Fluffy Chickpea Pancakes

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Flip Your Flour (And Your Pancake) With These Chickpea Flour Pancakes

You know that half a bag of chickpea flour in your pantry from that time you made falafel?

Well, you can put it to use by making these pancakes with chickpea flour.

Call me old-fashioned, but I’m always suspect (although curious) of changes made to tried and true formulas like the classic buttermilk pancakes. All-purpose flour and buttermilk create such a perfect round of fluffy goodness.

But, I must say, these chickpea pancakes turned out pretty great. They are my new go-to pancake for a quick weeknight pancake fix. Fluffy, quick to make, and healthy, chickpea pancakes will satisfy your craving too.

I was surprised at how nice and browned these gluten-free pancakes got on the outside when pan-frying in oil. And their texture is pretty similar to pancakes made with flour. They fit the pancake bill.

Plus, they help keep my pantry so fresh and so clean because I’m not storing half-empty (or half full?) bags of chickpea flour.

How to Make Chickpea Pancakes?

Pancakes are a pretty simple dish to make regardless of the type of flour you use. In their simplest form, you just mix some dry ingredients like flour, salt, and baking powder with a liquid like milk (and maybe toss in a bit of butter if you’re into that).

These chickpea pancakes are no different. Here’s the play-by-play:

• Combine the dry ingredients: chickpea flour, salt, and baking powder.
• Add your choice of milk (I used whole milk) and mix to combine.
• Heat oil in a nonstick pan.
• Pour batter into the pan so you have about a 5-inch round.
• Repeat with the rest of the batter.
• Top with your choice of goodies like berries, maple syrup, honey, butter, peanut butter, or bananas.

Are These Chickpea Pancakes Healthy?

Chickpea flour – which is simply ground chickpeas – is the main ingredient in these pancakes. So, the question is: are chickpeas healthy?

Well, yes. Chickpeas are a critical component in plant-based diets because of their relatively high protein content. They are also packed with other vitamins and minerals. According to Medical News Today, chickpeas are rich in folate, fiber, phosphorus, and iron to name a few.

The high protein and fiber content means that chickpeas will help you feel full. Plus, they help keep your blood sugar in check after eating. Chickpeas also have certain characteristics that may help defend against heart disease and cancer.

To learn more about the healthiness of chickpeas, you can check out this article on the 11 benefits of chickpeas.

Where Can I Buy Chickpea Flour?

You have a few options when it comes to buying chickpea flour. First, you can buy it offline (with just about anything else these days). It is a shelf stable panty ingredient, so there are plenty of options for getting a bag shipped to your doorstep. Here is a great option off Amazon.

Some grocery stores, especially if they have a lot of health food options will carry chickpea flour. You may find it in the health or gluten-free section. Or it may just be with all the other flours in the baking section.

I typically get mine at an Italian market. It is the most affordable there. You may also find it at Asian, Halal, Greek, Mediterranean and other specialty markets.

Can I Make My Own Chickpea Flour?

As I mentioned above, chickpea flour isn’t always available at your nearest grocery store. Another option for getting your hands on chickpea flour is making it yourself.

Chickpeas are available pretty much everywhere. And that is all you need to make chickpea flour. So, as long as you have a food processor (I use this one), you can make chickpea flour.

To make your own chickpea flour,

1. Put dried chickpeas into a food processor. Cover and process for 2-3 minutes until a powder forms.
2. Repeat for remaining batches if you’re making a large amount.
3. Use a mesh strainer to sift the flour into a large bowl. There will be larger pieces of chickpeas that were not fully processed.
4. Either reserve the larger chickpea pieces for another use (like breadcrumbs) or place them in a spice or coffee grinder to further process and add to the flour.
5. Sift the flour again if there still seems to be larger chickpea pieces.
6. Store in an airtight container. Chickpea flour will last for about 6 months in your pantry. If you think you won’t use it all by then, store in your refrigerator.

Chickpea Flour Pancake Toppings

Now the fun begins! There are endless amounts of different toppings you can use to spruce up your flapjacks. If you really want to have some fun, just put out a few of the items below and have a pancake bar.

Sweeteners

• Maple syrup (the classic)
• Honey
• Date caramel sauce (toss some dates, hot water and salt in a blender and puree into a sauce like this)

Fruit

• Blueberries
• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Okay, so any kind of berries or a mix
• Banana
• Apple
• Peaches

Other

• Peanut, almond, or other type of nut butter
• Pieces of dark chocolate or cacao nibs
• Butter
• Cinnamon
• Yogurt
• Ricotta

Winning Combos

• Bananarama: Peanut butter + banana
• Mrs. Reese: Peanut butter + dark chocolate/cacao
• The Capple: Cinnamon + apple + honey (optional)
• I Have a Peaches ‘N Cream Dream: Peaches + ricotta or yogurt
• The Norman Rockwell: Maple syrup + butter

(Pan) Cake for Breakfast

I was really impressed by these pancakes made with chickpea flour. I’m writing all about chickpea flour and how to use it, so I just wanted to try to make pancakes as a test. But, I liked them so much I decided to dedicate an entire post to them. I think you’ll be impressed too!

These are awesome for a weeknight dinner because they are so quick to make and satisfying. Set out a bunch of different toppings for a pancake bar. “Pancake Friday” really has a nice ring to it.

For more easy weeknight dinner recipes, download our free cookbook below!