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).
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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.
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.
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!
❤️ 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 your choice (see below)
✨ 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.
🥄 How to make chickpea flour bread
- 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.
It's delicious either warm or cold. You can even bake this bread in muffin tins to make easy grab-and-go vegan chickpea muffins. They're great for easy make-ahead vegan breakfasts.
💡 Things to knows
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 the 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
One of the best things about this chickpea bread is that you can add in anything you want to flavor it and make it different every time. These are some of my favorites.
- broccoli
- sundried tomatoes
- olives
- fresh or dried herbs
- onions
- garlic
- bell peppers
- artichoke hearts
- vegan mozzarella
- vegan cheddar cheese
- corn
- beans
- vegan pesto
- cilantro garlic sauce
- vegan sausage 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 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 altitudes).
🥡 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! I love it so much that I ever wrote a post about all the ways to use chickpea flour.
- Farinata
- Vegan Omelets
- Vegan Egg Muffins
- The Best Ever Vegan Brownies
- Vegan Egg Drop Soup
- Vegan Crepes
- Vegan Pumpkin Pie
- Amazing Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
📋 Chickpea bread recipe
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
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Click the stars above or leave a comment! I'd love to hear from you!
Love the recipe. Thank you. I used 1 tsp olive oil and 0 salt. I did add 1 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp of ground cardamom to the batter. About 38 calories and less than 1 g sugar in a 28 g square.
I'm so happy that you liked the recipe, Doug. 🙂
Tastes really nice. Does anyone know if it can be frozen?
Yes, it can be frozen, just be sure to wrap it air tight.
Thanks for the information. Is there a sweet version of this?
I was just reading an article about scientists creating a bread containing chickpeas and other pulses, and how much more satiating and generally healthier it was....and I figured there are probably folks already doing that.... So here I am, and omg! I am loving these variations! Looking forward to trying each in turn, as I am not much of a fan of most store bought breads! Thank you!
I hope that you enjoy them all, Sylvia! 🙂
This sounds great. I’m going to give it a try tomorrow. I’m thinking of trying half chickpea flour and half almond flour. Any thoughts on whether that would work?
I don't know if the almond flour will work. It bakes up very differently than chickpea flour.
I'm trying to reduce my carbs abd up my protein and this recipe fit the bill. I really like bread so it's very nice to have a high protein version I can make at home. I used red peppers and onions and skipped the oil but I plan to try all of the others. Thanks for this recipe, Monica!
BTW, I've tried a lot of cheese recipes in the almost 2 years since I went WFPB. Your Vegan Mozarella Cheese is still my all around fave.
I am so glad that the chickpea bread recipe works for you! So happy that you like the cheese recipe too! 🙂
Tried it and loved it. Quick and easy prep and delicious! Tried it with over ripe bananas for a sweet version and was great!
I'm glad that you liked it, Thea!
Thea,
I was about to ask if I can make a sweet version. So did you simply leave out the spices and added bananas? And how many?
Hope you can see my question.
Thanks,
Nicki.
That's a great idea! I'm going to try that next time!
Hey Monica, I just made this bread and it’s so delicious! I used red pepper and red onion and rosemary. It’s a keeper for our family. I bought chickpea flour a while ago and haven’t really used it, so I found your recipe blog and I’m very impressed! Thank you!
I'm so happy that you liked the recipe, Svetlana! This is such a great base recipe since you can change it up every time you make it.
Hi,
one thing to say, not only that the raw batter tastes Like poision, it really is not healthy!
Never, never please, eat raw chickpeas or chickpea flour, it only gets eadible after heating it!!!
Cooks up very well in my little solar oven. I angled it out of the direct sun a little for the second part of the baking.
That's so cool. Glad you can make it in there, sounds like fun! 🙂
I have been experimenting with chickpea flour and to be honest, I hadn't enjoyed it much until I tried this recipe! I think this time I nailed it with chickpea flour. I realized that baking time matters a lot as the raw chickpea tastes awful. Prior to this, I have been baking too short. Dried tomatoes and spinach are my to-go ingredients for quiche and they go with chickpea flour so good as well. I actually wanted to add feta cheese in it but I am so glad that I didn't because even without any cheese it tastes really good. I also didn't add yeast. I will keep experimenting with other vegetables. Thank you so much!
You're welcome. I'm so happy that the recipe worked well for you! I have found that letting the chickpea flour rehydrate well before baking and then cooking it thoroughly is the key to cooking or baking with it. Enjoy! 🙂
When making the broccoli cheese version, do you add raw broccoli and onion or do these need to be cooked first?
Thanks
Hi Becky, just throw the onion in and broccoli in raw and it will cook with the bread. Enjoy! 🙂
The origin of the name is Italian. The word for chickpea in Italian is ceci (Chechee) and when I lived there we made this bread a whole bunch! Love your recipe, especially sundried tomato and basil. Thank you for spreading the chickpea love!!!
Thanks for giving me the right word for it. Whatever you call it I love this bread too. I'm so happy that you enjoyed my recipe!
Hi there! WHAT AN AMAZING RECIPE! I was just curious, have you every tried this in a bread machine and, if so, what was the outcome? Just curious as I love to use my bread machine. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Crystal, I have never tried it in a bread machine. I'm not sure how it would come out since it's more like cornbread than a loaf of bread, but let me know if you try it. 🙂
Just made this with the extra olive oil.
Plus 4 cloves of garlic and some rosemary!
Very tasty - thanks!
You're very welcome! I'm happy that you liked it! 🙂
It's delicious but is it supposed to come out this thin? I used Red Mills chickpea flour
The bread doesn't rise, so the thickness will depend on the size of the dish that you bake it in.
I grind my own millet and oats for flour. Do you have any thoughts about grinding dry garbanzos for flour?
That's very cool. I've never tried it myself, but I think that it should work fine. You may want to let the batter sit for about 15 minutes before baking to allow more time for the flour to soak up the liquid if it is a coarse grind. Enjoy! 🙂
Be extremely careful if you try grinding your own chickpea flour! Chickpeas / Garbanzos are HARD!
After reading in one of mum's gf cookbooks that I could grind my own chickpea flour from dried chickpeas, I used our little 2 cup (I think, around there anyway) food processor with some dried chickpeas.
The bowl Shattered!
I had to buy her a new one.
Maybe a "real" processor would work, but watch it carefully!
You could but after soaking the chickpeas overnight. I do it all the time. Its not as firm as the flour but in some recipes- like chickpea burgers or falafel for me it tastes much better than with flour. In this one I would try it with flour first and decide later.
My roommate used to use my Vitamix for grinding garbanzos into flour for bread, and it worked well. The Vitamix handled it just fine, but when we tried using my food processor, it chipped the blades.
I grind dry chickpeas into flour all the time! Never bought the flour myself
Oh man, this is SO delicious! Just made the artichoke version as per recipe. Hubby loves it too. I've had this recipe bookmarked for a while - why'd I wait so long?! Can't wait to try to the other versions. Thank you so much, Monica!
You are very welcome, Brenda! I'm so happy that you liked it! I never get tired of this recipe! 🙂
Hello is there an alternative to the nutritional yeast, is it absolutely necessary
You can simply leave it out. It provides a little bit of a cheesy flavor but is not necessary. Enjoy! 🙂
This was prefect! I made the broccoli cheddar one and added jalapeño. I had to tell myself to stop eating! What a treat. Thank you!
You are very welcome! I'm so happy that you liked it! 🙂
This is so tasty. I made a variation of the southwest flavour (didn't have corn so added extra beans) and it was great. I also spread a bit of tomato paste on top at the end and toasted it.
My family of five tucked into it happily and I think this will become a regular in our house 😊 thanks much for the recipe!
You're welcome! I'm so happy that you liked it Emily! 🙂
This is a favorite recipe in our house. Tonight I made it, trying to up the ingredients a bit (1.5x the normal amount). It came out really well, almost like corn stuffing. I basically measured out about 1.5x the normal ingredients, and cooked it for an additional 10 minutes. Are there better ways to increase the amount to make it more 'bready'?
That's a good way to make it denser. You could try adding a little flour to it too, but the recipe listed is how my family likes it best, so that is what I usually make. Glad that you like the recipe! 🙂
sorry for the typos.
Need recommendations for high altitude cooking as well as how to get it to rise so much.
thanks
phil
Hi Phill, This bread doesn't really rise. It kind of bakes up like a quiche. You may want to add and an additional tbsp of garbanzo bean flour and increase the baking time slightly for high altitude baking. I hope that helps! 🙂
I made it with broccoli, diced red onions and mozzarella cheese (didn’t have vegan cheese). It was delicious! My husband loved it. Will try the marinated artichoke hearts next.
Thanks so much!
You're very welcome, Anne! I'm so happy that you liked it! 🙂
I made it tonight with artichoke hearts out of a can, diced tomatoes, vegan feta cheese and kalamata olives. My husband had five pieces!!! It was delicious, thank you 😊💛
Does this recipe freeze well?
Yes, just make sure to put it in a freezer bag a squeeze out as much air as possible. Enjoy! 🙂
When freezing how do you defrost it and heat back up thanks
You can set it on the countertop for a few hours. If you want it warm, toss it in a 350 F oven for about 10 minutes.
I have a version with artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes, homemade vegan feta and carmelized onions. I used oregano and rosemary for seasoning. It smells great in the oven! The cool thing about this recipe is the variations are endless. I'm a curry fan so maybe cumin, curry powder diced potatoes carrots and peas. Gotta try that too.
Wow! That sounds absolutely delicious! 🙂
HI - sounds amazing! My son is allergic to garbanzo beans. 🙁 Any suggested alternatives?
Sorry, since garbanzo beans are the main ingredient, I'm not sure what you could use as an alternative. Maybe lentil flour, but I have never tried it. 🙂
I tried experimenting adding vinegar, and leavener, creating the texture of bread as well. It was just as good, if not even better than the non-leavened version! Although, I didn't write down exactly how much I used.
Great idea Dell! Let us know if you remember the amounts that you used. 🙂
Hi,
Could I make this ,without any extras in it.. would it work as a bread recipe please?
Thank you.
Yes, you can make it without the extras but it bakes up more like cornbread than a loaf of bread.
Very good! I added chopped red peppers.
Glad that you liked it! Red peppers sound delicious! 🙂
Works great!!loved it with olives and onions!
So happy that you liked it! Olives and onions sound delicious! It's so fun to try different things each time. 🙂
I tried my own version last night using the base of your recipe and creating something new with diced jalapeños, oregano, turmeric and minced garlic, it was really delicious. Now I'm trying with cauliflower , jalapeños, herbs de Provence and turmeric. There are innumerable ways to play with this recipe! thanks for sharing this recipe.
I'm so happy that you like it! It's really fun to make it different every time! Your flavor combos sound delicious! 🙂
Hi Monica! I looked around the interwebs and found a couple recipes for "Cecina" pronounced "chichina"! I believe it's from the Italian Torta di Ceci, which is a savory chickpea flour cake. Thought I would share in case you found it interesting! Love love love this recipe ♥️
Thanks so much Amie! The Torta de cici does look very similar. Thanks!
Hi Monica,
Just what I was looking for! Didn't know you can find this variety in one flour. I'm off sugar, meat, dairy and the like since Feb this year. Stumbled on this after looking for a BREAD! to fill the hollow tooth. Will definitely try it, but from the looks of it already, nothing can beat it.
I think this recipe is just what you have been looking for! I hope that you love it as much as we do! 🙂
A very similar recipe that's made thinner like a crepe in a skillet is called Socca.
Looking forward to trying your version here with all the wonderful add-ins!
Yes, I use a thinner batter and pan fry it to make vegan omelets too! I'll have to look into socca recipes! 🙂
Can I make this with pureed boiled chickpeas?
No, sorry Maja, you can't use whole chickpeas, you need to use chickpea flour. I hope that you try it! 🙂
Can this bread be frozen?
My family eats the whole batch every time I make it so I've never needed to freeze it. I think if you froze it, you may want to heat it back up in the oven for 5 minutes or so to dry it back out. It's very moist and I could see it getting kind of soggy if you froze it and then thawed it. Let me know if you try it. 🙂
I just discovered how awesome chickpea flour is! Never did I think about adding whole veggies to the bread. I love the idea of sun dried tomatoes in it and maybe some cheese!
Chickpea flour is amazing stuff! I love that you can add anything you want to this and make it your own!
I just made the artichoke version. It came out delicious. I can't wait to try the other variations. Thank you so much for sharing such awesome recipes!
You're welcome Ellen! I'm so happy that you liked it! 🙂
I went to Lucca, Italy about a month ago and discovered Ceccina, and fell in LOVE. It was my first time internationally as a vegan (also first time internationally!) The two weeks in Lucca were filled with Ceccina, and I knew I had to try making it myself. I can't wait to try making this!
I have never had authentic Ceccina from Italy, but I would LOVE to! Hope this compares to your memories! 🙂
Made the artichoke version tonight, really good! Super dense and filling. Didn't have 8x8 pan so I used a 6x8 glass baking dish and left it in the oven just a little longer since it was thicker. Thanks!
So happy you liked it Geri! Yes, good call on leaving it in a little longer. If you make it in a smaller pan it will need a little more cook time. If it is in a larger pan it may need a little less time because it wont be as thick. 🙂
I tried the tomato basil but spread it out on a sheet pan to get thinner cracker like squares.
Topped with a Feta Spread, brined tomatos slices and basil = great appertiser.
I will try another variation soon.
Thank you
Your welcome Keith! So happy that you tried it. Making it thin and putting a spread on it is a great appetizer idea! Sounds delicious! 🙂
OMG. My new favorite snack.
Filling, high in protein, easy to make and you can change up the flavors.
Thank you !
So glad that you liked it Jennifer! What flavor is your favorite?
Could it be made in a sweet version with fruit and nuts, or works the flavors not suit?
I have never done a sweet version. It has a more savory taste, but it could work if you reduced the salt and omitted the nutritional yeast. Interesting idea, let me know if you try it! 🙂
Hi! I just read the article (looks delicious!) and wanted to comment on the “Chichina" bit: you could not find it because it's Italian, it's "cecina", a traditional recipe from Tuscany and Liguria 🙂 It's also known as "farinata" and other various names (with slightly different recipes) throughout Italy.
Thank you! I knew that I was spelling it wrong, and we weren't even sure how to pronounce it! Thanks for solving the mystery for me!
Made this last night. Did the broccoli cheese version. It is delicious!
So happy that you liked it! Broccoli cheese is one of my favorites!