This is one of my favorite snacks to munch on. They do however get a little dangerous as once I start its hard to stop! These baked chickpeas make a great addition to salad or an alternate to croutons with soup. You can also get creative and add them to other meals you make for extra flavor, crunch and nutrition- including fiber, protein, iron, zinc, manganese and folate

I prefer to make these from scratch by soaking and cooking them myself. To do this you will need to plan ahead as the chickpeas need to be soaked overnight. If you don't have time however, you can also use canned chickpeas. Here's how its done.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of dried chickpeas (or 1 cup of pre-cooked chickpeas)

1 stock cube of choice (To use if you are cooking dried chickpeas). I like to use the "not-chicken" vegan stock cube

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons of dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon cumin powder

Salt to taste

Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions:

1) To cook dried chickpeas: Place the chickpeas into a bowl and cover with water. The chickpeas will double in size when soaked so be sure cover them with enough water to accommodate for this. Soak overnight.

Once soaked, add the chickpeas and the stock cube to a pot of water and bring to the boil (the stock is not essential, I just prefer the flavor of the chickpeas when they are cooked in stock). Reduce to a simmer and cover. Allow chickpeas to cook for 60 to 75 minutes or until soft. Remove from heat and drain.

2) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C. Place the chickpeas onto a tray and add all seasonings. Mix to combine the seasonings evenly over the chickpeas. Drizzle on the olive oil and bake for 45-50 minutes. Toss the chickpeas every 20 minutes or so while cooking. Remove from the oven and enjoy!