How To Use Chickpea Flour

How To Use Chickpea Flour is seventh in my 12-part series on gluten free flours. Don't dismiss all bean flours because of one flour blend you tried that had bean flour in it. Chickpea flour is delicious in savoury recipes like fritters, flatbreads and falafel so try some of these recipes.

The idea for this series is to learn to use the flours you like to make foods you enjoy. Depending on how you cook those choices will be different for every person. There are so many gluten free flours it can be overwhelming but, there are so many amazing foods to try you don't want to miss out.

After getting comfortable making muffins, brownies and cookies I wanted to know what cooks around the world were making with each flour I had.

Bean Flour Facts

Chickpeas are a legume, the family that includes beans and peas, so chickpea flour is a bean flour. People love hummus, falafel balls and many dishes made with chickpeas so it has it's place. I encourage you to keep an open mind.

In South Asia, especially the cuisines of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, chickpea flour has been a staple for hundreds of years used in many different ways. I love exploring the foods of different cultures and am interested in learning about traditional ways different flours are used.

I've used chickpea flour for decades to make those delicious vegetable fritters called pakora. It was in my cupboard so when I saw an allergy friendly recipe contest I made the banana bread they included. This high fibre Double Chocolate Banana Bread made with chickpea flour and tapioca starch is moist and delicious. The chocolate disguised the taste and it was a keeper.

Gluten free recipes have come a long way in the last decade and I see home cooks baking muffins, cookies and quick breads using chickpea flour.

Buying Chickpea Flour

In the old days people talked about 'flour', like it was a single ingredient. In the gluten free world there are more flours than I ever dreamed of and you can't help but continue to learn.

Not only are there many different pea and bean flours but there are varieties of chickpeas. This means when you look for chickpea flour it may be labelled with a different name. Note that these are all chickpea flour, not a blend of several bean flours.

• Chickpea flour
• Garbanzo bean flour
• Gram flour
• Chana flour

These products may vary in taste but for my everyday style of cooking I've had success with any one I've ever bought. Certified gluten free chickpea flour is not hard to find. Online I saw these brands;

• Purest
• Bob's Red Mill
• Anthony's
• Clic

Properties of Chickpea Flour

• Made from dried chickpeas it is pale yellow or beige in colour
• High in protein, fibre and nutrients with it's own unique taste
• Too much can give baking an unpleasant bean taste

In Indian food shops I only see the beige or pale yellow chickpea flour. In my research I learned there are many varieties of chickpea, some dark brown and even black chickpeas. These varieties are often labeled Bengal gram flour, just another type of chickpea flour.

As a gluten free cook this saying speaks to me and reminds me that the learning never ends.

"The more I know, the more I realize I don't know."

Albert Einstein

Best Uses

• Gluten-Free Baking – Try it in crackers, muffins or cookies in combination with other gluten-free flours. There is a Persian Chickpea Flour cookie that is on my list to try (shout out to Gloria who sent me her recipe).
• Flatbreads & Crepes - Look at my recipes for socca or chickpea flour wrap for ideas.
• Pasta & Noodles – Can add structure in recipes when flour blends are too soft.
• Pancakes & Waffles – Adds protein and a slight nuttiness.
• Pizza Crust – A sturdy, high-protein base for gluten-free pizzas.
• Egg Substitute – Mixed with water, it replaces eggs in vegan recipes. Use equal amounts of water and flour.
• Thickener for Soups & Sauces – Works like a roux or cornstarch to add body.
• Breading & Coating – Crisps up when fried, perfect for pakoras or tempura.
• Fritters, Falafel and meatballs – Holds ingredients together and adds protein.
• Thickener for Soups & Sauces - Works like a roux or cornstarch to add body.

Watch on YouTube: How To Use Chickpea Flour

this gluten free recipe

Recipes Using Chickpea Flour

Here's a small sample of traditional uses for chickpea flour that focus on its' unique taste and properties.

• Deep-fried vegetable fritters (pakora and bhaji), are a favourite East Indian appetizer and side dish in my house.
• Middle Eastern falafel balls and a delicious Falafel Bowl. If you haven't tried them you must!
• Socca, a popular fried snack food in the Mediterranean. I've made many versions of a socca pizza and I love the interesting interpretations I see all over the web.
• An easy, pliable chickpea flour wrap.
• Potential for gluten free interpretations of many traditional flatbreads. I added some to my Chinese Onion Bread to make it a little more sturdy and it worked.
• Double Chocolate Banana Bread is delicious and has no bean taste, an excellent high fibre snack for kids of all ages.
• Gordon over at Gluten Free Daddy posted this collection of 25 recipes made with chickpea flour, Garbanzo Bean Flour recipes.
• For more than the everyday cook would ever need to know, I found this excellent post by Neetu over at Simple Gluten Free Kitchen, titled Types of Chickpeas & Flours.

Happy cooking!

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