1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas, or 1 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed
1 Tablespoon unrefined, virgin coconut oil
1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup, Grade A or Grade B
pinch of sea salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of cayenne pepper
¼ cup goji berries or other dried fruit of choice, such as dried blueberries or cherries
¼ cup dark chocolate pieces
¼ cup pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds, raw or toasted
¼ cup toasted, unsweetened coconut flakes (I do this in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring until golden brown)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.
Pat chickpeas dry as best you can. Remove whatever skins are loose. Place chickpeas on the baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and add coconut oil, maple syrup and salt and toss to coat. Put back in the oven and roast for another 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. If a few pop, that’s ok.
Turn the oven off. Toss the chickpeas with spices. Return pan to the oven and with the oven door closed and the heat off, allow the chickpeas to sit in the warm oven for another hour or until perfectly crunchy. You’ll have to test one to be sure. It should be dry and airy. If they’re still not crunchy, leave in the oven with the door closed and the heat off until they are crunchy through and through. Set aside to cool at room temperature.
Combine cooled chickpeas with dried fruit, dark chocolate, pumpkin seeds and toasted coconut. The crunchy chickpeas combine well with many different ingredients for a trail mix, so feel free to make swaps according to what you have on hand or what you like.
Recipe by Pamela Salzman at https://pamelasalzman.com/really-crunchy-chickpea-trail-mix-recipe/