Two simple methods for homemade chickpea flour (garbanzo bean flour) – an excellent gluten-free flour option for a wide variety of your baking needs.
It may seem like I’m a bit chickpea obsessed, especially if you’ve noticed that my number of chickpea-related recipes and DIY’s is going up every single week. What can I say, I love this ingredient! Learning how to make chickpea flour is incredibly simple, and it can then be used for your delicious gluten-free baked goods and a variety of comfort foods.
I’ve mentioned homemade flour recipes in previous posts – oat flour, almond flour, etc. These are all super simple to make at home. Along with hundreds of other ‘ingredients’ that you may have never thought even to try to make: yogurt (plain, coconut, almond), cheese (Cream Cheese, Vegan Feta, Vegan Mozzarella, and vegan cheddar). Even staples like dairy-free milks, nut & seed butters, and tofu (two ways!).
Honestly, it’s wonderful learning to make things from scratch and knowing that you have that knowledge forever-more. It also makes you appreciate the food that you’re putting into your body even more – knowing that you have made these ingredients personally.
In fact, this post contains TWO methods for making homemade chickpea flour: one with dried chickpeas and, my preferred method, using soaked and then dried chickpeas. I’ll explain why below.
Notes
- Gluten-free flours often need slightly different amounts within a recipe. For example, substitute 1 cup regular flour for 3/4 cup chickpea flour.
- I know some will ask why we don’t use cooked beans for this. Because we will cook the flour in whatever recipe it’s used in, the chickpeas don’t need to be pre-cooked.
- I’ll often soak enough chickpeas so I can use some for chickpea flour (gram flour) and will then cook some and freeze them for meals (saving the cooking liquid to use as aquafaba).
- Below is an image of dried chickpeas (store-bought), rehydrated (soaked) chickpeas, and dehydrated chickpeas. It’s best to label your containers of the store-bought dried and dehydrated, so they’re not mixed up.
How To Make Chickpea Flour
Needed:
- Dried chickpeas
The Two methods
Option 1:
A lot of people directly grind the store-bought dried chickpeas into flour. I am not a big fan of this option since the chickpeas usually are never washed before packaging and could be sprayed with nasty chemicals to prolong their shelf life. Now I know that cooking will remove/kill the germs, but I’d rather they not to be present before processing the chickpeas into flour.
However, if you’re buying organic chickpeas that aren’t sprayed with any pesticide, etc., then this method is a super-quick ‘instant’ chickpea flour.
Simple, place your chickpeas in a coffee/spice grinder or high-speed blender, and grind them into a fine powder.
Sieve the flour, to remove any larger lumps, and then you can re-grind these too.
Once ready, store your chickpea flour in an airtight container for up to two months.
Option 2 (my preferred method):
This option is a longer process (although the actual hands-on time is near-identical), making sure that the chickpeas are cleaned and soaked, before being dried and ground into flour. This will make sure there’s no pesticide/nasty residue on the chickpeas and soaking is also said to increase their nutritional value and are easier digested.
For this method, first, rinse your dried chickpeas.
Then, soak them overnight (minimum of 8 hours, and you can go up to 24 hours). Make sure to cover them with enough water (usually a few inches of water above the chickpeas) as they will expand 2-3 times their size.
Once soaked, drain the water (or use it to water your plants) and pat them dry thoroughly.
Note* I’ll often soak enough chickpeas to make some flour as well as cook and freeze some for later dishes. You can see the full guide on how to cook dried chickpeas here (as well as prep, freeze and even store the cooking liquid to use as aquafaba).
Now we need to dry (dehydrate) the chickpeas. Place them on a large tray (a baking sheet or dehydrator tray will work). Make sure to place them in a single layer (not overlapping at all); otherwise, the drying process can take far longer.
You can let them dry out in a sunny warm spot or dry them in the dehydrator or oven at 50ºC for 12 hours.
I dried mine in a dehydrator, just because it’s far quicker than letting them air out.
The chickpeas need to be completely dry before we grind them. Otherwise, they will be mushy, and you’ll end up with a mash and not a fine powder.
When the chickpeas are completely dry, grind them.
You can blend them in a high-speed food processor/blender or grind them to a fine flour in a spice grinder.
Sieve the flour to remove any lumps. Then, you can try grinding the larger particles again. If using a grinder, you’ll need to do this 2-3 tablespoon at a time. Either method may require a few passes for all the chickpeas to become finely ground.
Once ready, transfer to an airtight jar of your choosing and store for up to two months.
Chickpea Flour Recipes/Uses
There are tons of ways to use your freshly-made chickpea flour from using it to thicken up sauces and curries, as an easy gluten-free flour swap.
Chickpea flour (gram flour) can also be used as a great binding agent (for fritters, veggie burgers, etc.) and is well-known for making pancake/crepe-like flatbreads (called Socca in France and Farinata in Italy). As well as other ‘bread’ – like tortillas, taco shells, etc.
But it can be used for so many recipe types: omelettes, bread, cake, cookies, pizza, etc.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments. You can also tag me in your recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie.
How To Make Chickpea Flour
Ingredients
- chickpeas
Suggested Equipment
- Pot
- Oven or dehydrator
- Airtight jar for storing
Instructions
Option 1
- Directly blend the dried chickpeas in a high-speed food processor/blender or grind them in a spice grinder.
- Sieve the flour to remove any lumps. Then try grinding the larger particles again.Store in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Option 2 (my preferred method)
- First, soak the chickpeas overnight (minimum of 8 hours, and you can go up to 24 hours). Make sure to cover them with enough water as they will expand 2-3 times their size.
- Drain the water (you can use this to water plants) and rinse well the soaked beans. Then, pat them dry as much as you can.
- Dry the chickpeas in a sunny warm spot or alternatively, dry them in the dehydrator or oven at 50ºC for 12 hours.Lay them out in single layers across baking sheets (or the dehydrator trays), for the quickest dry time.
- When the chickpeas are completely dry, grind them. If they're not completely dry then you'll end up with a 'paste' rather than flour- so be patient. You can blend them in a high-speed food processor/blender or grind them to a fine flour in a spice grinder.
- Sieve the flour to remove any lumps. Then, you can try grinding the larger particles again. This may take a few passes to all become fully ground.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Video
Notes
- Gluten-free flours often need slightly different amounts within a recipe. For example, substitute 1 cup regular flour for 3/4 cup chickpea flour
- I know some will ask why we don't use cooked beans for this. Because we will cook the flour in whatever recipe it's used in, the chickpeas don't need to be pre-cooked.
- I'll often soak enough chickpeas so I can use some for chickpea flour (gram flour) and will then cook some and freeze them for meals (saving the cooking liquid to use as aquafaba).
Sierra
Can you used canned chickpeas? Thank you!
Support @ Alphafoodie
Hi Sierra,
Technically – yes, you can use canned chickpeas. But you have to make sure they are completely dried before grinding them into flour and this will take a lot of time (at least 12 hour at 50ºC/120ºF). The only advantage I see of using canned chicken is that you don’t have to cook the flour afterwards. I hope this helps.
Patricia
Hello
What kind of spice grinder did you use? Mine isn’t strong enough for chickpeas.
Support @ Alphafoodie
Hi Patricia,
I’ve used a grain and seed grinder – it’s linked here on the blog on the shop page – https://www.alphafoodie.com/shop/
You can also use a blender if you have one. I hope this helps.
Sabine
Does soaking them first and dehydrating make grinding/blending them easier? I obviously don’t want to break my blender but I really want some chickpea flour to make vegan omelettes. (I live in Bhutan, so I can’t just buy it either.)
Thanks!
I’m really looking forward to trying your method!
Support @ Alphafoodie
Hi Sabine,
Thank you for your comment. I wouldn’t say it makes the grinding process easier, please make sure to give your blender breaks in between to protect your blender against overheating.
Trudie Akin
Hi Samira, Is it possible to making chickpea flour from chickpeas that I’ve already soaked, cooked and dried? (I’m wary of chickpeas giving me an upset stomach after eating hummus in a restaurant that was clearly made with raw chickpea flour.)
I love socca, but where I live (in Turkey), it doesn’t work with the local chickpea flour…I’m suspecting that it’s because it’s been ground from raw (?). Socca is my staple bread/flatbread when in the UK.
Support @ Alphafoodie
Hi Trudie,
Chickpea flour is NOT meant to be eaten raw, you have to cook or bake with the flour. When making hummus, please make sure to use cooked chickpeas and not chickpea flour.
Using raw chickpea flour to make socca shouldn’t be a problem if you bake the dough, the problem comes in when you eat the flour raw (it’s like wheat flour – you can’t eat it raw, you have to cook/bake with it).
If wanted, you can make chickpea flour from already cooked chickpeas. But you have to make sure they are completely dried before grinding them into flour and this will take a lot of time (at least 12 hours at 50ºC/120ºF).
I hope this helps.
Nesma Breeze
Many thanks for the useful recipe and tips ☺️
Support @ Alphafoodie
Thank you for your comment, Nesma!
Kathy
Hi, just found your site I’m wondering why you prefer to soak and dry your beans first? Thank you!
Support @ Alphafoodie
Hi Kathy,
This will make sure there’s no pesticide/nasty residue on the chickpeas and soaking is also said to increase their nutritional value and are easier to digest. I hope this answers your question.
Henrique
Excellent site and description
Support @ Alphafoodie
Thank you for your comment, Henrique!
Jill
Just wondering from say 500g of chickpeas, how much flour do you get roughly?
Support @ Alphafoodie
Hi Jill,
It will roughly yield the same amount of flour. I hope this helps 🙂
Wilma
Would an electric stone mill work to grind the chickpeas?
Support @ Alphafoodie
Hi Wilma,
Yes, an electric stone milk should work.
Stephanie
Could you use a blow dryer to dry the beans?
Support @ Alphafoodie
Hi Stephanie,
I don’t think that would work to dehydrate the chickpeas. If you live somewhere warm, you can let them air dry in a sunny spot for a few days. Alternatively, if your oven goes down to 120ºF/50ºC, you can dehydrate them in it (if it only goes down to 150ºF/65ºC, you could prop the door open so the air can circulate). The chickpeas need to be completely dry so they don’t end up a paste when grinding them. I hope this helps.
Natalie
Please don’t use fry chickpeas from the store and grind them into flour. Uncooked chickpeas contain toxins that can cause food poisoning.
Support @ Alphafoodie
Hi Natalie,
Please note that the flour should not be consumed raw, you will have to use the flour for cooking/baking and not raw.
Indi
Hi Can you please tell me what those storage jars with simple clip locks are please?
Support @ Alphafoodie
Hi,
They are weck jars with clamp seals. They are linked on the shop page here if you want to check them out – https://www.alphafoodie.com/shop/
Syd
Hi, will the chickpeas dry out in the fridge? Or does the fridge keep the moisture in. Thanks!
Support @ Alphafoodie
Hi Syd,
Placing them in the fridge would rather keep the moisture in. You can dehydrate them in the oven (or dehydrator) or just by leaving them out in a well-ventilated area.
Martin
For my chickpea or any bean flour I first soak them overnight, then peel off if needed, break wet beans with blender into not too small pieces (when wet they are soft so blending is easy) and then put them thinly spread in the oven set on 100 C degrees with thermo circulation for 30 min, then mix them, and for another 30 min. Since they are defragmanted they dry very quickly. After this of course grind them.
Support @ Alphafoodie
Thank you for your comment, Martin. Even though it takes longer, a lower temperature is recommended for dehydrating in order to preserve more of the flavour and nutrition. If the temperature is higher, the chickpeas will cook instead of drying.
Alex
But you end up cooking/baking the flour anyway (and/or the chickpeas)…
The concern is possibly roasting them at the higher temps, which will slightly change the flavor, or potentially burning them if one is not careful.
Support @ Alphafoodie
Yes, that’s correct – you can easily burn them.
MARIÁNGELES
THE WAY MARTIN MAKES THIS FLOUR IS PERFECTLY FINE. 100C IS ONLY 200F WHICH IS USUALLY THE TEMP RECOMMENDED FOR DRYING MANY FOODS.
BESIDES, MOST OVENS DON’T OFFER LOWER TEMPS. ACTUALLY I HAVE A GAS STOVE WITH AN OVEN HAT ONLY GOES DOWN TO 160C/ 320F.
✌☮️
Support @ Alphafoodie
Thank you, let me know if you tried it this way.
Bahuleyan Thampi
What is the difference between soaking and non soaking the chickpea
Support @ Alphafoodie
Hi Bahuleyan,
Soaking it will help remove pesticides and nasty residues from the chickpeas, it also makes digestion easier as well as increases its nutritional value. I hope this answers your question.
MARIÁNGELES
THAT’S PERFECT MARTIN, GREAT IDEA TO BREAK THEM UP SO THEY DRY FASTER. AND THE TEMPERATURE IS PERFECT. THNX FOR SHARING. I’LL MAKE MINE LIKE THAT WHENEVER I HAVE TIME, BEC I ACTUALLY PREFER NOT TO SOAK THEM TO DO IT QUICKER.
✌☮️
Support @ Alphafoodie
Thank you for your comment, Mariangeles. I hope you enjoy this recipe! 🙂