Chickpea Flour Muffins
on Jan 26, 2021, Updated Mar 12, 2025
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These gluten-free and vegan chickpea flour muffins have a light and fluffy texture and are easy to make in one bowl with just 10 ingredients for a delicious snack or breakfast on-the-go.
About the Recipe
Chickpea flour makes a wonderful alterative to wheat flour for grain-free and gluten-free baking. These Vegan Chickpea Flour Pancakes are one of my favourite ways to use it, followed by up these chickpea flour muffins.
These muffins are easy to make and customize. Here’s why we love them:
- Vegan (no eggs, dairy-free).
- Naturally gluten-free.
- Nut-free recipe.
- 200 calories each.
- Easy to make in one bowl.
- Just a few minutes of prep time.
- Ready in 40 minutes.
- 10 ingredients.
- Freezer-friendly.
Buckwheat flour is also great for gluten-free baking. You can try it in these Vegan Buckwheat Muffins.
Ingredients
There are just a handful of simple ingredients needed and they’re made without eggs or dairy. Here’s a review of the ingredients and possible substitutions.
This list is not complete. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.
- Flax or Chia: The recipe calls for chia seeds to replace eggs but you can substitute 2 tbsp ground flax.
- Brown Rice Flour: The muffins are made with a combination of brown rice flour and chickpea flour. I have not tested other flours like quinoa flour, oat flour or gluten-free flour in this recipe.
- Chickpea Flour: Otherwise know as garbanzo bean flour, it’s actually a different flour than besan or gram flour so I would recommend sticking to gabanzo (chickpea) flour as that what’s the recipe has been tested with.
- Coconut Sugar: You can substitute brown sugar or cane sugar.
- Almond Milk: Substitute cashew milk, oat milk or soy milk.
- Coconut Oil: Substitute olive oil, canola oil or melted vegan butter.
- Vinegar: You can use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Lemon juice would also work.
- Add-In: I used blueberries and chocolates but you can use either or swap for other fruit, dried cranberries or nuts.
Variations
I used blueberries and chocolates as the add-ins but you can use either or swap for other fruit, dried cranberries or nuts. Here are some ideas:
- Chickpea Flour Carrot Muffin: Omit the chocolate chips and blueberries and add 1 cup grated carrot.
- Chickpea Flour Zucchini Muffins: Omit the chocolate chips and blueberries and add 1 cup strained grated zucchini.
- Nuts: You can swap either the blueberries or chocolate chips or both for up to 1 cup of pecans, pumpkin seeds or walnuts.
- Dried Fruit: You can swap either the blueberries or chocolate chips or both for up to 1 cup dried cranberries, raisins, chopped dried apricots, dried cherries or chopped dates.
- Spices: Try adding up to 1 tsp cinnamon, apple pie spice or pumpkin spice or up to 1/2 tsp nutmeg or ginger.
- Other Flavors: Try coconut and chocolate chips, raspberries, diced apple or blackberries.
How to Make Chickpea Flour Muffins
Before You Start: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Mix the chia seeds and water in a small dish and set aside for about 5 minutes. It should form a gel with a somewhat egg-like consistency.
Step 1. Add all the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix well. This includes the 2 types of flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
Step 2. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients. This includes the chia egg you mixed up, melted coconut oil, vinegar and almond milk. Fold everything together until all of the dry ingredients have been wetted.
Step 3. Add the blueberries and chocolate chips and fold together a few times to distribute.
Step 4. Scoop the batter into a 12-piece muffin pan. You can use muffin liners for easy removal and clean up or give the pan a light coating of non-stick cooking spay.
Option to sprinkle the muffins with a little coconut sugar or brown sugar! Crushed walnuts would be yummy too!
Step 5. Bake for 30 minutes. The muffins should be firm on top and golden brown when they’re done baking. Let cool in the pan for 3 minutes then carefully pop them out with a knife and transfer to a cooling rack to cool.
Enjoy your muffins as is or spread with butter, peanut butter or jam for a yummy treat!
FAQs
Chickpea flour is not the same as besan or gram flour. Chickpea flour is made from white chickpeas whereas gram flour is made form split brown chickpeas, or chana dal. They have a similar flavour and consistency but do vary a bit.
Chickpea flour, or garbanzo bean flour, is the most common in stores in my area so I have only tested this recipe with it. You should be able to use besan or gram with some minor adjustments, such as a bit less liquid. Chickpea flour tends to dry out more than besan so besan may actually be a better choice here!
The muffins are nice and moist but they could easily become dry if you use too much flour. For the best results, I recommend using a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients accurately.
Raw chickpea flour has quite a strong flavour and is actually quite bitter so the raw batter does not taste great. The flavour cook out as the muffins bake though, so don’t worry! The final muffins have a yummy, nutty flavour.
Let the muffins cool completely then store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days, in the fridge for 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
More Recipes to Try!
Vegan Chickpea Flour Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp chia seeds, 24 g + 6 tbsp water
- 1 cup brown rice flour, 120 g
- 1 cup chickpea flour, 120 g
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar, 95 g
- 1 cup almond milk, 250 mL
- 2 tsp white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted (45 g)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract, optional
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, 120 g
- 1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips, optional (80 g)
Instructions
- Pre-heat over to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray the cups of a standard size muffin tin with cooking spray or line with paper liners.
- Mix the chia seeds and water in a small bowl and set aside for about 5 minutes. It should form a thick gel after a few minutes.2 tbsp chia seeds
- Mix the 2 flours, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and coconut sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Mix well to make sure everything is distributed and no clumps remain.1 cup brown rice flour, 1 cup chickpea flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp sea salt, 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- Add the milk, vinegar, melted coconut oil, chia seed mixture and optional vanilla to the bowl and fold together until all the dry ingredients have been wetted.1 cup almond milk, 2 tsp white vinegar or apple cider vinegar, 3 tbsp coconut oil, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Add the blueberries and chocolate chips and fold together a few times to distribute throughout.1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, 1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
- Use a large ice cream scoop or spoon to scoop the batter into 12 muffins tins. Option to sprinkle them with a little coconut sugar or brown sugar. Crushed walnuts also make a great topping! Bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let sit in the pan for 2-3 minutes then gently pop each muffin out with a knife and and place on a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published July 14, 2014.
Hi,
I substituted the chia eggs with two large eggs, but the batter turned out too thin. So I added about 1/4 cups more chickpea flour. The muffins turned out dry. I am wondering if I should have only substituted with one egg? Or is the liquidy texture of the batter is not an issue? Thank you!
Hi, I’m not experienced with substitution egg in baking, to be honest! The batter should be quite thick though, like a standard muffin batter. Thanks!
These are dangerously good! I subbed out the rice flour for the Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 (it’s what I had), and used coconut milk instead of almond milk (due to an almond sensitivity).