Have you heard of garbanzo bean flour? It’s very popular when it comes to gluten-free baking. I picked up a package to try in a recipe for breakfast crepes, and was blown away by how easy it was to use.
Most gluten-free crepe recipes I’ve tried are very dry, and have a hard time sticking together – meaning they usually fall apart! But with this product they held together well, which encouraged me to keep cooking with it. I haven’t been disappointed yet!
What is it?
Just like it sounds, it’s made from ground up dried garbanzo beans. Sometimes this flour is also referred to as: chickpea, besan, gram or cici bean flour – all of which are very popular in Middle Eastern and Indian cooking and baking.
Bobs Red Mill Garbanzo Bean Flour available on Amazon
You can grind your own dried beans if you have a high-speed blender, or you can use Bob’s Red Mill Garbanzo Bean Flour, which is what I use and would recommend.
I have been using Bob’s products for years, and they are always high quality. It is no different with this product.
Why Should You Use It?
It’s naturally gluten free. More and more people are switching to a gluten-free diet, or at least trying to eat less gluten, due to an inflammatory response in the body.
Also, it’s a great source of iron, fiber and protein. ¼ cup contains 6 grams of protein. The flavor is very subtle once cooked, making it perfect for savory and sweet dishes. I have to warn you though: the raw batter is not very tasty!
Not only that, but it’s a very affordable product. As you might already know, chickpeas are rather low in price, so it’s no surprise that a bag of this usually costs me under 3 dollars! This is a bargain in comparison to other gluten-free options.
Finally, this product is grain free, making it perfect for someone following a paleo diet who still wants to enjoy crepes or “bread-like” recipes.
Now that you have a bag or two in your cabinet, you might be wondering… What can I make? Great question! Below are some of my favorite recipes to get you started.
Garbanzo Bean Flour Recipes
Socca
This is the first recipe I tried to make with this product. It’s a very simple concoction made from just a handful of ingredients. Traditional socca recipes are very simple – just combine equal parts flour to water, and then add 1-2 tablespoons of oil.
It makes a great appetizer if you slice it and serve it with a sauce, or it can act as a main course when filled with vegetables. Have fun with it.
Sweet Bean Blondies
I like to call blondies the sister of brownies… or “brownies without the chocolate,” as a lot of bakers like to say.
Enjoy them while they’re still warm and the chocolate chips are still gooey and melted, or wait until they’re completely cool to enjoy a big square.
Falafel
This shouldn’t surprise you, as most falafel recipes contain garbanzo beans. However, I find that using the flour in addition to whole beans gives this recipe a more authentic taste.
If you love garbanzos, and want more gluten-free recipes that feature these beans, try them in our chocolate chip cookies, or as a crunchy snack in our recipe for smoky and spicy roasted chickpeas!
Want a closer look at the cute chickpea? Read our article with more info on the garbanzo bean – its history, the story behind the name, nutritional value, and more recipes!
About Sarah Hagstrom
Sarah is a health food advocate and loves to spend her time whipping up something healthy and delicious in the kitchen and then sharing either on Foodal or on her own blog "The Seasonal Diet" (www.theseasonaldiet.com). She lives in Sunny San Diego with her husband, where they enjoy running on the beach and weekend adventures.
Well, at first I thought to myself, “Nope, can’t say I’ve ever heard of garbanzo bean flour!” I was a bit surprised; I was gluten-free for over a year because of suggestions from my doctors, after all. But as soon as you mentioned chickpea it kicked in. That’s one thing I love about this site, I’ve learned from the articles here what things I never knew about were, that were actually fairly common things under names I’ve never heard! Very useful for filling in recipes I didn’t recognize ingredients to.
I didn’t end up sticking with my gluten-free diet because it didn’t seem to have any affect. I still incorporate gluten-free habits into eating occasionally though, and that socca sounds delicious, so I’ll definitely have to give that one a try some time.
I’ve heard of chickpea blondies, and actually have a recipe for them somewhere around here, because, although they sounded a bit odd, I love chickpeas, so wanted to make them. I had no idea flour could be made from them, and, since I have many inflammatory conditions, I am definitely going to consider getting some of this flour and trying out your recipes.
I never knew they had garbanzo bean flour! Healthier is always better! I may just try these recipes this week
Being half-Jordanian, my family and I tend to cook with garbanzo beans all the time and even make our own flour. I’ve done a similar falafel recipe numerous times using the garbanzo beans, and I highly recommend it. However, I have never heard of socca before, though I have tasted foods that look similar to it. The brownies look delicious!
I love garbanzo beans just about any way I can get them, on salads, made into hummus, or just heated with salt and pepper. I have never heard of this flour, but I sure want to try it! The price is exceptional, and that falafel looks so yummy! I love trying new things with favorite ingredients. Now I just hope I can find it where I live. If not, I’m going to try to acquire the dried beans, and make my own.
Garbanzos are probably my favorite bean, so it’s awesome that I can use them as a gluten-free flour. I don’t have gluten issues but I know a few people who do, so it’s always good for me to have options. I’d never heard of socca before and I’m intrigued, I’ll try to make some soon!
We have cans of them in the kitchen. I never knew that you could use dry beans and ground them up to make flour. Could you replace any type of flour with garbanzo flour?
Okay, this is really good news. Thanks for letting me in on this. For one thing, I had presumed that products like this would be very expensive. I’m happy to hear that I was wrong about that.
Also good news is that this should have a low impact, carb wise. I also like chick peas.
I hope I can find this near me, but I think I’ll probably have to order some. I can’t wait to try it.
I am really excited about this Sarah! I tried to use chick peas flour and it was disastrous for me. I even threw it away in frustration. You have inspired me to try it again. All the recipes are so nice and I want to try them; especially the falafels. It makes sense that the chick peas flour would make falafels taste even better.
I appreciate the nutritional information as well. This is a great alternative to grain.
I’ve never even heard of this type of flour before. This is just an eye opening article. Since it is made from bean I will presume that its a lot healthier. These recipe look fantastic and I’ll definitely try them out! I’ve never had the best of luck when it comes to baking, so wish me luck! Also, thank you Sarah for sharing this with everyone. 🙂
I always wanted to try to bake something gluten-free since my friend is on the diet.. One thing I don’t like about it is that all the gluten free ingredients are so expensive..at least in my country..:(
Thank you for these recipes, I have been thinking about eating less gluten and making gluten free desserts. I have a friend that is gluten intolerant and I have made gluten free brownies before, but I always used almond meal. Garbanzo bean flour looks like a great alternative and I can make it myself!