As both a foodie and a science nerd, I love experimenting with different cooking and baking ingredients and techniques. I’m especially drawn to innovative products that food companies create in response to consumer needs (think: gluten-free, vegan, allergen-friendly) because they open up even more possibilities in the kitchen.
One category I’ve been having fun with lately is grain-free flours. I’ve baked with almond and coconut flour plenty of times, but I only recently started experimenting with chickpea flour. Made from finely ground chickpeas, this flour packs in protein and fiber (both of which help keep you feeling full longer), along with key vitamins and minerals like folate, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc.
Through a bit of trial and error, I quickly learned that chickpea flour has a strong, distinct flavor. It took some tweaking to get the taste just right. Adding banana, cinnamon, and vanilla extract helped naturally sweeten these pancakes while keeping the chickpea flavor subtle and balanced.
You can usually find chickpea flour in the baking aisle near traditional wheat flours. If your local store doesn’t carry it, it’s also easy to order online.
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Chickpea Flour Banana Pancakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup chickpea flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 T baking powder
- 1 ripe banana
- 1/4 cup + 2 T almond milk (or milk of your choice)
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Optional toppings: sliced fruit, chopped nuts, nut butter, maple syrup
Directions
- Place the chickpea flour, cinnamon, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Mix together with a fork.
- Peel the banana and add it to the flour mixture. Mash it well with the fork.
- Add the milk, egg, and vanilla extract. Mix all ingredients together until well-incorporated.
- Heat a skillet on the stove over medium heat. Grease with cooking spray or a tablespoon of butter or oil. Drop the batter by ¼ cup onto the skillet. Cook for 5-8 minutes on each side.
- Serve with favorite toppings and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Make sure you use a ripe banana – it’s much sweeter in flavor! As the banana ripens, it becomes sweeter because enzymes break down the starch molecules into smaller sugar molecules.
The egg can be substituted with an egg white or with a flax egg (1 T flaxseed meal + 3 T water)
Chickpea Flour Banana Pancakes Nutritional Benefits
- Chickpea flour: fiber, protein, folate, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc
- Banana: fiber, potassium, copper, magnesium, vitamin B6, vitamin C
- Almond milk: calcium, vitamin D, vitamin A, vitamin E, thiamin, riboflavin, copper, magnesium
- Egg: protein, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin B12, phosphorus, selenium, riboflavin, choline
Nice recipe