Maple Cinnamon Roasted Chickpeas. Vegan. GF.

I’ve had a super large can, meaning 6 lbs, of chickpeas sitting on my counter for about a month. Obviously I would need to make several recipes to use all of these little chickpeas up. Yesterday was a rest day for me so I thought I would tackle it while I was recipe testing for an upcoming job. I wanted to make a sweet version of roasted chickpeas as I normally do savory all the time. I wanted seasonal flavors and a protein-packed treat that would provide both the crunch factor and be able to curb your sweet cravings. Plus, my teenagers love them! Winning.

Chickpeas are filled with fiber – filling you so you don’t overeat like traditional snacks like chips or chocolate. Protein for vegans or vegetarians. Manganese for energy. Iron source. Lower bad cholesterol. And finally they help stabilize blood sugars. And I have the perfect way to get them nice and a crunchy in the oven.

Ingredients:
2-3 cans of chickpeas, rinsed and dried
2 tablespoons of maple syrup
1 tablespoon of melted coconut oil
2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
Sprinkle of sea salt

Directions:
Preheat the oven 350 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with sides and set that aside. Rinse and let your chickpeas air dry for about 15 minutes. The drier the crunchier these will be. Lay a clean towel out on the counter and spoon half of the chickpeas in the center of the towel and lay the other half of the towel over the top. Gently roll your hands back and forth. The rolling motion will loosen the skin of the chickpeas so you can easily remove them. By doing this, the chickpea will crunch up nicely when baking. Repeat until your done removing all the skins.

As you can see, the extra skin peels right off. Remove and discard.

Place the chickpeas on your baking sheet and drizzle the oil, syrup and seasonings over the top. With a spoon or your hands, toss the chickpeas in the mixture so they’re nicely coated. If you need extra spice – sprinkle over the top. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden. I stir every 15 minutes or so. When golden, they are ready. Let cool.

Enjoy!

Ahhh my last 20ish miler run in this training cycle is now done and dusted. My recap for the week looks a little bit like this…

Sunday: 14 outdoor miles
Monday: 5 treadmill miles/strength/core
Tuesday: 11 treadmill miles
Wednesday: Rest day.
Thursday: 20 outdoor miles

Weekend in sight and I’m a bit excited not to have a college tour this weekend. We’ve been going back-to-back for quite sometime. Looking forward to some farmer’s market shopping and relaxing with the family. I hope you make it a great one.