40 Chickpea Flour Recipes (Gluten-Free + Vegetarian) (2024)

FAQs

Can I replace gluten-free flour with chickpea flour? ›

Muffins, Cookies, and Quick Breads

Though you can mix it with other flours (gluten-free or regular) to add complexity in flavor, chickpea flour is sturdy enough to do the heavy lifting in baking all by itself. Try a 1 to 1 swap for flour in blender muffins, pumpkin bread, or sunflower butter breakfast cookies.

Chickpea flour is also a terrific anti-inflammatory food, as consuming beans has been shown to have anti-inflammatory abilities and protective benefits against cancer — in particular cancer within the digestive tract, including colon, stomach and kidney cancer.

You can usually substitute half the amount of plain flour in a recipe for chickpea flour. But, be warned, it can suck up a lot of moisture, so it may not be right for every recipe – especially if you're making a cake or bread.

Chickpea flour is more versatile than you might think. It can be used, in part, in decadent baked goods like banana bread and cupcakes, or in classic breakfast dishes such as pancakes and crepes. It's also the perfect substitute for white flour in savory staples like meatballs, pizza dough, and dumplings.

Chickpea flour is gluten-free, so it won't rise or form a light, spongy crumb like bread made with wheat flour, but it is suitable for pikelets, pancakes and muffins or to thicken a stew or gravy.

Chickpea flour is full of healthy nutrients. It's a great alternative to refined wheat flour, as it's lower in carbs and calories yet richer in protein and fiber. Research suggests that it may have antioxidant potential and could decrease levels of the harmful compound acrylamide in processed foods.

By improving feelings of fullness, the study authors say that switching to a cellular chickpea blend in commercial bread recipes could help people stop overeating. As the flour doesn't cause as high a spike in blood sugar levels as normal white flour, it could also reduce the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

The fiber content in chickpea flour promotes digestive health, aids in weight management, and helps regulate blood sugar levels.

While every flour mentioned here is both lectin-free and gluten-free (since gluten is a type of lectin), it's crucial to highlight that many popular gluten-free flours and mixes, like oat, potato, rice, quinoa, and chickpea flours, are heavy in lectins.

Chickpea flour is known as garam flour or garbanzo bean flour and it is made by grinding dried chickpeas. A staple in Indian and Pakistani cuisine, chickpea flour is commonly found in Asian and Middle Eastern groceries, but you can also make it yourself at home with a spice grinder or coffee grinder.

How much chickpea flour equals one egg? ›

To replace one egg, simply mix 3 tablespoons of chickpea flour with 3 tablespoons of water until you have a thick and creamy mixture. If replacing an extra large egg, use 4 tablespoons of each. When I want an extra thick egg substitute, I mix the chickpea flour with almond milk instead of water.

While you can easily buy pre-made chickpea flour (also known as garbanzo bean flour), you'll find that making your own homemade flour is definitely cheaper, especially if you use a lot of this gluten-free flour.

Remember to toast the chickpea flour in a dry skillet or oven beforehand to eliminate any bitterness in the final dish.

Season with salt and pepper, basil and oregano. Add a can of chickpeas. Set to the side. Chickpea flour mix: Whisk together 1 cup chickpea flour, ¾ cup water, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt.

Almond Flour

It imparts a slightly nutty flavor and makes an excellent substitute. To substitute, you can use almond flour for chickpea flour in a 1:1 ratio.

Almond flour (also known as almond meal)

Almond flour could well be the most widely-used gluten-free flour choice. It's jam-packed with nutrients like magnesium, calcium, potassium, and manganese, and it's also full of both dietary fiber and protein.

But chickpea flour, Love explains, "is a naturally dense flour, and because of that denseness, and its innate binding tendencies, it lends baked goods a sturdy yet tender texture when mixed with other gluten-free flours. So, for quick breads, muffins, and cakes, it holds up extremely well."

This fine yellow flour is milled from whole organic chickpeas and is perfect for making pancakes, light batters and flatbreads. It is gluten free, high in fibre and protein and can be used as an egg replacer in vegan recipes.

Chickpea flour's binding power makes it an excellent gluten-free alternative for holding together oven-fried cakes, croquettes, and fritters, including our Zucchini Fritters.