Instant Pot chickpeas (soaked or unsoaked) are one of the easiest, budget-friendly ways to cook tender, dried garbanzo beans from scratch. This Instant Pot chickpea cooking guide shows you how to soak (or skip it), cook chickpeas from dry, and make them perfectly creamy for hummus.
Pair them with my marry me chickpeas, homemade hummus recipe, vegan chickpea salad, or my easy chickpea noodle soup recipe.
🔍 A Quick Look: Instant Pot Chickpeas
- 📝 Recipe Name: Instant Pot Chickpeas (Soaked + Unsoaked)
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 5 minutes (plus optional 8–12 hour soak)
- 🕒 Total Time: ~20 min (soaked) or ~1 hr (unsoaked)
- 👥 Servings: ~6 cups cooked chickpeas (from 1 lb dried)
- 🎯 Key Ingredients: Dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans), water, optional baking soda
- 💕 Why You’ll Love It: chickpeas from scratch are less expensive than canned, cleaner ingredient list, consistent texture, aquafaba for bonus recipes
Years ago, I started batch-cooking beans every week. It’s the simplest way I know to make fast, nourishing meals. With an Instant Pot pressure cooker, chickpeas go from pantry to perfect with almost no babysitting — and your freezer ends up stocked with 1-cup portions ready for bowls and quick dinners.
If you’re just getting started, my easy vegan meal prep for beginners guide is a great primer for vegan meal prep recipes, and these chickpeas are perfect for chickpea salad sandwiches and this loaded hummus platter.
How to Get Perfectly Cooked Chickpeas Every Time
The key to perfectly cooked chickpeas is simple:
- Use enough water to cover the beans.
- Adjust time for firm or soft texture.
- Always allow a natural pressure release.
- Go shorter for salads, longer for creamy hummus — and add a pinch of baking soda for soft skins.
Jump to:
- 🔍 A Quick Look: Instant Pot Chickpeas
- How to Get Perfectly Cooked Chickpeas Every Time
- Cook Times Cheat Sheet
- Why This Recipe Works
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- Tested Tips
- How to make Instant Pot Chickpeas
- How I Use the Instant Pot Every Week
- Serving Ideas
- Storage & Meal Prep Tips
- Instant Pot Tips
- Instant Pot Chickpeas FAQs
- Recipes to Make With Homemade Chickpeas
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Cook Times Cheat Sheet
Here’s a quick reference for Instant Pot cooking times so you always know how long to cook chickpeas from dry — whether soaked or unsoaked.
- Soaked chickpeas: High pressure for 14–15 minutes, natural release for 15 minutes (14 = firmer / 15 = softer)
- Unsoaked chickpeas: High pressure for 40–45 minutes, natural release for 15–20 minutes (40 = firmer / 45 = softer)
- Water level: Cover by 1 inch water (soaked) or 2 inches (unsoaked)
- Yield: 1 cup dried → 2½–3 cups cooked
Why This Recipe Works
- Faster and hands-off: Instant Pot pressure cooking is quicker than the stovetop and needs no supervision.
- No soak needed: Skip soaking when you’re short on time — the Instant Pot still delivers tender results.
- Customizable texture: Adjust cook times for firmer salads or extra-creamy hummus.
- Bonus aquafaba: Save the cooking liquid for vegan baking or ultra-smooth hummus.
- Consistent results: The most reliable way to cook dried chickpeas from scratch.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans): Soaked beans cook faster and are easier to digest, while unsoaked beans save time.
- Water or low-sodium broth: Broth adds flavor (and color); use water if you plan to use aquafaba in sweets.
- Baking soda (optional): ½ teaspoon per cup dried softens skins — ideal for silky hummus. Skip for firmer beans. See the recipe card for quantities.
- Salt (optional): You can salt; add ½–1 teaspoon per lb after pressure cooking for the most even texture.
Tested Tips
- Save aquafaba: Reserve some of the cooking liquid for creamy hummus or vegan baking. Aquafaba can also be whipped into vegan meringues or used as an egg replacer in baking
- Flavor add-ins (savory use): A bay leaf, garlic clove, onion chunk, or piece of kombu infuses subtle depth.
- Avoid burn errors: Don’t go over the Instant Pot’s max guideline for beans + liquid.
- Check doneness: Cooked chickpeas should mash easily with light pressure but hold their shape in salads.
How to make Instant Pot Chickpeas
Here's a step-by-step guide to cooking chickpeas in the Instant Pot. Find exact measurements in the recipe card below.
Soaking is optional.
Transfer the chickpeas and water to the Instant Pot and set to pressure cook. Allow 15-20 minutes of natural pressure release and manually release any remaining pressure (be extra-cautious of any steam or spillage). Drain and reserve aquafaba for storage/recipes.
How I Use the Instant Pot Every Week
In just a few hours, I can batch-cook staples that keep meals simple all week long. I usually make a big batch of meal prep chickpeas or Instant Pot refried beans, then blend up my creamy vegan cheese sauce recipe, or vegan nacho cheese sauce — all right in the Instant Pot.
And when life gets busy, I don’t stress about shortcuts. I’ll grab canned beans (like in my refried black beans recipe), if I need to, but when I can, I always come back to homemade — because it’s more affordable, more flavorful, and way more satisfying.
Serving Ideas
- Add to a vegan baguette sandwich with easy homemade hummus and crisp veggies.
- Toss into a sticky maple glazed tofu bowl with smoky vegan chipotle sauce.
- Pair with quinoa and roasted veggies for a Mediterranean grain bowl.
- Stir into creamy pasta sauce with coconut milk with garlic and greens for a quick dinner.
- Use as a topping for baked potatoes or one-pot vegan chili.
Storage & Meal Prep Tips
- Fridge: Up to 4-5 days in a sealed airtight container with a bit of aquafaba.
- Freezer: Portion 1 cup per bag, up to 3 months.
- Quick thaw: Rinse under warm water or drop into soups to reheat.
- Meal prep: Dried garbanzo beans are one of the most affordable and versatile staples you can batch cook. A single pot sets you up for countless meals. If you’ve ever wondered if meal prep is really worth your time, I break it all down in this post.
- Batch cooking dried chickpeas saves time and mirrors how people in the 5 Blue Zones (the longest-living regions) prepare simple, plant-based staples like chickpeas as the foundation of healthy, longevity-focused eating.
Instant Pot Tips
- Best texture: Always include a natural release window (15–20 min).
- Water headroom: Beans expand! Keep at or below the ½-full line with liquid.
- Seal check: Make sure the ring is seated to maintain pressure.
- Venting safety: For starchy liquids, pulse the pressure release valve in short bursts before fully opening.
Instant Pot Chickpeas FAQs
Yes! Instant Pot pressure cooking makes it easy - just increase the cook time to 40–45 minutes. Then allow a 15–20 minute natural release so they finish cooking gently and stay tender.
Cover chickpeas with boiling water, cover the bowl, and let stand 1 hour; drain and proceed as "soaked."
For hummus, cook chickpeas until very soft (add 5 extra minutes if needed) and use ½ teaspoon baking soda per 1 cup dried chickpeas (or 1 teaspoon per pound) while cooking for extra creaminess. Be sure to rinse well after cooking.
A quick release can cause uneven cooking - some chickpeas may be too soft, others too firm. It can also cause starchy water to sputter out. Letting the pressure naturally release for 15 minutes (soaked) or 15–20 minutes (unsoaked) helps prevent this and reduces mess.
Yes! Cooking chickpeas in vegetable broth adds extra flavor, especially in soups, stews, grain bowls, and salads where you want the chickpeas to bring more depth to the dish, like my cozy vegan chickpea noodle soup. Just skip the broth if you plan to use the aquafaba for baking or sweets.
Recipes to Make With Homemade Chickpeas
Looking for recipes to use these homemade chickpeas in? Try these:
Did you try this recipe? Let me know what you thought by leaving a comment below and sharing it on Instagram, Facebook, & Pinterest! 💛
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Chickpeas (Soaked + Unsoaked Methods)
Equipment
Ingredients
Base ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups dried chickpeas, 1 pound
- Water: Soaked chickpeas: 5 cups water OR enough to cover by 1 inch Unsoaked chickpeas: 6-7 cups water OR enough to cover by 2 inches
- Optional add-ins: 1 teaspoon sea salt, omit for sweet recipes, 1 teaspoon baking soda (optional, makes chickpeas softer, add if using to make hummus)
Instructions
Method 1: Soaked chickpeas
- Sort & rinse: Pick through the chickpeas to remove debris and rinse under cold water.
- Soak: Place chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with at least 3 inches of water. Soak for 8–12 hours, then drain and rinse thoroughly.
- Add chickpeas & water to an Instant Pot: Transfer drained chickpeas to the Instant Pot with 5 cups fresh water (or enough to cover by about 1 inch) and any optional add-ins.
- Pressure cook: Seal the lid and set it to high pressure for 14–15 minutes. Use 14 minutes for firmer chickpeas (salads, soups) or 15 minutes for softer chickpeas (like hummus).
- Natural release: Allow 15 minutes of natural pressure release, then manually release any remaining pressure (be cautious of any steam or spillage).
- Drain the chickpeas, reserving some of the aquafaba (the liquid) for storage to prevent them from drying out.
- Store in an airtight container with reserved aquafaba to maintain texture.
Method 2: Unsoaked chickpeas
- Sort & rinse: Pick through the chickpeas to remove debris and rinse under cold water.
- Add chickpeas & water: Transfer chickpeas to the Instant Pot with 6-7 cups fresh water (OR enough to cover by about 2 inches), and any optional add-ins.
- Pressure cook: Seal the lid and set to high pressure for 40–45 minutes. Use 40 minutes for a firmer texture and 45 minutes if you want them soft enough to blend easily into hummus
- Natural release: Allow 15–20 minutes of natural pressure release, then manually release any remaining pressure (be cautious of any steam or spillage).
- Drain & reserve: Drain the chickpeas, reserving some of the aquafaba (the liquid) for storage or recipes like hummus. Store the chickpeas in an airtight container with the reserved aquafaba to maintain texture.
Video
Notes
- Yield: 1 cup dried chickpeas = 2 ½–3 cups cooked.
- Baking soda (optional): ½ teaspoon per 1 cup dried chickpeas (about 1 teaspoon per pound). Helps soften skins for creamier hummus.
- Optional Flavor Add-Ins: For extra depth, add a bay leaf, a garlic clove, a chunk of onion, or even a strip of kombu to the cooking water. Be sure to remove before serving. Skip these if you plan to use chickpeas for sweet recipes or desserts.
- Aquafaba: Save the cooking liquid if you haven’t added salt or flavorings — it makes hummus extra creamy and can be used as an egg substitute in baking.
Nutrition
Julie Gaeta is a plant-based recipe creator, certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, and mom of nine who's been plant-based for over 20 years. She's cooked approximately 4,382 pots of beans and can't vacation without her juicer and pasta pot. Her work has been featured in HuffPost, Yahoo, YourTango, and other major outlets. She helps others simplify wellness and feel good again through her blog, coaching, and weekly newsletter.
Julie Gaeta says
The Instant Pot makes chickpeas so easy—no soaking, just set it and walk away. They’re always perfectly cooked and so much better than canned. I use them for everything, and they’re perfect for meal prep!