Air Fryer Chickpeas {Crispy Healthy Snack}

Crispy air fryer chickpeas (garbanzo beans) make a great healthy snack. These quick roasted chickpeas are super crispy and seasoned as you like in just a few minutes. Air frying chickpeas creates a guilt free snack, that is inexpensive too!

Kids love crispy chickpeas and you will love they are eating a low fat treat high in fiber and minerals. Bonus: you can use whatever seasoning mix you like, so the whole family can enjoy these crunchy snacks.

Since it is so nutritious and simple to prepare this is bound to become one of your go-to air fryer recipes.

As I mentioned above chickpeas are a great source of fiber and minerals. This legume is an outstanding source of Manganese, Folate (vitamin B9) and Copper. One cup provides the majority of the RDV of these minerals. Chickpeas also provide noteworthy amounts of Iron, Zinc, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Thiamine, Selenium, Potassium and Vitamin B6. [ref] They are little nutritional powerhouses.

Due to the fiber and protein in them, chickpeas have a low glycemic Index score, just 28. [ref] This means they don't cause sharp sugar spikes when you eat them. They are what many call a "slow carb".

Air frying these healthy chickpeas is not just convenient and a lower fat method of making this quick snack, but makes them a treat to eat.

How to Make Crispy Chickpeas in the Air Fryer

This delicious snack is super easy to make and you can air fry chickpeas in just a few minutes with VERY little prep work. If you are relatively new to air frying, no worries. I will guide you through making the air fryer chickpeas with step-by-step pictures. If you don't need all that, jump right down to the printable recipe card.

Ingredients for Air Fryer Chick Peas

Seasoned air fried chickpeas really only a few simple ingredients.

• 15 ounce can of Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans), drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon avocado or olive oil
• 2 teaspoons of seasoning blend of choice I've included an easy spice mix below. My homemade Cajun seasoning mix is shown in video, Ranch seasoning is also a yummy choice I love.

Seasoning Mix

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

Start by preheating your air fryer to 390 degrees F. If your appliance is not that precise, 380-400 degrees is fine.All air fryers vary slightly.

Pour the chick peas into the air fryer basket, spread out in a single layer and air fry for 3-5 minutes to dry the chickpeas and begin the roasting process.

Dump the dry chickpeas into a medium to large bowl.

Add oil and seasonings.

Toss chickpeas well to coat.

Pour the chickpeas back into the air fryer. Air fry for 12-17 minutes more, until they reach your desired crispiness. This will also vary based on your brand and model.

Pour the roasted chickpeas into a bowl lined with paper towels or a paper bag. The excess oil is very minimal, so you can skip the paper products if it doesn't bother you.

Enjoy your chickpea snack warm or room temperature.

Benefits of Homemade

Of course, roasting chickpeas yourself, whether in the air fryer or oven save money. There are other perks to homemade though.

• If you don't want them too crunchy, simply lessen the cooking time. I actually prefer my own cooked a little less than most, since I have sensitive teeth. I also find them more filling slightly less roasted.
• You can select a healthier oil. Many store bought snacks are cooked with unhealthy fats. You can pick any healthy high smoke point oil to air fry your chickpeas with. I personally use avocado oil, but coconut oil or classic olive oil (not extra virgin olive oil it doesn't handle high heat well) are also great choices.
• You can also experiment with different seasonings, even splitting a batch to two or more different flavors.
• The ability to adjust the amount of salt in the recipe is a huge bonus for those of use watching our sodium intake.

Storing

Storage options will vary based on how much you've dried out the chickpeas. If you air fried them nice and crisp with very little moisture left they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a week. If you left them slightly soft, I recommend putting the container in the fridge or only keeping at room temp for a day or two.

The air fried chickpeas will last in the freezer for at least 4 months.