First of all, credit where credit is due – I got the idea to make vegan bacon chickpeas from My Darling Vegan, a blog that has amazing, plant-based recipes. When I saw Sarah’s post, I knew I wanted to create a similar recipe with my own spin on it. What I ended up with is almost the exact same recipe as my vegan coconut bacon, with slightly different instructions.
These vegan bacon chickpeas are super healthy, full of umami flavor, and made without liquid smoke. I loved them on top of a salad, but these would be perfect in tacos, wraps, or toast too.
If you don’t mind, I’d like to take this opportunity to ask for some advice from y’all. So, over the summer I went through an extremely stressful period of time. During this time I was so stressed, that I developed the unfortunate habit of clenching my teeth while I sleep. Even though I’m not longer under that stress, I still clench my teeth at night. I haven’t cracked a tooth (yet), but the pain and swelling has gotten to a point where I need to do something about it. I have an appointment with an oral surgeon to talk about my options, but I was wondering if anyone had any advice about this issue (temporomandibular disorder, or TMJ). So far I have tried jaw massage, a hot water bottle, magnesium to relax the muscles, and calming essential oils. They’re all helping a little bit, but I figured I’d ask if anyone has any other ideas! :)
Vegan Bacon Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz. Can of Chickpeas or 1 1/2 cups cooked
- 2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 1/2 Tbs Tamari or Soy Sauce
- 1 1/2 Tbs Sriracha
- 2 Tsp Maple Syrup
- 1 Tsp Smoked Paprika
Instructions
- To start, rinse and dry your chickpeas. Then, individually remove the skins from the chickpeas. I know it's tedious and annoying, but it's crucial for this recipe's success! But seriously though, don't skip this step!!
- In a plastic bag, add in chickpeas, olive oil, tamari, sriracha, maple syrup, and smoked paprika. Shake up the bag so the chickpeas are evenly coated with everything.
- Marinate the chickpeas in their bag, in the fridge, for AT LEAST an hour. Preferably marinate them overnight, so the flavor can really infuse into the chickpeas.
- When they're done marinating, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Put the chickpeas in a colander or strainer, and strain out the marinade. DO NOT rinse or dry the chickpeas! You still want a little marinade on them.
- On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, bake chickpeas for 20-25 minutes.
- When done, let cool and enjoy!! These are dang delicious in a salad, but they're be great in tacos or on toast!
Notes
P.S.
If you make this recipe and post it on Instagram, be sure to tag me @wellandfull and #wellandfull so I can see! I love seeing your takes on my recipes :)
15 Comments
Meredith Youngson | Earth & Oven
February 28, 2018 at 2:06 pmHi Sarah – I don’t know why I have never considered crispy bacon chickpeas – brilliant!!!! As for jaw clenching…I do that during the DAY when I am stressed….It really affects your whole head/mood/everything when you’re not able to relax your jaw. Advice on the internet didn’t really get me very far. But what has did work for me was treating the root holistically ie – I wasn’t eating enough protein, didnt have a healthy outlet for stress, adrenal overload, etc.
Sarah
March 2, 2018 at 4:27 pmI’ve noticed that I clench during the day too! I don’t even realize I’m doing it until it’s too late. I’m definitely working on reducing stress though, which I think is at the root of a lot of my problems.
Jennifer
February 28, 2018 at 4:28 pmWe’re trying to eat with no added oil to the recipes we make. It’s there a substitute for the oil or can we just leave it out?
Sarah
February 28, 2018 at 4:31 pmHmm… I haven’t tested it without oil, so I can’t guarantee results, but I’d imagine you could just omit it! Let me know how it goes! :)
Jennifer Bliss
March 1, 2018 at 2:57 pmAnything vegan and chickpeas I’m game!
Sarah
March 2, 2018 at 4:27 pmI couldn’t agree more!! :)
Karolyn
March 3, 2018 at 8:39 pmThese look awesome. The only relief for my teeth clenching was a very small dose of muscle relaxers before bed. Our muscles have strong memory responses and just sometimes need the help to stop.
Sarah
March 4, 2018 at 8:17 pmThank you Karolyn! I will have to ask my doctor about muscle relaxers…. it’s so hard not to do something when you’re asleep and it’s habit!
Sarah D
June 29, 2018 at 5:50 pmHi Sarah-
I’m a dental hygienist and you are definitely not alone with the stress clenching! I see so many patients just like you. I think the hot water bottle/moist hot towel is a great idea, but I definitely think you need to talk to your dentist about getting a nightguard to protect your TMJ and your teeth while your clenching. I have also found that upper body stretches-those to include your shoulders, back, and neck can be very helpful since literally everything is connected! Hope this helps you out! PS: those chickpeas look amazeballs, they are going on my to-make list now!
Sarah
July 1, 2018 at 9:03 pmHi Sarah! Thanks so much for writing, I really appreciate your advice! Since I wrote this post I actually did get a mouthguard from the oral surgeon I saw :) But he didn’t recommend the stretching, which sounds like a really solid thing to do to help. I’m going to try that out tonight! :) Thanks again!
Stephen Walls
July 6, 2018 at 4:37 amI have to try the recipe for vegan bacon chickpeas. It looks like it will work so well. I can’t wait.
Sarah
July 7, 2018 at 12:56 pmI really hope you like the recipe, Stephen! Please let me know if you have any feedback :)
Karen Lizet Vargas
August 19, 2018 at 6:45 pmHi Sarah,
How do you store extras?
Sarah
August 19, 2018 at 7:21 pmHi Karen! I’d estimate these chickpeas would keep in the fridge in a jar or glass container for about 3-4 days :)
8 Completely Ingenious Ways to Make Bacon Without Meat - Hello Veggie
June 8, 2019 at 3:41 pm[…] Vegan Bacon Chickpeas from Well and Full […]