Chickpea Crumbs
These Chickpea Crumbs are crisp, garlicky and made with canned chickpeas. They take just 5 minutes of hands-on prep and add crunch to everything from a bowl of soup to a tray of roasted vegetables.
Every time I make a batch of my homemade breadcrumbs, I also make these on the side.
The trick is to bake the chickpeas twice. The first round dries them out a little so they break up in the food processor. Once they’re in coarse crumbs, a second round in the oven crisps them up.
You can season these as per your taste preference. Keep it simple like I did, or go the extra mile like I did when I made my Italian seasoned breadcrumbs.
Quick Look: Chickpea Crumbs
- 🔪 Prep time: 5 minutes
- ⏲️ Cook time: 30 minutes
- 👪 Servings: 6
- 📋 Main ingredients: Canned chickpeas, oil and garlic powder
- ♨️ Cooking method: Oven
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy
- 🥣 Serving ideas: Sprinkle over soups, lemon Parmesan lettuce salad or roasted vegetables.
Jump to:
What's So Great About the Recipe?
- Made with pantry staples. Start with a can of chickpeas, a little oil and a few seasonings.
- Crunch in every bite. A first bake dries the whole chickpeas just enough to chop. A second bake crisps up the coarse crumbs.
- Versatile. Perfect to use as a topping over salads and soups- like my Air Fryer shoestring fries.
Recipe Ingredients
Canned chickpeas: These form the base. Drain them well so they dry evenly in the oven.
Seasonings: Garlic powder, salt and pepper. Use an infused salt like garlic parsley salt or mixed herb salt for extra flavor.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Use home-cooked chickpeas. Cook them until tender, then drain them well and pat them dry before the first bake.
- Adjust the seasoning. Leave out the garlic powder for a milder crumb, or add more black pepper for a little bite.
How to Make Chickpea Crumbs
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Drain the chickpeas and spread them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Step 2: Bake for about 15 minutes, until the chickpeas look a little drier on the outside.
Step 3: Let the chickpeas cool, then transfer them to a food processor.
Step 4: Pulse in short bursts until the chickpeas break into coarse crumbs.
Step 5: Spread the crumbs in a thin, even layer on the lined baking sheet.
Step 6: Mist the crumbs with oil and season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Bake at 350°F for about 15 minutes, until the crumbs are dry. Let them cool on the pan.
💭 Top Tip
Use short pulses and stop when the chickpeas look like coarse breadcrumbs. If you run the processor continuously, the chickpeas can turn into a paste that’s harder to spread and crisp.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Drain the chickpeas well. Pat off any water clinging to them so they dry evenly in the oven. I always do this when I make roasted edamame and chickpeas too.
- Keep the layer thin. Use a large baking sheet so the crumbs can spread out. Piles of crumbs take longer to dry. I always keep this in mind when I'm making my Air Fryer Tajin chickpeas too.
- Check for dry spots and damp spots. Oven times vary. If the center of the tray still feels soft after the second bake, give the crumbs a few more minutes and check again.
- Cool on the pan. Leave the crumbs uncovered so steam can escape. Once cool, break up any larger clusters with your fingers.
How to Use Chickpea Crumbs
Scatter chickpea crumbs over roasted tomato pepper soup, a chopped salad or roasted broccoli and potatoes just before serving. They’re also good over baked mac and cheese bites or a baked pasta when you want a garlicky crunch. I love sprinkling them over my Air Fryer squash and zucchini too.
For a crumb coating, press them gently onto the surface of whatever you’re breading. Pulse them a little finer if you want more even coverage.
Troubleshooting and FAQs
They may still have some moisture. Spread them out on the baking sheet and return them to the oven for a few minutes. Let them cool uncovered before checking the crunch.
Yes, they work well in place of coarse breadcrumbs on casseroles or as a coating. For recipes that use fine breadcrumbs to bind a mixture, the coarser texture may change how well it holds together.
Once the crumbs cool, transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate them. Freeze them for longer storage. If they soften, spread them on a baking sheet and warm them briefly in the oven to bring back the crunch.
More Easy Topping Recipes
Looking for more homemade toppings and pantry staples? Try these recipes.
If you tried this Chickpea Crumbs or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Chickpea Crumbs
Ingredients
- 2 cups chickpeas drained
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Arrange the canned, drained chickpeas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Pop in the oven preheated at 350°F and bake for about 15 minutes or until they have slightly dried out.
- Remove and let them cool down, then add them to a food processor jar.
- Blitz until you get coarse crumbs.
- Transfer the crumbs back to a lined baking sheet.
- Spray some oil over the crumbs and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Bake at 350°F for another 15 minutes or until almost all of the moisture is gone and the crumbs are dry.
Notes
- Drain and pat the canned chickpeas thoroughly dry before baking to help remove excess moisture.
- Spread the chickpeas in a single layer on the baking sheet so they dry evenly during the first bake.
- Let the chickpeas cool slightly before transferring them to the food processor.
- Pulse in short bursts until the chickpeas resemble coarse breadcrumbs. Avoid overprocessing, as they can turn into a paste.
- Spread the crumbs in a thin, even layer before the second bake to help them crisp up uniformly.
- Adjust the garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste, or add smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, or chili flakes for extra flavor.
- Let the crumbs cool completely on the baking sheet before storing, as they will become crispier as they cool.
- Sprinkle over soups, salads, roasted vegetables, or pasta dishes, or use as a crunchy alternative to breadcrumbs.
- Store cooled crumbs in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or freeze for longer storage. Reheat briefly in the oven if they lose their crunch.
