Picture this: It’s my lunch break on a Wednesday afternoon, and I am wandering around the aisles of Sprout’s on the hunt for some flax seed.
“Coconut flour. Buckwheat flour. Chia seeds. Garbanzo bean flour. Shredded coconut. Wait, what? Garbanzo bean flour? What in the world is this stuff?” I muttered in my head as I picked up the bag to examine its contents. Light yellow in color, yet with a very typical flour consistency, I found myself intrigued. Being an avid chickpea lover, I figured I’d give this mystery ingredient a try and threw it in my basket.
When going through the check-out, the cashier paused and looked at my bag of garbanzo bean flour. His eyebrows furrowed and he looked up at me questioning, “So, what do you make with this stuff?” he asked, raising a confused eyebrow. Clearly I was not the only person who was left out of the garbanzo bean flour loop.
“That’s a good question,” I replied. And these pancakes ended up being the answer.
I love pancakes like no other. And while the traditional sweet kind dripping with fruit and maple syrup will always be my love language, sometimes you just need something savory in the morning. Or the afternoon. Or the evening. Or as a snack on the road. These savory pancakes really can wiggle their way happily into any meal and fit right in next your other foods. I may call them “pancakes” because that is what they remind me of, but I have used these savory griddle cakes in the place of tortillas in tacos or quesadillas or just as a bread stand-in when enjoying a soup or salad. You can slather them with your favorite savory spread or enjoy them with their own awesome stand-alone flavor. I personally love to just throw veggies on top of them and eat them like a sandwich. The uses for these savory pancakes are endless.
Since they are made from ground beans, it won’t surprise you that these pancakes are naturally gluten-free, vegan, and loaded with protein. But wait, it gets better. The best part about these savory pancakes is that they are pretty low maintenance. You mix their 7 simple ingredients in one bowl. Yep, just one bowl. No extra dishes. No muss or fuss. Just pancakey goodness.
I personally prefer these pancakes fresh, as they get a bit dry sitting in the fridge for too long. So, while I wouldn’t recommend making a big batch of savory pancakes to enjoy throughout the week, the batter keeps quite nicely in the fridge! Just take a moment to heat the griddle up and you have hot, fresh savory pancakes on your plate in minutes.
So, go get your bowl and whisk ready and let’s do this!
Makes 6 large or 12 small pancakes
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups garbanzo bean flour (sometimes called chickpea flour or chana besan)
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion power
sea salt and black pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium-high heat. These pancakes work best when cooked on a nonstick surface, but if you prefer to use cast iron or stainless steel, add a bit of healthy cooking fat (I suggest avocado oil, since it has a high smoke point) to the griddle/skillet to help prevent sticking.
2. While the griddle/skillet warms, combine all the ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk until the batter is smooth and there are no lumps.
3. Once the griddle is hot, use a 1/4 measuring cup (for small pancakes) or 1/2 measuring cup (for large pancakes) to portion batter onto the hot surface.
4. Allow the pancakes to cook until bubbles start to appear in the middle of the pancake and the edges look dry before flipping. Cook until both sides of the pancake are just slightly golden.
5. Enjoy warm. Save leftover batter in an air tight container in fridge for up to 3 days.
Adapted from The One Ingredient Chef
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