High-protein chickpea flour lends body and nutty, savory flavor to dishes across the Middle East and the Mediterranean.   


Chickpea Flour Recipe: 5 Ways to Use Chickpea Flour

Chickpea flour is a type of pulse flour made from dried chickpeas, a member of the [legume](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/a-guide-to-legumes) family, along with the lentil. Depending on the chickpea variety used to make the flour, it is also known as garbanzo bean flour, besan flour, or gram flour. The chickpea flour sold in grocery stores is stone-ground to a fine powder, but you can make your own by pulsing dried chickpeas in a food processor or spice grinder.

Chickpea flour is a popular flour in gluten-free baking, where bakers use it to make treats like chocolate chip cookies, banana cake, flatbreads, [muffins](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/one-easy-muffin-recipe-endless-muffin-variations), and biscuits.

Chickpea flour is a great resource to have in any kitchen. Here are a few ways to use it:

1. __In crêpe recipes__: Along the Ligurian Sea, chickpea flour is used to make a thin pancake or [crêpe](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/simple-french-crepe-recipe). In Nice, France, this is known as *socca*, while in Italy it’s known by many names: *cecina*, *torta de ceci*, *farinata*, or *fainâ*. 
2. __In fried dishes__: Chickpea flour lends a light-yet-hearty consistency to the batter for Indian *pakoras* (spiced fritters) and a crumbly, moist crumb for deep-fried [falafel](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/quick-and-easy-homemade-falafel-recipe-how-to-make-and-serve-homemade-falafel).
3. __In desserts__: Gram flour (made from gram chickpeas) is used in various sweets across the Indian subcontinent, like *laddu*, a combination of flour with [ghee](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-ghee-plus-how-to-make-easy-homemade-ghee) and sugar that occasionally features nuts and dried fruit.
4. __As a thickener__: Chickpea flour is incredibly absorbent, making it an ideal binding agent in homemade veggie burgers or a flavorful thickener in stews and soups. 
5. __As an alternative to traditional flour__: Chickpea flour is higher in protein, carbohydrates, and dietary fiber than other gluten-free flour (like rice flour) or whole-wheat flours (like all-purpose flour). Chickpea flour is naturally quite dense, so experiment with ratios before substituting it entirely in a dish. 

High-protein chickpea flour lends body and nutty, savory flavor to dishes across the Middle East and the Mediterranean.   


Chickpea flour is a type of pulse flour made from dried chickpeas, a member of the <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/a-guide-to-legumes' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/a-guide-to-legumes","linkCopy":"legume","category":null}'>legume</a> family, along with the lentil. Depending on the chickpea variety used to make the flour, it is also known as garbanzo bean flour, besan flour, or gram flour. The chickpea flour sold in grocery stores is stone-ground to a fine powder, but you can make your own by pulsing dried chickpeas in a food processor or spice grinder.Chickpea flour is a popular flour in gluten-free baking, where bakers use it to make treats like chocolate chip cookies, banana cake, flatbreads, <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/one-easy-muffin-recipe-endless-muffin-variations' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/one-easy-muffin-recipe-endless-muffin-variations","linkCopy":"muffins","category":null}'>muffins</a>, and biscuits.

What Is Chickpea Flour?

Chickpea flour is a great resource to have in any kitchen. Here are a few ways to use it:<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. In crêpe recipes: Along the Ligurian Sea, chickpea flour is used to make a thin pancake or <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/simple-french-crepe-recipe' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/simple-french-crepe-recipe","linkCopy":"crêpe","category":null}'>crêpe</a>. In Nice, France, this is known as socca, while in Italy it’s known by many names: cecina, torta de ceci, farinata, or fainâ. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. In fried dishes: Chickpea flour lends a light-yet-hearty consistency to the batter for Indian pakoras (spiced fritters) and a crumbly, moist crumb for deep-fried <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/quick-and-easy-homemade-falafel-recipe-how-to-make-and-serve-homemade-falafel' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/quick-and-easy-homemade-falafel-recipe-how-to-make-and-serve-homemade-falafel","linkCopy":"falafel","category":null}'>falafel</a>. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. In desserts: Gram flour (made from gram chickpeas) is used in various sweets across the Indian subcontinent, like laddu, a combination of flour with <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-ghee-plus-how-to-make-easy-homemade-ghee' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-ghee-plus-how-to-make-easy-homemade-ghee","linkCopy":"ghee","category":null}'>ghee</a> and sugar that occasionally features nuts and dried fruit. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 4. As a thickener: Chickpea flour is incredibly absorbent, making it an ideal binding agent in homemade veggie burgers or a flavorful thickener in stews and soups. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 5. As an alternative to traditional flour: Chickpea flour is higher in protein, carbohydrates, and dietary fiber than other gluten-free flour (like rice flour) or whole-wheat flours (like all-purpose flour). Chickpea flour is naturally quite dense, so experiment with ratios before substituting it entirely in a dish. </li></ol>

5 Ways to Use Chickpea Flour in Your Cooking

Chickpea Flour Recipe

High-protein chickpea flour lends body and nutty, savory flavor to dishes across the Middle East and the Mediterranean.