Rinse, drain and dry
Try to get the chickpeas as dry as possible to ensure the crunchiest product. Place them on a towel-lined sheet pan with another towel on top and gently rub to remove the water. The more moisture on the surface means it could take longer to evaporate.
Remove the skin
You’ll notice as you apply some friction on the chickpeas, these thin layers of skin easily come off. Eliminate those before roasting. I was a little obsessive and used my fingers to remove ALL of the skins after the initial towel drying. I did this because I noticed some extra moisture trapped beneath the surfaces. You can leave the skins on if you are in a hurry or like that extra crispy layer, personal preference here.
Oil and salt
Lightly oil the chickpeas with two tablespoons of any oil you prefer (olive, canola, grapeseed, coconut). Combine the chickpeas with 1/2 teaspoon salt. I used kosher. You can also add freshly cracked black pepper during this step.
Roast at 400°F
You want a high temperature to drive off the moisture from the chickpeas in about 30 to 35 minutes. This yields crispy chickpeas on the outside, with a small amount of the core not completely crisp. This turns out nicely if you plan to eat the chickpeas the same day.
If you’re going for a completely crunchy snack that you can store, take a little bit of extra time to do this extra SECRET step. Turn off the oven and leave the chickpeas to dry longer. I check every 10 minutes and taste in between to check the crispiness progress.
If you continue to roast at high temp, those gorgeous golden peas will burn. So this gentle drying step helps to get those last few drops of moisture out. This took about an extra 30 to 40 minutes, so worth the wait!
Season
When the chickpeas are warm and done drying, I like to add a touch of seasonings. Dried spices and herbs can burn if cooked at 400°F. Add these aromatics and flavor enhancers at the very end. I used a mixture of garlic powder, smoked paprika, and chopped fresh rosemary.
