Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 2

Strain and dry the chickpeas. Chickpeas that are wet or damp won't crisp up well, and if they do, they won't stay that way into the next day.

Step 3

Pro-Tip #1: Dry them by spreading the chickpeas on a clean, dry towel. Place another towel on top of them, and lightly but vigorously move the towel across the chickpeas. This rolls them around between the 2 towels, but doesn't squish them. It also removes some of the skins on the beans. Pull off any loose skins, and discard. It is NOT necessary to remove the skins from all of the beans, just the ones that easily fall off.

Step 4

Pro-Tip #2: If the beans still feel wet, or if you live in a very humid area, or you use canned beans (which are much more moist) you will want to pre-dry them in the oven. I typically use my toaster oven for this while my larger oven preheats. Pre-dry at 300˚F for 5 - 7 minutes. If using canned beans, which are very wet, pre-dry for 15 minutes.

Step 5

Spill the dried chickpeas onto the sheet pan. Toss with olive oil and salt. Spread the chickpeas as evenly as you can across the baking sheet in a single layer. They roast better if they're not all clumped together.

Step 6

Pro-Tip #3: Don't be tempted to add additional spices yet, as they can burn and become bitter with roasting.

Step 7

Roast for 15 minutes. Shake the pan, check the chickpeas for crispy-ness and roast for another 10 minutes, or until crispy. If they're not crunchy, continue to roast them a few more minutes. It may take longer to roast canned beans, even if you pre-dry them, since they are much wetter.

Step 8

Remove the chickpeas from the oven and toss with the spices while the roasted chickpeas are still warm.