Farinata di Ceci

Farinata di Ceci is a savory Italian chickpea flour pancake that’s soft on the inside, crispy on the outside and is made in under 15 minutes with just 3 basic ingredients. It's naturally vegan and gluten-free, and makes the perfect appetizer or side to serve with soups and salads.

5 from 3 votes

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Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: appetizer, ceci, chick peas, easy, farinata, garbanzo beans, gluten free, Italian, soccer, vegan

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 15

Servings: people

Calories: 364kcal

Author: Nicole Gaffney (ColeyCooks.com)

Ingredients

½ cup chickpea flour garbanzo bean flour
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
½ cup lukewarm water
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
flaky sea salt for sprinkling such as Maldon, optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F and place an 8-inch cast iron skillet on the top oven rack to heat up.
Whisk the chickpea flour and salt together in a medium bowl, then slowly stream in the water as you whisk. Continue whisking until smooth, then whisk in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Set the batter aside to rest as the oven heats up.
When the oven is heated, remove the pan and add the remaining olive oil, swirling it around to coat the entire pan. Pour the batter over the hot oil and give it another swirl to cover the entire bottom. If needed, you can spread the batter out with a spatula so that it’s even in the pan.
Place the pan on the top rack of the oven and then turn on the broiler, keeping the oven door cracked to prevent the oven from cycling off. When the farinata is golden brown and slightly charred on top, around 5-10 minutes, it's done – keep a close eye on it as it cooks quickly.
Slice into wedges and serve immediately.

Video

Notes

Using slightly warm water will help the batter mix easier and hydrate faster.
Letting the chickpea batter rest helps the chickpea flour hydrate. If you let it sit on the longer side, a foam may form on the top– just skim that off and discard it.
If desired, you can make the chickpea batter up to 12 hours in advance – just keep the batter covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container and let it sit at room temperature.
Placing the pan in the oven as it heats is crucial. When the batter hits the pan, the pan needs to be hot! If you forgot to do this, you can heat the pan on the stove until it just starts to smoke.
Watch the farinata carefully as it cooks – it can go from raw to burnt very quickly.

Nutrition