How to Make Crunchy Snack Food
Avoid the vending machine when the snack urges hit. Exchange bags of chips and pretzels and treat yourself to something healthier. Make your own crunchy snack food and keep it on hand by storing in containers on the countertop, in the fridge or in the snack cabinet. These snacks will satisfy the craving for salty, spicy or crisp, and they are a powerhouse of nutritional value. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 2 (15 oz.) cans garbanzo beans, drained 1 tbsp. ground chipotle chile pepper Olive oil cooking spray Freshly ground sea salt 1 lb. pitted, fresh dates 1/2 lb. roasted almonds 1 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut 2 cups old-fashioned oats 2 cups rolled wheat ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut ¼ cup brown sugar ¼ cup canola oil ¼ cup agave honey 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract ½ cup yellow raisins ½ cup dried cherries ½ chopped pecans
Instructions
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Make three kinds of crunchy snack food.
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1
Preheat oven to 375º. Rinse and dry garbanzo beans. Place a sheet of parchment on a cookie sheet with raised sides or in a glass baking dish. Put garbanzo beans in a single layer on top of the parchment. Lightly coat them with olive oil cooking spray and sprinkle with the ground chipotle chile pepper.
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2
Place the beans in the center of the oven rack. Roast for approximately 40 minutes. The garbanzo beans are done when they appear browned and are crisp. Take them out of the oven and sprinkle with sea salt. Store roasted garbanzo beans in an airtight container for up to three days. Eat by the handful or add to salads for an extra crunch.
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3
Chew on coconut date rolls. Place pitted dates in a food processor. Pulse until pureed. Scrape down the sides of the work bowl. Add the roasted almonds. Blend to chop the almonds. Fill a Ziploc bag with the coconut. Set aside. With a melon baller, create small-sized balls. Place two to three balls at a time into the coconut to coat them. Arrange them in a container with wax paper between layers. Store the container in the refrigerator.
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4
Crunch on granola. Preheat oven to 350º. In a large bowl, combine oats, wheat and coconut. Make a well in the center. Add the brown sugar, oil and honey. Blend together. Next, combine the ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, dried fruit and nuts. Stir until coated and spread the granola mixture in a shallow glass pan.
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5
Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir the mixture so it bakes evenly and doesn't stick to the pan. Put back into the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes. Remove again and and let it sit on baking rack until cool. When cool, break the granola into chunks and store in a container. Eat as a snack or sprinkle on yogurt for extra crunch and nutritional value.
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Tips & Warnings
Try substituting chopped pistachios for the almonds in the coconut date rolls. Add raw pepitas (hulled kernels of pumpkin seeds) or dry-roasted soybean halves to the granola snack.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit FotografiaBasica
