Easy Baked Falafel
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Published Mar 17, 2018, Updated Mar 18, 2022
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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?
More Middle Eastern Recipes to Try
- Homemade Hummus
- Israeli Salad
- Easy Shakshuka
- Tahini Dressing
- Za’atar Chicken Bake
- Baked Pita Chips
- Green Shakshuka
- Tabbouleh Salad
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Easy Baked Falafel
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.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I had to bake a bit longer but these are so easy and delicious! Great recipe!
YUM! Glad you’re loving this recipe and it turned out great for you, Kelly. Thank you for your review & star rating, I so appreciate it!
Hi! My mixture was very crumbly and wouldn’t hold together at all. I tried adding more liquid, but that didn’t help. Any ideas?
Hi Kristin – Sounds like your mix was a bit dry, how much additional liquid did you add? I would continue adding more liquid until it is the correct consistency. Did you happen to change anything about the recipe?
Hello! Do you have a substitute for oat flour? Thanks for sharing this! My 3 year old loves it!!
Hi Neha – I am so glad this recipe is a hit. Some have used regular flour for this recipe and it turned out great for them. If you use regular flour, let me know how they turn out! Enjoy!
sorry but we found this to be boring and uninterresting
Hi Stephan – I am sorry to hear this recipe did not turn out as you had hoped. What didn’t you like about this recipe? Did you make any changes?
Want to make this tonight. What can I use in lieu of oat flour?
Hi Neha – Some have used regular flour and these falafels have turned out for them, so you could always use that instead. Let me know if you try these and how they turn out. 🙂
Hi Brittany,
I am of your fan of your seeded cracks. Made them many rtimes.
I want to try your falafel. Id rather use oat fiber than oat flour. Lower carbs. Would that work? Should i use the same amount?
Thank you so very much
Judy
Hi Judy – I haven’t tried substituting the oat flour for oat fiber, so I’m not sure how that would change the recipe. After doing some research it seems like you can substitute oat fiber for 1/4 of the total amount of oat flour called for in a recipe. Let me know if you end up trying it!
Easy baked falafel- followed recipe exactly, formed well but, “baked” falafel‘s did not hold together, crumbling. What is wrong? What should I do next try?
Oh no!! Sounds like the mixture was a little dry and maybe needed a splash of water or liquid to help it hold together more. I’ll make a note about that in the blog post.
Just made these for the second time. They are quickly becoming a family favorite at our house. We love them as toppings in a build-your-own rice bowl meal. Thank you!
YUM! I love that you and your family are enjoying this recipe, Jordan. Thank you for your review + star rating, I so appreciate it!
thank u so much for the recipe was so simple and delicious I’m making it again looking forward to your other recipes thanks again
Woo! Love that you’re enjoying this recipe, Anne! Thanks for sharing your review, I appreciate it so much.
I have always wanted to try to make homemade falafel but I was scared off by the soaking etc. of other recipes. This recipe using the canned chickpeas was definitely more accessible for me and my level of commitment in the kitchen. I followed the recipe exactly but doubled it, and it turned out fantastic. I did not quite get 30 out of it, I got about 20 but I was a little more generous on the sizing of each falafel. I will definitely be making this recipe again, I am looking forward to having these on hand (I am freezing them) to pull out and add to salads or put in a quick wrap for lunches during the work week.
It makes me so happy to read this! I’m glad the falafel was a success for you, Jackie. Thank you so much for trying the recipe and leaving a review, it means so much to me!