Made with chickpea flour, these soft and pliable chickpea tortillas are naturally gluten-free, egg-free, and vegan. A simple 30-minute recipe that only requires 4 ingredients and a blender!
These chickpea flour tortillas are highly versatile. Use them to make my tempeh tacos or falafel tacos, make quesadillas, or serve them as flatbread with Indian tofu curry.
This recipe came about when I had a half-used bag of chickpea flour left from testing my chickpea waffles. After a few (or rather 6) tries, I finally landed on these soft, pliable tortillas that hold together beautifully.
Just like my red lentil tortillas, they're naturally gluten-free and higher in protein than traditional ones. Plus, they’re a sneaky way to get in more beans!
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💚Why you will love these chickpea flour tortillas
- Soft and pliable – great for tacos
- Higher in protein (and fiber!) than traditional tortillas
- Freezer-friendly, making it perfect for meal prep
- Mild in chickpea flavor, especially if cooked thoroughly
🧂What you will need
- Chickpea flour – There are two main types: one made from white garbanzo beans (common in the West), and besan or gram flour, made from brown desi chickpeas.
- Both work in this recipe, but you may need to adjust the water slightly, as they absorb liquid differently. I am using Bob’s Red Mill garbanzo bean flour.
- Besan is less absorbent; hence, less water is needed.
- Tapioca starch – Softens and adds flexibility to chickpea tortillas. Can be substituted with arrowroot or tapioca starch.
- Herbs and spices – Customize your tortillas by adding your favorite herbs and spices! Some of my go-tos include smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🔪How to make chickpea tortillas
Step 1: Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until a smooth batter forms. Allow batter to rest for 10-15 minutes.
Step 2: Heat a pan and pour in ¼ cup of batter. Swirl gently to spread it out. Cook for 1–2 minutes, until the top is dry with no wet spots.
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Step 3: Gently flip it over using a flexible spatula and cook on the other side for another minute.
Step 4: Repeat for the remaining batter and enjoy your chickpea tortillas while warm!
💡Helpful tips
- Make batter without a blender - Sift the chickpea flour to remove lumps, then stir in the remaining dry ingredients. Whisk in water and mix until a smooth batter forms.
- Allow batter to rest – The purpose is to rehydrate chickpea flour, yielding a softer and more flexible tortilla.
- Consistency of batter – After resting, your batter should be pretty runny, thicker than crepe batter but thinner than pancake batter. Add more flour or water to adjust the consistency if needed.
- Cook tortillas thoroughly – Ensure that tortillas have no wet spots on either side. This will significantly remove the bitterness from chickpea flour. Be careful not to overcook as well, as this will dry out tortillas.
🌮How to serve
Make tacos – Fill with Mexican rice and beans, refried beans, salsa (try out my Chipotle tomato salsa), shredded lettuce, or your favorite fillings. Top with sriracha mayo or tofu sour cream for an extra flavor boost.
For breakfast tacos, try scrambled eggs or silken tofu scramble, seitan bacon, avocado slices, and chopped veggies. Add a dash of hot sauce for heat!
Pair with curries - Lightly toast the tortillas and serve them with curries like sweet potato chickpea curry, cabbage curry, or vegan Madras curry as an alternative to flatbreads.
Sweet fillings – These chickpea flour tortillas are great with sweet fillings too! Spread with peanut butter and banana, or stuff with dessert hummus like dark chocolate hummus or cookie dough hummus.
Make high-protein tortilla chips - Cut into triangles, spray with oil, and sprinkle with salt. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 10–12 minutes, or air fry for 6–8 minutes, until crispy.
❄Storing suggestions
Fridge – Store chickpea tortillas in a zip-top bag and press out excess air before refrigerating. Use within 3 days to prevent them from going stale.
Freezer – Freeze for up to 3 months in a zip-top bag. Place a piece of parchment paper between each layer of tortillas to prevent them from sticking.
Reheating – Microwave tortillas, covered with a damp paper towel, at 10-second intervals until hot. To reheat on the stove, warm in a skillet over medium heat for 30 seconds per side, brushing lightly with water beforehand to keep them soft.
❔Commonly asked questions
Chickpea flour (commonly used in Western countries) is typically made from kabuli chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans or white chickpeas. Gram flour, also called besan, is made from desi chickpeas, which are smaller and darker in color.
Chickpea flour has a coarser, fluffier texture, while gram flour is finer and denser.
Both can be used to make chickpea tortillas, but gram flour absorbs more liquid, so if using gram flour, you will need slightly less water to achieve the same batter consistency.
Chickpea flour tortillas have a mild, earthy flavor with a hint of nuttiness. While not quite as bland as regular flour tortillas, they’re still neutral enough to pair well with both savory and sweet fillings. Their subtle flavor makes them a versatile base for tacos.
While chickpea tortillas aren’t as pliable as regular ones, they should still be soft enough to fold into taco shells. If yours are tearing or crumbling, here are two common reasons:
Firstly, you might have skipped resting your batter. This step is important as it hydrates the flour, resulting in a stronger tortilla.
Or, your tortillas might have dried out, especially if left out for too long or refrigerated for longer than 3 days. To keep them soft, store them in a zip-top bag with the air pressed out. For longer storage, freezing is the best option.
📖 Recipe
Soft Chickpea Flour Tortillas
Ingredients
- 2 cups chickpea flour *
- 1 ½ cup water
- ½ cup tapioca starch or arrowroot starch/potato starch
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender, and blend until a smooth batter forms. The batter consistency should be slightly thicker than that of a crepe batter.
- Allow batter to rest for 10-15 minutes. After that, give it a quick stir, adding more water or flour if needed. The batter consistency should be slightly thicker than that of a crepe batter.
- Preheat a non-stick pan/cast iron skillet over medium heat. Grease it with the cooking oil of your choice.
- Once the pan is heated, pour in ¼ cup of the batter and gently maneuver the pan in a circular motion to spread the batter out.
- Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the top dries out and no wet spots can be seen. Gently flip it over using a flexible spatula, and cook for another minute on the other side.
- Repeat for the remaining batter, and enjoy your chickpea tortillas while warm!
Notes
- Make batter without a blender - Sift the chickpea flour to remove lumps, then stir in the remaining dry ingredients. Whisk in water and mix until a smooth batter forms.
- Cook tortillas thoroughly – Ensure that tortillas have no wet spots on either side. This will significantly remove the bitterness from chickpea flour. Be careful not to overcook as well, as this will dry out tortillas.
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Also get a FREE high-protein vegan recipe eBook + weekly new recipes! Unsubscribe anytime.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
Nancy says
Can your make a batch and freeze them?
Jim Mee Sha says
Yes you can! Do place a piece of parchment paper between each layer to prevent them from sticking together.
Nancy says
Can you use cornstarch?
Jim Mee Sha says
It will work too!
Johnny says
Do these fold without tearing/breaking if you making a taco? Do they tear if you roll them up for a burrito?
If so, do you know of an ingredient to add to make them sturdier for rolling/folding?
Jim Mee Sha says
I dont find issues with them breaking when using them for tacos! However, they might not be sturdy enough to make taquitos.
Alina says
I thought that chickpea flour had a strong flavor. Is that not the case? Unless there is enough tapioca in this recipe to mask it. Please clarify. Thank you.
Jim Mee Sha says
Yes, raw chickpea flour has a pretty strong flavor! But the taste will usually go away once cooked.
Janene says
Thank you for sharing this gluten free and vegan recipe. So quick and easy.
Christine says
Do you think the batter would work in a crepe maker ?
Meesha says
I have yet to try that, but it might work!