Mesquite beans, or mesquite pods, are the edible seed pods of mesquite trees (Prosopis spp.), native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, and have long been a food source for Indigenous peoples of arid regions. Dried and ground, the pods yield a sweet, nutty, slightly caramel-like flour called mesquite flour, high in protein and fiber. Ground mesquite is sometimes added to pinole, a roasted-cornmeal staple of the same region, but pinole itself is traditionally corn-based, not mesquite-based, and the two terms should not be used interchangeably.
Mesquite flour is used in tortillas, breads, and baked goods such as cookies and cakes, and pairs well with chocolate, coffee, chili peppers, and barbecue flavors. Whole pods can also be eaten raw, roasted, or boiled and mashed into a paste.