These roasted chickpeas are a copycat version of Thai Lime & Chili Cashews from Trader Joe’s. You know my (and yours if you are in the US) addiction to Trader Joe’s. Although you still have to read labels because I found a few items with colours, preservatives and generally not clean in there.
So, we bought these cashews twice. And then we had a problem. Cashews are awesome and so good for you but high in fat and should be consumed in moderation. The problem was these cashews were gone too fast.
You know that sweet fragrant taste that all Thai food has?! Well, you get it from kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass and a bit of sugar. So, I made my own copycat version of this amazing snack but with chickpeas instead. They are much lower in fat and higher in protein than cashews. Chili powder and red pepper flakes add a nice touch of spice.
Now to calm your nerves down because I know you want these but have no idea what kaffir lime leaves are. I took a picture for you…
They look like dry bay leaves and are sold in a package at any Asian store or even some supermarkets. I wouldn’t look for them in Target but any local Asian store – yes! I bought mine for like $2 a couple years ago at T&T market. I store them in a Ziploc bag and they still smell like fresh.
And we had a problem again…I made a double batch of these roasted chickpeas on Thursday, thinking we will have some snacks for the weekend. Well, the chickpeas were gone by Friday night. Alex… I knew pictures had to be done on Thursday. Good I still have lots of my chocolate fudge in the freezer. Alex, my man, has no clear memory of the freezer contents. That’s my trick.;)
P.S. I strongly recommend making double or triple batch of these at a time. They store for a long time in a glass jar. Keep in mind, chickpeas will dry out and shrink. 1 can = 1 cup roasted chickpeas.
Ingredients
- 15 oz can chickpeas
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp agave nectar or honey
- 1/2 tsp Thai lime leaves
- 1/8 tsp chili powder
- 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/8 tsp salt
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Drain and rinse chickpeas under cold running water in a colander. Shake off the excess water and spread on a baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes, turning half way through. Test one chickpea and if it's still moist inside bake until the chickpeas are dry and crispy. I didn't stir my chickpeas and they burnt on one side a bit.
- In a small food processor or Magic Bullet, combine Thai lime leaves and red pepper flakes. Process until fine/coarse powder. Add to a large light weight mixing bowl along with remaining ingredients. Add chickpeas while still warm and shake around the bowl to coat them evenly.
- Return glazed chickpeas on a baking sheet and bake for another 5-7 minutes for the caramelized effect. You can omit this step but the chickpeas will be a bit sticky. Serve cold or warm.
Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving = 1/4 cup:
Calories: 121.1
Total Fat: 2.3 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 120.9 mg
Total Carbs: 20.5 g
Dietary Fiber: 5.4 g
Protein: 5.3 g
WW Points+: 3