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!
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.