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:
Hello, I would like to try the recipe. Can you recommend a substitute for Psyllium Husk Powder. Thanks
Hi Jim,
Psyllium husk powder is really important for the structure and the bread-like texture in this recipe, so there is no perfect one-to-one substitute.
If you can’t get it, you can experiment with chia seeds or extra ground flaxseed, but the bread will turn out much denser and less fluffy. For example, you would need about double the amount of chia seeds compared to the psyllium, and the result will be more compact.
Making this in the morning. I soaked the dry chick peas overnight last night for my first time. Should they still be a little hard? I see other people online boil them for. awhile before cooking with them. I’ve only used canned so I’m used to. a much more squishy pea and want to be sure I have done this correctly before trying to bake. Thank you, Monique
Hi Monique, you’re doing it right 😊
After soaking, the chickpeas should be fully hydrated and almost doubled in size, but they will still feel firm and not squishy like canned chickpeas. That’s exactly what you want for this recipe. They should be bite-able but still a bit hard in the center.
Please don’t boil them for this bread. They need to stay raw (just soaked), because their natural starch is what helps the bread set and get its bread-like texture in the oven.
turned out perfect the first time. just wondering if you can use other dried beans instead of the chickpea??
It’s a keeper
That’s wonderful to hear, thank you so much for the feedback, Stella. 🤍
I haven’t tested this recipe with other dried beans yet, so I can’t say for sure how they would behave. Different beans have very different starch and protein structures, so the texture and rise would likely change. It could be fun to experiment, but the result may be quite different from the chickpea version. I might try cannellini beans or pinto beans in the future. 🙂
This looks amazing. Could whole psyllium husks be used instead of psyllium husk powder? Thank you.
Hi Valerie, you can use 40 grams of whole psyllium husks if you blend them into a very fine powder first. Just make sure they’re fully ground, because the powder form is what gives the bread its proper structure and texture.
Made this today and I’m so happy! Very light and fluffy. I was expecting it to be dense but it wasn’t at all. And it toasted very well too. I will be making this again. Often!
I haven’t had bread since 2017. This is perfect.
Thank you!
That makes me so happy to read, thank you so much, Jill. 🥰
I love that you found it light and fluffy too, that was exactly my goal with this bread. And yes, it toasts really well which makes it even better for everyday use.
Enjoy it, and thank you for trusting my recipe 💛
I made this bread today. I like it but I prefer your quinoa bread because it has lots of seeds. Plus, you may recall, I add caraway seeds to the quinoa batter for a rye flavor, and I sprinkle everything bagel on top of it before baking. Do you think the chickpea bread would work with those additions to kick it up a notch? Thanks!
Yes, I believe that would work beautifully 😊
You can add some seeds of choice (sunflower, chia, sesame…), and also caraway seeds to the batter and sprinkle everything bagel seasoning on top. It sounds like it’s going to be delicious, just make sure not too add more than 50 grams, or it might turn out too dense.
Made this today and I’m already soaking beans to make another loaf, or two, tomorrow. The video was very helpful. Thank you. I use a lot of your recipes. Thanks.
That makes me so happy to hear, Jo! 🙂 Love that you’re already soaking beans again, that’s the best compliment.
So glad the video helped too, and thank you so much for using and trusting my recipes.
Absolutely delicious with an amazing texture. I found it to be perfect for sandwiches!
So happy you liked it, Betsy! 🤍
And yes, it really is perfect for sandwiches. That texture holds up so well and stays nice and soft inside.
Thanks so much for your lovely feedback.
This recipe is absolutely amazing! I cannot have gluten, yeast, or eggs and thus haven’t had risen bread in a decade. My daughter has never had risen bread. This was so amazingly delicious we just ate the entire first loaf in a couple minutes. You have literally just changed my life by giving me this beautiful recipe. Thank you so very much! Does this need to be stored in the fridge? Does it freeze well?
This truly made my day, Kelly, thank you so much for sharing this. I’m incredibly happy to hear that you both loved it so much 🥹🤍
You can store the bread in an airtight container at room temperature for about 2 to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Yes, it also freezes very well. You can freeze it whole or sliced. If you freeze it sliced, place a small piece of parchment paper between the slices so you can easily take out individual pieces. It keeps well in the freezer for up to about 3 months.
Thank you for the recipe! So, so good and easy to make.
This will definitely be a repeat recipe
So happy you liked it, Laurence. 💚
Love hearing that it’s going on your repeat list. Thanks so much for the feedback.
Are the flaxseeds necessary? If so, might there be a substitute for them?
Yes, they are important because they help improve the structure of the bread.
I haven’t tested this recipe without them yet, so I can’t guarantee the same result. You could experiment with replacing them with chia seeds, but the texture will change and the bread will likely turn out denser.
Wheh I add chickpeas and water to the blender it doesn’t create a completely smooth batter, it’s still textured. Is that normal?
Small tiny specks are fine, but it shouldn’t feel grainy or chunky. If your blender isn’t very strong, just blend a little longer.
From the ingredients it also looks to be suitable for a ketogenic diet. Is that correct?
Also did you bake it on a baking tray?
Maybe not ketogenic, but it’s relatively low-carb, yes.
Yes, on a baking tray with parchment paper. You can see the step-by-step pictures and video in the blog post. 🙂
Would this work with canned chickpeas?
Hi Linda, no it won’t work with canned chickpeas as mentioned in the FAQ’s.
Hi, is the oven 180c fan assisted? Thanks, Alan
I tried the recipe in a fan assisted oven and also without. Both times it worked fine.
good
Glad you enjoyed it, Claudia. 🙂
Came out pretty much the same size as it went in. Not sure what I did wrong? But 5 stars because other than understandably being very dense, the most satisfying bread like GF loaf ever! Will definitely try again. I wonder if my oven wasn’t hot enough… I have an AGA.
Hi Annie, thanks so much for your lovely feedback and the 5 stars. I’m really happy you still enjoyed it. 😊
If it didn’t rise much, it could definitely be related to oven heat. AGA ovens can behave quite differently from regular ovens and sometimes run cooler than expected.
A few other things that can make a big difference are not using metric measurements (grams), making sure your baking powder and baking soda are fresh, that the chickpeas were well soaked and very well drained, and that you used psyllium husk powder (not whole husks). Different psyllium brands can also behave very differently. Which brand did you use?
Next time, try letting your oven fully heat through a bit longer and, if possible, baking the loaf in a hotter spot in your AGA. I’m sure your next one will turn out lighter.
Will try making in microwave. 15 min. @ 50% power. Will use whole psyllium husk as that is in at hand. Recipe so easy.
Hi, not sure if the microwave will work, but please report back. Whole psyllium husk should work okay but only if you follow my metric measurements.
Can this recipe be adapted to an air fryer please. Looks fantastic.
I haven’t tried it but it should work if you adjust the time.
Can I sprout the chickpeas for a couple of days and use them to add to the nutritional value?
Thanks.
I haven’t tested this recipe with sprouted chickpeas, so I can’t promise the same result. Sprouted chickpeas behave differently than soaked raw ones and usually contain more moisture, which would likely change the texture and structure of the bread. It might work with some adjustments, but the crumb will probably turn out denser and you would need to experiment with reducing the water.
Can I use just chickpea flour instead?
Hi Sarah, I haven’t tried using chickpea flour yet, will update once I do.
following this as I would like to know about chickpea flour as well