If you have a recipe that calls for chickpea flour but don’t have any on hand, you’ll need a chickpea flour substitute. Use any of these flour options as a substitute!
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What is chickpea flour
Chickpea flour is a flour made from chickpeas, also known as chickpeas. It is a gluten free Flour, which has recently become increasingly popular in America.
It originated in India and is used in many popular Indian dishes (although it is known as besan in India) such as kadhi and laddoos.
If you’ve never tried chickpea flour, it has a savory, nutty flavor. It doesn’t work like other flour options, but it does have some great benefits!
The benefits and nutrition of chickpea flour
Anyone who does not have celiac disease and is not gluten intolerant still has reason to use chickpea flour. There are some key nutritional differences between chickpea flour and all-purpose flour.
Chickpea flour contains more protein than regular all-purpose flour. There are 5 grams of protein in 1/4 cup chickpea flour and 3 grams of protein in all-purpose flour. This may seem like little, but depending on how much you consume, it can be just add!
There are also fewer carbs per serving compared to all-purpose flour. The difference is minimal, but similar to protein content, the differences can add up!
Where the difference isn’t minimal is in the fiber department. A single serving of chickpea flour contains 20 grams of fiber, while the same sized serving of all-purpose flour contains only about 3 grams of fiber. That is a a whopping 17 grams difference! Fiber is very important nutrition. Would you like to know more? Read my article on fiber!
Buy chickpea flour
Chickpea flour isn’t as common a product as all-purpose flour, but it’s slowly showing up in more stores across the States. Check both the baking aisle and gluten-free sections at your local grocery store. If you can’t find it in any of these areas, you can just buy it on Amazon.
If you quiet can’t find the flour, you can try making your own chickpea flour at home! Are you ready to walk this path? Alpha Foodie has a great article on how to make your own chickpea flour at home.
Is All-Purpose Flour a Substitute for Chickpea Flour?
Yes! You can substitute chickpea flour for all-purpose flour, so to speak.
If a recipe uses chickpea flour, that recipe was made with that flour in mind. You can make some slight recipe tweaks to make the recipe work with all-purpose flour instead of chickpea flour, but it will never be the same without many rounds of testing the recipe!
Like I said, chickpeas are hearty. So if you’re using chickpea flour in a recipe that calls for all-purpose flour, use half. For example, if the recipe calls for 1 cup all-purpose flour, you would only use 1/2 cup chickpea flour.
Chickpea Flour Substitutes List
potato flour: A gluten-free flour that produces a thick result. This is slightly higher in calories, but still a good substitute for chickpea flour.
almond flour: This is a very crazy (and gluten free!) flour option. Use almond flour instead of chickpea flour in a 1 to 1 ratio.
tapioca flour: Tapioca flour is a gluten-free option that might not be the best substitute for chickpea flour, but it is an option. It’s something you’ll want to combine with a second flour when baking. That means you would get a combination of say, Tapioca flour and almond flour as a substitute for chickpea flour.
oatmeal: This is also a gluten-free option (normally)! Oatmeal tastes similar to chickpea flour. They’re both a little savory. One difference in substituting oat flour for chickpea flour is the amount you need. If the recipe calls for 1 cup of chickpea flour, use about 2 1/3 cups of oat flour instead.
buckwheat flour: This is a savory flour. Buckwheat flour isn’t always a typical pantry staple in the States, but it would still work as a substitute for chickpea flour.
coconut flour: Coconut flour is also a gluten-free option. The problem is that coconut flour retains its flavor. If you don’t want the taste of coconut, try combining coconut flour with another flour in your substitute. Another important point to keep in mind is that coconut flour absorbs more water than many other flours. This can affect the outcome of your dish!
all purpose flour: All-purpose flour is one of the most commonly used flours in the States. It has a neutral taste and is easy to work with. To use all-purpose flour instead of chickpea flour, use the opposite of the directions listed in the section above. You use twice the amount of flour that the chickpea flour recipe calls for.
whole wheat flour: Wholegrain flour contains all of the wheat grain. That means it has more fiber, protein, and nutrients than all-purpose flour. Whole wheat flour is a great option or substitute for chickpea flour-based recipes.
Chickpea flour substitute to go
- Chickpea flour is made from garbanzo beans AKA garbanzo beans.
- This is a healthy and high-fiber option.
- This flour is becoming more and more popular in the States, so its availability is also increasing.
- You can substitute a number of other options for chickpea flour, but the recipe may not have the same results.
- Leave a rating and comment below if you need other substitutions!
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