Oven Baked Falafel

Close up of falafel on a pita with pickled cabbage and tzatziki

Delicious gluten-free falafel, without the deep fryer. These delicious oven-baked falafel are filled with fresh herbs and spices. Protein-packed and amazingly versatile. Enjoy these falafel in healthy lunch bowls, mezze plates, dipped into tzatziki, added to wraps, or crumbled into salads. They freeze well too.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings

Equipment

Food Processor

Ingredients

1½ cups dried chickpeas (see note 1)
4 cloves garlic, minced
¾ cup diced yellow onion
1 cup packed flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon lemon zest
4 teaspoons lemon juice
2½ teaspoons ground cumin
1½ teaspoons ground coriander
1½ teaspoons fine sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil, divided (or extra-virgin olive oil)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

The night before, soak chickpeas: Add dried chickpeas to a large bowl or pot filled with water. (Dried beans will triple in volume, so ensure you add plenty of water to accommodate.) Cover and let soak at room temperature for about 18 hours. Drain and rinse well.
1½ cups dried chickpeas
Preheat: Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
Mix: In a food processor, combine soaked and drained chickpeas, garlic, onion, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, cumin, coriander, salt, black pepper, cayenne, and 1 tablespoon (15ml) of the grapeseed oil. Pulse until chickpeas are finely minced and well mixed, scraping down the sides as needed. (The mixture should loosely hold together when squeezed together with your fingers. If not, process a bit more. See note 2)
4 cloves garlic, minced, ¾ cup diced yellow onion, 1 cup packed flat-leaf parsley, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 4 teaspoons lemon juice, 2½ teaspoons ground cumin, 1½ teaspoons ground coriander, 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon cayenne, 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil, divided
Shape: Scoop walnut-sized portions of the chickpea mixture. Use your hands to gently roll each into a smooth ball (you should get about 24 total). The batter will be slightly tacky - if it's too difficult to handle, refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes, then resume scooping.
Bake: Arrange falafel on 1 large parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush each falafel all-over with the remaining 2 tablespoons (30ml) of the grapeseed oil. Bake until firm and golden on the outside, 20 to 25 minutes.
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil, divided

Notes

Dried chickpeas: This recipe calls for dried chickpeas, which get soaked overnight. Unfortunately, we don't recommend using canned chickpeas as a substitute. Canned chickpeas will make for a mushier falafel because they're pre-cooked and introduce too much moisture into the mixture. Although some readers have made this substitute (with the addition of a binder), the end result is definitely better with dried chickpeas. We strongly recommend you make the recipe exactly as is, at least for the first time you try it!
Falafel mixture: Process the mixture just into it's fine enough to hold together when squeezed together. You don't want to over-process it to a paste, because that will lead to a dense falafel. Avoid the urge to add binders (such as breadcrumbs or flour). If you followed this recipe exactly as written, binders are not needed.
Yield: One batch of this recipe (1x) makes 24 falafel. Nutritional estimates assumes 4 falafel per serving.
Freezing instructions: Once falafel are baked, let them fully cool. Then, transfer to a freezer bag and freeze until firm. Defrost in the fridge (overnight), in the microwave, or in the oven (at 325°F/165°C) until hot.

Nutrition