Series: Neurodivergent Friendly Recipes

Air-Fryer Roasted Chickpeas

Welcome back to Neurodivergent Friendly Recipes where I share some of my favorite ADHD friendly recipes and autism friendly recipes! One thing I’ve learned since the last post in this series: I am not a food photographer and the reminder haunts me every time every time I see pictures from the last post in this series.

So, for this recipe, I will not be pretending to be something I’m not. I will do it the overwhelmed-ADHD way and take a shortcut by using stock photos! Honestly, this recipe is so simple you truly don’t need any pictures to help you out.

This easy Air Fryer chickpea recipe is great for getting some protein into your system. It only takes a few minutes to make and you can do some 5-minute tidy tasks while they cook. Once they’re ready, you can take them back to your desk to eat like a heathen while still working the way I do.

Garlic Parmesan Air Fryer Roasted Chickpeas

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic (Let’s be real, I use 3-4 cloves of garlic)
• 4 Tbsp grated parmesan
• Optional: salt, paprika

Instructions:

1. Drain the can of chickpeas. Personally, I like to rinse them but it’s not necessary, especially if you’d like to avoid adding oil.
2. Preheat the Air Fryer to 400°F/200°C for 2-3 minutes.
3. While it’s preheating, add chickpeas to a bowl and mix with olive oil, garlic, and parmesan (if you’re adding salt and/or paprika, add those now as well.)
4. Put chickpeas in a single layer in the basket of the AirFryer.
   For crispier chickpeas: Cook at 400°F/200°C for 12 minutes, shaking them every 4 minutes.
   For softer chickpeas (my preference): Cook at 375°F/190°C for 12 minutes, shaking once halfway through.

And that’s it! They’re really that easy which is why they’re one of my favorite neurodivergent friendly recipes. If you don’t inhale them all in one sitting like I tend to, save them in an open container. A closed container will retain too much moisture and make them soggy; even if you prefer them on the softer side, they are admittedly gross (IMO) when soggy.

I’ve tried out a few different chickpea recipes over the years, even pre-Air Fryer days, and have made adjustments based on my own preferences so don’t be afraid to play around (within sensory reason, obviously) or try out some other flavors!