Roasted Chickpea Snack

Kid jobs: Pinching, pouring, stirring, eating, smelling

Learning objectives: Choosing spices is a creative skill that you can practice and develop. Begin to know spices based on smell, color and texture. Delicious snacks can be healthy, homemade, affordable, and fun. Practice fine motor skills.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Can Garbanzo Beans
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Any mix of spices that you like [I generally do Smoked Paprika and Garlic, but this is a nice way to develop and share a preference].

Supplies: Mixing Bowl, Stirring Spoon (or you use your hands!), Baking Tray, Oven.

Directions:

  • Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  • Step 2: Wash one can of chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) in a colander.
  • Optional Step: Depending on the interest of the participants, pinch each chickpea to get the skin off! Leave the skinless chickpea intact, don’t smush it! You don’t have to do this step, but it can be very meditative and/or fun. Chickpea skins go in the compost.
  • Step 3: Pour chickpeas into a medium mixing bowl and stir in the olive oil until all chickpeas are coated. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and the spices you choose over the oily chickpeas and mix until they are all coated with all the spices.
  • Step 4: Pour them out on a lined baking tray into one layer of chickpeas.
  • Step 5: Put in the oven for about 20 minutes and check two or three times to stir so the roasting is even-ish. Pull them out once they are the crispiness that you like. [I like a toasty outside with a mushy inside, but sometimes I forget and leave them until they are crispy all the way through with a delicious outer layer of spices, and that is okay too!]
  • Step 6: Allow to cool until it’s easy to pick them up. [I suggest putting them into small individual bowls because once you start snacking it’s hard to stop!]
  • Step 7: Eat!