Roasted Maple Cinnamon Chickpeas And Squash

Roasted-Maple-Cinnamon-Chickpeas-And-Squash

When it comes to food, there are two things I care about: Most importantly how it tastes, but also how it smells. A lot of people will tell you we eat with our eyes, but given how close are taste receptors and smell receptors are, it’s no question that there’s a link between taste and smell. Good food must smell good. And this smells terrific.

Roasted-Maple-Cinnamon-Chickpeas-And-Squash-overhead

When I opened up my oven after this had finished cooking, the entire kitchen smelled like Christmas. You know that warm, earthy familiar smell that’s a bit nutty and complex. I got distracted for a moment and forgot that this was food to eat. The taste is just as good; the soft, sweet squash contrasts the crunchy, spicy chickpeas, and the maple syrup forms a glaze over the whole thing bringing it together. I can’t recommend this recipe enough to get a taste of the season. 

Roasted Maple Cinnamon Chickpeas And Squash

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 70 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 4 servings):

  • 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
  • 2 cups cubed butternut squash
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Roasted-Maple-Cinnamon-Chickpeas-And-Squash-cooked

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Combine all of the ingredients together in a big bowl and mix them until the wet ingredients and spices cover the squash and chickpeas.
  3. Lay the squash and chickpeas out on a baking tray and spread them out keeping it as close to one layer as possible.
  4. Roast for 70 minutes until the squash is fork-tender and the chickpeas slightly nutty.
  5. Serve hot or cold. Keep leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Roasted-Maple-Cinnamon-Chickpeas-And-Squash-salad

Now if only someone would invent smell-o-vision, maybe I could better convince you.

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26 Responses to Roasted Maple Cinnamon Chickpeas And Squash
  1. Lauren
    November 10, 2011 | 10:10 am

    Thanks for solving my “what to make for dinner tonight” dilemma. This looks amazing!

  2. christina
    November 10, 2011 | 10:35 am

    i love everything about this!

  3. Anna @ On Anna's Plate
    November 10, 2011 | 11:53 am

    I love how you can see all the cinnamon on there…I use a very heavy hand with cinnamon!

  4. Amber K
    November 10, 2011 | 1:03 pm

    Taste and smell are definitely connected. Although I made a butternut squash risotto the other day and its taste totally didn’t not live up to its amazing smell. It was good, but nowhere near as good as it smelled! My husband was actually disappointed because he said the house smelled amazing so he had too high of hopes for the dish. Ah well!

  5. Katelyn @ Chef Katelyn
    November 10, 2011 | 1:17 pm

    AHHH. Thanksgiving recipe up in hurrrrrr

  6. Lindsay @ Lindsay's List
    November 10, 2011 | 6:16 pm

    I have half a butternut squash left over from a soup I just made. A soup that you’d probably scoff at. But I think I have two cups left to make this!

    • Wannabe Chef
      November 10, 2011 | 9:04 pm

      Haha, I don’t think I ever have scoffed, so no worries. Besides why would I scoff at something with roasted squash and onions? Sounds like my kind of food.

  7. Jana @ delectablymine
    November 10, 2011 | 10:36 pm

    This is just so festive! I am just trying to imagine the smell, I’m sure it is fabulous. I would never think to roast squash and chickpeas together, very interesting.

  8. Ela
    November 11, 2011 | 12:11 am

    No, you totally have me convinced! I’m not very visual and smell is far more important to me with food (that’s how I fix so many things I don’t eat!)

    When I’m looking through new posts in my blogger reader, I can often guess whose post something is by the title, and I just knew that this would be one of yours.

  9. Hannah
    November 11, 2011 | 12:24 am

    Oh, it is on like donkey kong! I want this!

  10. ToFurkey Day 1 | Elite Daily Diet and Fitness
    November 11, 2011 | 6:57 am

    […] Roasted Maple Cinnamon Chickpeas And Squash by The Wannabe Chef […]

  11. jen
    November 11, 2011 | 8:07 am

    how do you steam your kale evan? (like in the photo above) without getting it soggy? thanks!

    • Wannabe Chef
      November 11, 2011 | 11:05 am

      I microwave it for 2 minutes

      • jen
        November 11, 2011 | 1:50 pm

        thanks! just on a plate or bowl… water/no water or what?

        • Wannabe Chef
          November 11, 2011 | 2:14 pm

          A bowl of plate works. Probably a bowl is best to keep it all contained. No water. Since it’s fresh there’s enough moisture in it to cook itself.

          • jen
            November 12, 2011 | 9:07 am

            thanks again!

  12. Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers
    November 11, 2011 | 8:31 am

    Making this tonight for dinner! I love it! Great combo of garbanzo and butternut squash!!

  13. Emily @ Relishments
    November 11, 2011 | 8:44 am

    There’s going to be a lot of squash in my life this winter, thanks to our CSA, and I’m always looking for new ways to use it. This sounds awesome! Thanks!

  14. Megan@eatmybettes
    November 11, 2011 | 8:54 am

    I just perused all the posts that I’ve missed on my google reader since I’ve crawled into the hole called full-time-work-part-time-grad-school and I must say : your food look so so delicious. 🙂

  15. brandi
    November 11, 2011 | 9:57 am

    maple on squash is the BEST!

  16. tasha - the clean eating mama
    November 11, 2011 | 1:30 pm

    OMG – squash + maple syrup + chickpeas… holy yum!
    I wanted to let you know I had to share this amazing recipe on my blog – http://www.thecleaneatingmama.com/2011/11/tofurkey-day-1.html
    Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
    XxOo
    Tasha

  17. Ilana
    November 11, 2011 | 2:31 pm

    Thanks for the inspiration! I happened to glance by this recipe yesterday and thought “yum,” then last night I was slicing up a bnut to roast and recalled the chick peas you used…and, well, yes, definitely yum. I used coconut oil+cinn+cayenne, but still the same concept. I sat their picking the chick peas off the roasting tray for about a half hour before my roommate came home and found me.

  18. Amanda
    November 11, 2011 | 3:32 pm

    This looks so delicious! Great recipe! Please check out my latest recipe for hazelnut sweet potato bannock pie! http://bit.ly/savourypie

    Thanks!

  19. Kait
    November 13, 2011 | 7:18 pm

    My apt smells sooo good right now!!! Although I’m going to highly disagree with the classification of this as a “side dish.” Put it over some brown rice with a side of greens (raw or cooked) and you’ve got yourself a full meal. 😉

  20. Curry Roasted Chickpeas | The Wannabe Chef
    November 17, 2011 | 10:01 am

    […] This is undoubtedly one of my favorite recipes of recent. After all it has maple syrup and cinnamon—what’s not to love? And I loved the way the chickpeas tasted after they had been roasted, which made me want to try more variations. […]

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