Air Fryer Chickpeas (Crispy Roasted Garbanzo Beans Snack Recipe!)

Can you air fry chickpeas (AKA garbanzo beans)? Heck yes! Chickpeas, nutritional yeast, and an assortment of spices come together deliciously in my air fryer chickpeas recipe. You can cook them up crunchy and crispy for a plant based snack. Alternatively, let them stay softer and use them as a tasty vegan filling for tacos and burritos. Get directions for air frying AND oven baking crispy chickpeas here!

Hi, all! Let me tell you about these AWESOME air fryer roasted chickpeas.

They are chili-spiced and they get some cheesy flavor from nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast tends to get thrown into a lot of vegan “cheese” recipes for its color and flavor. (Dietitian’s note: nutritional yeast is a super source of many B vitamins as well.)

But back to the air fried chickpea snacks.

If you have a well-stocked pantry, you can get these chickpeas into the air fryer or oven in minutes. I keep a jar of nutritional yeast in the cupboard, so I always have everything I need to make this at home.

Looking for easy plant based recipes? This one’s a great option!

Kids tend to like this healthy chickpea snack because its tasty! These crunchy air fryer chickpeas are also a good choice nutritionally. They are protein-packed, fiber-filled, and rich in an assortment of essential vitamins and minerals.

There’s basically no downside to adding these to your family’s snack repertoire. IMVHO, the biggest issue is that I can never seem to make enough to last more than a day or two!

Jump to:

• Benefits
• Ingredients
• Equipment
• How to Air Fry Chickpeas
• Cooking Time and Temperature
• Cook Chickpeas in the Air Fryer
• Cook Chickpeas in the Oven
• Seasoning for Roasted Chickpeas
• How to Serve Air Fryer Chickpeas
• Expert Tips from a Dietitian
• FAQs
• More Chickpea Recipes
• The Disclaimer…
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Benefits

Why should you try air frying chickpeas? I covered some of the advantages of this recipe above. Here are some more reasons to try roasting chickpeas in the air fryer:

• Inexpensive: You can get roasted chickpea snacks in grocery stores in the United States. However, they tend to be fairly expensive. You’ll save money when you make homemade roasted chickpeas in the air fryer or oven.
• Pantry-friendly: This recipe requires non-perishable ingredients only. You can put this recipe together without refrigerated ingredients or fussy chopping. All you have to do is stir some pantry ingredients together and pour them on the air fryer tray.
• Portable: Cook your chickpeas until they are crisp and pack them in a jar or baggie. Now you can take them with you on your commute, a hike, or another outing.
• Vegan and Gluten Free: This air fryer chickpeas recipe is great for many types of allergies and special diets. It’s vegetarian, dairy free, vegan, gluten free, sugar free, and soy free. (It’s not free of deliciousness, thank goodness!)
• Rich in Plant Based Protein: A common mistake on the plant based diet is cutting out animal-based protein without replacing it with other protein group foods. Jackfruit, cauliflower, and mushrooms are not part of the protein group. When you want plant-based protein, look to legumes (like chickpeas!) to fill the need.
• Super Simple to Make: I’m serious when I say I can get these chickpeas into the oven or air fryer in under 3 minutes. So perfect when I’m simply too tired (or too lazy! Haha) to make something complicated.

Ingredients

You don’t need to have much on hand to make air fryer chickpeas. Here is what you need:

• Cooked and drained chickpeas
• Nutritional yeast (NOT brewer’s yeast or baking yeast)
• Avocado oil (or olive oil, or another oil of your choosing)
• Chili powder
• Garlic powder
• Cumin

You can use canned or dried chickpeas for this recipe. You do not need to remove the skins from the chickpeas.

Canned chickpeas are ready to drain and use. I usually use low-sodium chickpeas for this recipe.

If you’re using dried chickpeas, you will need to cook them first. I typically soak them overnight and then pressure cook them for 1-1.5 hours. You could also cook them on your stovetop or in a crockpot, but they will take much longer.

I originally referred to these as my no dairy “nacho chickpeas,” but family members disagreed on what nacho cheese should taste like. According to an article in Food & Wine, what we call “nacho cheese” is based on consumer perceptions more than anything else.

Basically, we call it nacho cheese if it tastes like what we think nacho cheese should taste like. It’s not a real kind of cheese like gouda, cheddar, mozzarella, and other cheeses are.

So, if you don’t think the flavor here is nacho, we can call these chili chickpeas or taco chickpeas. Whatever the flavor combo is that I’ve got going on here, I think you’ll agree that it’s pretty good!

Equipment

I’m giving you air fryer directions and oven directions for this one. The equipment you need will depend on how you want to cook the chickpeas!

To cook chickpeas in the air fryer, you’ll need an air fryer (of course). I developed this recipe in a 10-Quart Kalorik Digital Air Fryer Oven. If you have a Breville air fryer, Ninja Foodi, Philips, or another air fryer, you can use it instead.

If you have a small air fryer with an air fryer basket, you will need to cook this recipe in multiple batches. Also, the cooking times may need to be adjusted a bit depending on the air fryer you use.

Air fryers with one tray may cook a bit faster than air fryers with two trays. That is because with one tray, the food stays in the closest position to the heating element the whole time.

But what if you’re making oven chickpeas? You’ll need a large metal cookie tray and some parchment paper. The parchment paper makes for easy clean up. Yes!

How to Air Fry Chickpeas

Now that we’ve got our ingredients and equipment, we’re ready to cook! In a small bowl, stir the nutritional yeast, chili powder, garlic powder, and cumin together. Add the oil and stir until you get a crumbly mixture.

Drain the chickpeas well and put them in a large bowl. Add the nutritional yeast mixture and stir, stir, stir until the chickpeas are coated fairly evenly.

Didn’t I tell you that this would be easy? We’re already ready to air fry or bake chickpeas!

Cooking Time and Temperature

Air fry chickpeas for 30-40 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on how crispy you like them. Alternatively, you can oven bake chickpeas for 45 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cook Chickpeas in the Air Fryer

Preheat the air fryer at 375F for 5 minutes. Leave the air fryer trays in the air fryer oven to let them get hot.

After heating, carefully spread the chickpeas out on two air fryer trays. Get them into a single layer. It’s ok that they are touching.

Put the trays in the air fryer and roast for 10 minutes at 375F. Then stir or flip the chickpeas and switch the position of the trays in the air fryer oven. Bake for another 10 minutes at 375F.

Stir or flip the chickpeas and switch the position of the trays in the air fryer again. Air fry for 5 minutes at 375F. Then flip the chickpeas one last time, switch the position of the air fryer trays, and air fry 5 final minutes at 375F.

Tip: Hold the trays over the sink or over paper towels when stirring or flipping. This will help you catch messes, making clean up so much easier later!

That’s a total of 30 minutes of air frying, and it will get you chickpeas that are somewhat soft. We love them for snacking or for a vegan taco filling. For super crispy chickpeas, cook them in the top rack position for 10 more minutes at 375F.

Let them cool for 5-10 minutes before eating. They firm up a bit more (and won’t burn your mouth!) when you let them cool.

Cook Chickpeas in the Oven

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large metal baking tray with parchment paper.

Spread the chickpeas out on the lined baking sheet in a single layer (touching is fine). Bake for a total of 45 minutes, giving them a stir about every 20 minutes.

Try to move the garbanzo beans on the edges of the baking sheet to the middle when you stir. This will help them to cook more evenly.

Let the chickpeas cool to room temperature before eating. Enjoy!

Seasoning for Roasted Chickpeas

What are the best ways to season roasted chickpeas? That’s really up to you and your taste buds! Don’t be afraid to change up the spices to flavor the chickpeas to your liking.

Here are some other ideas for flavoring chickpeas for snacks. Some of these are ideas for air fryer recipes, and others are for the oven. How about making:

• Zaatar chickpeas
• Air fryer chickpeas with salt and vinegar
• Parmesan chickpeas (oven baked, or try making them in an air fryer)
• Honey roasted chickpeas
• Air fryer chickpeas with Indian spices
• Air fryer garlic and herb chickpeas (Italian blend seasoning with garlic powder and onion powder)
• Chickpeas with ranch seasoning
• Crispy air fryer buffalo chickpeas
• Chickpeas with chili lime seasoning
• Roasted chickpeas snack with mustard

I’m getting hungry just thinking about all of the delicious possibilities!

How to Serve Air Fryer Chickpeas

There are also so many ways to use air fryer roasted chickpeas! Seriously, so many.

We usually just cook them until they are fairly firm and snack on them. They work well as a party snack or appetizer.

They are also great as a crunchy salad topping. Use them as a healthier alternative to croutons!

If you let them stay a little soft, these air fryer “fried” chickpeas would make a great vegan taco or burrito filling! Use them as the protein in your favorite Mexican-inspired dishes. For starters, why not try them in this whole food plant-based Vegan Burrito Bowl Recipe?

Expert Tips from a Dietitian

This is a level 3 recipe (weight maintenance and active lifestyles). I created this chickpeas recipe as a snack for kids, teens, and adults with high energy needs. IMVHO, this high-calorie snack is not the best choice to support weight loss goals.

Personally, I know I generally find lean animal-based proteins far more filling than most legumes. You are getting less protein per calorie with chickpeas than you would with white fish or chicken breast, for example.

That said, legumes have fiber and phytonutrients not included in animal-based proteins. I try to get a mix of protein foods in my diet to maximize nutritional benefits. I do tend to lean heavier on the more protein-dense protein options because I find them more filling.

If you’re having trouble eating enough, this recipe may help. Sometimes individuals load up on nutrient-poor foods when they want to gain weight (chips, cookies, candy, etc.).

If possible, a much better weight gain strategy is to fill the diet with energy-rich whole foods instead. Nuts, seeds, avocado, olives, whole milk dairy products, and these chickpeas are some great options if you need to eat more.

(P.S. I used regular chili powder here, but feel free to substitute with an equal amount of chipotle chili powder. This move will really kick up the heat for those that are craving hot and spicy foods!)

FAQs

Why are my roasted chickpeas not crunchy?

If your roasted chickpeas are too soft, try air frying them with oil BEFORE adding any seasoning. Once they’ve crisped up a bit, add the spices and air fry a little longer. I never do it this way. However, it might help you get the texture you want if roasted chickpea recipes aren't turning out the way you want.

Are canned chickpeas cooked?

Yes! Canned garbanzo beans (as well as other canned legumes and beans) have already been cooked. How convenient is that? All you have to do is drain and rinse them, and they are ready to use in recipes.

How long do air fryer chickpeas last?

In my house, these air fryer chickpeas don’t last long! If your air fried chickpeas are still a bit soft, you can store them in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. If you’ve completely dried the chickpeas, they should last about a week at room temperature. Please don’t store them at room temperature unless they are COMPLETELY dry. Any moisture will encourage the growth of mold. (Yuck!)

Are chickpeas fattening?

No, chickpeas do not have unique characteristics that will make you fat. However, eating foods (which may include chickpeas) in excess of your calorie needs will promote weight gain.

Are fried chickpeas good for you?

These air fryer roasted chickpeas are a healthy snack. If, on the other hand, you are deep frying your chickpeas, that is not the best choice. Deep frying adds empty calories to foods, regardless of whether the food we’ve started with is health-promoting or not. That said, fried chickpeas are a far more nutritious option than many other fried foods (particularly when compared to things like fried Oreos).

More Chickpea Recipes

Have some extra dried or canned garbanzo beans laying around? Put them to good use with one of these recipes using chickpeas:

• Pink Hummus with Roasted Beets
• Chop Salad Bowl
• Chickpea Pizza Crust (Make a Gluten-Free Socca Pizza!)

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The Disclaimer…

All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.

The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don't sweat the numbers too much.

For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to my overnight oats no sugar post. Let's get cooking!

📖 Recipe