The ULTIMATE Baked Falafels

Happy Friday Everyone! Today I’m bringing you some Friday Falafels with this delicious baked falafel recipe! Trust me, you are going to love this one.

I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to share a falafel recipe on the blog. This is my first! Making falafels has been on my to-do list for ages. I LOVE falafel, and will sometimes buy the pre-made version from the grocers just to get my fix. Every time I’m eating them, or see a recipe on Pinterest and Instagram by a fellow food blogger, I think to myself, “tonight is the night!” and then instead I end up on the couch for some Netflix and chill…

The reason? To be completely honest, making my own falafel has always seemed overwhelming and time consuming. I always feel this way about beans turned “patty” recipes like these: whether it’s falafels, vegan burgers, or vegan meatloafs. I always think I need to commit an afternoon to create them, and so I opt-out and commit to eating the beans solo.

Turns out, I couldn’t have been more mistaken. Making falafel is actually SO easy!! It’s so simple in fact that I’ve made them twice this week, and plan to make them again for dinner tonight. You literally just need to throw the ingredients in a food processor, roll them into balls and stick them in the oven. I make a LOT of homemade hummus and this isn’t much more work. How could I have bean so wrong? hehe.

Watch the how-to video:

This falafel recipes is a superb blend: starting with canned chickpeas and oats. Then adding flavour with herbs and spices like fresh parsley, nutritional yeast, cumin, coriander and cardamom. It’s what gives your falafel lots of taste. I absolutely loved this blend for a gourmet recipe.

What I also love about this recipes is that the falafels are baked instead of deep fried. Most falafel, if not all that you get at restaurants are deep-fried. As I mentioned I love falafel, but I HATE deep fried food. I know I’m weird! But for some reason whenever I eat fried foods I feel each bite oozes cheap oil, and I hate the aftertaste it leaves in my mouth. To me, the baked version is MUCH yummier because you can really taste the spices.

Baking the falafel instead of deep frying makes them so much healthier too! In fact, there isn’t much oil in this recipe at all. I only used about a tablespoon in the recipe, and then a little bit to paint the balls so they they would go a beautiful golden colour when roasted.

I love to eat these falafel wrapped in tortilla with greens, purple cabbage, avocado and cucumber. Wrapped in pita bread would also be nice. I’ve also enjoyed this falafel with quinoa and all the veg described above, and it was wonder good. It made a delicious packed lunch in my bento box.

What really takes the falafel dish to the next level is the citrus tahini sauce. It’s a simple blend of tahini, lemon, and sea salt. Although simple it’s one you don’t want to miss. It adds a beautiful creaminess to the falafel, and pairs so well with its savoury flavours – whether you have it in a wrap or salad. The combo is really a match made in heaven!

I hope you’ll make falafel Friday a new ritual with me. Especially as we now know they’re easy to make. And, if you do make this recipe please let me know in the comments below what you think! I love hearing from you. And of course, tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #twospoons. Nothing makes me happier than to see your recreations.

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The ULTIMATE Baked Falafels

These falafels are simple to make, tossing all the ingredients in your food processor, then rolling into balls and popping in the oven. The base consists of canned chickpeas and oats. Then I've added herbs and spices to flavour. I think you're gonna love them!

Category Main Course, Main Dish

Cuisine gluten-free, Middle Eastern, vegan

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings 5 people (makes 16 falafels)

Author Hannah Sunderani

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup gluten-free large flake oats
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 small onion
• 1 can chickpeas (strained and rinsed)
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 1/2 lemon juiced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil (for painting)

For the Citrus Tahini Dressing

• 1/4 cup tahini
• 2 lemons juices
• pinch salt
• filtered water , to thin (I used 2-3 tbsp)

To make falafel wraps you'll also need: (makes 6)

• 5 whole-grain tortilla wraps
• 1 cup mixed greens of choice
• 1 cup purple cabbage , thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup cucumber , thinly sliced
• 2 avocados , thinly sliced

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• In your food processor add oats, pulse into a flour-like substance. Remove from food processor and place to the side.
• Next add parsley, garlic and onion to food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Then add oat flour, chickpeas, nutritional yeast, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, coriander, cardamom, sea salt, pepper and a pinch cayenne pepper. Pulse until it becomes a crumbly dough-like texture.
• Transfer falafel dough to mixing bowl. Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and scoop rounded tablespoon amounts of dough onto parchment paper, and gently form balls. (I used an ice cream scoop to do this.)
• Paint falafels with a bit of olive oil and place in the oven to bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden in colour.
• To make the Citrus Tahini Sauce: in a bowl add tahini, lemon juice and salt. Mix to combine. Add splashes of water to thin until you've reached desired consistency. (I used 2-3 tbsp). Drizzle falafels with tahini sauce for eating.
• To make the wraps combine mixed greens, cabbage, cucumber, avocado and 2-3 falafels in a whole wheat tortilla wrap, drizzle with citrus tahini dressing and serve.

Video

Notes

Enjoy these falafels in a tortilla with the wrap ingredients listed above; i.e. whole-grain tortilla wraps, mixed greens, purple cabbage, cucumber, avocado and citrus tahini dressing. Or, to keep it gluten-free, enjoy as a falafel salad without the tortilla. 

Nutrition information is a rough estimate. 

Nutrition

Calories: 495kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Sodium: 749mg | Potassium: 722mg | Fiber: 21g | Sugar: 4g

Approvals

 

Allergies

VEGAN – VEGETARIAN – WHEAT-FREE – GLUTEN-FREE – DAIRY-FREE – SOY-FREE – NUT-FREE