Chickpea flour is the most straightforward option for adding chickpeas to cake or biscuit dough, provided you follow a recipe designed for it. Carrefour’s product information states that its chickpea flour will not rise on its own and recommends combining it with other flours. Dried chickpeas need to be soaked and cooked before blending; ready-cooked chickpeas skip these steps, but you should check the ingredients and storage instructions on the packaging.
You want to use chickpea flour without randomly swapping it for the flour specified in your recipe. The blend of flours and the proportions matter, especially as Carrefour states that its chickpea flour will not rise on its own.
You have time to soak, cook and then blend the chickpeas before adding them to your mixture. E.Leclerc’s published instructions can help you plan these steps.
You’re looking for a wheat-free recipe or need to take allergens into account. Check the ingredients and any ‘may contain’ information on the product you buy, even if it is made mainly from chickpeas.
Start with the format specified in your recipe, then consider how much time you have and the information on the product you choose.
| Criteria | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Dough texture | Check which format the recipe calls for and how much flour it says to replace. For its chickpea flour, Carrefour recommends combining it with other flours and says it can replace up to 50% in the preparations mentioned. | If I’m making a cake, I want to avoid a flour swap affecting the texture or rise. Around 36% of consumers put this baking result first. |
| Usable quantity | For a blended mixture, distinguish the total weight of a tin from its drained weight. Also factor in the preparation needed for dried chickpeas. | I want to buy an amount that matches what my recipe will actually use, without overlooking any preparation beforehand. This is a priority for around 29% of consumers. |
| Preparation time | According to E.Leclerc, dried chickpeas need to soak overnight, then cook for 1 h 30 in a saucepan or 40 minutes in a pressure cooker. Flour or ready-cooked chickpeas skip these initial steps. | When I’m baking on the day, I’d rather start my recipe straight away than wait for chickpeas to soak and cook. Around 21% of consumers prioritise speed. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients list and any ‘may contain’ information on the packaging of the product you buy, particularly if it is a flour blend. | If I need to avoid certain ingredients, the words ‘chickpea’ on their own don’t tell me whether the product is suitable. Checking the label comes first for around 14% of consumers. |
Carrefour’s product information states that its chickpea flour will not rise on its own. Replacing all the flour in a recipe that does not call for it could change the result.
Follow a recipe created for this flour, or stick to the proportion specified for the product and preparation in question.
According to E.Leclerc’s instructions, preparation starts with soaking the chickpeas overnight, followed by cooking.
If you’re cooking on the day, check whether your recipe can use chickpea flour or ready-cooked chickpeas instead.
If you need a purée, dried chickpeas also mean allowing time for cooling and blending.
A flour blend may contain ingredients other than chickpeas. The ingredients and ‘may contain’ information on tinned products can also vary between products.
Check the label on the product you buy. The DGCCRF reminds consumers that allergenic ingredients in prepacked foods must be emphasised in the ingredients list.
If your recipe calls for drained chickpeas, the liquid in the tin is not part of the amount you need to blend.
Check the drained weight and compare it with the amount your recipe requires before choosing a pack size.
Its product information for 500 g of chickpea flour includes guidance on using it in certain bakes.
Its instructions for dried chickpeas can help you plan how to prepare them before blending.
Its product pages feature LEGUMOR chickpea flour, intended for uses including baking, as well as ready-cooked chickpeas.
Lidl Recipes uses chickpea flour in a savoury dish.
The brand offers a blend of rice, chickpea and maize flours.
This product is a flour option for recipes that call for chickpea flour. Whether you choose flour, dried chickpeas or ready-cooked chickpeas will depend on the preparation you have in mind.
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For bakes where the recipe calls for chickpea flour. Check how much to use in your recipe, and check the product label if you need to take allergens into account.
Not in a recipe that does not call for this swap. Carrefour says its chickpea flour will not rise on its own, recommends combining it with other flours and mentions replacing up to 50% for the preparations listed. For a different proportion, follow a recipe designed for it.
E.Leclerc recommends soaking them overnight, then cooking for 1 h 30 in a saucepan or 40 minutes in a pressure cooker. If your recipe calls for a purée, allow time for cooling and blending before adding it to the dough.
They save you the soaking and initial cooking time when a recipe calls for ready-cooked chickpeas. Check the ingredients of the product you choose. For the Auchan tin described, the product information says that once opened, it should be kept in the fridge in an airtight container and used within two days.
Read the ingredients list on the packaging of the product you buy, as well as any ‘may contain’ information. The DGCCRF states that allergenic ingredients must be emphasised in the ingredients list of prepacked foods, so the name of the main ingredient alone is not enough to check whether a product meets your dietary requirements.