Baked Spiced Chickpeas [Secret Recipe Club]

This is my third month as part of the Secret Recipe Club, and I love it!  I've met new food bloggers and have been challenged to make new food.  This month was a challenge, but a fun one!  I was assigned Gretchen's blog Veggie Grettie.  A Certified Nutrition Specialist, Gretchen has been vegan for years because of health issues and also cooks gluten free because of her daughter's allergies.  Because my family is neither vegan nor gluten free, I thought that choosing a recipe that we'd like was going to be difficult, but it turns out that choosing a recipe was difficult because there were so many great ones to choose from!

I finally settled on her Baked Spiced Chickpeas Snack.  My family loves chickpeas, and I've seen recipes like this floating around and have made several mental notes to try one.  This one is great because it's sweet and spicy and salty all rolled into a crispy chickpea.  What's not to love?!

Baked Spiced Chickpeas
Adapted from Veggie Grettie

2 cups (or one can) cooked chickpeas
1 1/2 Tbl olive oil
3 Tbl spice mixture (below)

Spice Mixture:
2 tsp dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp Kosher salt

To make the spice mixture:
Mix all spice mixture ingredients well and place in an airtight container.

To make the chickpeas:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Rinse the chickpeas.  Place the chickpeas on two layers of paper towels and then top with a third.  Rub the top layer of paper towels over the chickpeas gently to dry.  Remove the paper towel and discard any skins that have become loose.  Let air dry for a few minutes.

Place the chickpeas in a bowl and add the oil.  Mix until the chickpeas are well coated.  Add three tablespoons of the spice mixture and mix well.  Place the chickpeas on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper in a single layer.  Place in the oven and bake 40-60 minutes until the chickpeas are golden brown and crispy all the way through. 

Eat immediately once they've cooled.  These do not remain crispy if stored in a container.

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