Vegan Chickpea Flour Waffles (savory/sweet)

All you need is 4 ingredients and 30 minutes to make these amazing chickpea flour waffles! They are fluffy, light, and crispy and are an excellent base for both sweet and savory toppings. These waffles also happen to be vegan and gluten-free. 

Chickpea flour is one of my favorite gluten-free flours to work with! It is incredibly versatile, and you can use it almost anywhere that calls for regular flour. I had successfully attempted to make chickpea flour tortillas and banana pancakes in the past, and this chickpea flour waffles recipe is my latest creation!

💚Why you will love this recipe

• Simple and easy to make - This recipe only requires 4 simple ingredients and is fuss-free and beginner-friendly. 
• Irresistibly fluffy and crisp - Although these waffles are gluten-free, they still taste as good as the regular ones. 
• A great source of protein - Chickpeas is packed with plant-based protein! These waffles contain at least 10g of protein per serving. 
• Stores well and is freezable - Hence, making them a fantastic meal prep recipe for busy workdays. 

🧂What you will need 

📃Ingredients notes and substitutions 

• Chickpea flour - It is essentially flour made from ground chickpeas.
  •  You can find them in most groceries, either in the baking aisle or gluten-free aisle. I love Bob’s Red Mill brand. 
  • You could also make your own at home with dried chickpeas and a good blender. For more detailed instructions, I recommend checking out the post “how to make chickpea flour” by Alpha Foodie.  

🔪How to make 

Here is a quick rundown on the steps involved in making chickpea waffles. As usual, the full detailed recipe will be in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. 

Combine chickpea flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix well. Next, add water, and stir until a smooth batter forms. Let the batter rest for 15-20 minutes. 

In the meantime, preheat your waffle iron to medium-high. Grease the plates with some oil. 

Pour about ½ cup of batter into the waffle iron, and cook until the indicator light switches color or steam escaping from the waffle maker starts to dissipate. Serve it with whatever topping you fancy, and enjoy! 

✔Helpful tips 

• Before using it, you must preheat your waffle iron and grease it with some oil. Or not, your waffles might stick to the plates, causing them to separate in half. 
• Although this is only a waffle recipe, I will still recommend weighing out the flour using a kitchen scale. 
  • I am using this inexpensive Ozeri kitchen scale and love it so far! 
  • If you choose to use measuring cups, follow the spoon and level method. Spoon the flour into your cup, and level off excess using a butter knife. Avoid packing flour into your measuring cup! 
• Do not skip resting your batter! This allows time for the chickpea flour to rehydrate, yielding waffles that are moist on the insides. 
• If your waffle maker does not have an indicator, use the steam emerging from the maker as a guide. Once steam stops dissipating out of it, your waffles are done cooking. 
• To keep chickpea flour waffles warm and crispy while the others are cooking, Place them in an oven preheated to 100C/210F. 

✨Variations and add-ins 

For sweet waffles 

• Granulated sweetener - add about 1 tablespoon 
• Vanilla extract 
• Spices - Cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, pumpkin spice 
• A handful of chocolate chips 

For savory waffles 

• Herbs - chopped green onion, parsley, cilantro 
• Spices - Onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin 
• Vegan cheese - crumbled feta, shredded mozzarella, parmesan 

🍌Serving ideas 

Fruits - Pair chickpea flour waffles with some freshly chopped fruits, like banana and peaches, or frozen berries for some extra sweetness. 

Nut butter - Waffles and nut butter go hand-in-hand, in my opinion! My personal favorite is this coconut almond butter. 

Compote and jam - Top them with a generous dollop of jam or homemade blueberry compote. 

Vegan bacon and sausages - I love pairing them with vegan bacon and Italian seitan sausages for an extra boost of protein. 

Condiments - Savory condiments like vegan mayo, sriracha mayo, cashew tofu ricotta, and sriracha pair well with these chickpea waffles! 

❄Storing suggestions 

Fridge - These chickpea waffles can be kept in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in an airtight container. 

Freezer - To freeze, flash freeze them first by arranging them in a lined baking sheet in one layer. Pop them into the freezer for 1-2 hours, or until they are frozen and hard.

You can now transfer them to freezer bags or containers before freezing. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. 

Reheating - To reheat waffles, simply pop them into a toaster and toast until they are hot and crispy. You could also heat them in an oven preheated to 180C/350F for about 10 minutes. 

❔Commonly asked questions 

🍽More chickpea flour recipes

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