When it comes to legumes we don’t often think of them for tasty snacks. But, these oven roasted spiced chickpeas have changed all that for me. In the oven something magical happens to these ordinary beans and they become crispy, crunchy, and very snackable, almost like popcorn but with more protein and bite.

The seasoning for this recipe is where all the flavor comes from. It’s a blend of thyme, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder and salt and pepper. There’s also dried sumac in this recipe as it lends an ever-so-slight citrus tang to the chickpeas. You can use a bit of lemon juice instead if you don’t have it on hand.

I had some Maldon flaky sea salt on hand so I sprinkled the chickpeas with that right out of the oven. You can use any kind of salt you like, but this does add a lot more flavor to the chickpeas.

For easy clean up line your baking sheets with parchment paper. And make sure to leave a lot of room so that each bean can be heated properly in the oven.

You can serve these on their own as a snack. Or, I like them on a salad as a low carb topping that still gives tons of flavor and texture. They’re also a great topping on soups, too.

These are so easy to make and this recipe turns a healthy snack into a real treat. I like making these for parties so people have something to nibble on besides chips and dip. But, be warned: these go pretty quick!