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:
I made a brick. Followed the recipe, ground up the psyllium husk to a fine powder, added maybe slightly more raising agent (about 1/4 tsp) and vinegar because it looked very solid dough. I was hoping to find a use for some chickpeas that after 2 hours boiling STILL were too firm to add to curries. Soaked the chickpeas for 24 hours to be sure they were soft with several water changes. Followed recipe exactly, got something inedible. Sorted out what to do with the chickpeas though – 4.5Kg in the bin, along with the loaf. This is the end of my experimentation with bread, I buy it or go without. Deleting bookmark for ALL alternative loaves – giving up. .
No, unfortunately you did not follow the recipe. This recipe only works with soaked, uncooked dried chickpeas, not with chickpeas that have been boiled!
Boiled chickpeas have a completely different texture and moisture level, which will change the dough and lead to a dense result.
I was cleaning out the pantry and saw a mason jar of chickpeas, dated from 4 years ago. I decided to soak them overnight, and use them to make Flourless Chickpea Bread. Next day, I measured all the ingredients in grams on my scale and followed your recipe exactly, adding some garlic powder for a little more flavor. It took an hour and five minutes to bake in my oven which is a little off temperature wise. Success! My sister and niece and I really enjoyed the texture and flavor. I’ll be making this bread again and again. Thank you for such a great recipe!
That’s amazing, I love that you rescued those chickpeas! 😊 So glad the bread turned out well for you, even with the longer baking time. Garlic powder sounds like a great addition too.
Really happy you and your family enjoyed it. Thanks so much for trying the recipe and for your lovely feedback! 💛
I had trouble cooking this as outside was cooked but middle gooey. Do you use a conventional or convection oven for your breads? I’ve noticed in the past that convection ovens can cause this, but only have convection. Would cooking in a Dutch Oven help?
Hey! I actually use a gas oven. But if the center is gooey, it’s usually because of one of these things:
• chickpeas weren’t well drained after soaking
• whole psyllium husk was used instead of powder
• the mixture wasn’t blended completely smooth
• measurements weren’t weighed in grams
Also, every oven is different, so baking 10–15 minutes longer can sometimes help
hi
I’ve made the bread few times now
love it!
thank you
That makes me so happy to hear! 😊 I’m really glad you enjoy the bread and keep making it. Thanks so much for your kind feedback! 💛
I made it as buns, lefts in the oven 35 minutes. They came out so delicious, the texture is incredible I can’t stop eating them. They have great texture and they are so light on the stomach.
Thank you so much, as always all your recipes are wonderful.❤️🧡
This bread was outstanding! It was also extremely easy to make, Thank you so much for developing and sharing the recipe.
Thank you so much, Doris! I’m really glad you enjoyed the bread and found it easy to make. I appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment! 😊
This bread is fantastic! I’ve made about six loaves so far and all have turned out great. I didn’t expect such success as I have tried several GF recipes over the years and had just about given up on having toast or a sandwich ever again. Bread was the one thing I really missed since finding out I could no longer tolerate gluten. I have started experimenting with different shapes and toppings. It’s so much fun!!
I’m so happy to hear that! 😊 It really means a lot to know the recipe helped you enjoy bread again after struggling with gluten-free ones for so long.
That’s exactly why I love this recipe too. It’s simple but still gives a nice bread texture. 🙂
Excellent, I added some extra seeds such as sunflower and pumpkin but loved this recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it! Adding sunflower and pumpkin seeds is lovely, they give the bread extra texture and flavor. Thanks so much for sharing your variation 😊
I love this bread so much…I have so many allergies and sensitivities, this bread is absolutely the best for me. I see you now have a chickpea flour bread recipe, so I will have to try it as well. Third time making this one. Thank you so much for all of your wonderful recipes ❤️ and all the work developing them. Hello from Canada 🇨🇦
Thank you so much for your kind words. I’m really happy to hear that the bread works well for you and your allergies. I hope you’ll enjoy the chickpea flour bread too. Sending you warm greetings back to Canada ❤️
Question: What if you soaked your chickpeas but already cooked them? Can you still use them in this bread?
No, that won’t work. Once chickpeas are cooked, they behave very differently from soaked raw chickpeas. They lose their natural starch structure, which is what helps the bread set and hold together in the oven. Cooked chickpeas are much softer and tend to produce a dense or gummy result.
For best results, it’s important to use dried chickpeas that were soaked and then well drained, but not cooked.
I’m so glad you told me! Thank you. BTW I have your cookbook and love it.
Aww, I am so glad you love it! 🙂
Your bread recipes have changed my life and I think this one is the best I’ve tried. It’s so light and fluffy and tastes just like wholemeal bread. I didn’t even do a good job of it because I used a blender instead of a food processor, so the dough didn’t mix well. Thank you for posting such easy and creative bread recipes so I can enjoy bread again!
I’m so happy to hear that, Josie, thank you for the kind words. It really means a lot that my recipes help you enjoy bread again.
Easy to make. Not as dense as one might think. It has a delightful, almost spongy texture. The more I ate, the more I enjoyed the flavour and continued eating.
So happy to hear that, Ash! 😊 Glad you enjoyed the texture and flavor. Thanks a lot for the feedback!
I made this is a hurry and added too much water…..so added another 1/3 cup of ground flax. It turned out yummy! Thinking of adding some seeds the next time, and of being more careful!. Also, I don’t have a food processor, so after soaking the chick peas for 12 hours (that’s just how it worked our), I was able to use an immersion blender, and it worked well. Thanks for the recipe.
Nice save, that was a smart way to balance the extra water. Glad it still turned out yummy.
Seeds are a great idea for the next batch. Things like sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds or sesame work really well and add a nice texture.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
O pão ficou muito bonito!
Fico feliz que o pão tenha ficado bonito. 🙂
I just saw your comments in the recipe that it can be frozen! Missed that the first time!
No worries at all. 🙂
Hi, I’ve made this bread but it hasn’t turned out to be as soft as yours, it’s quite tough in the middle. Where have I gone wrong?
Hi Tracey! If the bread turned out tough in the middle, a few things could have caused that.
• Make sure you used soaked dried chickpeas, not canned or pre cooked ones.
• Try to blend the chickpea mixture as smooth as possible. A slightly coarse mixture can make the crumb heavier and less soft.
• It helps a lot to weigh the ingredients in grams. Small differences can change the texture quite a bit.
• Check that you used psyllium husk powder, not whole husks. Whole husks usually make the bread firmer and less soft.
• Also make sure the chickpeas were well soaked and then very well drained before blending.
Sometimes baking a little too long can also make the center tougher, while baking too short can make it dense. Every oven is a bit different, so you might need to adjust the time slightly.
This turned out perfectly! I have tried so many gluten free, yeast free breads that never turn out or taste terrible. You are very talented! Do you know if this can be frozen?
Yay, I am so glad it turned out perfectly! And yes, it can be frozen. 🙂
Thanks for your comment, Lee.
can the salt be omitted?
Yes, you can omit the salt if needed. The bread will still bake and set properly.
Just keep in mind that salt mainly enhances flavor. Without it, the bread will taste bland. If you’re reducing sodium, you could add other flavor boosters instead, like garlic powder, onion powder, dried herbs, or seeds.
Technically optional, but for taste it does make a huge difference 😊
May I ask for the cup capacity of your food processor so I can determine how big my food processor should be if I make this bread again? Initially, I made this in a 7 cup food processor as that is the only one I have on hand. However, I noticed that I probably needed more room for mixing. My 7-cup Kitchen Aid food processor motor also started to smell (or is is burn a bit?) What is your recommended size for the food processor for these types of bread – should I buy a 9-cup, 12-cup or 14-cup food processor? What is the cup size of your food processor that you used to make this bread? Thank you.
Hello, I used an 8-cup food processor from Hamilton Beach. 🙂
So, I guess a 9-cup should be fine!
Thank you.
I don’t see a substitution list for the flax seed – I hate the taste of flax seed – please let me know what can I substitute. thank you
You could try ground chia seeds.
I made this bread last weekend and it came out great other than it turned a very dark brown, almost black in color. I noticed it turned that color within 10 min of being in the oven. Do you know why? My wife and I really like it, but it doesn’t look very nice.
If it turned very dark, almost black, that quickly, it’s almost certainly the psyllium husk brand.
Some brands oxidize much more during baking and cause a very dark purple-brown color, especially if the husks are darker to begin with. That can happen within the first 10–15 minutes and isn’t related to burning.
Since you said the texture and taste were good, I wouldn’t worry about the recipe itself. I’d simply try a different brand of psyllium husk next time, ideally a lighter colored one. That usually solves the issue completely. I’ve linked my preferred psyllium husk brand in the ingredient list.
Glad to hear you both enjoyed it despite the color 😊
Thank you. I’ll try your brand next.