Chickpea Flour Recipes (Vegan and Gluten-Free)

These chickpea flour recipes draw on over 30 years of experience creating plant-based food for retreats and conscious communities around the world. From farinata and flatbreads to frittatas, pakora, bhajis and burgers, I hope you find something to inspire you.

Chickpea flour can become the main substance of a recipe, replace eggs in a savoury bake or simply help a good veggie burger hold together.

I have gathered all of my chickpea flour recipes here in one place. Everything is plant-based, and every recipe can be made gluten-free. You may also know chickpea flour as gram flour, besan or garbanzo bean flour. They all work for the recipes on this page.

Use the contents below to find exactly what inspires you.

Chickpea Flour Recipes: Table of contents

  1. Farinata, flatbreads, slices and wraps
  2. Vegan frittatas, quiche and pies
  3. Baked pakora and bhajis
  4. Falafels and burgers using chickpea flour
  5. What is chickpea flour?
  6. Chickpea flour, gram flour and besan
  7. How chickpea flour works in vegan cooking
  8. Tips for cooking with chickpea flour
  9. Where to buy chickpea flour
  10. Frequently asked questions
  11. More gluten-free vegan recipes

Farinata, Flatbreads, Slices and Wraps

Gluten-free wraps by Anastasia - chickpea flour recipes

Farinata and savoury chickpea flour slices are some of my favourite things to make. A simple batter transforms in the oven into something firm enough to slice, yet still tender inside. You can keep it simple or add vegetables, passata, herbs, spices and colourful toppings.

These recipes work beautifully as part of lunch, brunch or dinner. Many of them are equally delicious cold, which makes them useful for lunch boxes, picnics, retreats and hiking food. You can also serve them alongside soup or salad, or enjoy them with hummus, chutney and other dips.

Vegan Frittatas, Quiche and Pies

Vegan veggie pie recipe

Chickpea flour has an excellent way of transforming from a liquid batter into a firm, sliceable bake. This makes it especially helpful when you want to create something reminiscent of a frittata or quiche without using eggs.

I love how forgiving these recipes are. Chickpea flour holds the vegetables together while passata, herbs and warming spices bring layers of flavour. Most serve beautifully hot from the oven and also work cold the following day.

Baked Pakora and Bhajis

Baked Pakora - a delicious, healthy alternative to the deep fried version - Gluten-free Vegan Indian Food

Pakora and bhajis traditionally use chickpea flour to coat or bind vegetables. Rather than deep-frying mine, I bake them in the oven. They are not trying to be identical to the oil-drenched versions, but they are still delicious, full of warming spice and wonderfully satisfying.

Serve them hot with mango chutney, tahini sauce or your favourite dip. They also make excellent finger food and can be tucked into a lunch box once cool.

Falafels and Burgers Using Chickpea Flour

Sweet Potato Falafels - gluten-free vegan chickpea flour recipes by Anastasia, Kind Earth

In these recipes, a smaller amount of chickpea flour helps absorb excess moisture and encourages everything to hold together. This is especially useful in homemade falafels and veggie burgers where there are no eggs or gluten to do the binding.

These are hearty, adaptable recipes that work with salads, potato wedges, wraps and sauces. The falafels are lovely with tahini sauce, while the burgers can be served on a plate or tucked into a bun.

What Is Chickpea Flour?

Chickpea flour is made by grinding dried chickpeas into a fine flour. It is naturally gluten-free and has a distinctive, slightly nutty flavour.

Unlike many gluten-free flours, chickpea flour binds extremely well when mixed with liquid and cooked. This makes it particularly useful in a vegan kitchen. It can form the whole base of a flatbread, wrap, farinata or frittata, or you can add a smaller amount to help falafels and burgers hold together.

Chickpea flour is used in different cuisines around the world. You will find it in Indian pakora and bhajis, Italian farinata, French socca and many other pancakes, breads, batters and savoury bakes. My own recipes draw inspiration from these different ways of using it, along with many years of playful experimentation in my plant-based kitchen.

Is Chickpea Flour the Same as Gram Flour and Besan?

Chickpea flour appears under several different names:

  • chickpea flour
  • gram flour
  • besan or besan flour
  • garbanzo bean flour

There can be small differences in the variety of chickpea used or how finely it is milled. Besan is traditionally made from split brown chickpeas, while some flour labelled chickpea or garbanzo bean flour is made from larger pale chickpeas.

For the recipes on this page, I use them interchangeably. Buy whichever suitable version is easiest for you to find.

How Chickpea Flour Works in Vegan Cooking

One of the most useful things about chickpea flour is that it can play several different roles.

As the base of a savoury bake

Mix chickpea flour with liquid and it becomes a thick batter. Once baked, that batter firms up and can be cut into wedges or slices. This is the basic alchemy behind my farinata, flatbreads, frittatas and veggie pie squares.

As an alternative to eggs

Chickpea flour does an excellent job of holding vegetables together in egg-free frittatas and quiche-style bakes. It does not taste exactly like egg, nor does it need to. It creates a satisfying savoury bake in its own right.

As a binder for falafels and burgers

A spoonful or two can absorb spare moisture from beans and vegetables, helping homemade patties keep their shape. It works particularly well when the other ingredients have already been mashed or blended.

As a batter for pakora and bhajis

Chickpea flour clings to grated or chopped vegetables and holds them together as they cook. I use this quality to create my baked versions of pakora and bhajis.

As a flexible gluten-free flour

Chickpea flour has more natural binding power than many gluten-free flours. That makes it especially useful in wraps and savoury bakes, either on its own or combined with oat or tapioca flour.

Tips for Cooking with Chickpea Flour

Mix out the lumps

Chickpea flour has a tendency to form little lumps. The easiest solution is to blend the batter for a few seconds with a jug blender, bullet blender or hand blender.

If you are mixing by hand, sift the flour first or press out the lumps with the back of a spoon. Add the liquid gradually and whisk thoroughly as you go.

Cook it thoroughly

Raw chickpea flour has a strong, rather unpleasant taste. Give your recipe enough time to cook all the way through. A thicker farinata, frittata or slice will need longer than a thin flatbread or wrap.

Balance the flavour

Some people find plain chickpea flour a little strong. I like to balance its nutty flavour with passata, onion powder, fresh herbs, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, paprika or garam masala.

That does not mean you need to add everything at once. Choose a few flavours that dance well together and allow the other ingredients in the recipe to shine.

Pay attention to moisture

Vegetables and cooked beans can hold different amounts of water. If a falafel or burger mixture feels too soft, a little extra chickpea flour may help. If a batter seems unusually thick, add liquid gradually until it reaches the consistency shown in the individual recipe.

Follow the individual recipe

Chickpea flour is versatile, but it is not a straight one-for-one replacement for every other flour. The correct amount of liquid and cooking time will depend on whether you are making a wrap, flatbread, frittata, burger or bhaji.

Where to Buy Chickpea Flour

In Britain, chickpea flour is often labelled gram flour. Look in the world-food or Indian-food section of a good supermarket. It is frequently less expensive there than it is in the specialist gluten-free section.

Indian and Asian food shops are also excellent places to find it, usually labelled gram flour or besan. Health-food shops and online wholefood suppliers commonly stock chickpea flour too.

In the USA and some other countries, it may be sold as chickpea flour or garbanzo bean flour.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is chickpea flour gluten-free?

Yes. Pure chickpea flour is naturally gluten-free. If you need to avoid traces of gluten, check the packet to make sure it has not been processed alongside wheat or other gluten-containing grains.

Is chickpea flour vegan?

Yes. Chickpea flour is simply made from ground chickpeas, so it is entirely plant-based.

Can chickpea flour replace eggs?

It works extremely well as an egg alternative in savoury recipes such as frittatas, quiche-style bakes and vegetable pies. It binds the other ingredients and firms up as it cooks.

It is not a universal replacement for egg in every cake or dessert, so use a recipe created specifically for chickpea flour rather than swapping it blindly.

Can I replace regular flour with chickpea flour?

Sometimes, but not always in the same quantity. Chickpea flour absorbs liquid and behaves differently from wheat, rice, oat and tapioca flour. It is safest to follow one of the recipes above until you understand how it behaves.

Does chickpea flour taste bitter?

Raw or undercooked chickpea flour can taste bitter and quite strong. Once thoroughly cooked and balanced with vegetables, passata, herbs or spices, it develops a much gentler nutty flavour.

Do I need to soak chickpea flour batter?

Some traditional farinata recipes rest the batter, but most of my recipes do not require a long soaking time. Follow the instructions on the individual recipe because the ideal method depends on what you are making.

What can I make with chickpea flour?

You can use chickpea flour to make farinata, socca, flatbreads, wraps, savoury slices, vegan frittatas, quiche-style bakes, vegetable pies, pakora, bhajis, falafels and burgers.

It can be the main ingredient or used in a smaller quantity as a binder. The 18 recipes above give you plenty of ways to start exploring.

Can I make chickpea flour recipes in advance?

Yes. Many of my farinata slices, flatbreads, frittatas, bhajis, falafels and burgers keep well for a few days and several can be frozen. Storage varies, so check the notes on the individual recipe page.

More Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes

If you enjoy cooking with chickpea flour, these collections and guides will give you even more plant-based inspiration:

Chickpea flour has been woven through my plant-based kitchen for many years. I love its simplicity, its versatility and the way it allows a humble bowl of batter to become something rather wonderful.

I hope this collection inspires you to whisk, blend, bake, taste and create your own little bit of chickpea flour magic. Please do let me know what you make.

With love
Anastasia x