Crunchy Cinnamon Sugar Chickpeas

Chickpeas dusted with cinnamon sugar in a glass jar.

4.86 from 7 votes

Crunchy Cinnamon Sugar Chickpeas

These Crunchy Cinnamon Sugar Chickpeas are roasted to perfection and tossed in a sweetmaple-cinnamon coating. The ultimate vegan snack — ready in 45 minutes and impossible to stop eating!

Prep Time5

Cook Time40

Total Time45

Course: Snacks

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan

Servings: servings

Calories: 114kcal

Author: Jenn Sebestyen

Equipment

Ingredients

2 cans (15 ounces each) chickpeas or 3 cups cooked chickpeas
2 teaspoons neutral flavored oil like grapeseed or canola
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons organic cane sugar
1 ½-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
Drain and rinse the chickpeas really well under cold water. Transfer them to a paper towel or clean kitchen cloth lined plate. Pat the chickpeas completely dry! You may need to change out the paper towels or cloth if they get too wet and dry the chickpeas again.
Remove any loose chickpea skins as they may burn in the oven. It is not necessary to remove the skins that are still firmly attached to the chickpeas.
Transfer the chickpeas to a clean bowl and drizzle with the oil. Pour them out onto the prepared baking sheet and roast for 40 to 45 minutes until crunchy, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes to prevent burning. Check them more often towards the end of the roasting time as they can go from crisp to burnt quickly.
Once they are sufficiently crunchy, transfer them back to the bowl and drizzle with maple syrup and vanilla. Toss to coat evenly. Then add the cinnamon, sugar, and salt and mix well.
Pour them back out onto the baking sheet in one even layer to continue to cool completely. To get extra crunchy chickpeas, turn the oven off and put them back in the oven with the door ajar and let them continue to cool in there.
These are best eaten on the day you make them.

Notes

Dry them really, really well. This cannot be overstated. Moisture is the enemy of crunch. The drier the chickpeas before roasting, the crispier the result.

Remove loose skins. They're very thin and will burn before the chickpeas finish roasting. Any skins that are already coming off should be removed — but don't stress about removing every last one.

Use a little oil. Just 2 teaspoons makes a significant difference in the final texture. Don't skip it.

Give them space. Spread in a single even layer with space between each chickpea. Crowding the pan causes steaming rather than roasting.

Stir every 10-15 minutes. This ensures even browning and prevents any from burning on the bottom.

Add the cinnamon sugar off the heat. Never add sugar to the chickpeas before roasting — it will burn.

Let them cool completely. They continue to crisp up as they cool — don't judge the final texture straight out of the oven.

Use the turned-off oven trick. For the absolute crunchiest result, return the coated chickpeas to the turned-off oven with the door cracked and let them cool in there. The residual heat does incredible things.

Nutrition