What do chickpeas replace in baking?

Chickpeas are a magical baking ingredient alternative loaded with fiber, protein, and folic acid, and manganese. They primarily function as a substitute for traditional all-purpose flour, as well as some binding agents (like eggs) and fat . They're great for those looking for gluten-free baked goods.

What is chickpea patties made of?

In a medium bowl, combine the chickpeas, all purpose flour, parmesan cheese, fresh herbs, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper . Add two tablespoons of water and use a fork or masher to combine the ingredients until they are well blended. Divide the mixture into 6 equal parts and form into thin patties.

What is a vegan binder for baking?

Vegan Binders for Baking Chia seeds are a popular vegan egg substitute for baking. To replace one large egg in a recipe, simply combine one tablespoon of chia seeds with two and a half tablespoons of water. Let the mixture sit until it forms a jello-like texture. That's it!

Are garbanzo beans and chickpeas the same thing?

The honest answer— there's no difference between chickpeas and garbanzo beans . They're just two (of many) different names for the same type of pulse. (Pulses are basically seeds of legume plants.)

Why do my chickpea burgers fall apart?

Without a binder , your burger might completely crumble and fall apart the second it hits the grill or when you bite into it. → Follow this tip: Veggie burgers need a sturdy binder to hold everything together. This can be anything from eggs to a mixture of ground flax and water, wheat germ, breadcrumbs, or oats.

What is the binding agent for chickpea patties?

Chia seeds and ground flax seed – as the patties do not contain egg or breadcrumbs, we use the chia seeds and ground flax seeds to bind them together. Rice flour and olive oil – we coat the patties in the flour before frying in olive oil. This helps give them a slightly crispy exterior.

Why are my chickpea patties falling apart?

If the pan and oil are not hot , the burgers will slowly warm up, create more liquid and fall apart. Don't' crowd the burgers in a pan or they will steam and get mushy. Cook them in batches if your pan isn't large enough.

Why use chickpeas in baking?

Its unique texture and flavor instantly adds complexity to any baked good . Made from dried and ground chickpeas, chickpea flour is high in protein and naturally gluten-free, making it surprisingly sturdy when it comes to baking.

Can you replace flour with chickpeas?

You can usually substitute half the amount of plain flour in a recipe for chickpea flour . But, be warned, it can suck up a lot of moisture, so it may not be right for every recipe – especially if you're making a cake or bread.

How do you substitute chickpeas for eggs in baking?

The Formula. Three tablespoons of aquafaba is equivalent to about one whole egg , while two tablespoons of aquafaba is equivalent to about one egg white. Keep in mind that a can of chickpeas yields about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of this liquid, so about eight to 12 tablespoons.

What does cooking chickpeas in baking soda do?

The chickpeas are sautéed with baking soda for a few minutes, before dumping in the water to simmer the chickpeas. The baking soda makes the water more alkaline, which softens the chickpeas more quickly by weakening their pectic bonds .

Vegan Chickpea Cakes with Mashed Avocado Recipe (2024)

Chickpeas
Vegan Mains
Frying
Avocado

Crunchy, falafel-esque patties with rich and creamy avocado.

J. Kenji López-Alt

Culinary Consultant

Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.

Learn about Serious Eats'Editorial Process

Updated May 01, 2023

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Why It Works

Roughly pureed chickpeas act as a binder for the patties, while leaving some of the beans whole provides great internal texture.
Coating the patties in breadcrumbs helps to keep the patties from falling apart in the pan.

These falafel-esque fritters started off as exactly that—an experimental recipe for falafel. My problem? I longed to have a recipe that could give me the satisfying crunch and nutty/herbal flavor of falafel without having to pull out the deep fryer.

The base for the fritters is made with canned chickpeas that I carefully dry and combine with bulgur wheat in the food processor. I found that if I add all the chickpeas at once, it's hard to get good textural contrast in the final dish. Better is to pulse half of them until roughly pureed to form a binder, then pulse the remaining half just until roughly chopped to give you nice big bits to bite into.

For flavor, I use a ton of herbs—parsley, cilantro, and mint—by the handful, blending them right into the mix along with a dash of coriander.

At first I thought that the solution to my deep-frying conundrum might be as simple as forming them into patties and shallow frying them. This didn't work too well—the patties disintegrated in the oil, leaving me with a sludgy browned mess to clean. It even happens in the deep fryer if you don't dry your canned chickpeas well enough.

Vegan Chickpea Cakes with Mashed Avocado Recipe (3)

The solution was simple: just bread the suckers to give them a firm coating that will keep them from falling apart. As I found in myFried Eggplant Sandwichrecipe, a simple mix of flour and water works just fine to get breadcrumbs to adhere.

Vegan Chickpea Cakes with Mashed Avocado Recipe (4)

After that, it was a simple matter of making them into a meal. A bit of mashed avocado adds brightness, richness, and creamy texture to the mix, while a nice mixed green salad rounds it all out.

February 2013

This recipe was cross-tested in 2022 to ensure best results.

Recipe Details