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Easy baked falafel and tahini sauce (+ video)

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These easy baked falafel patties are sturdy with bright, fresh herbs running through them. Perfect for stuffing into pitas and drizzling with this simple, creamy tahini sauce!A trio of baked falafel patties on a white plate

*** This post has been updated with new photos and notes. It was originally published in February 2016. ***

My favorite restaurant in college was a hole-in-the-wall Mediterranean joint and I loved their falafel appetizer.

I also loved their crazy music, their interesting paintings and their ability to give me massive amounts of food for so very little money. College dining on the cheap, right?

But their falafel, amazing as it was, was fried. And in recent years, I don’t do fried. Plus, I moved 😉

So after much trial and error, I present my lovely homemade baked falafel patties. They are easy — just mix and form into patties – and they are sturdy and will hold together for you. 🙌

A hand holding up a small browned falafel patty

You should probably be careful not to burn your fingers as you reach for one on the pan straight out of the oven. Cannot resist. Is that just me?

These falafel are bursting with bright flavors from the fresh cilantro and parsley, and they pack a hefty, hearty flavor from all the meaty chick peas. They have a crispy crust on the outside and a soft, creamy inside.

You are going to want to eat falafel forever!

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, I’ll eat these any time of day. Doesn’t get any better than those amazing flavors all smushed up together, if you ask me.

Oh and I should mention that they are vegan and gluten-free too. 👍

Chickpeas, fresh herbs and red onion in a food processor before being broken down Falafel mixture in a food processor before being formed into patties

So let’s get cooking!

Now, I’ve got some notes, tips and substitutions coming up below on how to make falafel. Just tryin’ to be helpful.

If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.

Tips on how to make baked falafel:

  • Make small, thick patties. This makes them easier to flip. And then you get a big bite to sink your teeth into.
  • Refrigerate the patties for a little while after you form them – this helps them firm up so they stay together when you are cooking them. This is also a great step for parties so you don’t have to fuss with them right before the guests come. (You can freeze them in a little less time if you’re too eager and want to speed things up. I know I’m impatient when it comes to falafel.)
  • Spray the baking pan with cooking spray so the patties don’t stick to the pan when you try to flip them.
  • Flip carefully. If a couple start to crumble on you, just smush them back together. They will firm up in the second round of baking.
  • Let the baked falafel cool slightly for a couple of minutes on the pan and then serve. Once they’ve sat out, they can be a bit crumbly. That goes for any leftovers, too. But no worries. You can still stuff the crumbly bits into some pita bread, or just sprinkle it over a bowl of hummus or on a salad. 👍

Falafel patties on a white plate before being cooked Browned baked falafel patties on a baking sheet

Ready to eat? Me too. 

Here’s a few serving ideas, cause falafel really is very versatile!

Ways to serve baked falafel:

– They are perfect stuffed into a pita with lettuce and tomato and drizzled with the easy tahini sauce I’ve included in the recipe card below.

– They also are great topped with hummus (alone or in pita or a wrap).

– Serve the falafel patties over salads or grain bowls for a plant-based protein.

– You can even eat these falafel patties with scrambled eggs and some salsa in the morning for a savory breakfast! 😋

If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, I highly recommend a massive Mediterranean spread of this baked falafel along with my 5-minute homemade hummus, some tabbouleh, warm pita bread, a mix of olives and anything else you can scrounge up to go with it. ❤️

ALL the delicious flavors in one place. This is the stuff dreams are made of.

Baked falafel stuffed into pita halves along with some fresh veggies and topped with a tahini sauce

Finally, here’s what to do with any extras.

How to store leftover falafel:

– Leftover falafel patties can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

– Reheat in the microwave or in a toaster oven. (A toaster oven will help get some of the crusty edge back.) They may be a bit more crumbly, but still work great stuffed into pitas or crumbled over a salad or grain bowl.

– You can also freeze leftover falafel. Place the patties in a (labeled and dated) freezer-safe ziplock bag and freeze for up to 6 months.

– Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and then heat to serve.

Last thing: I have received some comments that these are too salty. I recently remade them and cut the salt back to 1 teaspoon. (It had been 1 1/2 teaspoons.) They came out fine so I have revised the recipe card to reflect that.

Now, I did sprinkle some salt on a couple when I served them, but they may not need it depending on how you are planning to use them.

I also must emphasize that you must rinse your canned chickpeas well to get rid of the sodium-heavy liquid from the can.

Also, I use kosher salt. It has a different sodium level than iodized table salt, so they cannot be substituted 1:1 or you will get different results. OK, that’s it!

A hand holding up a pita stuffed with baked falafel, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, red onion and tahini sauce

Mediterranean food calls to me. It’s in my bones somehow and there’s no denying its temptation. So I submit. Happily.

I hope you will too. Enjoy!

(Also, update on the oven, which if you read my last post, is non functional. The new one is going to come sooner than we thought – next week. So excited! Maybe these falafel will be the first thing I make… 😊)

XO,

Kathryn

Yield: 10-12 patties

Easy baked falafel and tahini sauce

A trio of baked falafel patties on a white plate with pita bread in the background

These easy baked falafel patties are sturdy and have bright, fresh herbs running through them. Goes great with the creamy tahini sauce!

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Inactive Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the falafel:

  • 2 (14.5 oz.) cans chickpeas (or 3 cups crock pot chickpeas), rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup chopped red onion
  • 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro
  • 1/4 cup loosely packed parsley
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt (see notes)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

For the tahini sauce:

  • 1/4 cup tahini (see notes)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2-3 tablespoons of water
  • salt and pepper to taste

For serving (optional):

  • Pita bread
  • Lettuce and tomato

Instructions

  1. Combine the chickpeas, red onion, garlic, cilantro and parsley in a food processor. Process until broken down but still a little chunky.
  2. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add the remaining ingredients (through baking soda). Mix well.
  3. Form the falafel mixture into patties. I like doing small, thick patties - it makes it easier to flip them and they hold together better. Plus, you get a generous bite!
  4. Place the patties on a plate, then cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Or, you can stick the patties in the freezer for 20-30 minutes. This helps them set up so they'll hold together better.
  5. Preheat the oven to 400. Remove falafel patties and space them out evenly on a baking pan sprayed with cooking spray.
  6. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes, then flip carefully. If any of the patties fall apart a little, you can carefully use the spatula and your hand to smush them back together. They firm up by the time they are finished baking.
  7. Bake another 10-15 minutes, until well browned and firm.
  8. In the meantime, make the tahini sauce. Mix the tahini, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of water and a dash of salt and pepper in a small bowl. Add additional water, a tablespoon at a time, if needed, to get the sauce to a drizzling consistency. (It will depend on the thickness of your tahini.)
  9. Once they are finished cooking and nicely browned, remove the falafel patties and let cool for a couple minutes on the pan. This helps them finish setting up so they hold together.
  10. Serve in the pitas with the tahini sauce, and enjoy!

Notes

Tahini: Tahini is a sesame seed paste with a great nutty flavor. I usually find it near the peanut butter in the grocery store.

Chickpeas: You can use canned chickpeas or make your own crock pot chickpeas from dried beans.

Salt: Some readers have said these were too salty. I retested the recipe and revised the amount of kosher salt down to 1 teaspoon, as listed above. (It had been 1 1/2 teaspoons.) I did add some salt for serving to suit my tastes, but they might not need it depending on how you serve them. You must rinse canned chickpeas well to remove the sodium-heavy liquid they are in. Also, I use kosher salt. Regular iodized table salt has a different sodium level and shouldn't be substituted 1:1 or you'll get different results.

Serving: These are also great served with hummus in a pita. Or just topped with hummus and eaten alone. Or serve as a vegetarian protein with salads or grain bowls. They even go great with some eggs in the morning, topped with salsa.

Leftovers: Leftover falafel patties can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or a toaster oven. They can be a bit more crumbly, but I love sprinkling them on salads or into pita pockets. You can also freeze leftover falafel. Place the patties in a (labeled and dated) freezer-safe ziplock bag and freeze for up to 6 months.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

2 patties
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 93Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 574mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 4gSugar: 3gProtein: 3g
© Kathryn Doherty
Cuisine: Mediterranean / Category: Vegetarian
A trio of baked falafel patties on a white plate with a text overlay on the photo

 

Easy baked falafel - these have a crispy exterior and soft inside with bright, fresh herbs. Also includes an easy tahini sauce to serve them with! | FamilyFoodontheTable.com

Comments

  2. Laura says

    Mediterranean food is one of my favorites!! When I was pregnant with my son I ate falafel at a local restaurant at least one a week! Yikes! 🙂 I love eating them with tzatziki! 🙂 These look awesome!!!

    Reply

  8. Shreyashi says

    Hi Kathryn, talk about college food. Even for me, this dinky little shawarma joint was the stuff of legends. And I used to love their fried falafels too. I would be making this soon, as fried food at home is not my cup of tea. And I’d perhaps make a big batch, enough to feed a party, but squirrel it away in the fridge and bake and eat them all myself. Muhahaha 😛

    Reply

    • Kathryn says

      Love that we had the same go-to college food cravings 🙂 And that now we do it healthier and at home! I’m with you – make it all for you because you will not want to share! Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!

      Reply

    • Kathryn says

      Falafel is the best and this is a super easy recipe – just mix, form into patties and you’re ready to go! I hope you give it a try and let me know what you guys think!

      Reply

  12. Lisa @ Chocolate Meets Strawberry says

    Oh how I love falafel, and these remind me that I haven’t had any in ages! I love that you’ve baked them instead of fried them, Kathryn – I do love the taste of the fried ones, but I can’t bear standing over a pan full of hot oil. Usually by the end of it I’m just too hot and sticky to have a decent appetite. And you remind me that I miss all my college (well, here we call it uni!) eating spots, too. My favourite were burritos! So greasy but SO darn good!!

    Reply

    • Kathryn says

      You’ve got to try making it Lisa – you’ll love how easy it is! And no oil splatters or burns with this baked version 🙂 We had a burrito place in college, too – can’t beat a huge burrito for a college appetite!

      Reply

  15. Kate @ Framed Cooks says

    You know, I just love falafel (and being surrounded by food trucks here in lower Manhattan I have easy access) but I’ve never tried making it myself – you have inspired me with this great step by step post. I can do it!

    Reply

    • Kathryn says

      Easy access to food trucks sounds so fun! But you can definitely do your own falafel Kate – it really is easy! Plus then you get to control the ingredients 🙂 Hope you give it a try!

      Reply

  16. Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says

    How did u know I am obsessed with baked falafels, haven’t made them in way too long, ad was JUST talking about them the other day? It like you posted this just for me! Your falafels look faaaaabulous! And putting them on top of some eggs??! YES! Genius! Totally doing that! My favorite way to eat them is any way that involves stuffing my face, by the way. 😉 Yay to your oven arriving way sooner than anticipated! That’s fantastic news! Cheers, my dear! <3

    Reply

    • Kathryn says

      Absolutely it’s just for you Cheyanne! Had a feeling you were overdue for some 🙂 Glad, too, you don’t think I’m crazy for eating them for breakfast! P.S. The oven is being installed as I type this – woo hoo!

      Reply

  19. Adina says

    I love falafel but was never lucky enough to find a baked falafel recipe that I really really like. They were ok, but not as good as the fried ones. I am trying your version and really hope it works!!! It would be great to be able to eat falafel more often, I don’t do fried either. 🙂

    Reply

    • Kathryn says

      Adina, I hope you try it and let me know what you think! I tinkered with this until I got it to where I liked it because I’m pretty particular about my falafel too 😉

      Reply

  20. Willow | Will Cook For Friends says

    Mmm, I love falafel! I’ve never even attempted to make it from scratch, though — for some reason I just have this mental block where I think I’m going to fail miserably, so I don’t even try (so unlike me 😉 ) I think this is just what I needed to encourage me… they sound so good!

    Reply

  21. Kim | Low Carb Maven says

    How fun that you had a great Mediterranean place to eat when you were in college, mmmm. We had a chicken wing place and a sub place. Okay, it was an epic sub place and in Rochester, NY all of the chicken wings are good….

    I LOVE this recipe and have been hungering for some good falafel. My first low-carb attempt was an epic FAIL! I’ll have to try these because they look majorly delicious!

    Reply

    • Kathryn says

      OK, yeah, you can’t complain about subs and wings in Rochester – you were surrounded by good eats 🙂
      I have had a few falafel fails myself but this recipe has worked like a charm. Would love to hear if you try it and what you think!

      Reply

  25. Carlee says

    I have always wanted to make falafel, but I don’t fry things. I will have to give these a try! Thanks so much for bringing them by Throwback Thursday.

    Reply

  26. Frugal Hausfrau says

    These look so marvelous and I love that they’re baked and there’s not all the hassle of frying! Not to mention the obvious healthier aspect! Great recipe, Kathryn!

    Thanks for sharing this with us on Throwback Thursday~

    Mollie

    Reply

  28. Aly says

    What’s the best way to reheat these after you make them? They’re in the oven now, but I already know I’m not going to be able to finish them all!

    Reply

    • Kathryn says

      Hi Aly! I hope you loved the falafel! I store them in the fridge for a few days and reheat in the microwave, because I’m kinda lazy and inpatient. 😉 They tend to crumble a bit that way though so you could warm them back up in the oven or a toaster oven if you want them to stay intact. They also freeze great, too! Again, they may get somewhat crumbly but you can use them that way to stuff pitas or top salads. Hope that helps!

      Reply

  29. Daniela Enriquez says

    i tried this recipie but sadly it was a disaster. i followed every step but the falafels never stayed as a ball. They completely fell apart even if i tried to put them back together. they were just falafel crumbs :/
    i have no idea why i had such a different end result than everybody else, but i’m really disappointed.

    Reply

    • Kathryn says

      Hi Daniela, I’m so sorry to hear that! I’m not sure if they were falling apart before or after you baked them. If before, you may just need to refrigerate for longer – that really helps! If after, it may have been that they needed to bake longer before flipping, after flipping, or both. Regardless, sorry it didn’t work for you!

      Reply

    • Kathryn says

      Thanks for noting that Sara! I usually use homemade chickpeas, which have way less salt than the canned variety. And depending on the brand and how well they are drained and rinsed, that could affect the salt content too. But a good point that people could reduce the amount of salt and maybe just sprinkle with some sea salt after baking if they want more.

      Reply

  31. Marie-Claude says

    I made them and its to salty and I think there is to much soda. Yuk. I ruined the recipe. You have to cut half of soda and salt please.

    Reply

    • Kathryn says

      I’m sorry to hear these didn’t work out for you! I haven’t had an issue with the baking soda or the salt level, but that can certainly be affected by your chickpeas. If they aren’t rinsed really well, they can retain a lot of the liquid from the can, which is high in sodium. But you can certainly try adjusting those two elements if you want to make them again.

      Reply

  32. Janey says

    Thanks so much for sharing your recipe. I’m really pleased to learn how to make falafel. I got as far as “spray your pan with cooking spray” though. I’ve managed to live this long without ever buying “cooking spray”. I just can’t justify the land fill or expense. A little bit of olive oil, already on hand, will do the same thing.

    Thanks again

    Reply

  37. Trish says

    These are delicious! I add a bit more cilantro and parsley, (which just helps make them more fantastically tasty) – I also serve them with a yummy, garlicky tzatziki sauce and homemade turnip pickles.

    Reply

  38. Joce says

    I made these today and they turned out crispy but were relatively inedible with the amount of salt. If using canned chickpeas, definitely omit the salt completely or lower the amount at the very least.

    Reply

    • Kathryn says

      Hi Joce, I wonder if your canned chickpeas were extra salty for some reason. I have definitely used canned before for this recipe and the falafel were fine. The trick is rinsing the chickpeas really, really well to get all of the canning liquid off of them (that’s where most of the sodium is). Sorry it didn’t work this time but I hope you try them again!

      Reply

  39. Kristen Stokely says

    Hi there Kathryn,

    It’s only me in my household. I’d rather have these falafel made fresh. Would I be able to either refrigerate or freeze the extras before baking to make later?

    Thanks!
    Kristen

    Reply

    • Kathryn says

      Hi Kristen, I’ve never tried that since we tend to use them up, but I think it would work. You would probably want to freeze them on a wax paper-lined baking tray until they firm up and then transfer them to a freezer bag until you are ready to use them. Hope that helps and would love to hear if you try it!

      Reply

  40. Melanie Ford says

    This is a good recipe and nearly exactly the way my Abuela from Zihuatanejo causes it to be I’m excited to try out some of the additional recipes Kristin! I really like your answers how everyone has gaps in their own kitchen and that you aren’t scared to step outside the box. Keep this up! For your”women” who bashed; pity you! What happened to others!

    Reply

  41. Linda says

    The recipe had some nice flavor but, honestly, it needs a rework. Despite following all of the directions, tt was terribly crumbly and did not hold shape during the cooking process and fell apart into crumbles on our plates. It needs some sort of binding ingredients. I often use another ‘baked’ recipe that includes a bit of flour and an egg. In addition, as others have mentioned, it was way too salty, despite the fact that I only used 2/3 of your suggested amount. Beans were rinsed thoroughly, in case you’re wondering.

    Reply

    • Kathryn says

      Hi Linda, I’m so sorry you had trouble with this recipe. My patties always stay together great after they’ve chilled in the fridge, but there are so many variables that could have affected yours. You could definitely try adding an egg as a binder next time to see if that helps. Also, I’ve never found these too salty myself but I am going to revise that in the recipe card since you can always add salt but you can’t take it away. Thanks for the feedback!

      Reply

    • Kathryn says

      Hi April, yes, you can freeze the extras after you’ve baked them. I let them defrost in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat them in the microwave or toaster oven. They tend to be more crumbly the second time around, but work great for stuffing into pitas or putting over a salad. I hope that helps!

      Reply

  43. A says

    I really must learn to read comments under a recipe before deciding if I’m going to try it. I encountered the same problems as others: Fortunately instinct told me to skip the salt. My mix was so crumbly that I couldn’t form it into anything resembling a patty. So I added two eggs and when that didn’t bind it enough I poured the whole lot into a baking tray and cut it into cubes after it was cooked. What I got wasn’t really falafal, but it was still edible and yummy in a wrap with salad.

    Reply

    • Kathryn says

      Hi there, I’ve actually revised the amount of salt in this recipe because of some of the comments from others, so hopefully that won’t be an issue going forward. I’m sorry you had trouble with getting them to stick together. Did you refrigerate them according to the directions? That makes a big difference. (I have other tips in the post about how to get the patties to stay together and be sturdy, like mine are in the photos and video.) Regardless, I’m glad the flavor was good and you were able to enjoy them!

      Reply

  44. Melanie says

    Made these last night and love the recipe. Very easy! However, still too salty. I will definitely be making again but with half the salt amount.

    Reply

  45. Ali says

    OMG, just made the and they are soooo good!!
    Added chopped jalapeño for some spice, otherwise followed your instructions, this was my first time making falafels, and won’t be my last! I was just going to sample a tiny bit before putting them in the fridge but inhaled the entire thing.

    Thank you for this recipe!!

    Reply

    • Kathryn says

      Hi Kristina, I’m sorry to hear that! I know it’s disappointing when a recipe doesn’t turn out. It’s hard to say what went wrong… if the chickpeas weren’t really well drained, that might have made the mixture too moist. Or if the patties didn’t get well chilled in the fridge, that could cause them to fall apart. It could also be oven/cooking temperature, which can vary a lot. Or picking them up too quickly after they’ve baked – they need a few minutes to rest to set up all the way. I hope at least you can use the crumbles – they stuff into pitas and on salads great!

      Reply

  49. Divorced Kat says

    Tasty but crumbly. I cut the salt in half and used dried parsley. I wonder if nutritional yeast could work as a binder?

    Reply

    • Kathryn says

      I’m sorry yours were crumbly! Mine always hold together well after I’ve let them set up in the fridge. Also, I think fresh herbs are key here but glad to know you still liked the flavor with the dried parsley. As for the nutritional yeast, that could possibly help as a binder if yours aren’t holding together. It’ll add a different flavor, but could be good!

      Reply

  50. Ruth says

    Hi,
    The recipe is pretty tasty although pretty salty for my taste. Even cutting down on salt. Could it be because of the baking soda? In the end there is sodium in there as well

    And do you need to use baking soda or baking powder? The video says one thing, the recipe another.

    Reply

  51. Noah says

    Hey Kathryn, amazing recipe. This recipe looks delicious and I am thinking to try it in dinner today. But I don’t have proper ingredients for tahini sauce. Can I use homemade mustard sauce instead of tahini sauce?

    Reply

  52. Jean says

    Hi Kathryn thanks for this recipe we absolutely love it! I have a 10 month old that we are weaning so make it with without any salt and my husband and I salt ours after. I make the patties the night before and leave them in the fridge and have had no issues with them crumbling. My very fussy other half requested a bigger batch this time so he could have lots of leftovers tomorrow – high praise indeed. Thanks again!

    Reply

  53. Mary says

    These were way too salty. I had to throw them out. Two cans of chickpeas into the garbage. They tasted horrible. Yukkk. What a waste of time and ingredients.

    Reply

    • Kathryn Doherty says

      I’m sorry to hear these didn’t work out for you Mary; I know that can be really frustrating. It’s hard to pinpoint why they were so salty. I rinse my chickpeas really well, which greatly reduces any sodium they have from the canning liquid. I also use kosher salt not table salt. (They are not an equal substitute – 1 teaspoon of table salt contains 2,325 milligrams of sodium whereas 1 teaspoon of kosher salt has roughly 1,800 milligrams.) I recently learned sodium levels can also vary by brand of salt used, which makes things tricky as well.

      Reply

  54. Vanessa says

    Any suggestions for either cutting out or replacing onions? Allergy in our family. Looks delicious and would love to modify them. Thanks!

    Reply

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