For any Marmite lovers out there, you will adore these roasted Marmite Chickpeas. At zero Smart Points per portion on Weight Watchers Blue, Purple and Freestyle plans & 2 SmartPoints on the Green plan, they are a snack I make often!
Please be aware that this post was written prior to Weight Watchers changing to the WW Points Plan. Scroll down the page to check how many Points it works out on the 2023 - 2024 WW Points Plan, as well as some of the older Weight Watchers plans.
Roast them in the oven or pop them in the air fryer - it's your choice! Just make sure to give them a try. I'm pretty confident that they will become a favourite Weight Watchers snack recipe for you too.
There aren't many crunchy, salty little snacks that are zero Smart Points on the WW plan. That's why I love these Marmite Chickpeas so much!
So ... Marmite!
You either love it or you hate it .... or so the adverts say.
I love it & honestly don't know many who don't.
For the uninitiated, Marmite is a British spread that is made from yeast extract. It has a strong, salty taste and is eaten by millions of Brits every morning on hot buttered toast! Yum!
Ok, so I'm salivating now 😀
I know that Marmite isn't as easy to find in the US as it is in the UK but I have seen it in larger grocery stores in North America. So keep your eyes peeled!
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If you are in the US, you can also buy it from Amazon here!
I'm a great fan of roasted chickpeas and have created a couple of popular recipes like these Spiced Chickpeas and these Shawarma Chickpeas.
But Are Roasted Chickpeas Zero Smart Points?
There is always a bit of an argument online when people discuss pointing roasted chickpeas! Some say you need to Point them as they are being eaten as a snack. Some say you don't.
I'm with the latter and this is why...
WW have a recipe for roasted chickpeas on their website and they list them as zero Smart Points for ¼ of the recipe and 1 Smart Point for the whole lot .... so.....!
Marmite is zero Smart Points on the Weight Watchers Freestyle plan, as are chickpeas, so I am listing these Marmite Chickpeas as zero Smart Points per portion.
If you eat the whole lot (not recommended 😀 ) then perhaps you should track them as 1 Smart Point but ultimately it's your call!
How to ensure your roasted chickpeas are crunchy
I have learnt over the years that there are a few things that help ensure that roasted chickpeas come out of the oven crunchy, not chewy or burnt and pellet like!
Firstly, I drain them well and then give them a good rinsing in cold water.
Secondly, I make sure that I dry them well before seasoning. I lay them between a couple of sheets of kitchen paper and pat them dry. This also has the added benefit of removing some of the skins.
Thirdly, I have found (for this recipe in particular) it can help to roast the chickpeas for 10 minutes prior to adding the flavouring.
Lastly, every 10 minutes or so use a spatula to move them around the tray.
Marmite Chickpeas in the oven
I tend to make these Marmite Chickpeas in the oven but you can also make them in an air fryer.
- Drain the can of chickpeas in a colander/sieve and rinse well with cold water (picture 1)
- Tip the chickpeas on to a couple of sheets of kitchen paper and use another sheet to pat dray (picture 2)
- Lay a sheet of parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet on to a baking tray and spread the chickpeas out in one layer (picture 3)
- Roast the chickpeas for 10 minutes, till they have started to turn a golden colour (picture 4)
- Remove from the oven and pour into a bowl. Mix in the Marmite and spread back on to the paper lined baking sheet.
- Return to the oven and roast for another 30 - 35 minutes, using a spatula to move them around and unstick them from the parchment paper (picture 5).
- Serve warm!
Air Fryer Marmite Chickpeas
Roasting chickpeas in the air fryer depends very much on the make and model of the air fryer that you are using.
I use a Tefal Actifry which has a rotating arm that ensures that the chickpeas are being moved around - so in theory there is less likelihood of the coating sticking or burning.
Place the uncoated chickpeas in the air fryer and cook for about 12 minutes before removing from the tray and mixing with the Marmite.
I then pop them back into the air fryer for about 10 - 12 minutes or until they have turned crunchy.
Storing Roasted Chickpeas
Storing these Marmite Chickpeas is difficult. They have a tendency to go soft. If you do want to store them, it is best to do so in a paper bag.
Other Weight Watchers Snack ideas!
If you are looking for other Weight Watcher Snack ideas, then you will love this Best LowPoint Snacks list.
Marmite Chickpeas | Weight Watchers
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas 1 x 400g can - drained and rinsed
- 1 tsp Marmite heaped teaspoon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180° / 160°C Fan / 350°F
- Drain the can of chickpeas in a colander or sieve.
- Rinse well with cold water.
- Tip the chickpeas onto a couple of sheets of kitchen paper
- Pat dry using another sheet of kitchen paper.
- Once dry tip onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper or lined with a silicone baking sheet.
- Spread the chickpeas out in a single layer and place on the middle shelf of your oven. Roast for 10 minutes or until they have started to turn golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and carefully tip the hot chickpeas into a bowl. Add the Marmite and stir so that all the chickpeas are coated.
- Tip the coated chickpeas back onto the lined baking tray and place back in the oven for a further 30 - 35 minutes.
- To ensure a crunchy chickpea and to prevent burning, use a spatula to move the chickpeas around (& to prevent them sticking!) every 10 minutes or so.
- Remove from the oven once they are crispy and serve warm.
Michelle says
These look smashing! I'm buying some Marmite tomorrow to make these as a salad topper. I love Marmite and love seeing recipes using it.
Mary Musker says
I use dried chickpeas; simply soak them overnight then dry them and chuck them in the air fryer - no need to cook them first. Much less faff and SUPER crunchy.
Haley says
Nice, simple, tasty snack. I just wish you'd included the air frier instructions to the actual recipe instead of saying to refer to it above the recipe. This would have made things easier when printing or saving to PDF.