Delicious Chickpea Flour Cookies

If you ask me, chickpea flour cookies are one of the best discoveries I’ve made in my kitchen.

These naturally gluten-free treats have a wonderfully nutty flavor and just the right amount of sweetness. The texture lands somewhere between shortbread and sugar cookies, with a slight sandy crumble that melts in your mouth.

They’re made with simple pantry ingredients and come together in just one bowl – perfect for those times when you want homemade cookies without the fuss. A touch of cardamom adds a subtle warmth that makes these cookies feel special.

They’re the kind of cookies that work equally well with morning coffee or as an afternoon snack, and they’ve become a regular request in our house.

What Kind of Chickpea Flour Should I Use?

Chickpea flour (also called garbanzo bean flour) comes in two main varieties you’ll find at the store – regular grind and superfine. For cookies, the superfine grind is your best bet since it creates a smoother texture without any grittiness. You might see it labeled as besan in Indian grocery stores, which is made from split chickpeas and works great in this recipe too. Just make sure your flour is fresh – chickpea flour can go rancid more quickly than regular flour, so give it a quick sniff test before using and store it in an airtight container in the fridge if you’re not baking with it regularly. If you can only find regular grind chickpea flour, you can give it a few pulses in a food processor to make it finer.

Options for Substitutions

These cookies are pretty adaptable! Here are some helpful swaps you can try:

• Coconut oil: You can swap coconut oil with an equal amount of softened butter or vegan butter. Just make sure whatever you use is at room temperature for the best mixing results.
• Eggs: For a vegan version, replace each whole egg with 1/4 cup of mashed banana or unsweetened applesauce. For the egg yolk, use 1 tablespoon of plant-based yogurt.
• Chickpea flour: This is the star ingredient and can’t be substituted with regular flour – the recipe was specifically developed for chickpea flour’s unique properties. Both chickpea and garbanzo bean flour work the same way.
• Brown sugar: While brown sugar gives the best results, you can use coconut sugar or even regular white sugar plus 1 teaspoon of molasses. The texture might be slightly different but still good!
• Chocolate chips: Feel free to swap these with any mix-ins you like – chopped nuts, dried fruit, or even carob chips for a chocolate-free version. Just keep the amount to about 2/3 cup.
• Vanilla essence: Out of vanilla? Try almond extract (use half the amount) or simply skip it – your cookies will still taste great.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest challenge when baking with chickpea flour is managing its unique texture – these cookies can turn out dense and grainy if you don’t let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes before baking, which allows the flour to properly hydrate and creates a smoother final product.

Temperature control is crucial – using melted coconut oil that’s too warm can make your cookies spread too thin, while cold ingredients can cause the coconut oil to solidify into chunks, so make sure all ingredients are truly at room temperature before mixing.

A common error is overbaking these cookies – they might look underdone at 10-12 minutes, but they’ll continue to firm up as they cool, so take them out when the edges are just starting to turn golden while the centers still look slightly soft.

For the best texture, avoid overmixing the dough once you’ve added the flour, and don’t skip the final sprinkle of sea salt – it balances the natural nuttiness of chickpea flour and makes the chocolate chips pop.

What to Serve With Chickpea Flour Cookies?

These nutty, chocolate-studded cookies are perfect for pairing with your favorite hot or cold drinks. A cold glass of milk (regular, almond, or oat) makes these cookies even better – there’s nothing like the classic cookies-and-milk combo! For coffee lovers, these cookies taste amazing alongside a hot cup of coffee or espresso, as the chocolate chips complement the coffee’s richness. If you’re serving these for afternoon tea, try them with chai tea or a vanilla-flavored rooibos, which plays nicely with the cookies’ subtle nutty flavor from the chickpea flour.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: These chickpea flour cookies stay fresh when kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. I like to place a piece of bread in the container to help keep them soft and chewy – it’s an old trick that really works!

Freeze: Want to save some for later? These cookies freeze really well for up to 3 months. Just place them in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking. You can even freeze the raw cookie dough balls – just add an extra minute to the baking time when you’re ready to bake them.

Make Ahead: The cookie dough can be made ahead and chilled in the fridge for up to 48 hours. This actually helps develop the flavors even more! Just wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container until you’re ready to bake.

Preparation Time	10-15 minutes
Cooking Time	9-11 minutes
Total Time	19-26 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Easy

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1300-1500
• Protein: 15-20 g
• Fat: 90-100 g
• Carbohydrates: 130-150 g

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted and brought to room temperature
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar (coconut sugar is an option, but brown sugar enhances flavor)
• 1 egg at room temperature (check notes for vegan alternative)
• 1 egg yolk (use only the yolk)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 1/2 cups chickpea or garbanzo bean flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup chocolate chips, choose dairy-free if preferred (or replace with a 3.5 oz 72% dark chocolate bar, roughly chopped)
• Coarse sea salt for sprinkling on top

Step 1: Prepare Baking Equipment

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.

This will prevent the cookies from sticking and make clean-up easier.

Step 2: Mix Wet Ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together the melted and cooled coconut oil, brown sugar, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

This should take at least 1 minute.

Ensure that the coconut oil is not hot—it should be melted but cooler to avoid cooking the egg.

To bring your egg to room temperature quickly, run it under warm water for 1-2 minutes.

Step 3: Combine Dry Ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour, baking soda, and salt.

This ensures that the ingredients are evenly distributed.

Step 4: Form the Cookie Dough

Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and mix until well combined.

Fold in the chocolate chips gently to distribute them throughout the dough.

Step 5: Shape and Prepare Cookies for Baking

Use a medium cookie scoop to portion out the dough, then roll each scoop into a ball using your hands.

Place the dough balls onto the prepared parchment-lined baking sheet.

If you prefer thinner cookies, slightly flatten the tops of the dough balls very gently, or you can leave them as is for thicker cookies.

Step 6: Bake and Cool the Cookies

Bake in the preheated oven for 9-11 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are slightly golden brown.

Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

This recipe makes 12 cookies.

Once cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container to maintain freshness.