This roasted chickpeas recipe is an easy and delicious way to add nutrition to your toddler’s diet. These are soft roasted, to ensure they’re easy for the kids to chew, and they have a sweet-salty flavor that’s super yummy.
When my oldest daughter was 1, crunchy roasted chickpeas were all the rage. They’re usually baked until crispy, which means they can be a choking hazard for little kids, but it’s possible to tweak the method slightly to make a nutritious and super easy kids snack. This toddler snack version is a little salty, a little sweet, and it’s a nice way to change up how we’re serving beans to kids.
Usually chickpeas and beans are soft and aren’t a choking hazard, but if you are at all concerned, smash them slightly.
(You may also like Chickpea Fritters, Bean Puree, Black Bean Brownie Bites, and Chickpea Blondies.)
Table of Contents
Ingredients you Need
To make this roasted chickpeas recipe, you’ll need to have the following ingredients on hand and ready to go.
- Chickpeas: Canned or cooked from dry both work. If using canned, drain and rinse the beans before starting the recipe.
- Oil: Canola, coconut, avocado, or another neutral oil.
- Maple syrup: I like a little sweetness in this recipe so I add maple syrup. Agave nectar and honey also work. You can also omit sweetener if you prefer.
- Pure vanilla extract: This adds flavor to the chickpea mixture.
- Cinnamon: This works well with the rest of the ingredients to make a flavorful baked chickpeas snack.
TIP: You can play around with the flavors, but we like this cinnamon mixture!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at the process of making this easy toddler snack of roasted chickpeas. Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the full information.
Step 1. Rinse and drain the beans if using canned. This removes any excess salt and the thick liquid that the beans come in.
Step 2. This step is optional but I recommend it if your toddler is very sensitive to textures: Roll the beans around in a clean kitchen towel so the skins slip off.
Step 3. Stir in the cinnamon, vanilla, salt, oil, and maple syrup (if using).
Step 4. Spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake.
TIP: These are best served warm, though you can store them and reheat them on future days if needed.
How to Store
Honestly, this roasted chickpeas recipe is something special when served right out of the oven and cooled slightly, but you can keep leftovers in the fridge and serve them throughout the week. Just give them a quick 10 second warm up in the microwave or a few minutes in a warm oven—or eat them cold. We do both when packing leftovers for toddler snacks and easy toddler lunch ideas.
Best Tips for Success
- Drain and rinse canned beans to remove excess salt and the thick liquid. Pat dry.
- Roll beans around on a paper towel to remove the transparent shells if your kids are sensitive to textures.
- Enjoy warm out of the oven as a snack or easy meal component.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container and store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Warm slightly to serve.
- Check out my best bean recipes for kids, too.
related recipes
I’d love to hear your feedback on this recipe, so please comment below to share!
Soft Roasted Chickpeas with Cinnamon
Ingredients
- 1 14.5- ounce can chickpeas rinsed, drained, and patted dry (or about 2 cups cooked dried)
- 1 teaspoon canola or coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- If desired, rub the chickpeas in a clean kitchen towel to remove the skins. (You don't have to do this, but you may want to if you have a toddler who's particularly sensitive to textures.) Discard the skins.
- Stir together all ingredients in a medium bowl. Spread on a baking sheet or baking dish and bake for 12-15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, smashing beans slightly for younger eaters if desired.
Video
Notes
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat briefly for 15 seconds in the microwave or serve cold.
- Drain and rinse canned beans to remove excess salt and the thick liquid. Pat dry.
- Roll beans around on a paper towel to remove the transparent shells if your kids are sensitive to textures.
- Enjoy warm out of the oven as a snack or easy meal component.
Nutrition
This recipe was first published February 2017.
My son usually is not a big food fan, but he loved these. I made them a second time with honey and butter and added bits of pre boiled carrots and it was again a hit! Thank you for the great recipe!
These are yummy! What would you use to make them salty and savory? My toddler prefers savory over sweet.
I think omit the cinnamon and maple syrup, add a little more oil if needed to coat, and sprinkle with a little salt.
Yum! Made this as a protein snack for my 13mo. They taste as good as they smell. So quick and easy to make! Thank you.
Delicious! Do these freeze well? Was gonna take them on a weekend trip.
Sure!
I made the mistake of using coconut oil warmed and then added the cold maple syrup. My mix turned into a paste. ugh. They were okay, but would have mixed in better without the coconut oil solidifying.
Can you air fry these?Megan
Sure, I haven’t tried that but I would do 350 for maybe 6-8 minutes to make sure they’re not crunchy or hard for littles
My boy (2 Years old) struggles with a protein. He have eaten a 2 table spoons of it. I am glad. Thank you.
My picky twin toddlers both loved them!!! Mom win! So easy to make too, I had no idea about the shells!
Would these work cold for school lunch boxes?
They could!
Hi Amy,
Thank you very much for this delicious soft roasted chickpeas recipe. I really like roasted chickpea. I’m crazy to eat them with roasted corn snacks and coke. Your recipe seems really awesome. I will try your recipe as soon as possible. I’m sure I will love it. I wish you the best of luck in the future.
I made these this morning for my grand niece and grand nephew. The niece is starting pre-school soon, and her mom will be packing lunches and snacks for her. The chick peas came out wonderfully soft and tasty. Was glad to see in an earlier post they can be frozen. Can the topping mix be used to roast carrots too? I bet that would also be a huge hit.
When my kids were little, they frequently brought more of my lunches I made back home.
I bet the topping would be great on carrots!
So easy and so tasty! My husband (who does not like chickpeas) kept grabbing some as he walked by. lol
I have to make my food for my tot ahead of time for the week so I’m wondering if I can freeze these? They’re amazing!
I’m so glad! Yes, you can freeze them. The texture might soften more as they freeze and then are reheated, but otherwise they should be fine!
These look amazing – do you think these would be soft enough for a 10 month old (with two teeth, ha) to eat? She’s a pretty advanced eater with texture sand flavors but I never know when the right time to introduce more complicated food is! I would omit the honey of course.
Yes, just mash each slightly before you serve them!
hi do i need to soak them if i use dry chickpeas? or i can just roast after i wash?
Use fully cooked chickpeas, not dried. So if you have dry chickpeas, you’ll want to soak them and cook them until soft first.