Sage Maple Roasted Chickpeas

I first made this recipe earlier in the fall this year, but for some reason completely forgot to put it up. Then the other day I used the Canadian maple syrup I got while in Montréal to make these for a friend since she was making soup, and that's when I realized I never posted this. 

Better late than never! I love these as a quick snack when you're having a sweet tooth craving and it also goes really well on top of hearty winter soups, like on my Butternut Thyme soup below.

For efficiency's sake, you can make the chickpeas (garbanzo beans) from the can, or you can boil them from dried chickpeas as I did here. Either works equally fine in terms of taste and texture with the result, but I'm a weirdo and like to really make things from scratch when I can help it. Also, most canned chickpeas will have salt to help preserve them, so if you have blood pressure issues or should be eating lower sodium, home-cooked is the way to go!

As for nutritional content of the chickpeas alone, a 1/2 cup contains 7g protein, 22g carb (6g of fiber, 4g sugars), 2g fat. Much is said about the protein content of chickpeas, particularly for vegetarian/vegan eaters, but it's honestly not that amazing of a protein source considering the ratio of carbs that come with it. This is true of all beans, really- sorry! #trainertruth

While carb-y, chickpeas do have a low glycemic load, so that is a major plus. They are also known for being high in fiber, and 1/2 cup provides 25% of your daily recommendation of fiber. That amount also has about as much potassium as half a medium banana.

This is a healthy snack in the terms of it being very wholesome and using pure ingredients, but watch the portions if you're trying to lean out. Onto the recipe!

Sage Maple Roasted Chickpeas

*makes 2.5 1/2 cup servings if using 1 can of chickpeas

Ingredients

1 (15 oz) can Organic Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans), rinsed, drained, and dried
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tbsp Pure Maple Syrup
1 tbsp Raw Coconut Sugar
5-6 Sage Leaves
1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon
Salt to taste 

Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place chickpeas and olive oil in a medium bowl, and toss well to combine.

3. In a very small saucepan, heat up the maple syrup on medium heat until it starts to simmer. Add in the coconut sugar, and stir until dissolved. Add in the sage leaves, reduce heat to low, and let simmer for another minute. Remove from heat, and let cool.

4. Pour maple mixture over the chickpeas and toss well to combine.

5. Transfer chickpeas onto baking sheet, and spread them out evenly. Sprinkle cinnamon and a bit of salt on top, and place baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Chickpeas are done when they are browned a bit and crunchy. Remove baking sheet, let cool, and serve!