Chickpea flour

Chickpea flour is made by grinding dried chickpeas into a fine, pale yellow powder. It is also called gram flour, and in the Indian subcontinent chickpeas are often split and ground into besan flour for traditional snacks and sweets.

The flour has a nutty, earthy taste that mellows when it is toasted. It contains no wheat gluten, so it is used in gluten-free baking and as a binder in batters and fritters. It is also used for sweets and batters.

In baking it adds a dense, moist, slightly rich crumb to cookies, flatbreads and cakes. Because its flavor is assertive, it is usually blended with other flours, nuts and sweeteners.