Vegan Crispy Chickpea Protein Snack Bites

Almost every high-protein snack is sweet, which gets old by Wednesday. Roasted chickpeas go shatteringly crisp if you dry them properly and give them enough oven time, and nutritional yeast adds a savory, almost cheesy edge with no dairy involved. The whole batch is two cans and a sheet pan.

Ingredients

• 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400F with a rack in the middle position.
2. Spread the rinsed chickpeas on a clean kitchen towel, roll them gently to dry them, and pick off the skins that come loose. Let them air dry another 10 minutes, because wet chickpeas steam instead of crisping.
3. Toss the dry chickpeas with the olive oil and salt only, then spread them in a single layer on a rimmed sheet pan with space between them.
4. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, shaking the pan every 12 minutes, until they rattle loudly and are deep golden and dry all the way through.
5. Toss the hot chickpeas right on the pan with the nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne.
6. Cool completely, then store in a loosely covered jar at room temperature for up to 3 days. An airtight lid traps steam and softens them overnight.

Tips

• Season after roasting, not before. Nutritional yeast and paprika scorch at 400F and turn acrid long before the chickpeas are actually crisp.
• If they are still chewy in the center at 40 minutes, turn the oven off and leave them inside with the door shut for another 20 minutes.
• Crush the cooled chickpeas lightly with the flat of a knife and use them in place of croutons on a salad or grain bowl.

FAQ

Do I have to peel the chickpeas?

Not every one, but pulling off the skins that come loose in the towel makes a real difference in how crunchy they get.

Why do mine go soft the next day?

Humidity. Store them loosely covered instead of sealed, and re-crisp them in a 350F oven for 8 minutes if they soften.

Can I use dried chickpeas I cooked myself?

Yes, and they often crisp up better than canned. Cook them until just tender rather than falling apart, then dry them the same way.

Are these actually high protein?

About 11g per serving of roughly 3/4 cup, plus around 9g of fiber. That is comparable to two eggs, from a snack you can keep in a jar on the counter.

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