Vegan frittata is an easy protein-rich recipe with chickpea flour, ready in 15 minutes on the stovetop or in the oven.
For more chickpea flour recipes, see our savory chickpea muffins, Italian farinata recipe, egg-free carbonara, and zucchini pie.
Introduction
Our vegan frittata is similar to an Italian egg-based frittata, but we substitute chickpea flour for eggs.
The combination of zucchini and red onion is perfect for a quick spring recipe. In autumn and winter you can make it with mushrooms and kale instead.
When Louise is not looking, I like to stir a handful of vegan feta cheese in the batter to make it even more delicious. So good! 🤤
For even more flavor, you can add nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, fresh herbs such as fresh parsley and cilantro, or dried herbs like oregano and thyme.
You can serve the frittata as a starter, side dish, and for a healthy breakfast, but we usually make it a last-minute for a quick and easy dinner.
For example, we love it next to white bean dip and tzatziki sauce.
We are sure you’ll love this vegan frittata recipe as it’s soft, tender, and protein-rich. It’s free from most allergens as there are no eggs, soy, or dairy.
How to make vegan frittata
Step 1: Cook vegetables.
Cut a medium zucchini into thin discs and thinly slice a red onion.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and sauté onion and zucchini for 5 to 10 minutes or until soft. Season with salt and black pepper.
If you use other veggies, do the same and cook them first with a bit of olive oil.
Step 2: Make the batter.
Blend chickpea flour, water, a pinch of salt and pepper, extra virgin olive oil. Optionally, you can add a pinch of Kala Namak for an eggy taste and nutritional yeast for flavor.
Add mixture to a mixing bowl and stir in zucchini and onions.
Step 3: Cook the frittata.
Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan. Pour in mixture and spread veggies on a single layer across the pan.
Cook over medium-low heat for 4 minutes without touching it.
Then, before turning it over, ensure it’s not sticking to the pan by rocking it forward and back.
Slide frittata onto a large plate 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, put the pan upside down on the plate, then turn them simultaneously. Watch our video linked above to see the technique.
Step 4: Serving suggestions.
Cut the vegan frittata into slices and serve as an appetizer, main course, or side dish.
Louise and I love it with confit tomatoes, caramelized onions, olive tapenade and slices of homemade bread.
Tips
- Blend the chickpea flour batter for a smoother, creamier vegan frittata.
- Use a clean pan to avoid burning.
- Preheat the pan with oil, then cook the batter on low heat to ensure even cooking without burning.
Frequently Asked Questions
To bake a vegan frittata, preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C) and add 1 tsp of baking powder to the batter.
Use a parchment-lined, lightly oiled cake pan (9×9 inches or similar). Pour in the batter, evenly distribute the veggies, and bake for about 18 minutes. Adjust time as needed based on your oven.
You can make vegan frittata with most vegetables. Some of our favorite combinations are:
– Mushrooms and kale in autumns and winter.
– Broccoli or cauliflower in winter.
– Red onion and potatoes any time of the year.
– Halved cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs in summer and early autumn.
– Red bell peppers, fresh spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes from spring to autumn.
It’s best to make vegan frittata with chickpea flour, also known as garbanzo bean flour.
Substitute red lentil flour or fava bean flour. The recipe does not work with soy or regular wheat flour.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes, then reheat in the microwave for 1–2 minutes
More easy vegan recipes
Are you in the mood for more easy and delicious vegan recipes? We think you’ll love:
If you tried this vegan frittata or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it goes in the comments. We love hearing from you!
Vegan Frittata
Ingredients
- 1 cup chickpea flour
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 twists black pepper
- ⅓ teaspoon kala namak optional for the eggy flavor.
- 1 zucchini cut into discs + ½ cup of water
- 1 red onion thinly sliced
Instructions
- COOK VEGETABLES: Slice 1 zucchini into thin rounds and 1 red onion into thin strips.Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and zucchini, sautéing for 5 to 10 minutes until softened. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and 2 twists black pepper.If using other vegetables, follow the same process—sauté them first in a bit of olive oil.
- MAKE BATTER: Blend 1 cup chickpea flour, 1 cup water a pinch of salt and pepper.Optionally, you can add ⅓ teaspoon kala namak for an eggy taste and 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast for flavor.Add mixture to a mixing bowl and stir in zucchini and onions.
- SKILLET: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil oil in a non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Pour in the mixture and spread the vegetables evenly in a single layer.Cook for 4 minutes without stirring. Before flipping, gently rock the pan back and forth to ensure the frittata isn’t sticking.Carefully slide the frittata onto a large plate. To flip it, place the pan upside down over the plate, then turn them over together. Return the frittata to the pan and cook for another 2–3 minutes, making sure it doesn’t dry out.For a visual guide, check out our linked video.
- OVEN-BAKED: Preheat oven to 390°F (200°C) and add 1 tsp of baking powder to the batter.Use a parchment-lined, lightly oiled cake pan (9×9 inches or similar).Pour in the batter, evenly distribute the veggies, and bake for about 18 minutes. Adjust time as needed based on your oven.
Video
Notes
- Zucchini and Onion: You can make vegan frittata with most vegetables. Some of our favorite combinations are:
- Mushrooms and kale in autumns and winter.
- Broccoli or cauliflower in winter.
- Red onion and potatoes any time of the year.
- Halved cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs in summer and early autumn.
- Red bell peppers, fresh spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes from spring to autumn.
- Chickpea flour: substitute fava bea flour or red lentil flour. Won’t work with all-purpose flour.
- Make Ahead: Prepare this recipe up to a few days in advance for meal prep or to take to picnics and potlucks. Serve it at room temperature or reheat in the microwave for 1 minute.
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days.
- Freezer: Cool completely, transfer to a freezer-friendly bag, and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw & Reheat: Thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes, then microwave for 1–2 minutes to reheat.
Nutrition
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Hi! We are Nico & Louise
We’re here to share delicious, easy, and healthy plant-based recipes (vegetarian & vegan) 🌿✨.
Welcome to our blog, we are glad you are here.
I made this with potato and onion – worked really well. I LOVE your YouTube channel – really inspirational.
Hi Keith, thanks so much for your message 🙂 Happy you liked the recipe and the channel 🙂 It sounds delicious with potatoes and onions!
Delicious frittata🌟
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 : )
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 🙂
This recipe looks delicious! How do I share it with a friend? Can’t wait to try it!!
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 🙂
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
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 🙂
On the Nutrition Facts shows 6g Sugar. Where is sugar coming from? Thank you for the responses.
HI Geraldine, that would be mostly the natural sugar in the chickpea flour 🙂 There’s no added sugar 🙂
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.
Thanks so much for your message Tim. Glad it turned out well and it was a hit 🙂 That’s great to hear!
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.
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 🙂
Hello! How can one incorporate just egg into this recipe
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
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!
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.
Thanks for the message Anya, i haven’t tried Vadi yet, I hope I can soon. Love Indian food 🙂
Can I use regular flour?
Hi Debbie, no, it wouldn’t work. They are two completely different ingredients 🙂
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.
Hi Lauren, it sounds delicious with extra onions and mushrooms 🙂 Happy you liked it and thank you so much for the message 🙂
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.
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