Ever since I started creating recipes (over 10 years ago!) I made it my mission to experiment with different ingredients so that there were recipes anyone could enjoy when they came to my site. Even though I don’t have a gluten intolerance, I fell in love with trying out different gluten-free flours in my baked goods.
These grain and gluten-free chickpea flour chocolate chip cookies came from one of those experiments many years ago, and they quickly became one of my favorite gluten-free cookies ever. Chickpea flour gives them an amazing texture — fluffy, yet chewy at the same time — plus it boosts the nutrition (hello, fiber-packed chickpeas!)
If you’ve never baked with chickpea flour before, start with these cookies and get ready to fall in love just like I did.
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What is chickpea flour?
Yes, that’s right: chocolate chip cookies made from chickpea flour. No, I’m not crazy. Just an experimenter, determined to get you into the kitchen and get a little ambitious. Heh.
Chickpea flour is simply a fine flour made from ground up dried chickpeas or garbanzo beans. It’s also known as garbanzo flour, gram flour and besan and is used frequently in Middle Eastern & Indian cooking and baking. It’s denser than regular flour, naturally gluten-free and packed with protein. This is the brand we use and love.
Why bake with chickpea flour
There are so many reasons to fall in love with chickpea flour:
- It’s nut free. You know I love baking with almond & coconut flour but I know many people have allergies, so this is a great, nut free alternative! I love the texture that it gives baked goods and you will too.
- Great for subbing all purpose flour. Chickpea flour is a great sub for baking with! In fact, have you tried my chickpea flour banana bread yet? You can try using chickpea flour in place of all purpose flour in some of my other muffin & bread recipes. I might suggest adding an extra tablespoon of milk or oil when baking with chickpea flour when you sub for all purpose flour, as it can be somewhat drier in texture.
- It’s naturally sweet. Another perk of choosing chickpea flour is that you actually can use less sugar, since the flour is naturally somewhat sweeter.
What you’ll need to make chickpea flour chocolate chip cookies
These easy chickpea flour cookies are made with 8 simple ingredients and result in an amazingly chewy and delicious cookie. The texture is even very similar to a bakery style chocolate chip cookie! Here’s everything you’ll need to make them:
- Coconut oil: to give the cookies the perfect amount of moisture and flavor. You can also use melted butter or melted vegan butter if you prefer but I love the flavor of coconut oil in these!
- Brown sugar: the best sweetener for these chickpea flour cookies. You can also use coconut sugar but I truly find brown sugar to be the best. Don’t forget to pack the brown sugar!
- Eggs: you’ll need one egg + one extra egg yolk to give the cookies the right consistency. See below for an easy vegan option!
- Baking staples: we’re also using good old vanilla extract, baking soda & salt.
- Chickpea flour: the one and only! Chickpea flour keeps these cookies both gluten free & grain free and gives them such a great texture.
- Chocolate chips: feel free to use chocolate chips or chop up your favorite dark chocolate bar. You can also use dairy free chocolate chips to keep the cookies dairy free/vegan.
Can I use regular flour?
Yes, you can likely use regular flour in place of the chickpea flour in this recipe. However, the texture will not be quite same which is why these cookies are meant to be made with chickpea flour. If you’re looking for cookies made with regular flour, try some of these:
- Brown butter chocolate chip cookies
- Salted Brown Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies
- Not Your Mama’s Magic Cookies
Can I make them vegan?
Yes, absolutely! Feel free to make a flax egg by combining 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal + 1/4 cup water in a small bowl. I’ve found this ratio works best for these cookies! Allow mixture to sit for 5 minutes before using in place of the egg in the recipe. I REALLY LOVED the vegan version of these cookies so much; they’re a little doughy in the middle and oh so good!
What do chickpea flour cookies taste like?
I realize how crazy these cookies sound, but when I first tested them, I went absolutely BONKERS over how incredible they are. I wouldn’t lie to you because we’re friends, and friends tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. The cookie Lord knows.
So trust me when I say that you won’t taste an ounce of bean flavor when you take a bite into these. They taste just like the real deal chocolate chip cookie you love but are gluten free and filled with protein! Another perk of choosing chickpea flour is that you actually can use less sugar, since the flour is naturally somewhat sweeter.
How to make chocolate chip cookies with chickpea flour
- Mix the wet. In a large bowl, you’ll whisk together all of your wet ingredients until they’re nice and smooth.
- Mix the dry. In a separate large bowl whisk all of your dry ingredients.
- Add them together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until a nice dough forms.
- Bake & eat! Scoop your dough balls onto a prepared cookie sheet, bake and enjoy!
Freezing tips
- Freeze the dough. To freeze the dough, simply roll it into individual balls and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill the dough in the freezer for 30 minutes. Once the cookie dough balls firm up, transfer them to a reusable freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, simply thaw out the dough and bake the chickpea flour cookies as directed. You’ll likely just need to add a few extra minutes of baking time!
- Freeze the baked chickpea flour cookies. You can also freeze your baked cookies for later. Wait for them to cool completely, then transfer them to a reusable freezer-safe bag or container lined with wax or parchment paper. I like to place them in a single layer to avoid any cookies breaking. Cookies will keep well for up to 2 months. Once ready to eat, simply thaw out at room temperature and enjoy.
Tools you’ll need to bake these cookies
Get all of my go-to kitchen essentials here!
More gluten free cookies to try
- The Best Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies You’ll Ever Eat
- Grain Free Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
- Flourless Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Flourless Monster Cookies
- Healthy Soft Banana Bread Cookies
Get all of my gluten-free cookie recipes here.
I hope you love these delicious chickpea flour chocolate chip cookies! If you make them be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you like them. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Chickpea Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup (112g) coconut oil, melted and cooled
- ½ cup (107g) packed brown sugar (or sub coconut sugar but brown sugar has better flavor for these!)
- 1 egg, at room temperature (see notes for a vegan version)
- 1 egg yolk (only the egg yolk!)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (168g) chickpea flour (or garbanzo bean flour)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup (120g) chocolate chips, dairy free if desired (or sub a 3.5 oz 72% dark chocolate bar, coarsely chopped)
- Coarse sea salt, for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a large bowl whisk together the melted and cooled coconut oil, brown sugar, egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy; for at least 1 minute. Tip: Make sure your coconut oil is not HOT. It should be melted but on the cooler side so that your egg won't cook when you mix everything together. You can bring your egg to room temp by running it under warm water for 1-2 minutes.
- Whisk the dry ingredinets: In a separate bowl, whisk together chickpea flour, baking soda and salt. Add dry ingredient to wet ingredients until well combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Bake: Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop dough and then use your hands to roll the dough into balls; place on the prepared parchment lined baking sheet. Very gently just barely flatten just the tops of the cookies or you can bake them as is for thicker cookies. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until edges are slightly golden brown. Allow cookies to cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Makes 12 cookies. Store in airtight container.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe originally published on Jun 20, 2016, republished February 3, 2021, and republished on September 16th, 2025.
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
I accidentally put 2 eggs, so I added 1/3 cup of garbanzo flour. Substituted vanilla extract for almond extract. I put 1/3 c of brown sugar, didn’t pack it down. We like a little sweet. Organic 72% chocolate chips. Conversation with husband, “what are these?” “Chocolate chip cookies” “No they’re not. But they are fantastic”. Lesson: it’s another recipe 🌺😉
These were a huge hit and a recent family gathering. Shared your recipe to many. I’m using my yellow split pea flour that I freshly mill. A little more protein is added that way.
So happy to hear that!
Can I make bars with this recipe?
I want to make bars for breakfast.
I plan to use avocado in place of butter and is protien powder
I haven’t tested it, so I’m not 100% sure how they’ll hold up! Let me know if you experiment 🙂
My cookies did not brown like a regular chocolate chip cookie or the ones in your picture. They look a lot more like sugar cookies, both shape and color. Tastes great though. Baked for exactly 11 mins at 350 degrees per directions.
I’m glad they were still delicious!
I haven’t finished yet, but the dough is very crumbly. Is that normal?
I had to mix the dough with my hands for a bit to get rid of all of the crumbles, but they taste great!
I’m glad they turned out delicious! Was the dough overly dry for you?
It was crumbly for me, but I just kept squishing them and as soon as I could get the ball to hold, I plopped them on to the cookie sheet and they held together.
I decided to try these chocolate chip cookies on a whim to satisfy my sweet tooth. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed them. They were easy to make and turned out perfectly. I did add some walnuts because I have to have nuts in my chocolate chip cookies. Also I made smaller cookies to make 24 cookies, and they turned out great! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Amazing! Glad you enjoyed!
Wow, what an amazing recipe! They’re gluten and nut-free; so suitable for myself (being gluten-free) and my son’s lunchbox. Cannot believe how chewy they arc, particularly after being in the fridge. Thank you!
Absolutely! Perfect treat 🙂
Can you use other oils besides coconut oil?
I’d recommend butter or vegan butter in place of coconut oil to maintain the flavor! I’m afraid another oil (like olive / avocado oil) will change the flavor too much.
I just made these. They do taste like “regular” chocolate chip cookies, and are tender yet chewy! However, mine spread and are very thin despite not flattening them before baking. Could it be because I used melted and cooled organic butter instead of coconut oil, which I don’t use? Still, I will share them at my ladies group tonight at church….they’re a keeper!
It could be! But typically, coconut oil will spread more than butter, so I’m not sure what happened!
Hi
Can I use melted Ghee instead of Coconut oil ?
thanks
Hi! They should still bake up well, but I’m not 100% sure how it will change the flavor as I don’t typically bake with ghee. Let me know if you give it a try!
Hi I am having a problem with making these, the first time was a success and they were delicious. But the last two times were a flop they were risen and cakes, that and I could not roll them, they were too sticky. Could help me find out where im going wrong with this recipe. I measured everything exactly especially the second time round the only thing I could possibly think of is the butter not being cool enough or maybe switching to baking powder instead of soda
Hope to hear from you soon
Hi! Just to clarify – did you switch the baking powder vs. soda the second time around?
I had some chickpea flour that was expired but still good, so I tried this recipe out and omg so good, my husband also raved about them. The coconut oil really balances out the flavor and the texture was nice, too -crispy on outside and chewy on the inside. It’s a nice simple recipe too, will make again! Also looking forward to making the chickpea flour banana bread!
Perfect! So glad you both enjoyed (and let me know how the banana bread goes!)
These are incredible! I substituted Splenda Brown Sugar and they still are fantastic.
I’m glad that swap worked out well! Perfect treat 🙂
Absolute deliciousness! I am so happy I decided to give these another go after 3 failed attempts. For some reason my past attempts resulted in pancake flat cookies and I followed snd measured exactly as written. This time I read all past reviews and 1 stood out mentioning using the vegan egg replacement and substituting maple syrup( 6 tbsp) for h2O & the recipe sweetener. I did choose to add 1 tbsp brown sugar as the batter did not yield enough of a dough consistency. This worked beautifully and my cookies turned out perfectly! I’m so happy I didn’t give up on this one as I love the nutritional profile of chickpea.
I’m so glad you retested and they finally worked out for you!
Excellent recipe. I added a bit of cinnamon for warmth. I now get how important the temp of the coconut oil is as mine was a bit cool, but still mixed pretty well. Dough was clump/sandy consistence but rolled into balls nicely. flattened just a bit and a couple flakes of salt on top. Can’t wait to take to work and share (or maybe not!!!) Will use this recipe over and over. Thanks.
Thank you, Nicole! Having coconut oil and eggs at the right temperature is always so important 🙂
Delicious!!! My kids loved them and so everyone else! Thank you !!
So happy to hear that!
This muffin was incredible!! I had seen the high ratings and read through all the reviews yet I was still nervous about the taste of this muffin. And they were all right! You can’t even taste the chickpeas. The taste and texture of this muffin are phenomenal and they are so easy to make! Definitely saving this recipe for making many more times! Thank you!
Sorry I posted this on the wrong recipe!! I had meant it for your chickpea chocolate chip muffins!
Firstly, wanted to say, love the recipe. Will be making these this week as I have an absolute truckload of chickpea flour that needs to be used.
I also wanted to clear up a misconception as I have seen some odd comments & reference in the post by the author referring to ‘bean’ flavour and there being none, as if this was a possibility.
Chickpeas are NOT beans They are a legume. Garbanzo beans – just another name for chickpeas – are also NOT beans. They are a legume.
Chickpeas & garbanzo ‘beans’ are the same thing, although there can be different varieties / types of chickpeas, much like there can be different varieties of tomatoes or cucumbers, yet all tomatoes ARE tomatoes and all cucumbers ARE cucumbers, even if they have slightly different calculated ‘nutritional’ values, such as carbohydrates, protein, fats, naturally occurring sugars etc.
So if you’re expecting any possibility of ‘bean’ flavour showing itself in these cookies due to inexperience with this ingredient or inexperience in cooking or baking, rest assured that it’s not going to happen unless you have convinced yourself otherwise, because chickpeas / garbanzo beans are NOT beans.
Also, you can find BESAN flour (chickpea flour) in most ‘ethnic’ food shops which carry ingredients for making foods from India & surrounding areas. It will be much less inexpensive than Bob’s Red Mill brand & very finely milled. I buy mine in bulk because there are so many delicious things that can be made using this flour, without wheat, without yeast, and high in protein. One of my favorites is a chickpea flour pizza crust mude in a cast iron pan, then topped with whatever I like. It’s absolutely fabulous & very filling.
Thank you for clearing that up for people! I’ll have to try chickpea flour pizza crust, too – sounds delicious.
I tried this recipe because I was out of regular flour and followed the instructions precisely. The cookies look good but they really do not taste anything like your usual cookies (even other gluten free ones). They are barely sweet and taste very strongly of chickpea… will not attempt again.
Sorry to hear that you didn’t love these! The brown sugar and chocolate chips should give these a nice amount of sweetness — did you use brown sugar or coconut sugar?
I’ve made these twice now, both times using a flax egg. I’m not vegan at all but thought I’d give it a try and whoa, so so good. My whole family loves them. The raw dough tastes a bit funky as it’s chickpea flour but the end cooked result is excellent.
Amazing! Yes, the chickpea flour doesn’t taste great raw, but the cookies themselves are delicious 🙂 Glad they were a hit!
I used coconut sugar as suggested (with a scale) they spread way too thin. Did you test them with coconut sugar and weigh it? Because I’m wondering if the weight suggested is based on brown sugar which may differ. Or possibly the weight of the coconut oil is off? Not sure what happened but I followed it to a T and used a scale.
I just made these and weighed all ingredients (made them with brown sugar.) Coconut sugar weighs less than brown sugar so that should not be an issue if you weighted the ingredients. The weight of the coconut oil is correct and standard. Can I ask if you used an egg or a flax egg? Also I would love to know if your coconut oil was solid and then melted or if you purchased in an already liquid state, as this would greatly alter the recipe results.
Used butter instead of coconut oil and they turned out yummy.
Wouldn’t reccomend trying the dough raw. My son rated that -5/5⭐️
Glad you both enjoyed! Chickpea flour isn’t very tasty raw (but great when baked!)
I had to make some modifications on this due to dietary restrictions, but even with the changes this is still the best grain-free baked good I have made to date (and I have made a LOT)! Bready texture, crispy edges, beautiful golden color on the bottom, it’s an absolute dream. I can only imagine it would be even better with real sugar.
I needed to make this vegan and refined sugar free, so I made my flax egg using a tablespoon of flax and 6 tablespoons of maple syrup, and subbed that for the sweetener and egg. Turned out fantastic! Thanks for the recipe!
So happy to hear that! I’m glad those swaps worked out well 🙂
These are the best cookies!!
Glad you love them!
I didn’t believe you wouldn’t taste the chickpea flavour, until I made these biscuits…..but, I found it’s true….lovely choc chip treat and makes me feel good that it’s somewhat healthy 🙂
So good!!
Chocolate Chip Cookies looks delicious
Amazing! My husband mistook this recipe for my “real chocolate chip cookies.” He couldn’t believe they were vegan (I followed the flax egg substitution). Seriously good and going into the rotation. Thank you!
So happy to hear that! Such a great dessert 🙂
I have made these cookies many times over the years, and they are hands down the BEST gluten free cookie recipe I have ever tried. That said, when I came across the recipe again, I had a memory of baking the chickpea flour first to reduce its bitterness before adding it to the dry mixture. The current recipe does not mention that step, so I am wondering if I am mixing it up with a different recipe or if this one has been updated.
Thank you so much for your help, and for sharing such amazing recipes. Not only is this one a favorite, but so many of the recipes from your site have become family staples!
So happy you love these! Hmm I don’t typically bake the chickpea flour first, as it will bake with the cookies!
Do you have a video showing the breaking of the cookie to show detailed texture and softness?
YUMMMMMMM so delicious! Used Unreal M&Ms instead of chocolate chips since that’s what I had on hand. MAN these are good!
Love that! Perfect treat!
This has to be my fifth or sixth time making these. I follow the recipe exactly and it never fails. My gluten free husband and kids request them constantly. Couldn’t love them more!
So good! Glad they’re a hit 🙂
Can I use strained boiled garbanzo beans in place of the flour? Thanks!
I just wanted to thank you for this recipe, truly thank you so much. I’ve made this recipe a dozen times and they are amazing every time. I have MCAS and after a surgery last fall, I started having a ton of food allergies. After getting tested for potential triggers, I ended up needing to cut most of the food I was eating out of my diet- wheat, corn, soy, eggs, dairy, peanuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, potatoes, tomatoes, apples, bananas, oranges, cocoa, and sesame. I was craving a good old fashioned chocolate chip cookie but couldn’t find a recipe that didn’t taste like ass after making a bunch of substitutions for my new allergies. But your cookies? Absolute perfection. I did the flax egg and instead of chocolate chips, I used carob chips. Not an exact copy of a chocolate chip cookie but it is the best and sweetest sweet treat I can make myself. Truly thank you so so much 😭🫶🏻
I’m so glad you found this recipe! The perfect dessert during a tough time. I hope you find more recipes here that you love!
Worst recipe ever. Waste of time and coconut oil. Sad
Excellent and very delicious! I didn’t have brown sugar so I used cane sugar. The cookies was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. I think the coconut oil is what made this cookie super yummy! I will definitely be using this recipe again. Thank you!
Perfect! Glad you loved these!
Best way to make cookies! A lot healthier and less sugar! It looked like just a little bit of cookie dough when I was finished. I was amazed with how many cookies it made. I made 12 cookies, but I could have easily doubled it into 24. I added crushed pecans in the dough. Next time I will do dark chocolate for an even healthier recipe!
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
Hi,
Would be able to use 1/4 cup of avocado oil instead of melted butter? Thank you.
The flavor might be a little bit different, but let me know if you try it!