Roasted and crunchy BBQ chickpeas are smoky, savory, and slightly sweet. Eat them as a healthy snack or add to your favorite salads or grain bowls. Ready in just 35 minutes!

I love creating fun new snack foods; I'm the type of person who is never without them. Whether I'm commuting, traveling, or just running errands, I always have snacks in my bag, like Crispy Peanut Butter Balls, Healthy Coconut Almond Granola, or a container of Smoky Paprika Hummus.
There are a million ways to season chickpeas, but in the summer I love roasting them with BBQ spices. They are so satisfying, and a very healthy high-protein snack!
This recipe for BBQ chickpeas is so simple: we make a homemade spice blend, add it to (canned) chickpeas, and roast them in the oven. The molasses becomes caramelized and the spice-dusted chickpeas turn into crunchy little nuggets that are slightly addictive.
Jump to:
βοΈ Why This Recipe Is The Best
- Crispy and crunchy texture
- Smoky, salty, and sweet
- Healthy: High in protein and fiber, naturally vegan/plant-based/dairy-free, and gluten-free
- Easy: Ready in just 35 minutes (we use canned chickpeas for convenience)
- Makes a great on-the-go snack
π Ingredient Notes
- Chickpeas - We use canned chickpeas in this recipe for cost and convenience. If you prefer to use dried chickpeas, you can do that, too.
- Molasses - Provides a deep caramel flavor that is necessary in BBQ seasoning.
- Apple cider vinegar - Adding vinegar cuts the sweetness and gives a pop of tanginess to our BBQ chickpeas.
- Smoked paprika - Gives our chickpeas that quintessential smoky flavor that we crave in BBQ.
π Variations & Substitutions
- Coconut oil or vegetable oil can be used in place of olive oil.
- Make 'em spicy: To add more of a kick, add a pinch or two of cayenne pepper.
- White wine vinegar works as a substitute for apple cider vinegar.
π₯ How To Make Crispy BBQ Chickpeas
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place a dish towel or paper towels on a baking sheet, and spread chickpeas out, patting dry with towel.
Remove chickpea skins. *This is a necessary step in order to get crunchy chickpeas.
Remove towel from baking sheet. Drizzle chickpeas with olive oil and toss to coat. Roast for 10 minutes.
While chickpeas are roasting, combine molasses, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, salt, and chili powder in a medium-sized bowl.
Add hot chickpeas to the homemade bbq sauce, and stir until chickpeas are well coated. Roast for an additional 20 minutes, tossing chickpeas halfway through baking.
π How To Serve
- Snack. I love eating roasted BBQ chickpeas as a snack in place of potato chips or crackers.
- Add to salads and grain bowls. Try them on my Tuscan Bean Salad or Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad.
- Add to sandwiches. BBQ chickpeas add fantastic crunch to sandwiches, like my Portobello Burgers with Smoky Ranch Slaw and Chicken Avocado Focaccia Sandwich.
π©πΌβπ³ Expert Tips
- **It's very important that you take the 5-10 minutes to pat chickpeas dry and peel off their skins. Doing so ensures that they turn crispy in the oven.
- If you don't have the needed spices for this recipe, you can substitute ΒΌ cup of store-bought bbq sauce. Because most brands of bbq sauce have corn syrup in them, it won't be as healthy of a snack, but still better than potato chips. π
- Storage: To ensure optimal crispness, store cooked chickpeas in a glass jar/container or paper bag. I don't recommend a plastic bag, as they will lose their crispness. The chickpeas can be stored for up to 5 days.
- Make sure your paprika is in fact smoky paprika (also known as Spanish paprika) to guarantee a smoky BBQ flavor.
π¬ Frequently Asked Questions
You can really flavor your roasted chickpeas any way you like. This recipe creates and salty-sweet-smooky BBQ flavoring, but you could also rub them in my Italian seasoning substitute for a mouth-watering Italian-flavored snack.
Yes! They are high in protein and fiber, making them a great high-protein snack or meat alternative.
Most likely, it's because you forgot to remove the skins or didn't bake them long enough. Removing the skin ensures a crunchy texture, as does the proper baking time.
In this recipe, we start by patting the chickpeas dry and removing the skins. This will ensure a crispy texture after they are roasted. We make a homemade BBQ sauce, coat our chickpeas with it, and roast at 400 degrees F for around 30 minutes.
β² Related Recipes
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star βοΈβοΈβοΈβοΈβοΈ rating below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can alsoΒ stay in touch with us through social mediaΒ by following us onΒ Instagram,Β Pinterest, andΒ Facebook or by subscribing to our newsletter.
π Crispy BBQ Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 2 (15-ounce cans) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons molasses
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Β½ teaspoon chili powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place a dish towel or paper towels on a baking sheet, and spread chickpeas out, patting dry with towel.
- Remove chickpea skins. *This is a necessary step in order to get crunchy chickpeas.
- Remove towel from baking sheet. Drizzle chickpeas with olive oil and toss to coat. Roast for 10 minutes.
- While chickpeas are roasting, combine molasses, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, salt, and chili powder in a medium-sized bowl.
- Add hot chickpeas to the homemade bbq sauce, and stir until chickpeas are well coated. Roast for an additional 20 minutes, tossing chickpeas halfway through baking.
Notes
- **It's very important that you take the 5-10 minutes to pat chickpeas dry and peel off their skins. Doing so ensures that they turn crispy in the oven.
- If you don't have the needed spices for this recipe, you can substitute ΒΌ cup of store-bought bbq sauce. Because most brands of bbq sauce have corn syrup in them, it won't be as healthy of a snack, but still better than potato chips. π
- Storage: To ensure optimal crispness, store cooked chickpeas in a glass jar/container or paper bag. I don't recommend a plastic bag, as they will lose their crispness. The chickpeas can be stored for up to 5 days.
- Make sure your paprika is in fact smoky paprika (also known as Spanish paprika) to guarantee a smoky BBQ flavor.
Barbara J Haner
I have to run to the store and get molasses and apple cider vinegar, but as soon as I do I will make these. They do sound like a good healthier snack.
Gastronotherapy
Great - let me know how they turn out!
Cathleen
I love roasted chickpeas, but for some reason I didn't think of making BBQ flavour ones!! Bookmarked to make this weekend, thank you so much for the recipe π
Gastronotherapy
You are welcome, Cathleen! They definitely hit the spot! π
Beth
This is such a delicious and addicting chickpea recipe! We added these to our salad for lunch today and yummy, so flavorful! My hubby and I really enjoyed this recipe. Excited to make this again!
Gastronotherapy
Thanks for leaving a comment, Beth! I also love these on salads!
Denay DeGuzman
My daughter assembled this easy tasty recipe. It's so delicious. It's perfect for no-guilt snacking.
Gastronotherapy
Thanks, Denay! I am all about "no-guilt snacking"!
Anjali
I love roasted chickpeas but I typically just buy them at the store! I can't wait to try your homemade version - it looks so much better than store bought!
Gastronotherapy
Thanks, Anjali! Homemade roasted chickpeas really are a game-changer!
Biana
What a great snack! These chickpeas look delicious and flavorful.
Gastronotherapy
Thanks, Biana! I hope you give them a go!