Crispy Roasted Black Beans

Roasted black beans are a thing of beauty. Even if some of them do split apart during cooking (which is admittedly quite likely to happen), you'll have yourself a deliciously crispy snack that's vegan, gluten-free, and easy to make.

You could go with the cumin and smoked paprika in this recipe, or mix it up with other flavours such as garlic powder, chilli powder, or ground coriander. For a zero-spice approach, simply use oil and salt to achieve that crispy texture.

If you're in the market for more simple oven-cooked legumes, check out these recipes for smoky roasted chickpeas, crispy roasted lentils, and roasted green peas.

Are roasted black beans healthy?

Although this recipe does include a little oil and salt, the black beans themselves are a healthy source of nutrients including fibre and plant-based protein. They have even been found to boost heart health and lower the risk of heart disease.

What's more, these magical little legumes can be put to a number of uses in the kitchen – take a look at these healthy vegan recipes for black bean burgers, creamy black bean curry, jackfruit and black bean tacos, black bean soup, black bean dip, breakfast black beans, and sweet potato and black bean chilli.

What you'll need

Roasting black beans is nice and simple. For this recipe, you'll need:

• Canned black beans (since canned beans have been pre-cooked)
• Cooking oil to get them nice and crispy in the oven
• Salt for flavour and extra crispiness
• Seasoning such as ground cumin and smoked paprika (optional)

How to roast black beans

Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F). After draining and rinsing the black beans, spread them out on a paper towel or kitchen towel and gently pat dry.

Drizzle the oil over a baking sheet. Add the black beans, sprinkle with salt, and shake gently to create an even layer. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, shaking the pan every now and then.

After 20 minutes, remove from the oven and sprinkle over the cumin and smoked paprika.

Shake to coat the beans and then return to the oven for another 10 minutes or until they're slightly crispy but not overcooked.

Once crispy, remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving. Some of the beans will likely pop open or split in half during cooking, which is completely normal.

Variations and tips for roasted black beans

• Where to use them: In addition to being a healthy and nutritious snack, you could sprinkle the crispy beans over a Waldorf salad or use them to top off a bowl of soup.
• Amount: This recipe is based on one tin of black beans, but you can easily scale it up and use larger/additional baking sheets.
• Other flavours: Try other seasonings such as garlic powder, onion powder, ground coriander, chilli powder, or Cajun seasoning.

Hey you – let me know what you think

If you made this recipe and enjoyed it – or did anything differently – I'd love to hear from you down below in the comments 👇

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More vegan recipe ideas

If you liked this recipe, you may also enjoy:

• Crispy Roasted Lentils
• Smoky Roasted Chickpeas
• Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
• Black Bean Burgers (GF)
• Vegan Breakfast Hash
• Lemony Butter Bean Dip
• Vegan Pancetta
• Cajun-Spiced Baked Potato Wedges

You can also check out my full list of vegan snack recipes.