Vegan Breakfast Sandwich with Chickpea Flour Eggs
This vegan breakfast sandwich is packed with healthy, nourishing ingredients. Made with chickpea flour “eggs,” vegan cheese, spinach, sprouted grain bread, and more, this is an amazing savory plant-based breakfast. It’s quick and easy to make too — you just need 20 minutes!
One of the only things I missed about giving up my egg + cheese ways was the coffee shop breakfast sandwich. I LOVE a savoury breakfast. And as a registered dietitian, I also know the importance of feeling full (and satisfied!) for more than 30 minutes. (Which, if we’re honest, the coffee shop varieties don’t always deliver.)
So, as cookbook author, I felt confident that it was time to roll up my sleeves and create my own: a healthy vegan breakfast sandwich that was high in protein AND high fibre, plus veggies. Because, of course veggies!
I immediately added it to my plant-based breakfast recipes because holy heck, if this is not the BEST vegan breakfast sandwich you’ve ever had, then we have very different taste buds my friend. I still love you though – no matter what!
I’ve been eating some variation of this sandwich for well over a year now, so I’m excited to partner with Silver Hills Bakery — maker of my favourite sliced bread ever — to finally share this flavourful, filling and yes, HEALTHY vegan breakfast sandwich that will change the way you do mornings. Here’s to breakfasts worth waking up for.
What’s a vegan substitute for eggs?
Chickpea flour eggs? Easy, fibre-packed, and delicious! There are definitely more processed or ready-made egg replacements for vegan and plant-based diets (usually cellulose based), but as a gut health nutrition expert, I’m keen on getting in the legumes wherever possible. Why? Beans are nutrition powerhouses full of vitamins, minerals, and nourishing nutrients for your body. Using chickpea flour makes getting an egg-like texture a breeze—and their neutral flavour makes them super amenable: toss on some kala namak, and they taste just like eggs!
Chickpea flour nutrition
Legumes like chickpeas help support digestive health in a world where digestion has gone seriously awry by feeding the trillions of important gut microbiota we need for digestive and nervous system health. One cup of chickpea flour contains 10 grams of fibre, over 100% of your daily folate intake, 75% of your manganese, and 25% of your RDI of iron.
Chickpea flour also contains soluble fiber, which plays a crucial role in regulating your body’s blood cholesterol levels. So chickpea “eggs” for breakfast? There isn’t a better way to start your day!
But is chickpea flour gluten free?
It is! Because chickpea flour is essentially just dried and ground chickpeas, it contains no wheat or gluten on its own. It also goes by the name of garbanzo flour, gram flour, and besan, but is usually just the pulverized bean. However, it can be cross-contaminated with gluten during manufacturing, so if you live with celiac disease, just be sure to check whether or not it was produced and packaged in a gluten-free facility (usually a “GF” stamp of approval on the package).
How to make chickpea flour
You can actually make your own chickpea flour by grinding organic chickpeas in a coffee grinder (or a spice grinder), sifting the flour, then grinding that mixture again. It takes a bit of work, but it’s really simple.
How to make your breakfast more filling
Our bodies are pretty cool. There are all sorts of physical triggers and biochemical feedback loops to help us regulate our appetite so that we get all the nutrition we need. The catch? We need to be eating the type of food that these triggers were designed for. And that isn’t potato chips. Now, you know I love me some ripple chips, but if that’s ALL we are eating, we’re never going to feel full. Why?
Hyper-processed foods don’t take up a lot of space in the stomach, so they don’t activate the stretch receptors that tell our brain we’ve eaten enough. That’s why we can eat a whole ‘family size’ bag of potato chips without feeling full. Kinda nauseous maybe, but not full. Plus, these foods are sort of “pre-digested” by processing, making them really easy to break down and absorb into our bloodstream, causing blood sugar spikes.
Want to feel full? Feast on PLANTS. Whole, or minimally processed, plant foods contain plenty of fibre and water to help fill up your stomach.
Dense plant cells like whole grains, legumes, and vegetables take time to digest, leading to a slower and more moderate blood sugar rise. Of course, feeling full and satisfied for hours on a plant-based diet also means knowing how to create a balanced plate. If you want to build a meal that really sticks with you, you need to look for these four factors to help slow stomach emptying and trigger gut-derived hormones that help you feel full:
- protein: soy foods like tofu and tempeh, legumes such as chickpeas and lentils as well as nuts and seeds
- healthy fats: avocado, olives, nuts, seeds and nut butters
- fibre: whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, fruits + vegetables
- acid: citrus fruit, vinegars and acid-based condiments
This breakfast sandwich has it all: sprouted whole grains and chickpea flour that are packed with plant-based protein and fibre; healthy fats from the avocado as well as a little bit of acid from the vinegar-based hot sauce.
Why sprouted grain breads are different from whole wheat bread
One of the most common questions I get about choosing a sliced bread for the family is how 100% sprouted grain breads are different from 100% whole wheat breads. The short answer? No flour!
Silver Hills Bakery sprouts whole wheat kernels and then grinds them into the bread dough. The grains are never milled into flour. 100% whole wheat breads are made from whole grain flour, which is very rapidly digested versus the whole wheat kernel. This is why whole wheat bread and white bread have very similar glycemic indexes.
Sprouted grain breads typically have much more fibre (5g per slice vs 2g) than whole wheat flour breads and sometimes more protein too. Just two slices of Silver Hills Bakery Squirrelly bread contains a whopping 10g of fibre and 12g of plant-based protein. That is an absolute game changer when it comes to feeling full and satisfied. We all need more fibre – the average American eats just 16 grams a day – and fibre is critical for fighting inflammation.
How to make a vegan breakfast sandwich
There are so many ways to make a healthy breakfast sandwich! You could use tofu or chickpea flour to make an ‘egg’. I love chickpea eggs because they take literally 2 minutes to mix up and have a great texture. You could even add a slice of smoked tofu or tempeh bacon for a more ‘meaty’ approach.
In just a few simple steps, you can make a filling and hearty breakfast sandwich:
- toast a couple of slices of sprouted grain bread or a bagel
- mix up chickpea flour with salt, pepper, turmeric, baking powder and water
- cook the chickpea egg, wilting some greens on the side and add a slice of vegan cheeze
- spread bread with vegan butter or mayo, layer on the egg, cheese and greens and top as desired! I love a bit of hot sauce and avocado but guac is fun too
More easy and healthy vegan breakfast ideas:
- Easy Protein-Packed Chickpea Scramble
- Easy Vegan French Toast with Caramelized Bananas and Walnuts
- 15-Minute Vegan Apple Pie Oatmeal
- Healthy Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Nut Butter
Vegan Breakfast Sandwich with Chickpea Flour Eggs
Ingredients
Chickpea ‘eggs’
- 1 cup chickpea flour, chickpea + fava flour also works
- 1 scant cup water
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- pinch kala namak, or vegan 'egg seasoning' for more eggy flavour, optional
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
Sandwich assembly
- 4 Silver Hills Bakery Bagels , or 8 slices Silver Hills Bakery Bread
- 4 big handfuls baby spinach
- 4 slices your fave vegan cheese
- 1 avocado, sliced
- vegan mayo
- hot sauce, I like Valentina's here
Instructions
- Toast up your bagels or bread. Spread with mayo and set aside.
- Whisk up chickpea flour, turmeric, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add water and whisk until smooth.
- Heat up large nonstick pan on medium heat with avocado oil. Pour ¼ cup of the chickpea mixture on pan, like a pancake. Repeat with remaining batter. Let cook for 2-3 minute, until firm enough to flip. We’re not looking for the egg to brown, you want to maintain a soft texture inside. Flip, add cheese and let cook for one to two minutes more. Place 'eggs' on the bagels.
- Add spinach to pan with a tablespoon of water and stir constantly until wilted, about a minute. Remove from heat and pile on bagels. Add sliced avocado and hot sauce to sandwiches and serve.
12 Comments on “Vegan Breakfast Sandwich with Chickpea Flour Eggs”
What is your favorite vegan cheese?
Hi Bev,
OOH tough question! It depends on what I’ve got access to and what I’m using it for. For slices, my faves are Parmela Creamery (all) and Violife (smoked provolone). For block, the Daiya Jalepeno Havarti for sure. For shreds, Parmela or Nabati. For cashew cheese, Spread Em Kitchen. For nice stuff, Blue Heron!
I made the best vegan breakfast sandwich this morning and have given it five stars. It was very good and a nice change from our usual boring breakfasts, even my husband liked it. Thank you Desiree for this.
Hi Beverly,
I am so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to share a review 🙂
Desiree
I’ve tried chickpea flour omelette recipes in the past and they’ve never worked out (they always get stuck to the pan), but this chickpea ‘egg’ turned out great!! I just made it again this morning. So simple and so tasty! It’s definitely on the weekly rotation now. I added some nutritional yeast and had it with a slice of cheese on some whole grain bread. YUM
I’m so glad you like it Rachel! I make these weekly around here 🙂
There should be a better word than “best”! This sandwich is so so good!!
Ha ha, what is that word…superlative?!? So glad you like it Kristen. Thanks for taking the time to rate it!
This has been on my list of “things to try” for awhile and finally made it this morning! I did the single serve directions as it was just me. It was quite tasty!! Now, my family is not vegan and I am not sure this would “pass” for an actual egg if I tried to put it in front of my 5 yr old. BUT.. it was delicious none the less and I will definitely be making it again (I didn’t have the avocado or cheese this morning so just used a little butter and “everything bagel” seasoning on the toast and sautéed w spinach. It was a very nice change up from my usual smashed beans on toast. Have you ever made these ahead of time and kept them in the fridge or froze them to reheat similar to a Just Egg patty?
Hi Katy,
I am SO glad you liked it! Yes, it’s definitely not egg substitute-y like Just Egg. I have made them ahead of time but I find they do dry out a bit and the texture gets a bit firm. Perhaps if you add a bit of oil to them, that might prevent it so you could reheat!?
Thank goodness for this recipe! Although my kiddo still eats eggs, he’s also quite a fan of the Just Egg, which is super spendy. I made this for him for his breakfast this morning and he gobbled it right up. I don’t think he knew he was eating chickpeas but that’s okay!
I can do way more with a big, affordable bag of besan flour and finally get legumes into kiddos diet too. (I just wish I’d known about this waaaaay back in 2001 when I first went vegan – breakfasts would have been way more fun with this “egg” back then.)
Hi Nicole! I am SO glad he liked the chickpea eggs…1/4 cup of chickpea flour is exactly the protein of an egg, plus fibre…and yep, soooo much more affordable. Thank you for taking the time to leave a rating and comment!