Would you believe me if I told you that this eggless vegan frittata, made in 15 minutes with chickpea flour, is just as good as a traditional frittata?
This vegan frittata is crisp on the outside, soft and moist on the inside, and for some reason, it feels like eating a regular egg frittata.
On this page:
What to expect
Surprisingly similar to egg frittata, soft, a little moist, not dry, and very nutritious.
There are no eggs or tofu. Quick to make, it cooks for 8 minutes on a pan, or 18 minutes in the oven. Can be made with any vegetable of your choice.
We LOVE this vegan frittata. Frittata is an egg-based Italian dish that is similar to an open omelet. You can make it with all kinds of seasonal vegetables, such as zucchini, asparagus, artichokes, mushrooms, onions, and potatoes.
It can be served as a starter, side dish, and even for breakfast in a sandwich, but most often is made as a last-minute easy dinner.
Here I would like to invite you to try this plant-based alternative to the traditional frittata made with eggs.
It's a very simple and delicious dish that can be made in a few minutes. It tastes very similar to the real deal, but unlike the one with eggs, it's free of cholesterol and saturated fats, and it's packed with plant-based protein.
The main ingredient is chickpea flour, also known as garbanzo bean flour. I waited exactly 3 years before making it because I just didn't want to try chickpea flour.
Don't miss out as I did! I wouldn't want you to wait so long because this vegan chickpea frittata is truly magical!
Ingredients & Substitutions
For the frittata batter
- Chickpea flour: also known as garbanzo bean flour is the main ingredient in this recipe. You can replace it with red lentil flour or with fava bean flour, but for best results stick to chickpea/garbanzo bean flour. It does NOT work with soy flour or with regular wheat flour.
- Olive oil: best if extra virgin, we add it to the frittata batter to make it extra delicious. It can be replaced with any other vegetable oil like canola, sunflower, etc. But with olive oil it will taste more Italian. If you want to reduce the amount of olive oil, try the baked version. Recipe below.
- Water: plain tap water is fine.
- Salt and pepper: chickpea flour needs to be well seasoned so don't be shy with salt and pepper in this recipe. Also, if you want to go the extra mile, you can add a pinch of Kala Namak, a black Indian salt that gives an eggy flavour.
For the filling
This vegan frittata, just like egg frittata, can be flavored with any vegetables of your choice.
Here we show you a few classic Italian frittata fillings but feel free to pick your favorite veggies.
The most important thing is that you cook them and season them before adding them to the batter.
- Zucchini and red onion: perfect for summer, when the zucchini is in season.
- Mushrooms and kale: perfect for autumn and winter.
- Broccoli or cauliflower: try it in winter, when those veggies are seasonal.
Equipment
You'll need a non-stick pan to cook the frittata. Ours is 12 inches (28cm) in diameter. For best results, we also recommend using an immersion hand blender, or a regular blender, to mix the batter. If you don't have that, a whisk or a fork will do ok.
Instructions
We show you three fillings: broccoli, mushrooms, and zucchini, but you can make it with any veggies. The important thing is to cook and season them first.
Broccoli filling
We will need about 250 grams or 9 ounces of broccoli. Cut the broccoli into small pieces, then steam them for about 15 to 20 minutes till soft but not mushy.
As a next step, season the broccoli with olive oil, salt, and pepper, mix and break up the larger pieces with a fork.
Then add the broccoli to the chickpea batter and give it a stir.
Mushrooms filling
To a non-stick pan, add a drizzle of olive oil and a crushed clove of garlic. Let the garlic fry for a minute, then add 7 ounces or 200 grams of sliced mushrooms and 2 ounces or 60 grams of chopped kale to the pan.
Season with salt and pepper and cook for about 10 minutes. Then, make sure there's no vegetable cooking water in the pan, and add the mushrooms to the vegan frittata batter.
Zucchini filling
On a pan add ½ cup of water, a finely sliced onion, and sliced zucchini. Cook on medium heat until the zucchini is soft and the water is gone - it should take about 5 to 10 minutes. Season well with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Add the zucchini to the bowl with the chickpea batter and stir with a fork.
zucchini in the frittata batter
While your chosen vegetables cook, prep the batter for the frittata.
To a bowl add 130 grams or 1 cup of chickpea flour, 240 grams or 1 cup of water, a pinch of salt, two twists of pepper, and 25 grams or 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
You can, of course, add a pinch of Kala Namak (black salt) to give it an eggy flavor, but that's not absolutely necessary.
Blend until you get a smooth, lump-free mixture. Then cook it either in a pan or in the oven.
How to cook vegan frittata in a pan?
To cook it in a pan, heat up a tablespoon of olive in a non-stick pan, then when the pan is very hot turn the heat down, and pour in the batter mixed with the vegetables.
I use a 28cm or 11 inches diameter pan here. Then arrange the vegetables a little bit all over the pan so that they don't just stay in the center.
Now let the frittata cook over medium-low heat for about 4 and a half minutes, without touching it.
Then before turning it over make sure it’s not sticking to the pan, then slide it onto a plate, and then turn it back into the pan and cook it for another two to three minutes at most, without letting it get too dry.
To turn it back into the pan, just put the pan upside down on top of the plate, then turn them at the same time. Watch our video linked below to see the technique.
This frittata is so simple and nutritious that we now make it at least twice a week, then, of course, you can change the vegetables depending on the season.
How to cook vegan frittata in the oven?
Oven-baked vegan frittata is an even healthier alternative to our stovetop vegan frittata.
We really liked the oven-baked version too, it's still soft and moist and full of flavor, and perfect for a healthy breakfast.
But if you want to impress non-vegan friends and family we recommend cooking it on a non-stick pan, on the stove, with oil, as described in our recipe box.
Anyhow, here's how to cook this delicious vegan frittata without eggs in the oven:
- Preheat the oven to 390F or 200C.
- Prepare the batter and the zucchini as described in the recipe box.
- Line the bottom of a cake pan with parchment paper and lightly oil the sides.
We like to use a square cake pan, but any shape will do, even a muffin pan.
Our pan's dimensions are 9inch x 9inch (24cm by 24cm) and we used 1.5 cups of water and 1.5 cups of chickpea flour. - Pour the frittata batter in the cake pan and bake for about 18 minutes. It can take a minute more or less, depending on the oven.
Tips
- Use a blender: we recommend blending the batter with an immersion hand blender or with a regular blender. We did many tests, and blending the batter gives a smoother, creamier texture to the vegan frittata.
- Season the vegetables: you can make this vegan frittata with pretty much any vegetables that are in season- try with fried artichokes - delicious! The trick for a flavourful frittata is to cook and season the vegetables before you add them to the chickpea batter.
- Use a clean pan for the frittata: do not cook the frittata in the same pan you cooked the vegetables (unless of course, you wash it). I tried doing it but the frittata burns a lot faster this way. It's a lot better to cook it on a fresh, clean non-stick pan.
- Hot pan, low heat: to cook this vegan frittata to perfection you need to first add some oil to the pan and wait until the pan is hot. Only then put the batter in, and immediately lower the heat. The pan should be hot, but the frittata needs to cook slowly, on low heat, or else it will burn outside and will be raw on the inside.
- Don't overcook it: vegan frittata should be served slightly moist in the center, it tastes so much better that way. So don't let it dry out in the pan.
Questions
Frittata is an egg-based Italian dish similar to an omelet with additional ingredients add it to it, such as seasonal vegetables. Frittata in Italian translates roughly as "fried dish".
The main difference between frittata and omelet is that in an Italian frittata the ingredients are combined with the frittata batter before they are added to the pan. Also, the ingredients are cooked and seasoned beforehand, and not added raw and unseasoned. Finally, a frittata is left open, and not close in half like an omelet.
Use a non-stick pan with a tablespoon of olive oil to cook the frittata. You'll get the best results this way.
You can put cream in a frittata if you want to. In Italy some people do, some don't.
This vegan frittata is best served as a complement to a big leafy green salad, and a piece of wholegrain bread. This way you'll get a delicious and nutritionally balanced meal.
Variations
Like egg frittata, our vegan frittata made with chickpea flour is the queen of variations. You can add pretty much anything you like to it.
Our tip is to always cook the ingredients and season them before adding them to the chickpea batter. Here are some examples of frittata variations that are really popular in Italy.
Asparagus frittata
Clean and cut the end of the woody end of the asparagus, then cut each asparagus into 4 pieces, and cook them on a pan with half an onion and a drizzle of olive oil for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then add them to the chickpea frittata batter and proceed as instructed in the recipe box in step 4.
Red onions frittata
Finely slice the onion (julienne style), then cook it for 10 minutes on a pan with a drizzle of olive oil. When the pan gets too dry, add some water to it. Keep cooking till the onion is soft, season with salt and pepper and add it to the chickpea frittata batter and proceed as instructed in the recipe box in step 4.
Potatoes frittata
Peel and dice the potatoes, then cook them in lightly salted boiling water till soft, but not mushy. It should take about 8 to 10 minutes. Now add the potato to the chickpea batter. Add in also a handful of finely chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper and cook as described in the recipe box.
Serving suggestions
You've probably realized that we are big fans of frittata by now. It's a wonderful protein source for an easy dinner, and fun to use in vegan appetizers:
- Serve as a lunch in a wrap: Italian flatbread is perfect for wrapping the frittata. Add crispy lettuce and a drizzle of chipotle sauce or a spoon of guacamole. It's even meal-prep friendly and brilliant as a lunch box recipe.
- Serve as a healthy dinner: with this easy tomato-cucumber salad (in summer), or this fennel and orange salad in winter. If you're trying to increase your veggie intake, like we are, you can add another side of roasted Brussel sprouts or oven-roasted veggies. Then you're in for a vitamin-packed dinner 🙂
Similar recipes
If you're new to cooking without eggs, take a peek at these easy egg-free recipes:
- Chickpea crepes
- Vegan carbonara
- Salty frittata muffins
- Socca with chickpea flour
- Zucchini pie
- Vegan egg salad
- Tofu scramble
- Vegan mayo
PSST! If dessert and sweets are your guilty pleasures, we feel you! Our egg-free plant-based desserts might also be of interest to you 🙂
Storage
Vegan frittata is best eaten minutes after it's made. If you have some leftovers, then store them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for a couple of days max.
Then warm it up on a pan or in the microwave, but not for too long as you don't want it to get too dry.
If you have leftovers you can even freeze this chickpea frittata. Then when you are ready to eat it, let it thaw at room temperature for half an hour, then warm it up in the oven for a few minutes at 360F or 180C.
Recipe
Vegan frittata - no eggs, no tofu
Equipment
- Non-stick pan 11 inches or 28cm
- Immersion hand blender or regular blender
Ingredients
For the frittata batter
- 1 cup chickpea flour garbanzo bean flour
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil + 1 tablespoon to cook it on the pan
- 2 pinches salt
- 2 twists pepper
- ⅓ teaspoon kala namak - black salt (optional, for eggy flavor)
For the zucchini filling
- 1 medium zucchini + ½ cup of water
- 1 medium red onion
- 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste
Variation: broccoli filling
- 9 ounces broccoli steamed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- salt & pepper to taste
Variation: mushroom filling
- 7 ounces mushrooms any
- 2 ounces kale or spinach
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook and season the vegetables: on a pan add ½ cup of water, a finely sliced onion and sliced zucchini. Cook on medium heat until the zucchini is soft and the water is gone - it should take about 5 to 10 minutes. Season well with a pinch of salt and pepper. TIP: You can use any vegetables of your choice. If you use broccoli, cauliflower, or sweet potatoes, steam them before, then season them with olive oil, salt and pepper before.
- While the vegetables cook, blend together water, chickpea flour, olive oil, salt and pepper for a couple of minutes till you have a very smooth batter. Set aside.TIP: you can use an immersion blender or a regular blender.
- Add the vegetables to the bowl with the chickpea batter and stir with a fork.
- On a different pan (should be non-stick and clean), add 1.5 tablespoon of olive oil, let it warm up for 30 seconds, then pour in the frittata batter and cook on low heat for about 4 to 5 minutes without touching it.
- After 5 minutes, make sure the frittata is not sticking to the pan anymore, then slide it on a plate, then turn it back into the pan and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes on low heat.
- Transfer onto a plate and enjoy as is, or sprinkled with some fresh herbs such as parsley, chives, or green onions.
Video Recipe
Notes
Tips
- For best results we recommend blending the batter, however we also tried whisking the batter with a whisk and with a fork and the frittata turns out really good as well.
- The pan and the oil must be HOT when you pour the batter in, but then the frittata must be cooked on LOW heat. The pan must be clean, if you use the pan where you cooked the zucchini the frittata will burn.
- Before flipping it, make sure it's not sticking to the pan.
- Do not overcook the frittata, it should be well cooked on the outside, but still a bit moist and soft on the inside.
- You can use most vegetables for this frittata, what's important is that you cook them and season them before adding them to the chickpea batter.
Variation with broccoli
Cut the broccoli into small florets, then steam it till soft. Season the broccoli with olive oil, salt and pepper. Give it a mix with a fork, breaking off the larger pieces of broccoli. Transfer the broccoli into the bowl with the batter, mix and cook the frittata as instructed in the steps above.Variation with mushrooms
Slice the mushrooms and cook them on a non stick pan with oil, crushed garlic, salt pepper and optionally you could add some kale or spinach. It should take you about 10 minutes. Make sure there's no mushroom cooking water in the pan, then transfer the mushrooms to the bowl with the chickpea batter, mix and cook the frittata as instructed in the steps above.Oven baked frittata
- Preheat the oven to 390F or 200C.
- Prepare the batter and the zucchini as described in the recipe box.
- Line the bottom of a pie pan or oven dish with parchment paper and lightly oil the sides.
We like to use a square oven dish, but any shape will do.
Our pan's dimensions are 9inch x 9inch (24cm by 24cm) and we used 1.5 cups of water and 1.5 cups of chickpea flour. - Pour the frittata batter in the cake pan and bake for about 18 minutes. It can take a minute more or less, depending on the oven.
Nutritional Values
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Martina
What is the serving size for the nutritional information posted? It might be somewhere on there but I couldn't find it.
I made a version with mushrooms, spinach, bell pepper, onions, and garlic. It turned out to be a delicious dinner. When I make it again, I will increase the amount of vegetable in the frittata. It was good the way it was, but I like lots of vegetables. I am not sure how much vegetable I can put in before it is "too much" but I am sure I will figure that out as I make it more. I will also increase the amount of black salt I put in. The flavour was a little too subtle for my preference.
A good solid recipe for a filling dinner without much fuss.
Nico
Hi Martina, thanks so much for your message. So happy you liked it! Sometimes we also load it up with like double the veggies 🙂
Nutritional info is for 1 slice of frittata out of 4 slices. We usually cut it in 4 pieces and eat 1 piece per person. Hope this helps 🙂
Rocio
Hi Nico! Can I sub flour with cooked chickpeas?
Nico
Hi Rocio, thanks for commenting! Cooked chickpeas, unfortunately, would not give the frittata the same texture as the flour - it won't hold together 🙂 Hope that helps. Cheers, Nico
Wanda
Hi Nico, thank you so much for the recipe! We made the broccoli frittata and accompanied it with a big salad of greens and whole grain bread, it was delicious and so easy to make! We wrote the recipe in our "must have list" for the days when we need inspiration or something quick to prepare 🙂
Chef Nico
Wanda, you are so kind. Thank you for cooking my recipe, I'm honoured that the frittata made it to your all-star list!! Cheers, Nico
joe
Hi Nico I made this today and would like to serve it as a whole meal. What do you suggest to accompany it with?
Tks God bless.
Nico
Hi Joe,
I usually serve the frittata with a big, crunchy salad and toasted sourdough bread on the side. Then, the meal has a good ratio of legumes (frittata), grains (bread) and a healthy serving of greens.
I hope that helps! Cheers, Nico
joe
Thanks.
God bless
Selena
So delicious!!! Never thought it would be this easy! 🙂
Chef Nico
Thanks, Selena! I'm really happy you also found it easy to make!
Cheers,
Nico
Charlotte
This is such a delicious recipe! The third recipe of yours that I have tried in 24 hours and they have all been amazing. I’m so glad I found your youtube channel. Thank you for such brilliant food!
Nico
Thank you Charlotte. So happy you like the recipes ☺️❤️
Gai Russo
Delicious 🤤 and sharing with everyone!
Nico
Thank you so much Gai. We are happy you liked the frittata 🙂
Krista
Wow! Just tried this for the first time with the fresh zucchini and parsley popping up in my garden currently. I've got family coming for a visit next week, I'm sure this will be a hit!
Nico
Hi Krista, thanks for your comment, I am happy you liked it. Hope it was a hit with you family too 🙂
Julie
Excellent recipe - I had to bake it a few minutes longer. I can't eat eggs anymore so I alternate chickpea and mung bean 'eggs'. JUST Egg is made from mung beans. VeganRicha has a good recipe I found as JUST Egg is a bit pricey and sometimes isn't available. I will definitely make this again with some different veggie combinations.
Nico
Thanks, Julie, happy you liked it 🙂 We are still waiting for JUSTegg to be sold where we live. It's taking too long 🙂
Keith Hill
I made this with potato and onion - worked really well. I LOVE your YouTube channel - really inspirational.
Nico
Hi Keith, thanks so much for your message 🙂 Happy you liked the recipe and the channel 🙂 It sounds delicious with potatoes and onions!
Tanya
Hi Nico and Louise,
I love your website and videos!
I added garlic smashed into a paste with a little salt, plus a bit of cumin. It was so delicious!!!
Thank you for your work - I am hoping to use your recipes to convince my family that plant-based is the way to go : )
Nico
Hi Tanya, thank you so much for your message 🙂 We are happy you like the frittata. Such a great idea to add some extra garlic + cumin! It must be delicious 🙂 Fingers crossed with your family. Ours is slowly giving in 🙂
Kathryn
This recipe looks delicious! How do I share it with a friend? Can’t wait to try it!!
Nico
Thank you for your message Kathryn, we are still working on our "sharing buttons". For now you could just share the link of the recipe? Thanks soo much again 🙂
G
Hello Mr Nicole I'm wondering does your school has a physical address and if so if someone wants to study there or study after they finish their undergraduate studies how do they get into your school and also can you make a dessert out of spaghetti I know some friends and relatives who are in Florence and I knew a teacher might those from Valencia and he talked about that before and there's ways you can make spaghetti a dessert I don't know if a cake dessert or a pie dessert or what have you any kind of pasta and what kind of pastas are mainly found in Italy and are the most of them homemade I imagine they are so your site looks great I stumbled upon it accidentally and hopefully I can get some more information when you have an opportunity thank you so much for you and your group does and fortunately a passion for food as most people do have in your country makes a huge difference
Nico
Hi there 🙂 Thanks for your message. We don't have a physical school, maybe one day we will do an online school 🙂 I am not sure what the spaghetti dessert is. I think maybe is Icecream shaped like spaghetti 🙂
Geraldine Arevalo
On the Nutrition Facts shows 6g Sugar. Where is sugar coming from? Thank you for the responses.
Nico
HI Geraldine, that would be mostly the natural sugar in the chickpea flour 🙂 There's no added sugar 🙂
Tim Smith
Made this today for brunch. First time using chic pea flour. I was very worried about the "flip". But I used enough oil and a plate - and it worked. It was a major hit and we will be making it again - will try variations such as those listed. I did use an immersion blender also.
Nico
Thanks so much for your message Tim. Glad it turned out well and it was a hit 🙂 That's great to hear!
CJ
Perhaps an improved recipe might include an egg substitute like Just Egg which is the closest product to the look, texture and especially taste that one can find at the store.
Nico
Hi CJ, yeah, I can't wait for Just Egg to come to Italy. I'm sooo excited about it. But unfortunately where I live I still can't find it 🙂
Norma J DeBerry
Hello! How can one incorporate just egg into this recipe
Nico
Hi Norma, I haven't tried but I think you can use just egg instead of the chickpea flour. All the rest stays the same. Cheers! Nico
Terre
Three tbsp of Just Egg equals one chicken egg, and 24 tbsp equals 1-1/2 cup. That’s equal to one bottle of Just Egg.
Just Egg also sells square, folded, precooked egg patties in the freezer section, four to a box and a good size for English muffin breakfast sandwiches. Still, it would be way more cost effective to use Just Egg from the bottle, or even better, use this recipe, and bake it in a muffin tin.
I made Just Egg frittatas last weekend in an air fryer and they were delicious, but the basket is round and I want small round frittatas for breakfast sandwiches. Wondered how to bake them in a muffin tin and that’s how I found Italia Plant Based.
I used diced red peppers, yellow onion, garlic, and a bit of bottled jalapeño plus crumbled vegan sausage, with sofrita spice from Trader Joe’s plus black pepper and black salt (Kala Namak) for its eggy flavor.
Everything cooked up fine without precooking and spicing, but that’s a valuable tip and I plan to do it for this recipe.
Thank you for this recipe, Italia Plant Based!
Anya
Love this recipe. In india we call it vadi. My favorite is cabbage vadi. It is steamed and then pan fried so the chickpea flour cooks fully and so does the cabbage, but ill try it with precooked veggies and see if the steaming step can be ditched.
Nico
Thanks for the message Anya, i haven't tried Vadi yet, I hope I can soon. Love Indian food 🙂
Debbie
Can I use regular flour?
Nico
Hi Debbie, no, it wouldn't work. They are two completely different ingredients 🙂
Lauren
I made this as directed and added sauteed white onion and oyster mushrooms. I baked in the oven. Delicious! Will add more salt and pepper and done herbs next time.
Nico
Hi Lauren, it sounds delicious with extra onions and mushrooms 🙂 Happy you liked it and thank you so much for the message 🙂
Anthony Browne
I joined the UK Vegetarian Society in 1989. Developing a Vegetarian lifestyle and beginning to understand the serious influence WE were having on the planet, I joined the UK Vegan Society in 2000. I am now 76 and I know that I have benefitted in many ways by adopting this lifestyle. Because we have at last realised the destruction of our planet, partly by breading and consuming vast amount of animals, one of the ways of saving it is for the majority of the population to adopt a plant based life style. It is important to stress to EVERYBODY, that time is short.
Nico
Hi Anthony, I agree. We are vegans for the same reasons 🙂 Our aim is to make vegan food as easy and delicious as possible, so that people will be attracted to it, and not scared by it. Thank you for your message 🙂 Cheers, Nico