Air-Fryer Maple-Cinnamon Chickpeas

The roasted chickpea is one of those pantry recipes that's nutritionally responsible AND actually good — a rare alignment. A can of chickpeas, twenty minutes in the air fryer, and you have something between a snack and a topping that has the crackle of a corn nut and the slight chew of a candied legume.

The savoury version (paprika, garlic, salt) is the classic. This maple-cinnamon version is the sweet-snacky variant — pumpkin-pie adjacent, almost like a candied chickpea or a small protein-rich gingerbread crumb. The combination of toasted chickpea + warm spice + caramelised maple is more interesting than any single ingredient suggests.

The technique requires patience on the drying step. Drain the chickpeas thoroughly, then pat them very dry on a kitchen towel. Wet chickpeas steam instead of crisping. Roll them gently to remove any loose skins (these burn). Toss in oil first, air-fry for 12 minutes plain, then add the maple-cinnamon glaze for the final 4 minutes. If you add the maple too early, it burns; too late, it doesn't caramelise.

The photo shows a small ceramic bowl piled with the finished chickpeas: deeply amber, glazed and glossy, visible cinnamon flecks. The kind of thing you reach for on the counter when walking past, until they're somehow all gone.