Pickle Peas: Chickpea Snacks That’ll Have You Saying, “More, Please!”

Have you noticed?! Chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) are slowly taking over the health world, and I couldn’t be happier about that!

Chickpeas are a wonder bean, packing a very nutritious punch! In just a 1-cup serving, check out some of these impressive numbers (see full facts):

• 10.5 grams of dietary fiber (42% DV)
• 11.9 grams of protein (24% DV)
• 72% DV manganese
• 57% DV Vitamin B6
• 40% DV folate
• 22% DV phosphorus
• 21% DV copper
• 18% DV iron
• 17% DV zinc & magnesium

Not bad for just a wee little legume, right?

I love making homemade hummus with chickpeas, but I also love them in salads and soups! There are endless pages of chickpea recipes on Pinterest, so don’t hesitate to expand your horizons with this bean!

Recently, I was grocery shopping, and saw some cute lil’ roasted chickpea snack packs by Biena. Whaaaat?! I bought a package each of the Honey Roasted and Sea Salt versions, and instantly fell in love! Crunchy, flavorful, and healthy!

Ever the frugal Franny, I decided to try this myself, feeling like I could probably do it for much cheaper. I cruised many, many recipes on Pinterest, taking in some basic chickpea roasting tips, but had to reconcile all the different tips and tricks to find my own way.

Mostly importantly, I wanted to make my very own flavor! The bases are pretty well-covered with Pinterest recipes for popular flavors (honey, cinnamon, BBQ, etc.), and there are even some for more “gourmet” flavors – well done, Pinners!

I saw a gap for one of my favorite flavors, and ran with it. Ready for this? Pickle peas! Yes, I did it. I found a way to make chickpeas taste like dill pickles, and I’m about to rock your world.

The first step in making them taste authentic is to actually pickle the chickpeas overnight, just like when you make dill pickles. So, I pulled out my vinegar and my trusty pickling spice blend (mustard, allspice, coriander, cassia, ginger, black peppercorn, cloves, and bay leaves).

I used 1 can of organic chickpeas (drained/rinsed), then soaked them overnight in 1/2 cup vinegar + 1/2 cup water + 1/2 Tbsp pickling spice + 1/2 Tbsp sea salt.

Now, friends, this is where I learned a lesson. When I make pickles, obviously those spices stay right in the jar with the spears. But in this case, I realized that all those spice pieces were super hard to get rid of when it came time to get the peas out of the pickling bath and bake them. I was stuck hand-picking a lot of it off.

So, next time around, I’m getting creative! I’m going to put my spices inside something that’ll allow the liquid to come in, but keep the spices contained. I’m thinking a coffee filter, cheesecloth, tea bag, or silicone tea infuser would do the trick! (Remember, no metal! The vinegar can corrode it!)

Another important part of my “night before” – prepping my olive oil. I wanted dill-infused oil, so I actually took my EVOO and mixed dried dill right into it. (Fresh dill would be amazing for this too!)

Don’t be shy with this part! The dill itself will stick to your peas, but for really great herb flavor, you want that oil to take on the taste too! I used 1 Tbsp EVOO and added dill until it was no longer transparent!

I refrigerated my oil/dill blend overnight, just like I did with my pickling peas. The next day, the real fun began!

To start prepping your peas for baking, remove them from the pickling bath (don’t rinse!) and put them on a paper towel or lint-free dishtowel to dry. Allow them to air dry for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400º. Pull your oil/dill blend out of the fridge now to let it start coming to room temp.

Next, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and lay your peas out. This by no means has to be exact – they’re going to touch. Bake them naked in their little pea birthday suits for the first 15 minutes. This is key to getting moisture out!

After the first 15, pull them out of the oven, and right there on the parchment paper, start drizzling your oil sparingly over top the peas. (Remember, less is more! You want them to crisp, not get soggy!) Use two spatulas to toss them until coated evenly. Bake another 15.

Pull the peas out of the oven one last time, and use your judgment if you need a bit more oil or if you can get away with just re-tossing them in what’s there. I just re-tossed. But, at this point I sprinkled them with a fairy dusting of garlic powder for good measure. Bake a final 15.

At this point, you’ll want to sample them and see if they’re crunchy. They’re done if there’s no soft squishy part inside. If not done, bake until crunchy throughout, in 5 min increments.

I let them cool, then stored at room temp in an air-tight container. Yum!

As usual, a huge perk here is that I control exactly what’s in my snacks, and – better yet – I did this at a fraction of the cost! The only real expense? The $1 can of organic beans. The other supplies together are probably far less than a dollar’s worth.

A one-dollar, 15 oz can translates to about 3 oz of finished chickpea snacks, so you can definitely see that it’s a better option for your wallet to make your own instead of spending $4 – $5 on a 5 oz bag.

Once you’ve made these, you’re hooked! Now I want to play with all the different options I can think of! Get creative! Hope you enjoy!

Wishing you healthier, happier days!

Comments? Questions? Hit me up below!