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SAVORY CHICKPEA PANCAKE – FLATBREAD (GF)

Chickpea Pancake – Gluten free, healthy and filling, this veggie filled chickpea flour pancake is savory, delicious and perfect anytime of day!

top down view of savory chickpea pancake on a white plate with items surrounding.

The chickpea pancake, aka chickpea omelette or Socca, is a great way to enjoy a savory and filling pancake any time of day!

Chickpea flour contains 110 calories per 1/4 cup of flour and boosts 6 grams of protein while offering 5 grams of fiber. One of these pancakes uses 1/3 cup flour so you’re getting 9 grams of protein and about 7 grams of fiber per serving. Not bad at all!

Gluten and grain free, chickpea pancakes are one of those great vegan dishes that will stay with you. Filled with vegetables and spices of your choice, it will leave you satisfied and ready to tackle your day!

Eat your chickpea flour pancake with a fork or pull it apart like flatbread. I especially love eating my mine with hummus, either spread on top or pulling it apart for dipping. And a little sriracha never hurts either!

top down view of ingredients used to make savory chickpea flour pancakes.

Ingredients You’ll Need

In this recipe, chickpea flour is mixed with spices, leavening agent, lemon and veggies, creating a wonderfully filling gluten free savory chickpea pancake to enjoy any time of day!

Here is everything you will need:

The Base

  • Chickpea flour – (aka, besan, gram, chana, garbanzo bean or cici flour), and is a great source of protein and fiber.
  • Cumin
  • Garlic powder
  • Baking soda – you can do without this if you like
  • Turmeric
  • Salt
  • Lemon

The Filling

Fill your pancake with whatever you have handy or plan on picking up some special ingredients to make this extra special for yourself, friends and family.

Mix and match any of these ingredients:

  • Greens – Kale, spinach, arugula, chard, dandelions, parsley or cilantro.
  • Veggies (slice, dice or grate any of the following) – Scallions, onion, shallots, garlic, tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers, carrots, jalapenos, asparagus, broccoli, peas, green chilies, and more.
  • Spices – Garam masala, cayenne, garlic powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, thyme, nutritional yeast, cracked pepper, curry, coriander, ground chipotle, summer savory, and more.
  • Toppings – Hummus, salsa, avocado, harissa, sweet chili sauce or hot sauce all come to mind.

I’m sure you will come up with some great versions of this chickpea pancake!

top down view showing the process of making savory chickpea pancake batter.

How To Make Savory Chickpea Pancake

  • Combine the flour, water, baking soda, optional turmeric, cumin, garlic powder and salt to taste in a mixing bowl. Mix well making sure all the flour lumps are gone.
  • Add in the lemon and stir, you’ll notice the batter rise and foam a bit, this is normal.

side by side photos showing the process of adding veggies to chickpea pancake batter.

  • Add in the veggies and combine thoroughly.

top down view of veggie filled chickpea pancake batter added to a hot skillet.

  • Pour 1/2 of the mixture onto preheated skillet or griddle (I recommend using a griddle for ease).
Pro tip: You can use your spatula to move the veggies around and flatten as needed if they are piled up in areas. Also you can help make your pancake round by gently pushing in the edges where needed. There may be times when it appears that you have more veggies than batter, don’t panic, in a few minutes the batter will puff up from the baking soda and fill in making it look fluffy and full.

top down view of veggie filled savory chickpea pancake in a skillet ready to be flipped.

  • Cook for 5 minutes, flip and cook another 5 – 7 minutes, making sure the batter cooks throughout.

And now your chickpea pancake is ready to enjoy!

top down view of freshly made gluten free chickpea pancake in a cast iron skillet.

How To Store Leftovers

Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, in a covered container. Reheat in the toaster oven or microwave.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with your choice of condiments and topping. Here are few of my favorite options:

top down view of savory chickpea pancake on a white plate with fork.

More Ways To Use Chickpeas

If you try this savory chickpea pancake recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.

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SAVORY CHICKPEA PANCAKE (GF)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 4 reviews

Gluten free, healthy and filling, this delicious savory chickpea pancake is perfect anytime of day. Filled with veggies of choice, all you need is one!

  • Author: Julie | The Simple Veganista
  • Prep Time: 10 min
  • Cook Time: 10 min
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 2
  • Category: Breakfast, Brunch, Entree
  • Method: griddle
  • Cuisine: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2/3 cup chickpea flour (aka garbanzo bean or besan)
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 1/2 heaping teaspoon baking soda (can be optional)
  • pinch of turmeric (will give it a yellow color), optional
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin, or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • mineral salt, to taste
  • juice of 1/2 small lemon or 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Add-ins:

  • 2/3 cup greens (kale or spinach), julienned and loosely packed
  • small handful mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 shallot, finely diced
  • 7 grape tomatoes, halved or quartered depending on the size

Instructions

Preheat griddle on medium.

Mix: In a medium size bowl, combine flour, water, baking soda, optional turmeric, cumin, garlic powder and salt to taste. Mix well ensuring all the flour lumps are gone. Add in lemon, stir and you will notice the batter rise and foam a bit. Add in veggies and combine thoroughly. (Note: I don’t really measure the vegetables, so this is an approximation)

Cook: Pour 1/2 of the mixture onto the preheated griddle or skillet. You can use your spatula to move the veggies around and flatten as needed if they are piled up in areas. Also you can help make your pancake round by gently pushing in the edges where needed. There may be times when it appears that you have more veggies than batter, don’t panic….in a few minutes the batter will puff up from the baking soda and fill in making it look fluffy and full. Let cook for 5 minutes. Flip and cook another 5 – 7 minutes, making sure the batter cooks throughout.

Serve with your choice of condiments. A thinned hummus would also be great! Pairs well with fresh fruit on the side.

Makes 2 pancakes

Store: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, in a covered container. Reheat in the toaster oven or microwave.

Notes

Try mixing and matching any of the following…

  • Greens – kale, spinach, arugula, chard, dandelions, parsley or cilantro.
  • Other veggies (slice, dice or grate any of the following) – scallions, onion, shallots, garlic, tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers, carrots, jalapenos, asparagus, broccoli, peas, green chilies, etc…
  • Spices – garam masala, cayenne, garlic powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, thyme, nutritional yeast, cracked pepper, curry, coriander, ground chipotle, summer savory, etc…
  • Toppings – hummus, salsa, avocado, harissa, sweet chili sauce or hot sauce all come to mind.

Updated: Savory Chickpea Pancake was originally published in May 2013. It has been retested and updated with new photos and helpful tips in February 2020. Recipe has stayed the same and is still delicious!

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42 Comments

  1. Julie | The Simple Veganista says:

    Awe, thank you! So glad you enjoyed it. :)

  2. Anonymous says:

    Hi Julie, I am enjoying very much of your website, thank you for sharing all of your great recepies, I have tried to make chickpeas crep, instead of water I put rice milk and avocado for unifying all the ingreadients, but it was so soft that I couln't turn it , it broke. Do you think it is important to put baking soda? and liquid has to be water? I would appreciate your opinion. Thank you!

    1. julie@thesimpleveganista says:

      I would maybe suggest using a bit more flour, that might help. Honestly, I've never made crepes before so I would recommend searching the web for a few recipes and giving those a try. Baking soda would be a help as well, so add 1 teaspoon to the mix. Water or rice milk should be fine. Hope that helps. Cheers :)

  3. Anonymous says:

    Hi Julie. I am loving your website! I made your raw mushroom nut meat the other night and it was awesome! Thanks. Do you know the function of the lemon juice in this pudla? I made one previously and loved the taste, but the lemon really acvtivated my refux, so I'd like to leave it out. Any low acid substitution ideas? Cheers, Arianna

    1. julie@thesimpleveganista says:

      Hi Arianna, you can use 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or you can omit it altogeter as it won't make much of a difference. I'm so glad you liked the nut meat, it is delicious! Thank you for the great feed back. Cheers :)

  4. julie@thesimpleveganista says:

    So glad you liked it! Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Cheers :)

  5. Looks delicious! Love the recipe.

  6. Shanti Ellis says:

    Wow! Yet another of your recipes that I love. I was worried as I was mixing it all together that there wasn't enough batter. It seemed to coat the veggies without leaving anything to make the pancake with, but nope, it worked out just fine! I could have stopped eating after the first one… but I didn't.

    I'll admit that I put yogurt in addition to Sriracha on mine. I always feel so guilty when I use dairy on any of your recipes. :(

    1. julie@thesimpleveganista says:

      I love when I see your comments, your so adorable! Thank you! Enjoy whatever condiments you want…maybe one day you will find the perfect vegan yogurt. Hehe So glad you loved this. Cheers to another winner for Shanti :)

    2. Anonymous says:

      You can make a yogurt sauce from unsweetened soy. Add lemon, herbs, cumin, salt…many options. The same principal.

  7. Jen Laceda | Tartine and Apron Strings says:

    Thanks for this! I will try this tonight! Although we are not vegan or gluten free all the time, I like to prepare these types of food for maximum health!

    1. julie@thesimpleveganista says:

      I hope that you will love this as much as I do! It's a great anytime of day meal with lots of versatility…always a plus.

      I really love your blog Jen! It's so beautifully done ♥

      Thanks for taking a moment to share your thoughts. Cheers to good eats :)

  8. vegan miam says:

    Thank you for sharing this recipe! I never had a gluten-free "chickpea" pancake (or flatbread).

    1. julie@thesimpleveganista says:

      I love socca bread, it's so good. This is another level adding in all kinds of your favorite veggies. You will love it too. :)

  9. eatgreatbegreat says:

    Love this idea! It sounds so wonderful!

    1. julie@thesimpleveganista says:

      It is wonderful! Let me know if you give a try.

    1. julie@thesimpleveganista says:

      Thank you! I like that idea, flax eggs would be a nice touch and extra nutrition. :)

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