Chickpea Flour Drop Biscuits (Vegan & Grain-Free)

Chickpea flour biscuits are tender, lightly fluffy drop biscuits with a buttery, nutty flavor. Stir together the plain dough, spoon it onto a baking sheet, and bake until the edges are golden. They are vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, and ready in about 20 minutes.

Introduction

I love a biscuit that can go from mixing bowl to oven without a rolling pin, a cutter, or even the business of working cold fat into flour. Spoonfuls of this dough go straight onto the baking sheet, and a little over 10 minutes later, you have warm biscuits for soup, breakfast, or a very good jam break.

Chickpea flour is the ingredient that makes the recipe work without eggs or grain flour. It gives the biscuits a gently nutty flavor and a tender crumb. The small amount of vinegar in the nondairy milk matters, too: I tried the biscuits with water and with plain milk, and the soured milk gave them the lighter texture and mellower flavor I wanted.

I usually reach for olive oil, although another oil works here. There is no butter to cut in and no dough to roll; just stir, drop, and bake. If you like to change things up, herbs, seeds, or a little coconut can take the same basic biscuit in a different direction.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Made for several dietary needs.The biscuits are vegan (egg-free and dairy-free), gluten-free, grain-free, and nut-free when you choose nondairy milk and baking powder that suit those needs.
• Fast and straightforward.The dough comes together in one bowl after you sour the milk; no mixer, rolling pin, pastry blender, or biscuit cutter is needed.
• Tender and satisfying.Chickpea flour gives each biscuit a softly nutty flavor, and the sour milk helps keep the crumb light. No added starch or binders required.
• Good at any meal.Serve one alongside soup, split one for a sandwich, or add jam at breakfast.
• Straightforward to vary.The plain base welcomes herbs, seeds, spices, or coconut.
• Protein and fiber.4.5 grams protein and 2.2 grams fiber per biscuit.

Ingredients

The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post.Toggle betweenUS Customary(volume) andMetric(weights) for preferred measurement option.

• Plain nondairy milk:Forms the liquid base. Choose an unsweetened, plain variety that fits your dietary needs; soy milk or hemp milk also keeps the biscuits nut-free, but you can use almond milk or cashew milk if you prefer.
• White vinegar or apple cider vinegar:Sours the milk (making a plant-based buttermilk), contributing to the biscuits’ light texture and mellow flavor.
• Chickpea flour:Also sold as garbanzo bean flour or besan, it is finely ground chickpeas or garbanzo beans. It supplies the structure and characteristic nutty flavor; use fresh flour for the reliable taste.
• Baking powder and baking soda:Lift the biscuits as they bake. Check the baking powder label if you need the finished biscuits to be certified gluten-free or strictly grain-free.
• Salt:Brings the savory, nutty flavors into focus.
• Olive oil:Adds tenderness without any butter to cut into the flour. Avocado oil, melted coconut oil, or another oil of choice also works.

How to Make Chickpea Flour Biscuits

Note that the complete instructions are also in the recipe card below.

1. Prepare the oven and pan.Heat the oven to 425°F (210°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

1. Sour the milk.Stir the nondairy milk and vinegar together in a small bowl or cup; let stand for at least 2 minutes.

1. Mix the dough.Whisk the dry ingredients: chickpea flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the soured milk and oil until blended. The dough should be thick and moist, like a very thick cake batter. If it seems dry, add a tablespoon or more of milk or water.

1. Drop the biscuits.Immediately spoon the dough into 6 equal portions on the prepared sheet, leaving at least 2 inches between them. I like to use a spring loaded ice cream scooper to mound the biscuits.

1. Bake. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes, until the biscuits are puffed and golden brown at the edges.

1. Cool and serve.Serve warm, or let cool completely on a wire rack before storing.

Taste and Texture

Fresh from the oven, the biscuits have golden edges, a tender center, and a subtle, buttery-nutty flavor from the chickpea flour. They are light enough to split for a sandwich, yet substantial enough to hold a spoonful of jam or sit alongside a bowl of soup. The crumb is softly moist rather than dry or flaky.

Storage

• Room temperature:Cool completely, then store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
• Refrigerator:Store the cooled biscuits in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Freezer:Freeze cooled biscuits in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the biscuits warm with a bowl of soup or stew. Split one for a quick lunch sandwich, or add jam or preserves at breakfast. My coconut variation is especially good with ginger preserves—an excellent excuse for a second breakfast.

Flavor Variations

Stir in a teaspoon or two of fresh or dried rosemary, parsley, thyme, or herbes de Provence for a savory biscuit to serve with soup. Add 1/2 tsp or soof garlic powder or onion powder, too, for added savory notes.

Add a little nutritional yeast for a savory, cheesy flavor, or use nondairy cheese.

Sprinkle the dough with about a tbsp total of sesame, poppy, or hemp seeds, plus dried minced onion and garlic, or use ready-to-use bagel everything seasoning.

Stir flaked coconut into the dough and sprinkle a little more over the tops before baking. Try them with ginger preserves.

Try cinnamon sugar, cardamom, ginger, or pumpkin pie spice. For a sweeter dough, add 1 to 3 tablespoons of sweetener; chopped dried fruit can be added as well.

Tips for Success

• Look for a thick, moist dough, about as thick as very thick cake batter. It should hold a mound when dropped onto the sheet; a loose, pourable batter can bake up flat.

• If the dough seems dry, stir in a tablespoon or more of nondairy milk or water. Do not add extra liquid to dough that is already moist and spoonable.

• Drop the dough onto the parchment-lined sheet as soon as it is mixed, leaving at least 2 inches between portions. Bake until puffed and golden at the edges.

Ingredient Substitutions

• I have used besan and garbanzo bean flour interchangeably in side-by-side recipes, with the same measurements and results. Other flours are not a direct replacement in this biscuit recipe.

• Use lemon juice in place of the vinegar. Keep an acidic ingredient in the mixture to help activate the baking soda.

• Use plain soy, almond, cashew, or hemp milk, according to your dietary needs. To keep the recipe nut-free, choose a milk without nuts. I have also said water can be used, although I prefer the flavor and texture made with soured milk.

• Avocado oil, melted coconut oil, or another oil of choice can replace the olive oil. I have suggested applesauce or pumpkin purée for an oil-free attempt, but the biscuits will be less tender, and pumpkin may need a little extra liquid; I have not tested either swap in the finished recipe.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. I use besan and garbanzo bean flour interchangeably. Both work here with the same measurements.

No. It should be thick and moist, like a very thick cake batter, so you can drop it from a spoon. It should not be shaggy or thin enough to pour.

I have made this biscuit formula with chickpea flour or besan. Brown rice, tapioca, quinoa, and coconut flours will not work as direct replacements here.