Lactose Free Instant Pot Chickpeas
Dried chickpeas cooked from scratch are in a completely different league from the canned stuff — creamier, more flavorful, and satisfying in a way that's hard to explain until you try it. The Instant Pot does all the heavy lifting here, turning a pound of dried legumes into a tender, perfectly seasoned batch with almost zero hands-on effort. Smashed garlic, a bay leaf, and a hit of ground cumin infuse every chickpea as it cooks under pressure, so you're not starting from a bland base. Since the whole recipe is built around pantry staples — no dairy, no cream, nothing hidden — it's naturally free of lactose without any substitutions or label-reading required. The optional drizzle of olive oil adds a subtle richness that rounds everything out beautifully. Don't toss the cooking liquid either; it's deeply savory and works wonderfully stirred into soups or stews. Once you have a big batch ready to go, the possibilities are endless — roast them, toss them into grain bowls, blend them into hummus, or just eat them warm straight from the pot.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 1 lb dried chickpeas
- 5 cups water
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp olive oil (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Sort through the dried chickpeas and discard any shriveled ones or small stones. Rinse under cold running water in a colander until the water runs clear.
- 2
Add the rinsed chickpeas, water, kosher salt, smashed garlic, bay leaf, ground cumin, and olive oil, if using, to the Instant Pot insert.
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