Chickpea Flour Pancakes
on Oct 04, 2021, Updated Oct 28, 2025
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These gluten-free and vegan chickpea flour pancakes are easy to make with just 3 ingredients and are perfectly thick and fluffy. No eggs needed!
This recipe is wonderful regardless of dietary restrictions and makes a great base for creating your own flavour combinations, sweet or savory.
Featured Review
AnnMarie
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
These are the only pancakes I eat now. They taste delicious and are so easy to make. No blender needed. I have made them so many times since finding your recipe. Thank you!
Why You’ll love Chickpea Flour Pancakes
Chickpea flour pancakes are easy to make, thick and fluffy. What’s not to love about them? Here are a few reasons we think you’ll enjoy these pancakes:
- Ready in 15 minutes with 3 ingredients – plus some optional flavourings like vanilla and cinnamon.
- They’re easy to customize with different add-ins like berries, banana and chocolate chips.
- They have a thick, fluffy texture, which in addition to their protein and fibre content, makes them very filling.
- Vegan (no eggs, dairy-free), gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free and oil-free!
- They’re 300 calories with 14 g of plant-based protein and 6 g of fibre per serving.
- This is a popular 5-star rated, well-tested recipe you can prepare with confidence.
These Vegan Quinoa Flour Pancakes, Vegan Buckwheat Pancakes and Oat Flour Pancakes are all super yummy gluten-free options too. You can also use chickpea flour in these Vegan Chickpea Flour Muffins.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Below is a quick overview of what you’ll need to make the recipe and any substitutions you can make. Use the recipe card with the full list of ingredients and measurements at the bottom of the post when you’re ready to make the recipe.
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.
Variations & Toppings
- 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.
- Add-Ins: 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.
- Other Add-In or Topping Ideas: Chia seeds, hemp seeds, walnuts, pecans, cacao nibs, coconut flakes. These baked apple slices or healthy baked pears also make a delicious pancake topping.
- 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.
How to Make Chickpea Flour Pancakes
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 like berries, banana and maple syrup and enjoy your delicious chickpea flour 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.
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.
How to Make 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.
Storing Leftovers
- 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.
If you try these Chickpea Flour Pancakes or any other recipe on Running on Real Food, don’t forget to leave a comment and a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe, and I love to hear from you. And don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @runningonrealfood so I can see your creation! Thanks for trying my recipes! – Deryn
More Recipes to Try!
Chickpea Flour Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup chickpea flour, 80 g
- 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.2/3 cup chickpea flour, 1/4 tsp sea salt, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 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.1-2 tbsp maple syrup or coconut sugar, 1/3 cup water, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 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 such as berries, banana and maple syrup and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published September 21, 2017.
These were very tasty. Mine were a little dry in the middle. Next time I’ll use a little more water, a little more maple syrup and a little less salt. Easy to make and very satisfying.
My first time using chickpea flour. This is delicious and so easy. I made sweet ones and thinned the batter a bit. I will try the savory ones next. I’m looking forward to endless flavor possibilities Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for trying them!
I liked these pancakes a lot, however, mine turned not as fluffy as yours, It had cookie texture:) Something went wrong)
Sorry to hear that. Did you measure the flour correctly? Use baking power and not baking soda? Sounds like maybe you used too much flour. Otherwise, it may be old baking powder that’s not as reactive.
I was impressed. I didn’t expect these to work. Used for my wheat, dairy and egg allergic baby, and replaced the maple syrup with mashed banana as he doesn’t do syrup yet.
These are the only pancakes I eat now. They taste delicious and are so easy to make. No blender needed. I have made them so many times since finding your recipe. Thank you!
First, thanks so much for posting this recipe. So delicious and easy to make. I had tried cooking with chickpea flour previously, and did not like a former recipe. This recipe is amazing! I added the cinnamon and vanilla. I added a little bit more water. I could eat these every day. I did use real butter and real maple syrup on the pancakes as I am not vegan.
Wasn’t sure if I’d like this but wow this is amazing. Reminds me of cornbread. Thank you!
You’re welcome! Thanks for trying it.
Made some tonight using liquid monk fruit instead of maple syrup and mashed bananas. Turned out fluffy and excellent. May be my go to recipe for now. May try using oat flour next time.
Very easy to make and very tasty and satisfying
Thanks! Glad you liked them.
Can this be used in a waffle maker!
I haven’t tried it in a waffle maker but I think it should work, let me know if you try it.
These are nice, definitely a peanut butter like taste. I’m so glad I found these, especially after I was told I’m anaphylaxis to wheat, oat, barely, and now soya and been told to avoid rice too, first though was what do I eat these are a delicious go to.
Glad you found it too! Thanks for the review, happy to hear you enjoyed them.