Cinnamon and Honey Roasted Chickpeas

There are the sweet people and then there are the salty people. I would categorize my husband under sweet since he loves chocolate. Whenever he orders ice cream, it tends to be chocolate, topped with chocolate, topped with even more chocolate. He’s what some people call a chocoholic.

Me, on the other hand? I prefer to snack on pretzels, chips and salsa, crackers…any crunchy and salty snack is fine by me. If I have to go the chocolate route, you’ll most likely find me enjoying a chocolate turtle. The chocolate paired with the caramel and pecans is a pretty perfect mix of salty and sweet. The salt masks the chocolate just enough to make the sweetness tolerable and delicious.

Lately, I’ve been spending some time on Pinterest bookmarking and doing a bit of recipe research. That’s when I stumbled across a recipe that combined chickpeas with cinnamon and honey. After taking a look at this recipe, I figured that these little gems would almost be like honey roasted pecans. You know, the pecans that you can smell from a mile away? Salty pecans mixed with the sweetness of honey is another combo that seems perfect to me.

With a bit of excitement and hesitation (I always think of chickpeas as either hummus or a salad fixing), I pulled out the ingredients in my kitchen and got to work preparing this Cinnamon and Honey Roasted Chickpea recipe. Even though I’m a self-proclaimed salty person, these chickpeas might make me transition into a sweet person.

I’ve been snacking on them throughout the day. Someone, please take them away. I’m begging you.

Cinnamon and Honey Roasted Chickpeas

Ingredients:

• 15 ounce can garbanzo beans
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon honey

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Drain and rinse garbanzo beans by placing them in a colander and rinsing them with cold water. Rinse them for a few minutes to remove the starch. Dry off the beans and remove their skins.
3. Combine the cinnamon, sugar, and vegetable oil in a bowl. 
4. Pour the beans into the cinnamon mixture and toss to coat.
5. Spread the beans out on the prepared baking sheet. 
6. Bake for 15 minutes, remove from the oven, and toss the beans. Bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the beans are no longer soft.
7. Place hot, roasted beans in a bowl and coat with honey. 
8. Spread beans on baking sheet and allow to dry.
9. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

What is your favorite snack?

*Recipe adapted from Pastry Affair