Crunchy Split Peas
Over the past few years this has become a really popular recipe on my site, and I was so excited when I saw that Whole30 updated their approved foods list to include Split Peas!! This is such an awesome snack to make using pantry staples that I think you guys are going to love. These Crunchy Split Pea snacks are salty, highly addicting and Whole30 and Specific Carbohydrate Diet Legal!
Until recently, the only thing that I associated with split peas was soup (specifically my Nanas delicious ham hock and split pea soup). Split peas are simply garden peas which, when dried, lose their outer skin causing them to split in two. They have a long list of health benefits, including helping to lower cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar levels. One cup contains 65% of your daily intake of fiber. Per cup, split peas have 100 calories less than chickpeas, which make them a great alternative to the current trend of roasted chickpeas.
These split peas are my new favourite snack, they are crunchy, salty and incredibly addicting. After soaking the yellow split peas for 4 hours, they take less than 10 minutes to cook. In the photo above you can see how much the split peas expand after soaking. I like eating them lightly seasoned with salt but they also taste great with chili, cayenne pepper, cumin, garlic, smoked paprika, rosemary, thyme or curry powder. The options are endless.
They remain crisp for a few days after cooking, so make a big batch and store them in a jar on the counter to snack on whenever hunger hits. A bowl of split peas is a great dish to serve to guests, complimenting a glass of wine or added to a salad for that crunchy texture. Give these split peas a try and let me know what you seasoned them with. Happy snacking!
Looking for healthy snacks? Here are a few other recipes that you might enjoy:
- Coconut & Ginger Energy Balls
- Baked Spiced Okra
- Banana Bread Energy Balls
- Cinnamon Bun Dip
- Butternut Squash Dip
- Chicken, Avocado & Mango Daikon Rolls
If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Crispy Split Peas
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup yellow split peas soaked for 4 hours in water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp paprika
Instructions
- After soaking the split peas, drain them and then pat them dry using a paper towel
- Over medium-high heat, coat a large skillet with the oil.
- Once the pan is hot, add the split peas along with the salt and seasoning and stir frequently until golden in color and crunch in texture (7-10 minutes)
- Remove from pan and serve or store in an air tight container
I doubled the recipe and added sea salt, curry powder, and onion powder. I didn’t get the brown, crunchy texture I was expecting. Flavor was good. Maybe I’ll just cook 1x recipe next time.
Soooo nutty and yummy good!!
I forgot to say, I added a few dashes of red pepper flakes for xtra spice!!! 🤗
Crunchy Split Peas:
I boiled my peas for about 2 hours,and then baked them for about 10 minutes.
The peas were really, great!
Thank you!
Hello Susan.
I read your comment on the crunchy split pea snack. I want to try this recipe.
Did you boil or just soak your split peas please?
Thank you.
I baked them in the oven as I am looking for heart healthy snaks.
I put salt and black pepper one batch, Paprika and chilli on the second and left the third plain.
These are Amazing.
These were really good and easier to make than I expected. You definitely have to watch & stir frequently to make sure they don’t burn.
I used Trader Joe’s Seasoning Salt & Smoked Paprika and chipotle chili powder…nice smoky flavor and crispy. And nice thing, they are only 1 point per 1 oz on WW/Blue program.
FYI – 2/3c of split peas after soaking/toasting is about 6 oz total (for WW folks)
I love it!!
I messed them up but the flavor is good! I just used the seasonings you had listed except for the straight chili powder (didn’t have any(so I used Slap Yo Mama instead. Mine came out really hard 🙁 I think I had the heat too low and had to leave them in too long to golden. I did soak them for 4 hours but maybe I should have done that overnight? Any ideas on what I did wrong?
I’ve read this recipe over and over and when, exactly do I add the spices?? After frying it before??
My intelligence tells me after?? 😂
Thanks!
Grammyzoo11
They are VERY VERY crunchy. If you make these, do NOT multiply the recipe… (I did x3 and was far from expected.) Or at least divide into batches. More than one layer in the pan makes it cook unevenly, even with constant stirring. Pretty sure all peas must be on the pan directly, none on top of others, which should be specified in the recipe.
I had a few dozen burnt and thousands still well hydrated after 30 min constant stirring (with heat much reduced at about 12 min). Recipe calls for 10 min.
—-
Recovered by removing the 30-40 really dark ones that tasted like burnt tar, then baking @ 250 for 10 min. to drive off the moisture. —- Most are *extremely* crunchy and still taste pretty good, about 10% are lighter ones that came out merely *very* crunchy. I like those ones.
—- Observations – You’ll burn all the calories chewing them.
– Not a good movie food if you want to hear the movie. —- Disclaimer – I have not yet tried again in smaller batches. I’ll first eat what I made this time, I do mostly like them. But it will take a while.
taste is ok, but i wouldn’t call them crispy, rather they’re very hard, almost too hard to eat. Maybe they would turn out crispy if they were deep fried.
How to fix hard crispy split pea. Very tasty
I cooked up a triple recipe, so my cook time was closer to 20 minutes in the cast iron skillet. I added chili, garlic and onion powders, pink salt, and paprika. Then I spread them out on a stoneware baking pan to cool overnight. They look beautiful!
I was really looking forward to these but I cooked them for 20 minutes and they’re still very soft. I’m going to try and put them in the oven and bake them for a while and see if they can firm up.
I made these using onion and garlic powder and all season salt. Cooked for ten minutes. They turned out awesome thank you
I added Brown Sugar Bourbon spice to mine……yummy!!!
Fantastic results! I like it so much I am going to post a video of the cooking process in the cooking section of my YouTube channel soon. See it on Trehan Creek Outdoors.
Meanwhile, here’s a few tips. One, use quality ingredients. I used Extra Virgin first press olive oil.. Good olive oil makes a difference in flavor and in the entire cooking process.
Second, use enough so that at least the entire bottom layer of peas is covered in oil. That may be two or three tablespoons. Cooking is much more even when you stir the peas frequently as stated and each time the bottom layer gets submerged in the oil. You will get a crunchy result as it is the oil that is creating the crunch. Peas that never get in the oil get steamed, not fried.
I used yellow split peas. They are a bit different from green split peas and mine did very well. I cooked on a gas range where temperature can be kept more even. I used 6 on my dial, which is the midpoint of the dial range. I cooked for 7 minutes exactly, turning the heat down slightly to about 5 for the last 3 minutes. When the peas get drier from frying, they cook faster so if you leave the heat up too high, they get too hard.
For my seasoning, I used table salt, black pepper, red pepper, garlic powder, Mrs. Dash regular spices, and chili pepper. I never measure; just use what I think is reasonable. I used 1 cup of dried peas soaked in water for the 4 hours, then just left out for an hour or so on a towel to dry before cooking. I split the peas into two batches so that the peas would not be layered too much.
There is NOTHING wrong with this recipe! This makes a fantastic snack or can be sprinkled in salads, on sandwiches, or in soups. It will work if you follow a sensible cooking process. By all means don’t cook at too high of heat or for too long.
PS> If a 67 year old guy can do this, I know everyone else can. Thanks so much for sharing a great recipe.
Helpful! Thanks.
So good! These are great to munch on alone or throw on a salad for some crunch. I did a cup instead of 2/3 and had to cook them for longer than the recipe said- I recommend using a big pan to speed things up. Great seasoning!
Great recipe. Addictively crunchy. This cooked really well in my air fryer with the oil and seasonings stirred their the peas beforehand. I didn’t need to pat them dry beforehand either.
Sorry, typo in my original comment. Should have said “…into the peas…”.
Can you please tell me how long you cooked in air fryer and at what temp?
Can I use any type of peas or beans?
I tried making crunchy chickpeas last time but when I was done cooking them and put them in a ziplock bag and they turn soft and I kept having to put lots of flavor. I think I should soaked over night and add some salt
I’m sorry to hear that! I suspect they were cooked too long.
Can you oven roast these?
You could although unfortunately I dont think that they will get quite as crispy as when roasted on the stove.
Went to make soup and came across your recipe,split a whole bag 8 cups and made two different seasonings that I had from grilling
1st was Bourbon molasses and 2nd Sweet Chili .Found my new
Favorite snack, my 8 yr old grandson can’t get enough of them. Thank You!
I wonder how well this woukd work with navy beans. Although i have bags and bags of both yellow& green slipit peas, i have bags & bags of nsvy beans (food pantry gives them out weekly). Never found anything to do with them sll. I also get multiple cans of chick peas. I bet those would work & they are already plump. Just a rinse & blot. Thoughts???
Chickpeas are great drained blotted and the mixed with oiive oil and seasoning of choice, then lay them flat on s baking tray and cook on a high heat for 20 to 30 minutes, (keep checking on them though they can burn quickly!) they should be just a bit darker than golden brown and crunchy
Pinterest has tons of recipes for white beans, ive made blondies with them, kinda like brownies and also they have recipes using white beans to make a “cookie dough” type of dip
Love those white beans.lots of experiments.crafts.etc.try your style of white bean hummus.white bean chilli.plain and lightly salted will find their place tossed lightly into a salad or pasta dish.very versatile.
SO DELICIOUS! I make at least one giant batch a week and store them in tiny mason jars. My husband hates green peas but was pleasantly surprised by how much he loves these! I experiment with different flavor profiles – some of my favorites are an Arabic spice blend, a garlic salt/onion/cayenne blend, and Kickn’ Chicken Seasoning. Also, since a make such large batches, I toss the all the peas with olive oil in a giant bowl and start pan roasting some in a skillet while putting the rest in the oven at 350 until the ones in the skillet are done. Then I take the ones from the oven and finish them off in the skillet. It just makes cooking a whole bag go a bit faster. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. LOVE LOVE LOVE!
What PLASTIC????
I just found my new snack! Something that I will make more often, since I have 5 more bags to go. I may make a bigger batch.
They are a great healthy snack 🙂
I soaked my peas in a pickle brine over night. The result was fantastic! One thing, though…Don’t overcook on the stove. The initial batch was super tasty, but it was so crunchy it was difficult to eat. (cooker error…). Highly recommend this recipe!
Oohh pickle brine sounds delicious! I’m so happy that you enjoyed them!
Tried this week for the first time! Went with onion and garlic powder. Overall, it was a hit. Still trying to get a good balance on crunch. First batch was like peanuts. Second was soft. Flavor was still good though both times. Will definitely make again!
Yum! I made these with green split peas. I soaked them over night since I read some people had problems with them being too hard. I not-so-precisely blotted them down prior to placing on the pan. I would say a batch took closer to 15-20 minutes to make. Seasoned with salt, paprika, chili powder and they are so delicious! My husband bought two ginormous sacks of split peas and I had no idea what to do with them, so I super appreciate this recipe!
I haven’t made your recipe yet. But it sounds delicious. I’m planning to give it a try later today.
Let me know how it turns out!
How can you cook them evenly?
Wow, I came across this and wow. I let them soak about 6 hours, and then salt, oil, blotting and YUMMY!
Yea! So happy to hear you enjoyed them!
I soaked green peas for 4 hours and about 10 or less minutes boiling before sautee . I used old bay, salt and canola oil. They were great. Running low on supplies and this satisfied my salty crunchy needs. Thanks!
I use ONLY yellow split peas. Green don’t seem to work in this recipe very well. Then I actually COOK the split peas for 30-45 minutes, which is MUCH better than soaking them for hours and hours, as far as getting the peas to absorb liquid. Since I cook them, I can add a layer of flavor by using veggie broth for at least part of the cooking liquid. I have oven roasted them… but I live in Florida, and the oven heats the house too much, so I generally toast them in a virtually dry skillet.
Love these…worked fabulous..I used grapeseed oil and after I cooked them I tossed them in a bar be q spice mix I made..Thank you for recipe 🙂
Barbecue spice mix sounds so good! Love that!
Plastic?
I don’t like the idea that I’d be heating up all that plastic. Plastic fumes can be toxic.
What plastic?
I made this yesterday. Turned out great! I don’t have a skillet so I used a regular fry pan. Had to cook for longer than 10 minutes, but that’s no biggy. Great recipe. Thanks!
Awesome! So happy that they turned out well!
What’s the shelf life on this snack?
same problem here!!!
Its so odd how the results have varied so much! I’m going to do some testing and will let you know what I can figure out.
I have been soaking my yellow peas for 7 hours and they did not seem to plump up as much as yours did. i fried a few and they were real hard. Have you had this problem, and what can i do to get them to plump up bigger?
Some dried peas/beans are fresh. Those that have been stored for a long time do not absorb well and need a longer soak. I’ve had some from years ago that would never absorb. I think your source for peas is the issue.
I used a cast iron skillet on medium for about 15 minutes. My green split peas turned out great!
Yea!! I’m so happy to hear that they turned out well!
I’m using green split peas today to try this. I’ll let you know how it turns out for me.
I made these today with green split peas. They came put fantastic! My 10 year old likes them so much that she wants to being them to school as a snack. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Thats awesome! So happy to hear that you both liked them!
I must have done something wrong. They are not crunchy. As far as seasonings I smashed a clove of garlic and added it to the oil while I cooked them. Even though they’re not crunchy they are still tasty. Do you have suggestions on another way to cook them? Or should I use more oil?
Thats very odd that they didnt get crunchy. My guess is that they weren’t cooked long enough, did you cook them until they were golden in colour?
I bet they would be good with honey & cayenne glaze.. mmm…
Thats a great idea! Let me know if you give it a try, I think they will be delicious!
Hi i purchased an air fryer and cooked my split peas with fry light, (1 kal) and cooked at 200c for 10 mins. cooked about 200g after previous soaking for 6 hours.Added some spices, Tandori Masala my favorite and they tasted divine. Syn free food that you can eat as much as you like. Now going to try chickpeas with the same process and will post if nice. So people you do not have to use oils to cook them in, just fry light. Would highly recommend an air fryer, they are brilliant.
Currently soaking a batch of green split peas. I don’t have olive oil, but I do have some beef tallow. I plan to season with Creole seasoning.
Oohhh Creole seasoning sounds sooo good! Great idea!
I’ve seen a recipe elsewhere for doing this sort of thing with lentils, except that one used the oven instead of v the stove. How do you think oven roasting would work with this?
Thats a great question, I think they would work well as long as you regularly stir the split peas when baking to ensure they are cooked evenly. I would suggest cooking them at about 200 degrees celsius for 25 minutes, although it may require a bit longer. Let me know how they turn out!
I bet my dehydrator would work. ????
It definitely would! Great idea 🙂
Would anyone happen to know the calories for just roasting them with 1/2 tablespoon of grapes wed oil.
Shani I would say somewhere in the range of 350-400 calories for the entire recipe when using grape seed oil
These look great! I may go home from work and start soaking right away . . .
Thanks! I’m addicted to these and seem to continuously have a bowl soaking on my counter. I hope you enjoy!
I made these last weekend and they were a huge hit! I seasoned them with salt, garlic powder and a pinch of paprika. Such a great idea! Thanks for the recipe
My split peas are green, not yellow.. Do you reckon they’ll work fine too or I need to buy yellow ones instead?
Hi Vale, I haven’t tried using green split peas but I think they would turn out the same. The green variety has a slightly stronger flavour then yellow which would likely be the only noticeable difference.