Vegan Chickpea Flour Pancakes
on Oct 04, 2021, Updated Aug 17, 2024
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These fluffy, gluten-free and vegan chickpea flour pancakes are easy to make with 3 ingredients.
Not only are chickpea, or garbanzo bean, flour pancakes fantastic for an easy gluten-free pancake, they’re wonderful regardless of dietary restrictions!
Chickpea flour makes a wonderful gluten-free option and these Vegan Quinoa Flour Pancakes, Vegan Buckwheat Pancakes and Oat Flour Pancakes are all super yummy too. You can also use chickpea flour in these Vegan Chickpea Flour Muffins.
Chickpea flour pancakes are easy to make, thick and fluffy, high in protein and easy to customize with different add-ins.
They fluff up nicely and have a dense, almost cake-like texture, which in addition to their protein and fiber content, makes them very filling.
Recipe Features
- Vegan (no eggs, dairy-free), gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free and oil-free!
- 300 calories with 14 g of plant-based protein and 6 g of fibre per serving.
- Easy to make in minutes with just 3 simple ingredients.
- Amazing thick and fluffy texture you’ll love.
- Fun to customize with different add-ins like berries, banana and chocolate chips.
Ingredient Notes
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.
- Chickpea Flour: Look for chickpea flour or garbanzo bean flour. I like Bob’s Red Mill. Note chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour is different from besan or gram flour, so make sure you choose chickpea or garbanzo bean.
- Sweetener: Use any sweetener you like. Maple syrup, coconut sugar and cane sugar all work or you can use stevia or monk fruit sweetener for a sugar-free recipe.
- Baking Powder: This is needed to make them fluffy. Make sure you use baking powder and not baking soda.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Add the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl. This includes the chickpea flour, salt, baking powder and dry sweetener, if you’re using one.
Mix them up using a fork or whisk, this will help break up any clumps of flour and distribute the baking powder and salt. An important step for a fluffy result!
Step 2: Start heating a non-stick skillet, crepe pan or pancake griddle over medium heat.
Add the water and liquid sweetener if you didn’t use a dry one to the bowl and mix everything up until fully combined into a thick batter.
Let the batter rest for a few minutes while the pan finishes heating up.
Quick Note: If you use the listed water amount, the batter will be very thick, not quite pourable and will result in thick, fluffy and dense pancakes. You may have to scoop it into the pan and use a spoon to spread it out a bit. If you prefer thinner pancakes or crepes, you can add more water to adjust the thickness of the batter.
It may take some experimenting with the recipe to find the liquid amount that works for you. It may also vary from brand to brand of chickpea flour.
Step 3: If needed, use a light coating of non-stick cooking spray in the pan, then add 1/4 cup portions and cook for 4-5 minutes until the edges look dry and firm and some bubbles appear.
Flip each pancake and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute until cooked through.
Add your favorite toppings and enjoy your delicious chickpea pancakes!
Recipe FAQs
Chickpea flour or garbanzo bean flour, is made from ground dried, raw chickpeas. It’s a staple in various cuisines around the world.
From traditional Italian and French socca, to Indian sweets and crepes, chickpea flour dishes can be found in South Asian, Middle Eastern and Southern European cultures, among others.
It can be used as a binder in baking, in pancakes and crepes, to make vegan frittatas and omelettes, as well as in savoury dishes like stews and soups.
No, they are not the same.
Chickpea flour, or garbanzo bean flour, is made from white chickpeas. It has a fine powder consistency and is pale yellow in colour.
Besan, or gram flour, is made from brown chickpeas (chana dal) and I would not recommend it for this recipe.
Bob’s Red Mill Garbanzo Bean Flour works great in this recipe. I’ve also used this organic chickpea flour with success.
Chickpea flour is naturally gluten-free, rich in protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals. It also contains iron, potassium, manganese, copper, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, folate, vitamin B6 and thiamin, so it’s a great way to sneak some extra nutrition in your diet.
Yes and no. The raw batter definitely has a pronounced beany and slightly bitter taste. It does not taste particularly good, so don’t be discouraged is you try it! The flavour and bitterness will also vary from brand to brand.
Once cooked, that bitter, beany flavour cooks out. The cooked pancakes taste earthy and nutty, depending on how much sweetener you add. Though optional ingredients, vanilla and cinnamon can also help enhance the flavour of the pancakes.
If you’re really not a fan of chickpeas, you may like my buckwheat flour pancakes or quinoa flour pancakes better.
Recipe Notes
- Sugar-Free Pancakes: These can easily be made sugar-free. Simply use whole leaf stevia, liquid stevia drops, monk fruit sweetener or erythritol, sweetened to taste.
- Serving Size: This recipe is made to serve 1 or make 2 small servings, say for kids or a snack. It can be doubled or tripled as needed and leftovers store well in the fridge or freezer.
- Add-Ins: These are easy to customize. Try adding up to 1/2 cup fresh berries, sliced banana or 2-3 tbsp of chocolate chips, nuts or seeds. You can either mix them into the batter or drop a few on to each pancake after adding the batter to the pan.
- For flavour enhancers, you can add 1 tsp of vanilla and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon. You can also add up to 1 scoop of protein powder with additional water to adjust the consistency.
- For variations on this recipe, try these vegan and gluten-free carrot cake pancakes or vegan chocolate protein pancakes.
- Savory Chickpea Pancakes: This recipe makes a great base for savoury pancakes too! To them savoury, omit the sweetener and try spices and herbs like turmeric, parsley, cilantro, chili flakes and black pepper. From there, try add-ins like thinly sliced scallions, red onion and red bell pepper. I prefer savoury pancakes a bit thinner, using closer to a 1:1 ratio of chickpea flour to water and omitting the baking powder.
Topping Ideas
I love getting creative with toppings! Here are some fun ideas:
- maple syrup
- chia seed jam or homemade cranberry sauce
- date paste or homemade vegan caramel sauce
- nut butter caramel sauce (blend dates with a spoonful of almond or cashew butter)
- any nut butter
- tahini and caramel sauce
- berries like blueberries, cherries or raspberries
- sliced banana
- baked apple slices or healthy baked pears
- nuts or seeds like hemp seeds, walnuts or pecans
- chocolate chips
- cacao nibs
- coconut flakes
Storing
- If you have leftovers, they can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days and enjoyed cold or reheated in the microwave, toaster or oven.
- To freeze then, either freeze them spaced out on a baking tray then transfer to a freezer bag or freeze with a piece of parchment between them to prevent them from sticking together.
- They can be reheated from frozen in the microwave or oven. They can be reheated in the toasted but I’d suggest thawing them first.
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to comment section below to leave your star rating and review.
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Vegan Chickpea Flour Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup 80 g chickpea flour
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1-2 tbsp maple syrup or coconut sugar
- 1/3 cup water, 80 ml
- 1 tsp vanilla extract, optional
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon, optional
Instructions
- Pre-heat a non-stick skillet, crepe pan or pancake griddle over medium heat.
- Mix the chickpea flour, salt and baking powder together in a mixing bowl using a fork or whisk to help break up any clumps and distribute the baking powder and salt. If you're using a dry sweetener, mix that in as well.
- Add the water and liquid sweetener if you didn't use a dry one (and vanilla and cinnamon, if using) and mix until you have a smooth batter with no lumps. The batter will be quite thick and not quite pourable. With the water amount as written the pancakes will be very thick and fluffy. If you prefer thinner pancake or crepes, you can add more water to thin the batter until it's easily pourable. Note that the raw batter may have a pronounced beany and slightly bitter taste but that will cook out once you make the pancakes.
- Let the batter rest for a few minutes while the pan finishes heating.
- Once the pan is hot, add a light coating of non-stick cooking spay, if needed, then add approximately 1/4 cup portions of the batter to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes until the edges look dry and firm and a few bubbles have appeared. Flip the pancakes and cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute until cooked through.
- Repeat until you’ve used up all the batter then add your favourite pancake toppings and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published September 21, 2017.
I tripled this recipe replacing 1/3 of the chickpea flour with pb2 and added 1 egg and 1 tbsp oil and they came out with good flavor but were very dry. I’m thinking of possibly using milk instead of water next time, do you think that would help?
The best.
These are SO GOOD and SO EASY! I used Perrier water. Topped with bananas, lil raspberry preserves and some unsweetened applesauce.
These were so insanely easy & yummy! I actually mixed the flour, water, and salt with 1 tbsp of my sourdough starter and let it sit on the counter covered overnight for fermented pancakes. I just added a bit more water in the morning to get the right texture and cooked them according to the directions. Super filling!