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Besan and Chickpea flour are Not the same. Besan or gram flour is a flour of chana dal or split brown chickpeas. Chickpea flour or garbanzo flour is ground up white chickpeas. Similar flavors, but not the same flour. Read below for differences and where to use which flour.

Chickpea flour and Besan in grey bowls for our post about the difference between besan and chickpea flour

What is besan?

Besan or gram flour is a flour of chana dal or split brown chickpeas.

What is Chickpea flour?

Chickpea flour or garbanzo flour is ground up white chickpeas or garbanzo beans. Both have similar flavor and behavior but enough difference that a substitution can sometimes mess up a recipe.

Pictured above, the top bowl has chickpea flour which is lighter, coarse and fluffy. Bottom bowl has Besan which is finer, smoother and hence more compact.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BESAN AND CHICKPEA FLOUR?

Besan and chickpea flour are not the same. Indian Besan (Gram flour), is the flour of brown chickpeas or chana dal (split brown chickpeas), or sometimes a mix of split chickpeas and split peas. It is a flour of a type chickpeas, so it can be labeled as chickpea flour.

Can I use besan instead of chickpea flour and viceversa?

Chickpea flour (in the US) is the flour of white chickpeas and is labelled as chickpea flour or garbanzo flour.

Besan is usually much finer ground and needs much less water than chickpea flour.

White Chickpea flour is a coarse flour and usually will need more water to make same consistency batter. It also yields a dryer result on baking or other kind of use.

They taste slightly different. Sometimes, you have to take these differences into account, when substituting one for the other in a recipe. In some recipes, subs work out just fine, while others need adjusting. They both taste a bit bitter when raw, so they are not a good candidate in raw flour recipes such as edible cookie dough.

White Chickpeas and Brown Chickpeas

Indian Dal Names in Hindi and English. Glossary of Lentils, legumes, beans. | Vegan Richa

More Pictures of pulses, legumes and their names on this Page.

As you can see from the pictures, Chana Dal is basically brown chickpeas that have been split and skin removed. This chana dal is made into a flour for besan. When the besan is of brown chickpeas with the skin, then that kala chana besan has a darker hue and earthier flavor. This besan is not used as commonly as regular chana dal besan.

Recipes for Besan

Besan has a less bitter flavor profile than garbanzo flour. It works great in recipes where the flour might not always get fully cooked/roasted, or used for crispyness. For eg, crepes or thin pancakes like Chilla work best with besan. Steamed savory cakes (dhokla), fried fritters(bhajji/pakora), soups(kadhi).

For recipes like Burfi (chickpea flour and coconut fudge)  or Flan, where the flour is used as a thickener or in smaller amounts, either flour will work.

Besan also works better in baking where it is used for flavor and not volume. like cookies. But there are exceptions!

I prefer besan in my Gluten-free Baked Lemon donuts and in my Gluten-free Cinnamon Bread! Although both of these recipes need volume flour which would mean you opt for chickpea flour, that is generally not a good option. Chickpea flour in leavened gluten-free baking tends to dry out a lot more and not have enough baking time to cook out the flavor. While besan will make a more moist and more pleasant tasting result! Chickpea flour works in these baked recipes too. Just add additional icing for moisture.

More Besan Recipes

Vegan Gluten free Cinnamon Roll Bread - Yeast-free Gluten-free Grain-free Cinnamon bread Recipe. Soft, fluffy and amazing . Can be nut-free. | #vegan #glutenfree #cinnamonroll #veganricha

Recipes for Chickpea flour/garbanzo flour

For pies, quiches, frittatas or anywhere you want things to set more, or baking with thicker batter ie. it depends on volume, use chickpea flour. Eg Chickpea flour frittata, and baked fritters

Chickpea flour has more hold and works well to use in volume bakes such as fritters. Chickpea flour tofu (Burmese Tofu)made with chickpea flour is firmer and more sturdy than the one made with besan, which will be soft and more gel-ly.

For omelets, it depends on what you prefer, thinner, moist result or fluffier. For fluffier thicker omelets use chickpea flour. although it dries more, so you would need moist stuffing and some dressing.

Chickpea flour has a stronger flavor and is a dryer flour. the flavor takes longer to cook out into a nutty pleasing state. So recipes where the flour gets variable cooking times are not great with chickpea flour. Raw Chickpea flour tastes very bitter and the flavor will show easily. Use it in pies, baked fritters where volume and the mixture setting tot more solid state is important. Besan will be more souffle like while chickpea flour will set.

More Chickpea Flour Recipes

Chickpea flour Tofu. 10 min Non soy tofu made with Chickpea flour or Besan / gram flour. Easy Burmese tofu. Vegan Gluten-free Soy-free Nut-free Recipe.| VeganRicha.com #glutenfree #veganricha #vegan Chickpea Flour Frittata - Eggless Vegan Frittata Recipe. This Chickpea flour frittata is filling, easy and delicious. Use the batter to make pancakes, crepes, crustless quiche. #Vegan #Glutenfree #Soyfree #Nutfree #Recipe #veganrichaChickpea Flour Frittata - Eggless Vegan Frittata Recipe. This Chickpea flour frittata is filling, easy and delicious. Use the batter to make pancakes, crepes, crustless quiche. #Vegan #Glutenfree #Soyfree #Nutfree #Recipe #veganricha

Vegan Gluten free Naan Flatbread. Grain-free Naan Recipe. 6 Main Ingredients,  1 Bowl, and 20 Minutes. Serve with curries or slice and serve with dips or add to bowls. Soyfree Nutfree options #Vegan #Glutenfree #grainfree #Veganricha #glutenfreenaan #grainfreenaan #chickpeaflournaan Vegan Omelet with Chickpea flour #glutenfree #veganricha #vegan

Can I make Chickpea flour at home?

Yes! If you have a high speed blender, blend dry chickpeas until preferred fine consistency. Blend chana dal to make besan. It might not be as fine as store bought.

Can I use chickpea flour as a substitute for wheat flour?

Nope. Direct substitution for with-gluten flours like wheat or all purpose will rarely work.

Can I use chickpea flour or besan as a substitute for gluten-free flours in gf baking

It depends. For most baked recipes the flour will leave a raw bitter after taste. For some recipes, chickpea flour or besan can substitute a portion of the gluten-free flour blend. The recipe has to be adjusted and made especially for these flour for best results. The recipe will most likely have more flavor and sweetener and longer bake time to cook out the raw flavor from the flour.

The flavor is also a matter of getting used to. If you frequently try chickpea flour in various ways, you will most likely not find the flavor as bitter. Besan is not as bitter and might be a better substitute in some cases.

How to store chickpea flour and besan?

Like other types of flours, chickpea flour and besan should be stored in a sealed container to keep out moisture in a cool place. It stays fresh for upto 6 months,  and longer if refrigerated. Besan from Indian stores sometimes is already a few months old and has been stored in hot conditions. So I generally use it up within months or refrigerate.

I tried a recipe that called for Chickpea flour or Besan and it didn’t work?

This can easily happen for several reasons

  1. The recipe uses chickpea flour and since besan is not the same, it might need a bit of adjustment to work perfectly, like more besan or less liquid.
  2. Quite often non-Indian brands use both labels on the flours, so even though you have a flour labelled besan, it might actually be chickpea flour and vice versa.
  3. Similarly websites and blogs where it is assumed that the flours as the same, might use either in a recipe. So they might have used besan in a recipe but since it is labelled both, the reader wouldn’t know and when using chickpea flour the recipe might not work well.

Want more recipes? Check out my cookbooks!

What other questions do you have about these 2 flours! Leave me a comment below and I will try to add answers to the post.

Conclusion: Besan is Brown Chickpea flour, is finer and milder flavor. Garbanzo bean flour (white Chickpea flour) is coarse, dryer, more bitter flavored and needs more moisture. A generic Chickpea flour label can be used for either depending on your location(country), brand etc. Read the description if provided to check what chickpea is the flour of, as they both behave very differently.

About Richa

Hi, I'm Richa! I create flavorful plant based recipes that are inspired by my Indian upbringing, including many gluten-free, soy-free, and oil-free options.

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78 Comments

  1. Carol says:

    Richa hello !
    I LOVE Indian cuisine; also Thai. Thanks so much for your information on this website. Wish I was brought up with an Indian or Thai cook so I knew how to make your food!!!
    Beautiful pictures of your recipes. I am tempted to try them. We do have an Indian grocery available here. Will see if you have videos on YouTube. If not, I might try one of your books. Which one would you suggest for a beginner in Indian cooking?

  2. Alicia Randolph-Lucchesi says:

    So… I accidentally purchased “instant” or steamed chickpea flour, rather than our usual besan or chickpea flour. (We use both, adjusting the water as needed.) The instant chickpea flour is a disaster, so far, as it requires much more water and doesn’t hold together. I’ve steamed it as a naan variation, tried our regular flatbread recipes, and it falls apart, no matter what.

    I added baking powder and spices, but this seems to be good only for thickening soups. My husband isn’t fond of the texture, but I now have 20 pounds of it! Do you have any suggestions on how to use it? I searched online, but search results always give me regular, raw chickpea flour.

    1. Richa says:

      What’s the name on the package? It seems like it’s not chickpea flour. You may have got the mix for steamed chickpea flour cakes and that has baking powder etc added to it. Does it get very bubbly when you add water?

      1. alicia says:

        This is where I bought it… https://bulkfoods.com/flour/chickpea-flour.html. The description says: Chickpea Flour: Instant Chick Pea Flour also known as Garbanzo Flour, Gram Flour, or Besean Flour. Made from pre-gelled Garbanzo Beans which creates a Premium Chickpea flour that is minimal in bean-like flavor yet still contains full nutritonal values. Bulkfoods’ Chickpea flour has a subtle sweetness and creaminess which makes it perfect for baking and cooking. An ideal ingredient in certain diets especially in gluten free recipes.
        ***
        It’s just the flour, and it doesn’t get bubbly at all. I mixed it with baking powder and it’s very dense, yet crumbly. I made Thelpa with it last night, which seemed to work fine… but as I’ve never made it before, I have no idea if the texture is correct. I just hate having 25 lbs and no recipes I know will work. 🙁 I’m going to try your halwa recipe, since it has a similar texture to fudge.

      2. Alicia says:

        I apologize if this answer posts twice, as I can’t see my previous reply to you. It doesn’t bubble, and it’s this: https://bulkfoods.com/flour/chickpea-flour.html. I used it in a Thelpa recipe and it was fine mixed with the Atta. I’m going to try your Halwa and Chickpea Tofu recipes, to see if it works in those. Fingers crossed, since we have A LOT of it… 😛

        1. Richa says:

          Yes that flour seems like it would behave differently. Regular flour is just powdered dried beans. Let me know how it fares.

  3. S says:

    Thank you for this! Does Besan bake well? Can I use it to make vegan breakfast muffins?

    1. Richa says:

      Yes you can bake witb besan. Baking with either chickpea flour or besan is tricky though as they can dry out or taste bitter. So use in recipes written with them

  4. Fran says:

    Rich’s, thank you for being an excellent teacher! I have your cook book “Richa’s Vegan Indian Kitchen”. Excellent descriptions and photos and recipes!

    1. Vegan Richa Support says:

      Thank you!