Anyone else remember eating CornNuts as a kid? They were my absolute favorite. In middle school, I vividly recall rummaging through my pink JanSport backpack for loose coins so I could hit up my campus vending machine. Of course, this ritual would screech to a halt the moment I got braces. *cue awkward phase*
As an *adult* (but really, who am I fooling?), my palette still fiends for that familiar salty crunch. I wanted to find a healthier version that would make for a fabulous bar snack or crouton substitute. Needless to say, there are tons of ways you can incorporate the crunchy bite into savory recipes.
Anyway, shall we?
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas
1 ½ tbsp. olive oil
½ tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. ground paprika
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. sea salt
¼ tsp. fresh cracked pepper
1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
2. Rinse chickpeas and pat dry with paper towel. Set aside.
3. In a bowl, combine cumin, paprika, garlic powder, sea salt, and cracked pepper. Set aside.
3. Place dry chickpeas on lined baking sheet & bake at 400 without oil or seasoning for 15 minutes.
4. Remove chickpeas from oven and lightly coat with olive oil (about ½ – ¾ tbsp). Place back in oven for 15 minutes.
5. Remove chickpeas again, coat in the remainder of the olive oil & add spices. Combine until even.
6. Place chickpeas back in oven for 15 more minutes. Then, turn your oven off & allow the chickpeas to cool as the oven cools. This additional time in the oven will ensure the chickpeas stay crispy for more than a few hours (typical for most recipes).
*Make sure you do NOT coat the chickpeas with seasoning at the beginning. The seasoning will burn. I captured a bit of the process below 🙂
Will you try making these at home? If you do, be sure to tag me on Instagram so I can share your creation 🙂
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