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This Falafel recipe is easy, gluten-free, and naturally vegan! It’s packed with fresh herbs and flavor and you can prepare it in the oven, on the stovetop, or with an air fryer!
I had never made traditional Falafel before my recent trip to Israel, but once I had a bite of that crispy goodness, I knew I had to re-create it for the blog.
I must say, I am pretty dang proud of this recipe! After doing my own taste-testing abroad plus some of my own internet research, I’ve learned a few things about Falafel:
- It should be made with dried and soaked chickpeas, not canned. Otherwise, it will be too mushy.
- The best Falafel should be green on the inside. (This is somewhat up for debate, but I agree with this sentiment).
- Traditional Falafel is deep-fried, which somehow absorbs less oil than pan frying?!
Not sure how I feel about that last one, but apparently it’s the truth! Either way, I asked you all on Instagram how you would like to prepare your Falafel, and the majority of you voted for a Baked Recipe. I did provide several different options in the recipe instructions though, so you can do whatever you’d decide! My favorite version of preparation was with my Air Fryer. It made the most golden-brown and crispy Falafel exterior while keeping a flavorful green and fluffy interior. WIN!
Regardless of how you prepare it, I do hope you enjoy this recipe. One thing that I love about Middle Eastern cuisine is how recipe ingredients are so simple (and affordable!), but everything is still packed with flavor. And this Falafel Recipe is certainly no exception to that rule!
A Few Final Thoughts:
- Traditional Falafel is usually made with flour, to help the mixture bind together. However, I wanted to keep things Gluten-Free, so I used Chickpea Flour instead and it worked out perfectly!
- This recipe does make quite a lot of Falafel. If you’re putting in the effort to make it, I think it’s worth it to go big or go home. Ha. It does keep well in the fridge, but you can also cut the recipe in half.
- You can serve this Falafel however you’d like! I enjoy it dipped in either homemade Hummus or a creamy Tahini Sauce, but you can also put it in wraps, on top of salads, etc.
If you’re looking for more Middle-Eastern Inspired recipes, you’ll also love this Quinoa Tabbouleh and this Fattoush Salad with Creamy Sumac Dressing!
Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations 🙂
PrintEasy Falafel Recipe (Gluten Free)
This Falafel recipe is easy, gluten-free, and naturally vegan! It’s packed with fresh herbs and flavor and you can prepare it in the oven, on the stovetop, or with an air fryer!
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 20 Minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: ~30 balls
Ingredients
- 16 oz dried Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans, soaked*
- 1 small Yellow Onion, sliced
- 2 cloves of Garlic
- 1/2 bunch fresh Parsley, chopped
- 1/4 bunch fresh Cilantro, chopped
- 1 tbsp Cumin
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- Black Pepper, to taste
- 1 1/2 tsp Salt
- Juice of 1/2 Lemon
- 1/4 cup Chickpea Flour*
- 2 tbsp Tahini
- Optional Serving Suggestions: Hummus, Tahini Sauce, Pickled Onions, Tomato, Parsley, Pita
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F, if you are using it. Place the Soaked Chickpeas, roughly chopped Onion, and Garlic into a large Food Processor. Process until the mixture is finely chopped, but not mush.
- Next, add in the fresh Herbs, dried Spices, and Lemon Juice. Process again until well incorporated — the mixture should turn a bright green color.
- Finally, add the Chickpea Flour and Tahini to the Food Processor, and pulse until well combined.
- Transfer the Falafel mixture to a large bowl, and use your hands to form round balls using ~2 tbsp of the mixture.
- To bake…
- In the Oven: Bake at 400F for 18 minutes, flip, then bake for another 15-18 minutes.
- In the Air Fryer: (recommended) Bake at 350F for 20 minutes. For extra crispy Falafel, spray the balls with some oil or a nonstick cooking spray before baking.
- On the Stovetop: add 1 tbsp of heat-safe oil to the pan for every 5 Falafel balls. Pan-fry over medium heat, rotating the balls every 2 or so minutes, to brown all sides. This process took about 20 minutes for me.
- Serve as desired. The Falafel will dry out slightly in the fridge, but will keep well in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
Notes
- To soak your Chickpeas, simply place them in a large bowl and cover them with water for 12-24 hours at room temperature. Keep in mind that they will expand with time, so make sure you add enough water!
- I have not tested this recipe with any other regular or GF flours, but I imagine you could substitute any grain-based flour for the Chickpea Flour successfully.
Want to save this Falafel Recipe for later? Pin the recipe to your Pinterest boards:
This was THE BEST falafel!!! I didn’t have cilantro so I omitted but otherwise followed the recipe as is. It was everything I was looking for and I loved eating them cold out of the fridge the next day too!
★★★★★
Looks super good! Have you tried freezing them? I’m looking for some freezer-friendly meal preps.
★★★★
Thanks, Katie! Unfortunately, I would not recommend freezing the balls, as they will dry out.
Hey they turned out quite good. But they were pretty dry inside? Why could this be? Do you have any idea to make them more moist inside? (I followed the recipe exactly)
Thank you!
PS I ate them with your hummus recipe, which turned out PERFECT
Hmm…mine were not like that! You could reduce or omit the flour, or add in extra tahini or oil next time
Great recipe! I used an air fryer for the first time, so worth it wow delicious!! Only thing is that in the steps it never says when to add the can of chick peas!! Lol
Also I used canned and they turned out fine but it might be bc of the air fryer!
★★★★★
Hi Bee – glad you figured it out! The recipe calls for soaked Chickpeas and they are added to the Food Processor in the first step of the recipe.
Hi! May I know how many cups is the chickpeas after soaking? Thank you!
Hi Georgina – I did not measure the chickpeas after soaking, but beans usually double in size after soaking
We just made this with regular flour because chickpea flour is a bit expensive here in Mexico and it was DELICIOUS! We topped it with your tahini sauce and are both sooo excited about the fact that we still have about 3 more servings for the rest of the week 😀 I’ve always been a bit afraid to make falafels myself but this recipe is just so much better (and cheaper) than any store bought falafels I have had. For some reason my computer won’t let me rate, but if I could it would be 5 stars in a heartbeat. Thanks Caitlin!
Thank YOU, Debra!
Just made this for my non-vegan family and they LOVED it!thanks Caitlin!
★★★★★
Glad to hear it, Maya!
Just made this for my non-vegan family and they LOVED it! Thanks Caitlin!
★★★★★
What can I sub for tahini? Hubby is allergic to sesame seeds. But I am dying to try your recipe
you can use another neutral nut or seed butter (like cashew butter) or 2 tsp of oil
Making these tomorrow night – really looking forward to the recipe! Appreciate you including an airfryer version. They look amazing.
Thanks for this awesome recipe, Caitlin! I’m so excited to find a yummy vegan air fryer recipe. It’s a great kitchen tool, but I struggle to find inventive ways to use it. I hope to see more from your curious, creative mind!
Can you use canned chickpeas?
No, they should be dry. Canned chickpeas are already cooked and have a lot more moisture to them, so the falafel will be mushy
I looked over your recipe as a guide for ingredients, then threw together my own variation. I wanted to have had my own beans soaked but didn’t want to wait until tomorrow so I devised to buy canned, unseasoned chickpeas, and lighty dried them in my toaster oven while I prepped my herbs. Combined with the chickpea flour they came out great! Moist but not mushy.
Afterwards, I allowed myself to read your full recipe and must say it sounds very good and looks great! Well written and inspiring, too! I’m going to try some of your other recipes! Happy to share some of mine if interested. I have a great tzatziki one I’ve perfected. 😉
Thanks for the inspiration.
★★★★
Thank you very much, Micah!
Now I REALLY need to invest in an air fryer! It might save me a LOT of time and result in AMAZINGLY “fried” results. Your falafels look heavenly, and I totally don’t mind making a TON of falafels in bulk for meal prep. I think it would be super cool to try adding a little bit of other veggies into this falafel mix, such as cut up bell peppers and even mushrooms for some hearty texture!
Hi Caitlin ????
Your recipe calls for 4 cups of dried chickpeas which in ounces would already be 28oz. So I don’t understand why you say it makes 12 oz soaked?
Can you help this confused french girl hahaha I dont have a clue about this system????
Hmm…I apologize Coco! I used a 16 oz bag of dried chickpeas for this recipe (so the weight is before soaking). I will update the recipe!
Hi, it’s my first time here on your site. I’m very impressed of what you are doing and how you try to inspire others. I’ve also read a little bit about you in your description…… and damn…now i’m in love! 😛
So…about this recipe : -usually here in Germany , and in my natal country (Romania), it had cardamom inside. So i don’t know if this is in the original Arabian recipe (or from where falafel comes from) but it tastes really good. I always add a pinch of cardamom when i’m making this.
Very interesting! Now I want to try that too
Would you be able to freeze these once cooked?
I think it would be better to freezer the wet mix, though I’m not sure how that would turn out either. I think these will dry out a lot if you freeze them
Thanks 🙂 Didn’t even need to worry about freezing leftovers, they were gone in two days, haha.
Really love this serie of dishes inspired by your Israel trip!
Do you think you could do more asian ingredients? Adzuki beans and mung beans for example. Would be great to see your oil and added sugar free recipes with these.
Great idea, Lola!
You can use rice flour which you can get in Indian stores too!
This sounds delish! and thanks for the tip to pin the recipe!
I’m addicted to falafels so I cannot wait to try these. They look delicious – especially in the gyro!!! Thanks for sharing 🙂
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