This simple chickpea bread transforms soaked chickpeas into a surprisingly fluffy yet hearty loaf that’s gluten-free, grain-free and toasts, dips, and slices well!
Guess who’s back with another fun gluten-free bread? After quinoa bread, lentil protein bread, and oatmeal seed bread, my recent chickpea crackers recipe led straight to this fluffy, savory flourless chickpea bread. Unlike most chickpea bread recipes, mine uses whole dried chickpeas, not chickpea flour. The result is surprisingly bread-like (soft and fluffy!) with a savory nuttiness and just enough texture to feel hearty and satisfying.
Even better, this loaf is yeast-free, requires no kneading or rising, and is incredibly easy to make. It’s also grain-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, oil-free, AND high in fiber and some protein. Plus, its savory, nutty, almost buttery flavor is perfect for slicing, toasting, and dunking.
If you love creative chickpea recipes, don’t miss my chickpea tofu, chickpea cookie dough, or chickpea blondies.
The Ingredients
- Chickpeas: Dried chickpeas, soaked overnight, provide the best texture (like in falafels!) for this whole chickpea bread.
- Psyllium husk powder: Use POWDER, not whole psyllium husk. Otherwise, blend them into a fine powder first. This helps mimic wheat dough’s elasticity and softness.
- Ground flaxseed: To bind the loaf while adding nutrients.
- Leavening agents: This yeast-free chickpea bread uses both baking powder and baking soda for rise and fluffiness without yeast.
- Vinegar: Like apple cider vinegar (or lemon/lime juice).
- Salt
- Water
For the full ingredients list, measurements, complete recipe method, and nutritional information, read the recipe card below.
To Flavor The Bread
This savory, soaked chickpea bread makes a versatile canvas.
- Herbs: For falafel-inspired flavor, add plenty of fresh parsley and cilantro with optional dill/mint. Rosemary, thyme, or Italian seasoning also works.
- Seasonings: Garlic powder is a simple way to add savory depth. However, onion powder, smoked paprika, cumin, black pepper, and/or cayenne/red pepper flakes also work. Blends like curry powder also work. Coarse sea salt over the top is also delicious.
- Nutritional yeast: For a cheesy, umami flavor.
- Chunky add-ins: Like a few finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes, roasted garlic, caramelized onions, preserves lemon peel, and/or olives. Pat them dry.
How to Make Chickpea Bread
- First, soak the dried chickpeas overnight (9-12 hours) in plenty of water until they have noticeably expanded and roughly doubled in weight. Then, drain and rinse thoroughly.
- Next, preheat the oven to 360F/180C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Blend the chickpeas and water in a food processor until smooth, pausing to scrape down the sides as needed.
- Add the ground flaxseeds, psyllium husk powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Then, pour the vinegar directly over the baking powder and baking soda.
- Blend again, scraping down the sides if needed. The batter will thicken quickly.
- Transfer the dough onto the prepared pan and shape it by hand into a round loaf, lightly wetting your hands to smooth the top and sides.
- Score the top with a knife. Lightly wet the surface again, optionally sprinkle with flaxseeds, and bake for 50 to 60 minutes.
When ready, a skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean.
- Let the chickpea bread cool completely, then slice and enjoy!
What To Serve With Chickpea Bread?
Enjoy this hearty vegan chickpea bread for topping, toasting, and sandwiches, including:
- Buttered (with vegan soups, stews, and vegan cheese fondue)
- Breakfast toppings (like scrambled tofu and/or sauteed mushrooms)
- Cheese (vegan cream cheese or vegan ricotta cheese with fresh veggies)
- Avocado (Use it for many delicious avocado toast variations)
- Mezze (like hummus, lentil hummus, garlic white bean dip, etc., with cucumber, tomato, olives, roasted red peppers, pickles, etc.)
- Bruschetta style (with tomato, salt, and olive oil)
Storage Instructions
Store: In an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Whole or sliced, with parchment between the slices, in a Ziplock for 3 months. Thaw on the counter for several hours or use the defrost setting in a microwave/toaster.
FAQs
Can I make canned chickpea bread?
No. Soaked raw chickpeas behave very differently from cooked canned chickpeas. They still contain their natural starch, which provides structure and binding when baked. Canned chickpeas are much softer and can’t create the same bread-like texture.
Can I omit the psyllium husk powder?
No, this is an important binder and affects the texture of the bread.
Can I change the shape or size of the loaf?
Absolutely! Feel free to make different-shaped and sized loaves/ a baguette. Adjust baking time accordingly.
Recipe Notes
- For the best results: Use metric measurements for the best accuracy.
- When soaking chickpeas: Make sure the chickpeas are covered with plenty of water, as they swell a lot and absorb a lot of liquid. Then drain thoroughly and rinse to remove any ‘raw’ flavor.
- Shape the loaf: It isn’t like yeast dough, so shape it to your desired shape. It rises wonderfully, but won’t spread.
- Don’t slice too early: Cooling helps ‘set’ the loaf.
More Gluten-free Bread Recipes
- The BEST gluten-free bread
- Keto flaxseed bread
- Red lentil bread rolls
- Gluten-free seeded bread
- Gluten-free French Bread
- Easy Gluten-free Pita Bread
- Gluten-free Naan Bread
If you try this chickpea bread recipe, I’d love a comment and ★★★★★ recipe rating below. Also, please don’t forget to tag me in recreations on Instagram or Facebook with @elavegan #elavegan—I love seeing them.
Chickpea Bread (Gluten Free, No Yeast)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) dry chickpeas (not canned) (400 g after soaking for 9 hours)
- ¾ cup (180 ml) water
- 4 Tbsp (40 g) psyllium husk powder (not whole psyllium husk)
- ¼ cup (25 g) ground flaxseeds
- 1/2-3/4 tsp salt
- 1 ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ Tbsp (16 g) vinegar or lemon juice/ lime juice
Instructions
- You can watch the video for visual instructions.First, soak the dried chickpeas overnight (9-12 hours) in plenty of water until they have noticeably expanded and roughly doubled in weight. Then, drain and rinse thoroughly.
- Next, preheat the oven to 360℉/180℃ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Blend the chickpeas and water in a food processor until smooth, pausing to scrape down the sides as needed.
- Add the ground flaxseeds, psyllium husk powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Then, pour the vinegar directly over the baking powder and baking soda.
- Blend again, scraping down the sides if needed. The batter will thicken quickly.
- Transfer the dough onto the prepared pan and shape it by hand into a round loaf, lightly wetting your hands to smooth the top and sides.
- Score the top with a knife. Lightly wet the surface again, optionally sprinkle with flaxseeds, and bake for 50 to 60 minutes.
- Let the chickpea bread cool completely, then slice and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
„Simple and Delicious Vegan“ Cookbook by ElaVeganCLICK HERE to order!If you are using Pinterest, feel free to pin the following photo:
Hi I tried this and it’s delicious, the only thing is it was a deep dark brown colour very strong wholemeal colour.
I’m not sure if it’s because I used apple cider vinegar??
when it was all mixed together it looked identical to yours in the videos so I’m not sure why it was a deep brown colour
Some psyllium brands will color the bread dark/purple. I’d recommend to try a different brand. I link my favorite one in the ingredients.
Hi! Thank you so much for this nutrient-dense recipe. I was so excited to bake it! I checked on it after about 25 minutes and it actually looked done, but I continued baking it until 50 minutes. My bread looks purple and also rose way too high and then fell down, leaving the bread flat, dull and not fully baked on the inside. I am sure I did something wrong and am looking for advice. I followed your recipe to a T. Thank you in advance!!
Hi Amber 💛
Thank you for trying the recipe. The purple color is from the psyllium husk powder. Some brands can react with the baking soda or acidity and turn purple or greyish. It looks unusual, but it’s harmless. I’d recommend trying the brand which I linked in the ingredients, as it works perfectly. 👍
The bread rising too high and then collapsing usually means it expanded before the structure had time to fully set. A few possible reasons:
* Too much leavening (some baking powders are stronger than others)
* Batter was a bit too wet
* Oven temperature running hotter than expected, causing a fast rise first
* The mixture may have been blended too smooth
For next time I’d recommend:
* Try a different psyllium brand
* Reduce baking powder slightly if yours is very strong
* Check your oven temperature if possible
* Shape the loaf a little wider/flatter rather than tall
* Let it bake the full time without opening early
You didn’t ruin it, just a few small factors likely caused it 😊 Once adjusted, it should turn out much better next time 💛
Hi, I have not made this bread yet. I want to try it , sounds great. I have a food processor that only holds a cup , a blender and an immersion blender.
Would it work with the immersion blender.? Or use the mini processor a little at a time. And carefully mix in every thing with a spoon?
Hi Lori 💛
I would recommend using the mini food processor in batches rather than the immersion blender. The immersion blender usually struggles with soaked chickpeas and may not blend them evenly enough for this recipe.
You can process the chickpeas with the water a little at a time, then combine everything in a bowl and mix well with a spoon or spatula 👍
Once the dry ingredients are added, the mixture thickens quickly, so just work a bit fast at that stage.
It takes a little extra effort with a small processor, but it should definitely be doable 😊
Is there a good substitute for psylium husk? I’ve tried several recipes with it and I just don’t like the taste. Would xanthan gum work?
For this recipe, unfortunately there isn’t a good direct substitute 😊
The psyllium is doing a lot here, it gives structure, elasticity, helps trap air, and allows the bread to rise properly. Xanthan gum wouldn’t replace all of those functions in the same way, so the result would likely be much denser or gummy.
If the taste is the issue, I’d really recommend trying a different psyllium brand, as some taste much milder and more neutral than others 👍💛
I followed instructions exactly and the bread did not rise, it came out like a brick. I used a Vitamix instead of a food processor, so not sure if that matters. Otherwise I soaked the chickpeas overnight, used psyllium husk powder (not whole) and ground my flax seeds with a coffee grinder. The texture was the same as yours in the video when I formed the loaf and I scored it just like you did. I baked at 360 degrees for 55 minutes and I can’t figure out what went wrong. Any suggestions?
Hi Teresa, if it came out dense like a brick, the most likely reason is actually the Vitamix. A high-speed blender can make the mixture too smooth and compact, while a food processor usually leaves a slightly more textured batter with more air, which helps the bread rise better. I’m pretty sure that’s the reason, since I once made another bread recipe with a food processor (it came out amazing), and the next time with a blender it barely rose.
A few other things to check next time:
Fresh baking powder and baking soda are very important
Bake immediately after adding the vinegar
Make sure the chickpeas were well soaked and fully expanded
Don’t overblend once everything is added
Ah, that makes sense, thank you! I tried using my food processor, but the chickpeas were still a little chunky (I soaked them 9 hours), so I thought I’d throw them in the Vitamix to get them a smoother texture. So I most probably did over mix it! I’ll try it with the food processor next time and see what happens. I checked the dates and my baking soda and powders are fine, and I did bake it immediately after adding the vinegar, as suggested. My husband loved the taste, so I will definitely give it another go!
Which oven temperature is better to bake at if I cannot set oven temperature to 360F? 350F or 375F?
I’d go with 350°F 😊💛
It’s closer to 360°F than 375°F in terms of gentle baking, and this type of bread does better with a slightly lower temperature so the inside has enough time to cook through without the outside browning too fast.
You may just need to bake it a little longer, so start checking around 55–65 minutes depending on your oven 👍
If you use 375°F, the crust may brown too quickly before the center is fully baked.
Love this bread, it is very easy to make and is also very tasty, nutrient-dense with high in satiety. I would definitely recommend.
Thank you so much 😊💛
So happy you love the bread! And yes, easy, tasty, and filling is the best combo 👍
Really appreciate your recommendation!
Delicious. Next time I will cook it for an extra 10 minutes. Thank you
So glad you liked it 😊💛
Hi Ela,
I followed your instructions carefully, used a scale to weight all ingredients.
My bread looked nice but was soggy and gummy inside.
Any idea why?
Hello Ewa, I’m sorry to hear it didn’t turn out well.
Could you let me know if you used raw chickpeas rather than canned, and psyllium husk powder instead of whole husks? Also, was your baking powder fresh?
If the texture turns out gummy, it’s usually due to using canned/cooked chickpeas or the wrong type of psyllium.
i made this and it was pretty easy to process , the bread ended up with a nice springy texture and took on the flavors i put in. i did an Italian style with oregano, garlic, and nutritional yeast. Is it possible to convert the baking time into a pizza dough with or without a par bake?
Love that combo, sounds sooo good 😍
A couple of tip for the pizza:
– Reduce the psyllium if you want it less bread-like and more pizza-like
– Add 1–2 tsp olive oil for a softer, more classic pizza vibe
– Bake it thinner rather than thick, otherwise it stays more like bread inside
Bread comment
Hi Ela!
So I had an adventure making your bread this evening! Thanks so much for doing all this experimenting and sharing healthy recipes for us! I had relative success, but have a couple questions…
I made this recipe while on the phone, which, in hindsight, I will not do again. I doubled it in order to use the whole bag of chickpeas, and then discovered that I couldn’t fit that much in my food processor, so I had to switch it to my blender. Because of being on the phone, I think I had ingredients sitting too long in between steps which potentially made the psyllium husk, extra thirsty, cause I ended up having to literally double the amount of water just to get the mixture moving in the blender. And then my blender was working so hard, the motor started smelling and burnt out on me. Hoping I didn’t ruin my blender! However, the mixture did come together, and I was able to make two nicely shaped loaves that rose beautifully in the oven. They did “grow into each other“ while baking, so next time I would bake it in some bread pans.
For being bread made from chickpeas and psyllium husk, it was pretty impressive. But it honestly still had a strong taste, and the texture was pretty spongy and gummy. Well, to be more clear, the bottom third of the bread was more dense and gummy, the top 2/3 of the bread had a beautiful crumb, but still had a moist, spongy mouth feel when eating. Is there a way to acquire a texture that is more similar to regular wheat bread? Is your chickpea flour version more like that? Or do you think the biggest problem was that I had to add all that extra water?
Thanks in advance for your time!
Hi Emily! 😊
First of all, thanks so much for trying the recipe and for sharing all the details, that really helps!
I think you already figured out the main issue. Letting the batter sit too long before blending and baking can make a big difference. Psyllium is very absorbent, so if it sits, it thickens a lot and then you end up needing much more water. That extra water is very likely what caused the gummy and spongy texture, especially in the lower part of the bread.
Also, using a blender instead of a food processor can make things trickier. The mixture is quite thick and doesn’t circulate as well, which is probably why your blender struggled so much.
A few tips that should help next time:
• Try to work fairly quickly once you add the psyllium and liquids
• Stick to the exact water amount if possible
• Use a food processor if you can, it handles thick dough much better
• Baking the dough in two separate pans is a great idea if doubling
• Let the bread cool completely, this is really important for the final texture
About the texture: chickpea bread will never be exactly like wheat bread, but it shouldn’t be gummy. When it turns out right, it’s more soft and sliceable with a slightly moist crumb.
And yes, the chickpea flour version usually has a more even, slightly less “spongy” texture, so you might prefer that one!
Hope that helps, and I really appreciate you giving it a try (even with a blender adventure 😄). Let me know how it turns out next time!
Thank you so much, Ela!!
Excellent! Thank you for this recipe. Is it possible to do in a bread machine?
Hello Antoinette, I don’t think it’ll work. This is not a yeast dough but a very fast-setting batter with psyllium, flax and baking powder. It thickens within minutes and needs to be shaped and baked right away, which bread machines don’t handle well.
If you really want to try it, only use the machine as a “baking oven”: prepare the batter as written, transfer it directly into the greased bread pan and start a bake-only program without any kneading or resting time.
But honestly, the regular oven gives much better results for this recipe.
fantastic bread.
light and fluffy.
easy to make too
So happy to hear tha, Helgat! 😊💛 Thanks so much for your lovely feedback!
I followed the recipe with exception that I topped it with sunflower seeds. The bread turned out greenish/black. What did I do wrong? Is itedible?
You didn’t do anything wrong 😊 It’s actually a known reaction.
Sunflower seeds can react with the baking soda and turn greenish/black during baking. It looks a bit strange, but it’s completely harmless.
So yes, it’s totally edible 💛
If you want to avoid it next time, you can either skip sunflower seeds or add a tiny bit more acid (like lemon juice), which can reduce the color change.
I love this recipe and the bread tastes great! I am wondering if it is still good after 7 days in an airtight container in the fridge. I have a couple slices left and don’t want to waste them. Thank you!
So glad you liked it, Maria! 😊
After 7 days in the fridge, it really depends. If it smells fresh, has no visible mold, and the texture seems normal, it should still be okay. When in doubt, it’s safer to toss it.
For next time, slicing and freezing the bread works really well. You can just toast the slices straight from the freezer and they taste great!
Thank you Ella! I’m making it again today and will freeze half to be safe! I also was wondering if I could make it into individual rolls. Have you tried that?
Thank you so much 😊 So happy you’re giving it another try!
Freezing half is a great idea, that works really well 👍
I haven’t tested them as individual rolls yet, but it should work. I’d just recommend shaping smaller portions and keeping an eye on the baking time, since they’ll likely bake a bit faster. The texture might be slightly different, a bit less soft in the center, but still delicious.
If you try it, I’d love to hear how they turn out 💛