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!
*** 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. ????
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. ????
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. ????
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.
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 ½ 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!
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
Easy baked falafel and tahini sauce
These easy baked falafel patties are sturdy and have bright, fresh herbs running through them. Goes great with the creamy tahini sauce!
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
- ½ cup loosely packed cilantro
- ¼ 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:
- ¼ 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
- Combine the chickpeas, red onion, garlic, cilantro and parsley in a food processor. Process until broken down but still a little chunky.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add the remaining ingredients (through baking soda). Mix well.
- 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!
- 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.
- Preheat the oven to 400. Remove falafel patties and space them out evenly on a baking pan sprayed with cooking spray.
- 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.
- Bake another 10-15 minutes, until well browned and firm.
- 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.)
- 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.
- 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 ½ 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:
6Serving Size:
2 pattiesAmount Per Serving: Calories: 93Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 574mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 4gSugar: 3gProtein: 3g
swayam
looks so delicious! Baked falafel is a total winner!
Kathryn
Thanks! It's one of my favorites 🙂
Jay
What is the serving size? I know the recipe makes 10 - 12 but how many for the 175 calorie...2 I hope
Kathryn
Hi Jay! I just updated my recipe card to indicate that it's 2 patties to make sure it was calculating correctly. It now says that it's 134 calories for those 2 patties, plus the tahini sauce. Hope that helps!
Laura
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!!!
Kathryn
Thanks Laura! Once a week falafel sounds like a great idea, pregnant or not 😉 And yes, also so good with tzatziki!
Emma @ Supper in the Suburbs
I love baked alternatives to usually fried snacks. Like you I try to avoid the fryer but falafel is one of my go-to bites for my lunch box - thank you for sharing a true healthy alternative!
Kathryn
Thanks Emma! These would be lovely for lunching on - and yay to unfried versions of foods! 🙂
Marsha | Marsha's Baking Addiction
These falafel patties look absolutely delicious! I wanna grab some and dip it in that sauce!
Kathryn
Thanks Marsha! Dip, dunk, devour!
peter @feedyoursoultoo
I have been thinking of making falafel. I love that you baked it and still got such a good crisp on it.
Kathryn
Do it Peter! Everyone needs falafel in their life. 🙂 And yes- I finally got a good crust. Just follow the tips above and you'll be all set!
Tracy | Baking Mischief
I'm all about reforming fried foods! These look great and I love the easy tahini sauce.
Good luck with the oven install. Breaking in new kitchen appliances is always fun. 😉
Kathryn
Thanks Tracy! It's a good pairing. And I'm itching to get to know my new oven... just a few more days... 🙂
Sonal
Love the baked version!
Kathryn
Thanks Sonal! Same great flavor but not fried - woo hoo!
Shreyashi
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 😛
Kathryn
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!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Ah, my weakness! Falafel and of course TAHINI!!! I could so eat this every day and be totally content!
Kathryn
Me too Rebecca! Falafel forever!
Sherri @ Watch Learn Eat
I have never made falafel patties before, but falafel is one of my husband's favorites. I'm so glad I found this recipe - I am definitely going to make this for (or with) him! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Kathryn
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!
Patricia @ Grab a Plate
I could definitely eat falafel forever! I loved your baked version, and they *do* look sturdy! Yum!
Kathryn
Yay, I'm not the only one who wants falafel ALL the time 🙂
Lisa @ Chocolate Meets Strawberry
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!!
Kathryn
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!
Amy @ NomRecipes
Thank you for this simple recipe! The photo looks amazing as well 🙂
Kathryn
Thanks so much Amy!
Cathleen @ A Taste Of Madness
I love falafel!! And baked? This sounds so perfect!
Kathryn
Thanks Cathleen! Baked is SO the way to go 😉
Kate @ Framed Cooks
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!
Kathryn
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!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary
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
Kathryn
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!
Rahul @samosastreet.com
I am a big fan of falafel, this healthy oven baked falafel looks great
Kathryn
Thanks Rahul! I'm a huge falafel fan, too, and this baked version really holds up!
Keri @ Fashionable Foods
These baked falafels look just perfect! And yum to that creamy tahini sauce!
Kathryn
Thanks Keri! They do go so well together 🙂
Adina
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. 🙂
Kathryn
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 😉
Willow | Will Cook For Friends
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!
Kathryn
You can do it Willow! You will be surprised how easy it is! (At least this baked version.) And then you can have falafel ALL the time 🙂
Kim | Low Carb Maven
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!
Kathryn
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!
Marla Meridith
These falafel look fantastic & I love that they are baked 🙂
Kathryn
Thanks Marla! Baked is the way to go!
Sarah | Well and Full
I love homemade falafels, and these look amazing!!
Kathryn
Thanks Sarah! Hope you give them a try!
Debra @ Bowl Me Over
Looks just delicious - can't wait to try these!! Stopped by to do some sharing from #FoodieFriDIY!
Kathryn
Thanks so much Debra!
Carlee
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.
Kathryn
I'm the same way - no frying - but these baked falafel are just as great (and so easy!)