Moar beanz!!

Three-day weekend, woooo!! Do you lovely people have any fun plans? I'm going on a little road trip to the Midwest, which I'm super excited about. As everyone knows, the most important part of a good road trip is snacks - yeah, you probably need a vehicle and a GPS and a human being who can tolerate your company for long hours in a small metal can, but if you don't have a solid snack selection, you're pretty much setting yourself up for failure. Friends, I bring you: Roasted Chickpeas.

I feel like I'm super late to this party because when I searched for recipes for roasted chickpeas, I came up with thousands upon thousands of recommendations! I just tried these tasty little morsels for the first time last week, and naturally I was instantly obsessed with the idea of using my favorite bean to transfer different herbs and spices into my mouth. 

This snack is so easy, quick, and versatile - I'm including several seasoning ideas below, but you can go completely nuts here to maximize your snacking bliss. Feel free to leave your suggestions in the comments! The only requirement is that you include some sort of liquid in the mix so that everything sticks to the chickpeas. Otherwise you'll just end up inhaling a bunch of spices every time you take a bite and nearly choking to death while trying to watch Homeland - trust me, I speak from hard-earned experience.

You could theoretically add these bad boys to a salad or serve them as a side dish, but I'm pretty sure they're best enjoyed by the crunchy fistful. Mm!

Roasted Chickpeas

Makes 2 cups 

1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas

For Sweet Maple Chickpeas:

• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg

For Spicy Lime Chickpeas:

• juice from 2 limes
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped cilantro
• ½ teaspoon paprika powder (or crushed bird's eye chilies if you're feeling brave)

For Savory Italian Chickpeas:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano

Preheat the oven to 375 F and line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Crack open your can of chickpeas, dump those nuggets into a strainer, and rinse really well. Dry the chickpeas off with a paper towel and distribute them evenly on your cookie sheet, then pop them into the oven for 30-40 minutes.

Reporting for duty!

While you wait, you can prep your seasonings! This is a highly technical step that involves mixing together whatever you want on your beans in a medium bowl. Proceed with caution if you don't have an advanced culinary degree.

Spicy and sour...

...and sweet!

Are you ready to check your chickpeas? They should be crispy and a tiny bit golden brown. Don't fret if they're still a little soft - just stick them back in the oven for another 5 minutes! Once the chickpeas are ready, take them out and carefully pour them into the bowl with your seasonings. Gently toss to coat every bean with sweet/salty/spicy goodness. You can pack this little snacks in an airtight container for your roadtripping needs...if any chickpeas actually make it out of the kitchen. Enjoy!