Spicy Roasted Chickpeas: A Crunchy, High Protein Vegan Snack

Q: Are roasted chickpeas vegan and gluten free?

Yes, they are vegan: just chickpeas, spices, olive oil and salt. Serve with a plant based yoghurt to keep them vegan. Chickpeas and spices are naturally gluten free, but curry powder and spice blends vary, so check the labels.

Q: How do you get roasted chickpeas crunchy?

Drain the cooked chickpeas well and let them cool before adding the spices. Spread them out on oven paper, turn them every so often, and roast until brown, watching they don't burn. Don't add extra oil: too much can make them soggy.

Q: How long do roasted chickpeas take?

Soak them overnight, cook them for 45 to 70 minutes, then roast them in a fan forced oven at 200C for 20 to 30 minutes.

Q: Can I use tinned chickpeas?

Flametree strongly recommends good quality dried chickpeas instead, because they are much tastier.

Q: How long do roasted chickpeas keep?

Keep them in an airtight jar. Chris has kept them for a day with no problem, though they usually get eaten first.

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas: A Crunchy, High Protein Vegan Snack.

Smoky Paprika, Cumin, Coriander And Garam Masala, With A Little Chilli Kick.

Serves 4. Roasts In 20 To 30 Minutes At 200°C, Fan Forced.

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Introduction to my roasted chickpeas

These spicy roasted chickpeas are a crispy, high protein vegan snack. You soak 400 g of organic chickpeas overnight, cook them in salted water, toss them with smoky paprika, garam masala, cumin, coriander, curry powder and chilli, then roast them on oven paper in a fan forced oven at 200°C for 20 to 30 minutes until they’re brown and crunchy. The recipe serves 4.

They’re super easy to make. I love the satisfying crunch, and the spicy kick.

There are lots of chickpea nibbles like these around. But the spice mix is my own. I worked it out by experimenting, because I wanted a mix that agreed with me, and wasn’t too salty or too chilli hot.

I usually eat them at lunchtime, as part of my main meal. They also travel well, so take them on a walk, a car trip, or for lunch when you’re away from home. They’re filling, and the spices make them really delicious.

Enjoy them on their own as finger nibbles, or with hummus or yoghurt. Toss them through salads, or sprinkle them over soups for extra texture, flavour and plant based protein.

If you have any comments or questions, please contact us. Or chat with me at a Flametree yoga or meditation class via these timetables.

Spicy roasted chickpeas, ready to eat

A plate of spicy roasted chickpeas, dark and crunchy, with a spoonful of hummus on a blue and white cloth

Yum yum. My spicy roasted chickpeas, with a dollop of hummus.

Ingredients for roasted chickpeas

Here are the ingredients for this Flametree Yoga Studio snack. It serves 4 people.

The chickpeas

400 g of organic dried chickpeas
Salt, for the cooking water
2 tablespoons of olive oil

The spices

1 teaspoon of smoky paprika
½ teaspoon of garam masala
½ teaspoon of ground cumin
½ teaspoon of ground coriander
½ teaspoon of curry powder
A good sprinkling of ichimi togarashi (Japanese ground red pepper)
A sprinkle of salt at the end, if you wish

Use good quality dried chickpeas. They vary a lot in size and quality, and that makes a real difference to how tasty they are. I buy organic chickpeas from an organic shop in Darwin. The spices are easy to find at the Asian Emporium, the big shopping centres and the supermarkets. For the red pepper, I use ichimi togarashi.

The red pepper I use

A small bottle of ichimi togarashi, Japanese ground red pepper, used to spice roasted chickpeas

The red pepper I use. Just a good sprinkling.

The chickpeas, soaked overnight

Dried chickpeas soaked overnight in a glass dish, ready to cook for roasted chickpeas

The chickpeas, soaked overnight.

How to make roasted chickpeas

Use these steps to make these spicy roasted chickpeas.

Step 1: Soak the chickpeas

Soak the chickpeas overnight.

Step 2: Cook the chickpeas

Cook them in salted water. Bring them to the boil, then simmer on a slow heat for 45 to 70 minutes.
Drain them, and let them cool.

Step 3: Add the spices

Put the cooled, drained chickpeas into a dish with the spices, and mix well.

Step 4: Roast

Heat the oven to 200°C, fan forced.
Spread the chickpeas out on oven paper on a baking sheet. Sprinkle them with the olive oil, and mix.
Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, turning them every so often, until they’re brown.
Watch they don’t burn. If they’re browning too fast, turn the oven down a little.
Sprinkle with salt if you wish.

Cooking the chickpeas

Soaked chickpeas cooking in salted water in a steel pot for roasted chickpeas

Cook the chickpeas in water with some salt.

Into the oven

Spiced chickpeas spread out on baking paper on an oven tray, roasting until golden

Into the oven with the spices and a sprinkle of olive oil.

A crunchy chickpea snack with hummus

Roasted chickpeas served as a high protein snack on a plate with hummus

Ready to eat. They go beautifully with hummus.

Are roasted chickpeas vegan and gluten free?

Yes, they’re vegan. There’s nothing in them but chickpeas, spices, olive oil and salt. If you serve them with yoghurt, choose a plant based one to keep them vegan.

Chickpeas and spices are naturally gluten free. Curry powder and spice blends can vary, so check the labels to be sure.

How do you get roasted chickpeas crunchy?

Drain the cooked chickpeas well and let them cool before you add the spices. Spread them out on the oven paper, turn them every so often, and roast them until they’re brown. Just watch they don’t burn.

Don’t add extra oil. Too much oil can make them soggy, and the 2 tablespoons in this recipe is enough.

How much protein is in chickpeas?

Cooked chickpeas have about 8.9 g of protein and 7.6 g of fibre in every 100 g, according to the USDA FoodData Central database. That’s why roasted chickpeas make such a good high protein snack.

How are these different from shop-bought chickpea snacks?

People who try them are often surprised. Shop-bought chickpea nibbles usually have too much salt, and even the lightly salted ones can be dry. These are handmade, with less salt and a lot more flavour. People also tell me that a serve at lunch keeps them going into the evening without feeling hungry.

Roasted chickpeas: quick questions answered

How many does this recipe serve?

4 people, from 400 g of dried chickpeas.

How long do roasted chickpeas take?

Soak them overnight. Then cook them for 45 to 70 minutes, and roast them in a fan forced oven at 200°C for 20 to 30 minutes.

Can I use tinned chickpeas?

We strongly recommend good quality dried chickpeas instead. They’re much tastier, and we don’t think the recipe is worth doing with tinned ones.

How long do roasted chickpeas keep?

Keep them in an airtight jar. They usually get eaten too quickly to find out, but I’ve kept them for a day with no problem.

Can I make them less spicy?

Yes. The red pepper gives the kick, so use less of it, or more if you like them hot.

Do I have to add salt?

The cooking water is salted. After roasting, sprinkle on a little more salt only if you wish.

What do you serve roasted chickpeas with?

Hummus or yoghurt. Or eat them on their own as finger nibbles, toss them through a salad, or sprinkle them over a soup.

Are roasted chickpeas a healthy snack?

They’re a plant based snack with protein and fibre from the chickpeas, and only a little olive oil.

More Flametree chickpea recipes

Serve these with my authentic hummus, or sprinkle them over my roasted spicy vegetable soup. For a chickpea lunch, try my baked chickpea patties with sweet potato.

Do you have a vegan recipe or dish you’d like to share?

Please contact me with any dishes you’d like to share with me.

Obviously, I’m especially interested in any dish that is already a great Darwin vegan option.

Alternatively, it may be a potential vegan Darwin recipe that I could adapt, or be inspired by, as I did here.

Experience eating alternatives at a Flametree Yoga Retreat

By the way, there are several upcoming Flametree yoga retreats in Bali in 2027.

Contact us for details of our Darwin yoga retreat packages, or our yoga class packages in the orange lines below.

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Meanwhile, start or re-start yoga or meditation with one of the HALF price deals below, or check out the retreat deals.

Learning to eat mindfully, as a result of yoga and pranayama meditation, is a great way to start more of a vegetarian or vegan journey, or simply mindfully eat whatever you choose.