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:
💛Ela, Ela, Ela…
I’m rating this again. Your wonderful recipe is a taste delight; vegan, flour free, oil free, and high protein. ☺️
I pulled this out at my husband’s request. I read through a lot of comments to see what others did. I wanted to use a bread pan and tried something another tester did – baking it at 350 F for 65 minutes I made it and produced a “brick.” This was not to deter us. The flavor is amazing (I added garlic powder and caraway seeds.) My husband later proceeded to cut my thin slices into 1/8 inch and toast them in the toaster oven. Then he added ‘no salt seasoning’ and coarse celtic sea salt on top for delightful toasty crackers.
I truly felt bad about the guy who produced a brick and “threw everything in the bin.” Didn’t he even taste it? He would have learned what resilient bread this is!
I also followed the instructions to a T and used the kitchen scale measurements. I am writing to tell other testers, “Don’t give up if the results aren’t what you expect. Use it another way.” This bread is simply amazing and I am so blessed to be married to a man who doesn’t care how it turns out. He absolutely loves it every way!! I spent yesterday making two more loaves because it disappears so quickly.😋😮
My only dilemma is waiting 9 hours for the chickpeas to finish soaking.😂 (By the way, thanks for the food processor link. I love my new lightweight Hamilton Beach kitchen tool. It works well and easily with this recipe.😉🤗
Thank you again for sharing yourself with the world!♥️
Aww, thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave another review! 🥹❤️ Your comment truly made my day. I absolutely love that your husband found a delicious way to enjoy the first loaf instead of letting it go to waste! 😊 And thank you for encouraging others not to give up if things don’t turn out perfectly the first time. That means a lot. Wishing you both many more delicious loaves! 🤗💛
You are very welcome, and thank you again!💛🤗
We never waste good ingredients. This bread is a delicious delight.😋 You, my dear, are a rock star in the vegan/allergy world.🤩
Hi Ela,
Brilliant recipe! This bread recipe works perfectly every time (and I’ve made it for about 6-8 weeks consistently now and churned out about 14 loaves at least, all perfect).. Toasts beautifully, too, but amazingly is great fresh as a sandwich as well – as close to wheat bread as I’ve found after trying so many recipes over the years.
Just one question – do you think I could double the recipe to form a single, larger loaf or do you think it might not bake through to the centre of the loaf properly (or could I just extend the cooking time, perhaps to compensate)? I was just looking for an occasional larger loaf of bread so the slices are a bit longer.
Thanks again for your fantastic recipes!
Clare ❀
Hi Clare! 😊
Thank you so much for your lovely feedback! 💛 I’m thrilled to hear that you’ve made the bread so many times and that it’s been working perfectly for you. Knowing that it’s become a regular part of your routine means a lot! 🥰
As for doubling the recipe, I haven’t tested that myself, so I can’t say for certain how it would affect the baking time and texture. My concern would be exactly what you mentioned, that the center might not bake through properly before the outside becomes too dark. 😊 If you’d like to experiment, you could certainly try extending the baking time, but unfortunately I can’t guarantee the results.
If you do give it a try, I’d love to hear how it turns out! 💛
Hi Ela,
Thanks for your reply, appreciate it. Yes, I figured it would only be an educated-guess on your part as I doubted you would have tried a bigger loaf either – the normal-sized loaf this recipe makes is perfectly fine for me, but my manfriend wants his sandwiches bigger and more ‘man-sized’ slices as he puts it, haha!
I will give the larger loaf a try some time soon and will be sure to come back here and let you know how it goes, what I did differently, if there’s any adjustment in cooking time, etc.!
Also wondering while writing if putting the larger loaf into a standard-sized loaf tin in that instance may help heat the loaf through more consistently given it’s larger size (just a thought, may not do anything except shape it differently)?
Thanks 😊
Clare
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*** P.S. Here’s my completely unsolicited, unrelated, unaffiliated ‘plug’ for Ela’s cookbook “Simple and Delicious Vegan“ as a big THANK YOU for her generosity in sharing so many brilliant recipes freely here on her website as I love to pay things back. I highly recommend the cookbook to everyone who visits here and wants a stunning collection of delicious vegan, gluten-free, refined-sugar free recipes that actually work AND help you maintain good health along with actually enjoying your food (vegan/plant-based shouldn’t be boring or non-tasty!). I bought it as an eBook at the moment, but will eventually buy it as a hard copy too, as recipes look so much more beautiful in books. End of unsolicited plug, and thank you Ela! 😊 ***
Hi Clare! 🙂 Haha, “man-sized” sandwiches gave me a good laugh! 😄💛
Thank you for being willing to experiment and report back. I’m sure other readers would find your results helpful too! 😊 A loaf tin could definitely be worth trying.
And wow, thank you so much for your incredibly kind words about my cookbook! 🥹💛 Your recommendation means more to me than you know. I’m truly grateful for your support, both here on the blog and through the cookbook. Comments like yours make all the work worthwhile.
Hi Ela,
Would it be okay to omit the flax seeds, as I am intolerant to them?
Hi Mal, you could use ground chia seeds instead of flax seeds. 🙂
I have made this bread several times and it is delicious and easy to make. There are times where it does rise and there are times where it comes out flat. Please let me know what I might be doing wrong.
Hi 😊💛
If the bread sometimes rises well and sometimes stays flat, even though you’re using the same recipe, a few things come to mind.
First, are you measuring everything in grams with a kitchen scale? That’s especially important for the psyllium husk powder. Different measuring methods can lead to very different results.
Another possibility is the chickpeas. After soaking, they should weigh about 400 g. If they weigh significantly less or more, the moisture content of the dough can change.
I’d also check the freshness of your baking powder and baking soda. If either one is getting old, the bread may not rise as well.
Finally, different brands of psyllium husk powder can behave quite differently. Some absorb much more liquid than others, which can affect both the texture and the rise.
If you’ve noticed a pattern, such as using a different brand of psyllium, chickpeas, or leavening agents when it turns out flat, let me know and I’ll be happy to help troubleshoot further. 😊💛
Currently in the oven, so excited to try this out! As someone who is gf with also oats, soy and egg white allergies, your recipe looks amazing!
Any advice on what can be used if someone runs out of soaked chickpeas btw? Quick soak of red lentils perhaps? I soaked my chickpeas (24h since I didn’t get to back last night) but they ended up o oh being 225g when weighed, so while tempted to open a can to balance, I didn’t want to risk a flop, so just halved everything else. Looks good with nutritional yeast in it and topped with sesame!
In case you see this soon, what time should I take it out since half sized loaf, 40ish mins?
Hi 😊💛
I only saw your comment several hours later, so I’m sure your bread is already out of the oven by now! 😄
For future reference, yes, a half-sized loaf will usually bake a bit faster, so I would start checking it after about 35-40 minutes.
As for the chickpeas, I wouldn’t recommend replacing them with red lentils in this particular recipe. The recipe was specifically developed with soaked chickpeas, and lentils absorb liquid and bake quite differently. If you only have about half the amount of chickpeas, reducing all the other ingredients proportionally (as you did) is definitely the safest option. 😊
I love the idea of adding nutritional yeast and topping it with sesame seeds. I hope it turned out delicious! 💛😊
this bread is so simple and absolutely delicious!
Thank you so much! 😊💛 I’m so happy you enjoyed it! 😍
I have a question about making this bread. What vinegar do you use; apple cider or malt vinegar?
Thanks.
Hi, I use apple cider vinegar. 🙂
I used white bean the second time making this for a more neutral tasting bread. Came out great. Only difference is to use less water since navy beans aren’t so heavy to blend like garbanzo beans are. Start with a 1/2 cup a slowly and add a teaspoon at a time if necessary to make sure it’s completely smooth.
Thank you for sharing your experience! 😊💛 I’m so glad it worked well with white beans too.
And that’s a great tip. Different beans can vary in moisture and texture, so adjusting the water as needed is always a good idea. Starting with less water and adding more only if necessary is definitely the safest approach 😊
Thanks for taking the time to share your results! 💛
You wouldn’t happen to have the ratio to make a cinnamon raisin bread with the same recipe would you.
I don’t because I never tried it. I think that was mentioned by someone on YouTube or here in the comments. Sorry I don’t remember. 🙂
Hi Ela, when adding in nutritional yeast, what is the best amount to addd to enhance the flavor, but not effect the rise and texture of the bread.
I would probably start with about 2-3 tablespoons 😊 That should enhance the savory flavor nicely without noticeably affecting the texture or rise 👍