Crispy Homemade Baked Falafel

from 21 votes

Add a healthy twist to a restaurant favorite with this easy recipe for Crispy Homemade Baked Falafel.

Crispy Homemade Baked Falafel tucked into pita pockets with lettuce, tomatoes and homemade tahini dressing

Calling all falafel fans! Ditch that deep fryer because your oven holds the secret to the lightest, crispiest, most tender baked falafel perfect for tucking inside fluffy pita pockets or piling high atop a salad.

When it comes to making baked falafel from scratch, the most important tip is to use dry, uncooked chickpeas (rather than the canned variety) to ensure you’re baking up perfectly rotund falafel nuggets rather than flattened falafel pancakes. Pair your protein-packed vegetarian snack with homemade tahini sauce or a quick-fix yogurt dip made with cucumbers and fresh dill. Then all that’s left to do is pile on the veggies and dig in!

Homemade Baked Falafel Recipe

Homemade Baked Falafel Recipe

Homemade Baked Falafel Recipe

Homemade Baked Falafel Recipe

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Main Course

Crispy Homemade Baked Falafel

Calling all falafel fans! Ditch that deep fryer because your oven holds the secret to the lightest, crispiest, most tender baked falafel perfect for tucking inside fluffy pita pockets or piling high atop a salad.
Author: Kelly Senyei
4.53 from 21 votes
Homemade Baked Falafel Recipe
Prep Time 12 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 42 minutes
Servings 20 falafel

Ingredients 

  • 1 cup dried/uncooked chickpeas (See Kelly’s Notes)
  • 1/2 cup packed fresh parsley leaves
  • 1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1/2 cup chopped white onion
  • 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil

Instructions 

  • Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover them with 4 inches of water. (The beans will triple in volume as they cook.) Set the chickpeas aside to soak overnight for a minimum of 12 hours and up to 24 hours. (The chickpeas are ready to use when they are easily broken apart with your fingers.)
  • Drain the chickpeas and add them to a food processor along with the parsley, cilantro, onion, garlic, cumin, salt, baking powder and lemon juice. Process the mixture just until the ingredients are minced but not pureed, scraping down the sides as needed. (Do not overprocess the mixture or the falafel will be too loose. Process the mixture just until it holds together when squeezed into balls.) Taste and season the mixture with more salt, as desired.
  • Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a baking sheet with half of the olive oil.
  • Squeeze the falafel mixture into 1.5-inch balls then flatten them slightly so they are the shape of patties. Arrange the falafel on the greased baking sheet and brush the tops of them with the remaining olive oil. Bake the falafel for 15 minutes, flip them once then bake them an additional 10 minutes until they are golden brown. Serve the falafel in pita bread with tahini sauce and veggies, or add them to a salad as a healthy, protein-packed topping.

Kelly's Notes:

  • Do not use cooked/canned chickpeas, as the mixture will be too loose and the falafel won’t hold their shape.
  • Falafel are wonderful tucked inside pita bread alongside lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and a drizzle of tahini sauce or yogurt mixed with cucumbers and dill.
  • ★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!

Nutrition

Calories: 58kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 62mg, Potassium: 118mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 161IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 20mg, Iron: 1mg

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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.


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Comments

  1. 2 stars
    Recipe failure for me. I followed the directions and measurements precisely but I can’t get the ‘batter’ to hold any form.
    Tried baking a mound to see if it would bind when heated, nope.
    Trying to be creative, thinking I’ll bake it all spread out on a sheet and use it as a crispy salad topping

  2. 5 stars
    I’ve tried several falafel recipes and they never had enough flavor. But these were great! I did let the batter sit for an hour because it felt too wet, but then the patties held together well. Next time I will try air frying them.

  3. 3 stars
    Flavor wise this recipe is spot on. Maybe I didn’t run my chickpeas in the food processor long enough but they were a little more crunchy than I expected.

  4. Hi! Do you think I can make the patties and freeze them before baking them? Preparing for baby #2 and would love to have this ready to pop into the oven.

  5. 5 stars
    Love these so much more than the traditional fried falafel that I’ve made before, it feels so much lighter. I also added half a large carrot to the mix in the food processor to clean out the fridge and it worked out great.

  6. 5 stars
    Excellent recipe! The second time making this, I didn’t have fresh parsley so I used dried along with the fresh cilantro. They were fine none the less. Thank you for the recipe!

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