Inspired by our trip to Israel, I created a easy 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?
If you make this easy baked falafel recipe please be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. We love getting your feedback and it helps other EBF readers who are thinking of trying the recipe!
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.
OMG!!!!…I just wanted a simple easy to follow recipe without exotic ingredients. This is it! I had everything on hand (except oat flour). My wife had powdered oatmeal she uses in her bath…I “borrowed” three tablespoons and off I went. They turned out prefect!!! I ate the first one just out of the oven…made hummus while these were baking…put the two together…*heaven*😃😃😃anyone can make this…awesome
Made this the other day (added in 1/4 cup cilantro as well because I had some that was going bad) and ate it with the EBF garlicy kale salad – what a combo!!! Highly recommend trying both recipes together.
I made these falafels for dinner tonight and they were absolutely incredible!! So easy to put together and packed with so much flavor. My husband and I also made the EBF pickled onions & Israeli salad to construct falafel bowls, and everything was SO delicious together! Highly recommend. Thank you so much!
I recently made these and they were delicious! I subbed cilantro for parsley because it’s what I had. Overall super easy recipe and so flavorful. I highly recommend making these!
I made these last weekend and they turned out fab! Swapped the oat flour for normal flour, and also cooked them in my George foreman grill rather than the oven! Making them again this weekend!
So glad they turned out for you, Emma!! Thanks for making these and for coming back to share the subs you made and to leave a review! I so appreciate it!
I haven’t made these yet but looking forward to trying them soon. I was wondering, can I use dried parsley instead of fresh parsley or omit it completely? Thank you 🙂
I made this and it was amazing! I substituted chick pea flour for the oat flour due to dietary needs of my household. I served it with the Tahini Dressing that was linked below. Yummy!!
Ahh yay, that makes me so happy to hear. I’m so glad you loved these falafels. Thanks for giving my recipe a try and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
Okay to be completely honest I used all purpose flour so they weren’t GF & I added a few mushrooms so I had to add a little more flour. However, the rest was according to the recipe and they turned out GREAT, SO DELICIOUS!! I LOVE that they are baked, not fried. They are perfectly crispy on the outside and soft enough on the inside. My toddler enjoyed them too. They’re delicious and super easy to make, totally worth making!
Ahh yay! So glad this recipe turned out for you, Rita. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I really appreciate it. <3
Ohh I bet it would work! You could always add a bit of water to help you form them into the shape you’re looking for. Keep me posted how they turn out. 🙂
I’ve made these loads of times and every time they’ve been amazing. I used to deep fry falafel, which was really unhealthy and a huge faff. These ones taste just as good and are so easy to make. Thank you!
You’re so welcome, Victoria. I’m so glad this recipe was a hit! Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. 🙂
I love trying new recipes so I find myself hardly doing any repeats (obviously I’ve had lots of time during the pandemic!), but I have made this 3 times now?! So good!! I would definitely give it a try. I love that these are baked rather than fried. I do have to say I find myself baking them for a bit longer than the instructed time, could be a personal preference too! I would definitely give these a try!
I was surprised by how delicious these are. Mine were very crumbly and fell apart so I’m wondering what I did wrong? I was worried about making hommous so maybe I didn’t mix it enough?
Oh no, sorry to hear that! Did you change anything about the recipe? I’m thinking maybe adding a little bit of water to the dough before forming could have helped if it seemed to dry.
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So yum! 2nd time making these. Love to meal prep them for lunches during the week.
★★★★★
Yay! So glad you are loving these falafels, Katie! Thanks for making them and coming back to leave a review. It means the world to me.
Flattened like pancakes and very salty. Not a usable result. Any tips appreciated
★★
Oh no! So sorry to hear that this recipe didn’t turn out for you, Juli. Did you change anything about the recipe?
OMG!!!!…I just wanted a simple easy to follow recipe without exotic ingredients. This is it! I had everything on hand (except oat flour). My wife had powdered oatmeal she uses in her bath…I “borrowed” three tablespoons and off I went. They turned out prefect!!! I ate the first one just out of the oven…made hummus while these were baking…put the two together…*heaven*😃😃😃anyone can make this…awesome
★★★★★
So glad this recipe was a hit!! Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review, Derrick. I so appreciate it. 🙂
Made this the other day (added in 1/4 cup cilantro as well because I had some that was going bad) and ate it with the EBF garlicy kale salad – what a combo!!! Highly recommend trying both recipes together.
★★★★★
So glad you loved this recipe, Molly! Thanks for the review. I really appreciate it!
Delicious baked falafel recipe!!! I added some dried dill weed and chopped up green olives
★★★★★
So glad you loved this recipe, Ann!! Thanks for the review. I so appreciate it!
I made these falafels for dinner tonight and they were absolutely incredible!! So easy to put together and packed with so much flavor. My husband and I also made the EBF pickled onions & Israeli salad to construct falafel bowls, and everything was SO delicious together! Highly recommend. Thank you so much!
★★★★★
So glad you loved these falafels, Stephanie!! Thanks for making them and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
My go to falafel recipe, so easy and delicious! Thank you!!
★★★★★
Woo!! So glad you loved this recipe, Nina. Thanks for the review. I so appreciate it!
I recently made these and they were delicious! I subbed cilantro for parsley because it’s what I had. Overall super easy recipe and so flavorful. I highly recommend making these!
★★★★★
So glad you loved this recipe, Tiffany. Thanks for the review. I so appreciate it!
I made these last weekend and they turned out fab! Swapped the oat flour for normal flour, and also cooked them in my George foreman grill rather than the oven! Making them again this weekend!
★★★★★
So glad they turned out for you, Emma!! Thanks for making these and for coming back to share the subs you made and to leave a review! I so appreciate it!
I haven’t made these yet but looking forward to trying them soon. I was wondering, can I use dried parsley instead of fresh parsley or omit it completely? Thank you 🙂
You can use dried parsley! Let me know what you think once you make them!
love this – it has become a staple
★★★★★
I made this and it was amazing! I substituted chick pea flour for the oat flour due to dietary needs of my household. I served it with the Tahini Dressing that was linked below. Yummy!!
★★★★★
So glad these falafels turned out for you, Trish. Thanks for coming back to leave a review. I really appreciate it!
fantastic -easy, tasty and healthy – made with israeli salad and tahini
★★★★★
Ahh yay!! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for the review. I appreciate it, Leslie.
These didn’t stick together. Any idea what could have went wrong? They were a bit wet even though I used a paper towel to wipe off the excess.
Oh no! So sorry to hear that. Did you change anything about the recipe?
I LOVE how quick and easy this recipe is!
★★★★★
So glad you love this recipe, Holly. Thanks for coming back to leave a review.
Made this tonight and cooked it in my air fryer. My husband who despises garbanzo beans ate it and loved it. Absolutely delicious!
Ahh yay, that makes me so happy to hear!!
Wow!!
★★★★★
I loved the flavor and texture of these falafels! I have tried many recipes but this is the first one I really liked.
★★★★★
Ahh yay, that makes me so happy to hear. I’m so glad you loved these falafels. Thanks for giving my recipe a try and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
These are amazing! My one year old mops them up. We do use all purpose flour though. Very easy to make.
★★★★★
So glad these were a hit!! Thanks for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
Okay to be completely honest I used all purpose flour so they weren’t GF & I added a few mushrooms so I had to add a little more flour. However, the rest was according to the recipe and they turned out GREAT, SO DELICIOUS!! I LOVE that they are baked, not fried. They are perfectly crispy on the outside and soft enough on the inside. My toddler enjoyed them too. They’re delicious and super easy to make, totally worth making!
★★★★★
Ahh yay! So glad this recipe turned out for you, Rita. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I really appreciate it. <3
Hi! I am planning to make these falafel for the Halloween party I am going to, in some spooky shape. Do you think it will be too dry?
★
Ohh I bet it would work! You could always add a bit of water to help you form them into the shape you’re looking for. Keep me posted how they turn out. 🙂
I have soaked my beans. Shall I cook the chickpeas before?
Hey Marzia – if you’re using chickpeas that aren’t from the can then yes, you’ll need to cook them before.
I’ve made these loads of times and every time they’ve been amazing. I used to deep fry falafel, which was really unhealthy and a huge faff. These ones taste just as good and are so easy to make. Thank you!
★★★★★
You’re so welcome, Victoria. I’m so glad this recipe was a hit! Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. 🙂
I love trying new recipes so I find myself hardly doing any repeats (obviously I’ve had lots of time during the pandemic!), but I have made this 3 times now?! So good!! I would definitely give it a try. I love that these are baked rather than fried. I do have to say I find myself baking them for a bit longer than the instructed time, could be a personal preference too! I would definitely give these a try!
★★★★★
I was surprised by how delicious these are. Mine were very crumbly and fell apart so I’m wondering what I did wrong? I was worried about making hommous so maybe I didn’t mix it enough?
Oh no, sorry to hear that! Did you change anything about the recipe? I’m thinking maybe adding a little bit of water to the dough before forming could have helped if it seemed to dry.