Chickpea bread is that it’s like dense cornbread, with a smoother texture and a slightly cheesy flavor that is made from chickpea flour. You can make endless variations by adding in any veggies that you would like. It's great for a healthy vegan gluten-free breakfast or snack. Chickpea bread is low in fat, high in fiber, and super easy to make. It's sure to be your new favorite recipe!
Chickpea flour bread is probably not like any other food you have had, but you are just going to need to give it a try!
My dear friend Cayce made this for me 12 years ago when we first went to visit her at the farm sanctuary, OohMahNee, (You may have seen her and the farm in the documentary Vegucated or A Peaceable Kingdom).
Anyway, she called this bread “Chichina,” but said she had no idea where she got that name. I’ve searched for the original recipe or the origins, and I think that it's a variation of cecina. We both had babies at the time and we decided that it was the best and easiest recipe you could make with a baby on your hip!
Jump to:
So… in our house, it is referred to as Chichina. I’ve changed Cayce’s original recipe a bit and started adding veggies and different herbs to it.
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe.
Chickpea bread is amazing because it can be made with so many variations of spices and vegetables.
I give you the 5 flavors that my family likes the most, but honestly, you can throw in whatever spices and veggies you like, and it will be delicious every time!
🧾 Ingredients and substitutions
- Chickpea Flour - aka garbanzo bean flour. You can find it in most large grocery stores in the gluten-free flour section.
- Water - to hydrate the flour.
- Oil - to give it a moist texture. You can omit it for oil free.
- Nutritional Yeast - to add an umami flavor. You can leave it out if you don't have any, but it flavors these egg cups nicely.
- Salt - for flavor. You can use black salt instead for a more egg-like flavor.
- Add ins of choice
✨ Variations
- Sun-dried Tomato and Basil- with garlic sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil (Olives are good in this version too).
- Sausage Bread- Fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, oregano, and cayenne.
- Artichoke and Herbs- Marinated artichoke hearts with garlic and oregano.
- Southwest Style- with onions, corn, beans, tomatoes, olives, with taco seasoning.
- Broccoli Cheese- with onions, broccoli, and vegan cheese.
🥄 Instructions
- Add chickpea flour, salt, nutritional yeast, and any dry herbs to a mixing bowl and give a quick stir.
- Pour in the water slowly while stirring then add the oil and continue to stir with a whisk for about 30 seconds making sure it makes a smooth batter.
- Allow the batter to sit for a few minutes while you prep the add ins.
- Add any veggies, fresh herbs, or cheese that you would like and stir again.
- Pour the batter into an oiled 8"x8" baking dish and bake at 425° F (218° C) for 20 minutes. (I like to take it out of the oven at this point and sprinkle some Kosher salt on it).
- Then turn the oven down to 350° F (176° C) and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes.
- Take out of the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before cutting into squares.
Warning- Do not taste the batter! I know you may be tempted, but don’t do it! Chickpea flour tastes terrible before it is cooked! It will taste nothing like the finished product! I know that you are going to get some on your finger and just instinctively lick it off, it will be that last time that you make that mistake. (The good news is that it does teach kids (and husbands) not to stick their fingers into your batter)!
➕ Add ins
- broccoli
- sundried tomatoes
- olives
- fresh or dried herbs
- onions
- garlic
- bell peppers
- artichoke hearts
- vegan mozerella
- vegan cheddar cheese
- corn
- beans
- vegan pesto
- vegan saugage crumbles
- seitan sausages
- vegan bacon bits
🧈 Can I make it fat free?
Yes, simply leave out the oil and line the baking dish with parchment paper before pouring it into the batter.
👩🏻🍳 Pro tips
- If you use a wet vegetable like zucchini or tomatoes reduce the liquid by about 2 tbsp.
- Allow the chickpea bread to cool for about 10 minutes before slicing it. This will allow it to firm up even more and slice nicely.
- Don’t add more than 2 cups of additional veggies or other ingredients. It won't have enough batter to hold it all together.
- Make sure you cook it enough. If the chickpea flour is not cooked all the way it will taste terrible! It should be like a firm and slightly golden brown and starting to form cracks when it's done. (Oven temperatures vary, and it will need to cook longer at high altitude).
- Delicious served either warm or cold.
🥡 Storage
Store in the fridge if not eating within the first 24 hours. (Will keep out of refrigeration for 24 hours or in the fridge for about 3 days).
🌟 More chickpea flour recipes
Chickpea flour is awesome stuff! There are endless amazing vegan and gluten-free recipes that you can make with it! It's my go-to ingredient to replace eggs in any recipe!
- 45 Recipes Using Chickpea Flour
- Farinata
- Vegan Omelets
- Vegan Egg Muffins
- The Best Ever Vegan Brownies
- Vegan Egg Drop Soup
- Vegan Crepes
📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
Chickpea Bread
Ingredients
Basic Chickpea Bread Base
- 1 1/4 cup chickpea flour
- 1 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional for a cheesy flavor)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (optional)
Sun-dried Tomato Version
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 1-2 cloves fresh minced garlic
Sausage Flavored Version
- 1 teaspoon fennel
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 dash cayenne or more for extra spice
Artichoke Version
- 1 cup marinated artichoke hearts chopped
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 1-2 cloves fresh minced garlic
Southwest Flavored Version
- 1/2 cup black beans
- 1/2 cup corn
- 1/4 cup tomatoes diced
- 1/4 cup olives chopped
- 1/4 cup onion diced
- 1 teaspoon taco seasoning
- 1 teaspoon cumin
Broccoli Cheese Version
- 1 cup broccoli chopped small
- 1/2 cup onion diced
- 1/2 cup vegan cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) (It will take longer for your oven to heat than it will to mix up the batter).
- Add the chickpea flour, salt, and nutritional yeast to a mixing bowl.
- Pour in the water slowly while stirring and add the oil. Continue to stir with a whisk for about 30 seconds making sure it makes a smooth batter.
- Add the ingredients listed in the version that you wish to make and stir again for a few seconds.
- Grease a small 8x8 baking dish with about 1 tbsp of oil and pour the batter into the dish. (You could also use an iron skillet or a pie dish).
- Bake at 425°F (220°C) 20 minutes, then take out of the oven and sprinkle with Kosher salt (optional).
- Turn down the oven to 350°F (177°C) and bake for an additional 20 minutes.
- Let cool for about 10 minutes before cutting into squares.
Notes
- Nutrition facts are calculated from the basic chickpea bread recipe.
- To make this oil-free: You can omit the oil and line the baking pan with parchment paper.
- Allow cooling for 10 minutes before cutting to allow it to firm up and hold together better.
- Do NOT taste the batter! Chickpea flour tastes terrible before cooking.
- Store in the fridge if not eating within the first 24 hours. (Will keep out of refrigeration for 24 hours or in the fridge for about 3 days).
Nutrition
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