!! They’re so easy and ridiculously addictive.

  39. Ali says

    mmm I love chickpeas! I’ll have to try this!
    I haven’t lived with my brother for about seven years and I moved out five years ago. my brother just got back from deployment though (he’s a pilot) and I haven’t seen him yet so I feel like I should go visit! he lives halfway across the country though.

  40. Alexa @ Simple Eats says

    Roasted chickpeas are SO good. I also love them with salt and vinegar! They taste like potato chips!

  41. Tara says

    Don’t feel pressured to make only dessert recipes. I honestly love all of your recipes! Where would we be without thy amazing ranch dressing sub? I’ve tried roasted chickpeas, but they didn’t crisp up! I don’t know where I went wrong, but I definitely need to try again. Especially when you publish a caramel corn recipe!

  42. Jill says

    I have roasted them before and they were good! I am soooooo excited to try them in a panini press. It seems much easier and then you don’t have to turn the oven on in the summer!

  43. Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga says

    And also: have you ever tried roasted chickpeas? = yes and they taste like candied peanuts. The.Best.Things!!
    http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2010/10/carmelized-cinnamon-sugar-roasted.html

    Sorry to link drop. Just delete this comment.

    But yeah girl, so good. However, chickpeas kill my stomach and so I have to really limit how many I eat. Same for in hummus. Such a cruel trick. Beans and me, no matter what I do, just don’t mix.

    And your salad looks awesome!

  44. BroccoliHut says

    Sadly, it’s been many years since I last lived under the same roof as my siblings. I miss it!
    I love roasted chickpeas–I heartily recommend making Mama Pea’s pumpkin spice version and putting them on a salad with roasted squash!

  45. Marissa says

    Oooh, can’t wait for the caramel corn chickpea recipe!

    Is your whole family vegan? How do you get them to try healthy foods? My whole family turns their noses up at anything they deem “weird” and absolutely positively REFUSE to like it, even if its good! They just think its “not normal” and see it as a symptom of disordered eating… it frustrates me because I really love healthy foods and how eating them makes me feel, and I also have a high desire to become vegetarian (as I love animals and hate the taste of meat) but they are all deadset against me.

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      No, they’re not even vegetarians… in real life, I know only like 2 other vegans! I know completely what you mean about people being biased against healthy foods even before tasting them. And I haven’t really figured out a remedy for this! The only thing I can do is have someone try a recipe and only tell them it’s healthy AFTER they say they like it. (Same thing with secret ingredients. For example, I don’t tell anyone what’s in the cookie pie until after they try it.)

      Of course, by now my friends and family KNOW anything I give them will be healthy. But I’ve taught them that healthy food can taste good, so they’re no longer surprised or suspicious!

  46. Robert McKay says

    My wife recently discovered roasted chickpeas. I was very skeptical. The version she found just had salt and nutritional yeast.

    When I tasted them they were amazing and reminded me very much of something else. I couldn’t place it until about the 3rd or 4th time we had them.

    They tasted exactly like the batter/breading on fried chicken. It was weird! Now I want to try to make a good batter out of them somehow, maybe chickpea flour? I dunno.

  47. Hawai'i Leah says

    Alternatively, these are really good with some balsamic vinegar, a dollop of olive oil, thyme and basil. I like to add a little pepper for kick too. Incredible and fantastic for snacking!

  48. Megan says

    Okay, I feel like the only person in the world who doesn’t know how to roast chickpeas… I tried them on a panini/grill pan on the stove, and while they were indeed delicious, they never got crunchy. I cooked them for about 20 min or so, they were popping all over the place, but they were still soft outside and mushy inside. Did I do something wrong? Not cook them long enough? Not dry them well enough? Someone please help! I’d like to get in on the true roasted chickpea love!

  49. Loren says

    How fun! Love new snack ideas…I have a huge sweet tooth but like to keep it healthy so maybe toss them in coconut oil with cinnamon and Truvia??? Newly obsessed with your site and tell everyone about it 🙂

  50. Andrea says

    I love your blog and Pinterest board! We roast the chickpeas with cinnamon and sugar sometimes. my daugter (18 months) and son (2-1/2) love them and have no idea they are good for them 🙂 I definitely want to grill some this summer. great idea!

  51. Carley says

    Thanks for the fantabulous recipe idea! Although my email subscription tends to enlighten me on fun desserts, I clicked a little further this time. I have been in dire need of some creative, yet easy twists on my meals and snacks. The appetizer section of your “non-dessert recipes” was extremely helpful and easy to incorporate.

    I used your recipe as a starting block and let myself experiment the rest of the way. In order to make sure that I liked my version of the chickpea poppers, I only used half of the can. After draining and rinsing, I placed them in a single layer on a small cooking sheet. I sprinkled furikake over them, and sent them straight to the preheated oven. For those who are unfamiliar with furikake, it is an AMAZING Japanese seasoning. My friend got me hooked last year. Although you can only get it at Asian food markets, it’s well worth the investment. Anyway, I let the chickadees cook for 20 minutes at 425 degrees. They came out roasted, crispy, and perfectly seasoned.

    In retrospect, I probably could have cooked them longer or amped up the broiler for a few minutes, but they were delicious as they were! I thought about keeping them out for my roommate to nibble on, but I couldn’t resist them, so I devoured the whole tray instead! Maybe she’ll get luckier next time.

    Thanks for the insight and helping me jump into new food ideas! 🙂

  52. Kari says

    Hi Katie, I absolutely love your blog! So can these be stored and used as a snack, say if I made them on a Sunday for a snack throughout the week? Or are they more a make them and eat them kind of dish?

  53. Jess says

    I loved the idea of this, and so I tried it out in my oven. 400 degrees was WAY too hot, and it burned the outside while leaving the insides raw on only ten minutes in. It was upsetting to me, since I really wanted to try them out. Maybe a cooler temperature would work? I don’t have a panini press or anything like that.

  54. Claudia says

    For those of you who are as soy-crazy as I am: you can roast soy beans the same way – and they taste awesome, even without any flavours added. Just buy the dried beans, soak them in water overnight, drain and rinse and pop in the oven. I haven’t tried it with dried chickpeas, but I imagine soaking dried ones would work better than using canned ones – that way, they won’t get all soft on the inside and will be crispy through and through 🙂 Using dried ones is also a lot easier on the wallet, lol.

    By the way, Katie, I absolutely love your blog! I feel like you’re my fairy-godmother who just granted me the wish for a chocolate-covered life 😛

  55. Anonymous says

    Ingredients
    1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (or 2 cups cooked garbanzo beans)
    1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
    1 tablespoon honey
    Preparation
    1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
    2. Place the beans between two paper towels and pat dry, loosening the outer skin of the beans.
    3. Remove the outer skins of the beans and pat dry to remove any other excess liquid (removing the outer skin of the beans takes a few minutes, but it’s a great job for getting kids involved).
    4. Whisk the cinnamon and oil in a bowl to combine, add the beans stirring to coat and place on a baking sheet.
    5. Roast for 40 minutes.
    6. Remove the beans from the oven, place in a bowl and toss with 1 tbsp of honey.
    7. Place the beans back into the oven and roast an additional 7 minutes.
    8. Cool completely and serve.
    * Store in a covered container on your counter for up to 2 weeks

  56. Michelle says

    Too funny! My family has always been Dad, Mom, Katie, Todd, and Michelle. No wonder I am liking your site so much!

  57. AcuFacialGal says

    Thanks so much for the recipe I just tried it with curry and chicken masala seasoning, and used coconut oil! Quick question… What is the best way to store them, and how long can they be stored for?

  58. Kaona says

    I have mine in the oven right now! I’m roasting them in olive oil (it’s all about the healthy fats, right?) and salt free garlic and herb seasoning. They smell amazing! Chickpea poppers are a great idea.

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