Baked Falafel Recipe
Servings 24 -28 falafel bites
Go for a tasty meatless meal with these healthy and easy falafel bites that are baked in the oven rather than fried! Delicious vegetarian option for the whole family that can be made in less than 30 minutes! {Vegan & gluten-free}
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup dried chickpeas (soaked in cold water for 12-18 hours)
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 large carrot shredded (about one cup grated carrot)
- 1 large handful fresh parsley chopped
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon tamari (or sub in coconut aminos or low sodium soy sauce)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1-2 teaspoons olive oil for brushing
Instructions
- In a large bowl, soak the dried chickpeas in a generous amount of cold water for at least 12-18 hours. I usually like to start soaking them the day before I make the falafels. If the chickpeas absorb the water, you may need to add more.
- When ready to prepare the falafel bites, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the onion, garlic, shredded carrot and parsley in the food processor and blend until everything is finely broken down.
- Next, add in the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, cumin, tamari and salt. Process until the mixture is combined, but not completely smooth. We still want some chunks of chickpeas and vegetables throughout the mixture for texture.
- Pick up some of the mixture to see if it sticks together. If it feels too wet, add a bit of brown rice or chickpea flour. If it feels too dry, add one tablespoon of water at a time until it binds together.
- Using your hands, form the chickpea mixture into a ball, pressing it lightly with your palm to form a small patty. The mixture should make approximately 24-28 evenly sized patties. Place them spaced apart on the parchment paper.
- Lightly brush the surface of the patties with olive oil. Bake in the oven for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until slightly firm and lightly browned. Allow the falafel bites to cool for several minutes before serving.
Notes
- Soak the chickpeas until they are tender, yet firm. They should be tender enough that they break apart when you squeeze them between two fingers.
- Be sure to blend the parsley, onion, carrot and garlic in the food processor first before adding the rest of the ingredients. This ensures that the herbs and veggies will be broken down more finely and will be more evenly distributed throughout the falafel mixture.
- The falafel mixture should be sticky enough to form into patties, but not so sticky that it feels wet. If it’s too moist, add some brown rice flour or chickpea flour until desired consistency is achieved.
- Be sure to line the baking sheet with parchment paper prior to baking the falafels to ensure that they don’t stick to the pan.
- Let the falafels cool for several minutes before removing them from the pan to allow them to firm up a little bit more.
Nutrition
Calories: 49kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 2gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 95mgPotassium: 94mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 438IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 17mgIron: 1mg
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