Roasted Chickpeas for Kids, 4 Ways

Kids love these crispy, crunchy, oven-roasted chickpeas coated in familiar seasonings. Try them instead of chips or crackers for a snack or side.

Do Beans Help you Live Longer?

Have you heard of Dan Buettner and his book, The Blue Zones?

Buettner traveled the world in search of places where people tended to live long lives. Really long lives.

Then he tried to piece together the food and lifestyle elements these communities had in common–things like close family bonds, physical activity, and a plant-based diet.

One fascinating finding from his research is that eating beans–regular old beans–seems to be in important piece of the longevity picture.

Forget obscure superfoods. Beans are where it’s at!

I’ve always loved beans, but after I read the book (wow, about ten years ago, now!) I started eating them even more. And now that I have kids, I make a point of including them in our family’s meals, regularly. (I’ve got two bean-loving kids, now. Don’t give up!)

Beans aren’t just rich in fiber, protein, and antioxidants; they’re also incredibly versatile.

And here’s a fun, snacky way to enjoy them: roasted! We’ve made these roasted chickpeas with four kid-friendly seasonings, and we love them all: cinnamon-sugar, cool ranch, sweet curry, and barbecue.

My kids love these as a movie snack or after-school snack. They get nice and crispy. And with four flavors to choose from, there’s a great chance you’ll find a flavor everyone can agree on.

(Or not. And then you’ll just have to make two batches. OH WELL.)

How to Make Roasted Chickpeas

Here’s how to make this yummy, healthy snack.

Drain and rinse two cans of chickpeas. Spread them on a cookie sheet and bake, without any oil or seasonings, for 40 minutes. This is the step that gets your chickpeas good and crispy in the oven… don’t skip it!

After the pre-bake, toss the chickpeas in a small amount of oil, then your seasoning of choice. I know it’s hard, but stick to one type of seasoning per batch.

Bake another few minutes until the spices become fragrant and the chickpeas get nice and crispy.

Enjoy them hot!

How to Store Roasted Chickpeas

Freshly-roasted chickpeas stay crispy for a day, but they tend to get a little softer after they’re completely cool.

If your leftovers soften up too much for your liking, you can simply throw them back in the oven (or toaster oven) for ten minutes, and they’ll get crispy again. But actually, my kids don’t mind them a little softer and chewier.

Happy snacking!