Foolproof Baked Falafel
By the Gracious Vegan
Update: Air fryer and waffle iron instructions also included!
Boy, have I tried a lot of falafel recipes. I’ve pan-fried and baked (no deep-frying for me, ever). I’ve tried adding spinach for color, baking soda for softness, and all sorts of authentic and inauthentic spices. All the times I’ve used the traditional approach of soaking the chickpeas and never actually cooking them—just using raw chickpeas in the falafel mix—the falafel disks/balls have fallen apart when I cooked them. I recently went back to a traditional recipe. I accidentally soaked the chickpeas even longer than the recipe called for (several days longer), and I also—again, because life happens—let the finished mixture sit a lot longer than the recipe called for. And lo and behold, they held together like a dream, even after being baked with no oil whatsoever. I’m declaring victory!
Makes 18-24 small falafel disks
Several days before eating the falafel, start soaking the chickpeas. Soak chickpeas for 48-72 hours in at least 4 cups of water. (Place in refrigerator while they soak.)
1 + 1/3 cup dried chickpeas (about 9 ounces)
Several hours before eating the falafel (or even earlier), make the falafel mixture. Chop garlic in food processor.
1 clove garlic
Add the following ingredients to the food processor and process until everything is finely chopped and smooth.
The soaked and drained chickpeas
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
1/4 cup roughly chopped parsley
1.5 teaspoons cumin
1.5 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Transfer the mixture to a container and refrigerate to allow the starch in the chickpeas to release and bind the mixture together. (Note: sometimes the mixture is ready to use right after making it – but if it isn’t holding together, it needs time for the starches to release.)
45 minutes before eating the falafel, preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Use a falafel scoop*, if you have one, to shape the disks. Or a cookie scoop (flatten the balls into disk shapes with your hands or a glass dipped in water). Or two soup spoons. Pack the falafels very tight. Place them on the lined baking sheets.
Bake for 15 minutes. Then flip them and bake for 10-15 minutes more, until you have a nice golden color. They will not be as dark as deep-fried falafel but they will taste good.
Alternative 1: Make FALAFEL-WAFFLES by cooking the falafel mixture in the waffle iron. Spray both sides with a spray oil, then scoop an ice-cream-scoop size of the falafel mixture in the middle (a 3-4” disk), then close the waffle iron. I set my waffle iron to Level 4.5 (out of 5), and it took 7 minutes.
Alternative 2: Air-fry your falafels! You can only make a single layer of falafels, so this is may not be the best approach if you need to bake all your falafel balls at once. My air fryer will only fit 6 falafel balls at a time. I use the air-fry settings at 400ºF for 12 minutes. They bake up nice and crispy!
As a sandwich: serve in pita bread with a salad of:
Chopped tomatoes
Chopped or sliced cucumbers
Chopped or sliced onions
Topped with Gracious Vegan Tahini Sauce
As a bowl or salad: serve with your choice of:
Lettuce, spinach, other cooked or raw greens, microgreens, or cabbage
Rice, quinoa, or other cooked grain
Chopped tomatoes
Chopped or sliced cucumbers
Chopped or sliced onions
Avocado
Hummus
Greek olives
Other vegetables, e.g., roasted beets, carrots, or sweet potatoes
Topped with Gracious Vegan Tahini Sauce or a favorite sauce or dressing
* Falafel scoops can be purchased online. I bought an inexpensive 5cm scoop, but 4cm would also be fine, or 3cm for very small falafels.
Timing: About 50 minutes
Gluten-free if you use gluten-free flour and gluten-free pita bread