Inspired by our trip to Israel, I created a baked falafel recipe that is just as easy as it is tasty! It’s made with canned chickpeas so there’s no soaking necessary. These protein-packed patties are great for topping bowls and salads, plus they’re vegan and gluten-free.
Ever since our trip to Israel last November, I’ve been hooked on Israeli food. Not only does it take me back to that time and place, but it’s just so fresh and the flavors used in their cooking are incredible. I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of Middle Eastern food. I just stumbled across this article by Food52 that says “the U.S. appetite for goods and products from (Middle Eastern countries) is on the rise.” Apparently I’m on trend… totally not mad about it.
Rather than just daydreaming about these flavors or depending on a local restaurant, I decided I needed to create my own recipe for baked falafel.
The main reason these falafel are so easy is that I used canned chickpeas. Traditionally, falafel is made using dried chickpeas that have been soaked overnight. No, soaking is not hard, but sometimes I forget to start the process the night before and when mama wants falafel, mama wants falafel. 😉 I typically like to keep my pantry stocked with a variety of spices, so I usually have most of the ingredients for this recipe on hand. Score!
If you’ve never tried falafel before, you’re in for a treat. I like to eat these on their own, with a sauce or dip (can’t go wrong with hummus or tahini), or as a vegetarian protein option for pita sandwiches, salads and bowls.
Are you a falafel fan? Have you ever tried making your own?
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Inspired by our trip to Israel, I created a baked falafel recipe that is just as easy as it is tasty! It’s made with canned chickpeas so there’s no soaking necessary. These protein-packed patties are great for topping bowls and salads, plus they’re vegan and gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 3 cloves fresh garlic
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley
- 1 Tablespoon olive or avocado oil
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- pinch of cayenne
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 Tablespoons oat flour
- olive or avocado oil cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a baking sheet with oil.
- Add chickpeas, onion, garlic, oil, parsley, lemon juice, cumin, coriander, salt and cayenne into a food processor and pulse until just combined. You don’t want to over-process the mixture or you’ll end up with hummus. Plus, having a few chunks of chickpeas gives the falafel a nice texture. Stir in baking soda and oat flour. At this point your mixture should be holding together quite well.
- Scoop spoonfuls of mixture out and form into small patties; you should get about 15. Place on prepped baking sheet.
- Bake 10-12 minutes, flip patties and bake for another 10-12 minutes or until falafel are golden and cooked through.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 falafel
- Calories: 143
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 648mg
- Fat: 5g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 6g
This looks fantastic! Can’t wait to make the recipe? Just a quick question – is there any reason not to use Chickpea flour instead of oat flour, to keep it gluten-free? Are there consistency differences or would it just be an easy 1:1 swap?
Good question! I haven’t tried it with chickpea flour so I’m not sure if it’s a 1:1 swap. I would add the flour last and do 1 Tablespoon at a time until the dough has the right consistency… holding together well but not too dry. Just a heads up, you can get gluten-free oat flour. I buy the Bob’s Red Mill brand. 🙂
Can’t wait to make these. Can they be prepared and then frozen before baking ?
Hi Lynn. I think I would bake and cool them, then freeze. Then all you would need to do is thaw and reheat when you want to enjoy.
Hey dear, can I use regular flour? Much love.
Sure!
I made these today and they were delicious! Thanks for a great recipe!