Easy Baked Falafel (with Step-by-Step Instructions)

These flavorful Easy Baked Falafel are easy to prepare and make for a great protein source for wraps, buddha bowls and salads!

Intro

You know that question, "If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?"

Whenever I'm asked this question, I always think of falafel.

Falafel is definitely one of my favorite foods.

I never get sick of falafel.

Whether it's stuffed inside of a pita pocket, plated with couscous and roasted veggies or served on top of salad, it always hits the spot.

We love to pair these baked falafel with my Cilantro Lemon Quinoa Salad, the BEST Hummus and this never-fails Lemon Tahini Dressing.

Let me show you how you can make these easy baked falafel right in the comfort of your own home!

What is Falafel?

Before we jump into the nitty gritty of how to make falafel, we should probably clarify what falafel is and where its most popular.

Falafel is a popular "fast food" in the Middle East. Falafels are made from combining chickpeas, herbs and spices into a dough, forming that dough into patties--or fritters--and frying them until browned and hot.

Usually, falafel is served with tahini inside of a pita pocket with other veggies. It can also be served as side dish with hummus or tahini sauce.

Thankfully, the rest of the world has also discovered how amazing falafel is so it's fairly easy to find falafel around the world.

Ingredients You'll Need for Homemade Falafel

To make these little falafel patties, you'll need just a handful of ingredients, many of which are spices that you probably already have on hand! I'll list out everything you'll need below:

• Dried chickpeas
• Red onion
• Fresh parsley leaves
• Cilantro leaves
• Garlic cloves
• Sea salt
• Ground coriander
• Ground turmeric
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Ground cumin
• Ground cinnamon
• Olive oil

As you can see, outside of some fresh herbs and onion, these falafels are made with a base of pantry-friendly ingredients including dried chickpeas and spices.

Easy peasey!

Should You Use Canned or Raw Garbanzo Beans When Making Falafel

When it comes to making falafel from scratch at home, many people often choose to use canned chickpeas.

Don't do this!

To make truly authentic falafel you need to use dried chickpeas. If you use canned chickpeas, the chickpeas will be too mushy and the chickpea "dough" will be too crumbly when you try to form the falafel patties.

Start by soaking dried chickpeas overnight until soft and then continue making your falafel from there.

How to Make Homemade Falafel

I'll show you below using step-by-step instructions and pictures how to make homemade falafel. It's so easy, so I hope you give it a try!

• Step 1: Soak the dried chickpeas for 4-6 hours, or overnight. Drain and rinse.

• Step 2: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or liberally spray it with cooking spray. Set aside.
  
• Step 3: Place all of the ingredients into a large food processor and process until a fairly smooth, moldable "dough" forms. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary. This could take anywhere from 5-10 minutes, depending on the strength of your processor.

• Step 4: Shape 2 tablespoons worth of falafel dough into a patty ½-inch thick. Repeat until all of the dough has been formed into patties. The patties won't expand in the oven so you should be able to fit them all onto one baking sheet.
  
• Step 5: Bake the falafel patties for 13 minutes. Remove the baking tray from the oven and flip over each patty. Bake for 10-13 more minutes until cooked through and golden brown on each side.

• Step 6: Serve in fresh pita with the BEST Hummus, lettuce, tomato and Lemon Tahini Dressing!

How to Store Falafel

You can store any leftover falafel in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Alternatively, you can freeze them for 2-3 months to use at a later date.

How to Eat Falafel

If you're new to falafel or have never made it yourself, you may not know all the ways you can enjoy falafel. The possibilities are endless...at least in my opinion.

I'll list out some ways you can enjoy falafel below:

• In a pita with tahini and veggies.
• On a green salad with roasted veggies, homemade hummus and lemon tahini dressing.
• As the protein source in a Buddha bowl with couscous, veggies, hummus and dressing.
• Paired with Cilantro Lemon Quinoa Salad.
• On top of toast with thinly roasted veggies and baba ganoush.
• Paired with crackers, veggies and hummus as a snack plate.
• In a wrap with greens, couscous, hummus, veggies and a dressing.
• Paired with homemade tapenade.
• Topped with Beetroot Hummus and pickled red onions.
• On their own with a drizzle of tahini!

I'd love to know if you make these easy homemade falafels and what you think!

Also, let me know your favorite way to enjoy falafel in the comments below!

📖 Recipe

Baked Falafel

Faith VanderMolen

These flavorful Baked Falafel patties are easy to prepare and make for a great protein source for wraps, buddha bowls and salads!

4.78 from 9 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Vegan Main Dish Recipes

Cuisine Mediterranean

Servings 20 falafels

Calories 205 kcal

Equipment

• Airtight Food Storage Containers
• Hamilton Beach Food Processor

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 2 cups dried chickpeas soaked for 4-6 hours
• ⅔ cup chopped red onion
• 1 cup fresh parsley leaves packed
• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves packed
• 6 garlic cloves minced
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ cup olive oil

Instructions 

• Soak the dried chickpeas for 4-6 hours. Drain and rinse.
• Preheat your oven to 375 °F and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or liberally spray it with cooking spray. Set aside.
• Place all of the ingredients into a large food processor and process until a fairly smooth, moldable "dough" forms. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary. This could take anywhere from 5-10 minutes, depending on the strength of your processor.
• Shape 2 tablespoons worth of falafel dough into a patty ½-inch thick. Repeat until all of the dough has been formed into patties. The patties won't expand in the oven so you should be able to fit them all onto one baking sheet.
• Bake the falafel patties for 13 minutes. Remove the baking tray from the oven and flip over each patty. Bake for 10-13 more minutes until cooked through and golden brown on each side.
• Serve in fresh pita with the BEST Hummus, lettuce, tomato and Lemon Tahini Dressing!

Notes

You can store any leftover falafel in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Alternatively, you can freeze them for 2-3 months to use at a later date.

Nutrition

Serving: 2falafelsCalories: 205kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 8gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 480mgPotassium: 427mgFiber: 8gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 643IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 3mg

Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!