Sweet Roasted Chickpeas from 'Short Stack'

Photos: Mackenzie Smith

Short Stack Editions is a series of ingredient-driven, small-format cookbooks. The following recipe comes from Short Stack Volume 12: Brown Sugar. Go here for more information about this recipe project.

Sweet Roasted Chickpeas
Makes 2 cups

The first time I tasted roasted chickpeas was alongside a busy road in Cairo. They were scooped warm from a skillet into a makeshift paper cone by an elderly vendor wearing a sparkling galabeya and an infectious smile. This recipe is an homage to that vendor and his chickpeas: earthy, spicy and sweet, with a crunchy coating and a soft middle.

One 15-ounce can chickpeas
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
Pinch ground cayenne
Pinch ground cinnamon
Pinch ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 400°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

Drain the chickpeas in a large strainer and rinse well. Spread the chickpeas out on a kitchen towel or paper towels and pat them dry. (At this point, some of skins may be coming off the beans. You can remove them all if you like. I’m not married to either way.)

Spread the dry chickpeas out on the baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, stir together the brown sugar, cayenne, cinnamon, cumin and salt. Set aside.

Remove the chickpeas from the oven and drizzle with the vegetable oil, turning to coat with a large spoon. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the chickpeas and mix well, rolling them around the pan until all the peas are coated. Return to the oven and roast for another 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Turn off the oven, crack open the oven door and leave the chickpeas inside for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven (the chickpeas will still be slightly soft in the middle). Serve immediately, as the chickpeas do not keep well.

More Short Stack recipes:

Oven-dried tomatoes

Chili-garlic sweet potatoes

Broccoli hummus