Want to make falafel at home but daunted by frying? Here’s the recipe you need: Baked Falafel with canned chickpeas! This spin on Classic Falafel distills the traditional flavors into a shortcut that works for weeknights. Bake up these tasty balls of savory, herby goodness and dunk them into dips like Avocado Sauce, throw them in a Falafel Sandwich, or top them on a Falafel Salad. They save well, making them perfect for refrigerating or freezing for quick and easy meals! They’re also vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free. Here are the tricks to this quick method.Want to make classic falafel that’s baked? Go to Classic Falafel and use the baked option.
Baked falafel with canned chickpeas
Falafel is a Middle Eastern ball of chickpeas, herbs and spices that’s deep fried. Classic falafel is always made with soaked dried chickpeas, which gives them the ideal crispy texture. The problem is: you have to remember to soak the chickpeas overnight. If you have time and the ability to think ahead, try the classic version! It’s absolutely worth it for the flavor, and you can bake it as well. Go to Classic Falafel. This baked falafel recipe is a shortcut for when you didn’t think ahead and don’t want to mess with frying. So, it’s not an authentic recipe: it’s a variation for weeknights so you can enjoy similar flavors! Make it with canned chickpeas, which you bake in the oven instead of frying them. Falafel is usually shaped as a round ball, but for baked it’s easier to make a disc shape.
Tips for this easy baked falafel recipe
Ready to try this baked falafel with canned chickpeas? Here are a few tips for how to make this easy falafel recipe:
A food processor is key. It’s easiest for chopping everything for the dough. (If you’re ambitious and don’t have one, you could try using oat flour, finely chopping the veggies, and mashing the chickpeas with a fork.)You can use rolled oats or oat flour. We use rolled oats and process them in the food processor to form oat flour, but if you keep oat flour on hand you can skip this step.Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then pat them dry. Because you’re using canned chickpeas, you’ll want to remove as much liquid as possible. Be careful not to over-process the dough! Be careful not to over-process the dough: you’ll want it uniform and shape-able with a little texture. See the photo below.Pat the dough into disc shapes. This makes them easy to bake (versus ball shapes). Use a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop if you have it, which helps to portion the dough evenly. Then bake 15 minutes on one side and 10 on the other!
Ready to give it a go? Head to the recipe below.
Leftovers save well: try a double batch!
This easy baked falafel recipe is ideal because leftovers save very well! Because of this, we recommend making a double batch and saving the leftovers: especially if you’re feeding hungry eaters. You’ll need a large food processor (shown above). Here’s the recommended storage info:
Store baked falafel refrigerated for up to 1 week. They’re easy to throw into lunches or onto salads!Or, freeze for up to 2 months. Then defrost in the refrigerator prior to enjoying. You can reheat them or eat at room temp. To double the recipe, use the 2x button on the recipe below! This makes it easy to double the quantities.
Ways to serve baked falafel
There are so many fun ways to eat baked falafel! We make Classic Falafel on special occasions, but this baked version is more of an everyday style recipe. Here are a few ideas for how to serve it:
As an appetizer with dips like Avocado Sauce, Tahini Sauce, Lemon Tahini Dressing or one of these 5 Falafel Sauce RecipesOn a sandwich like this Ultimate Falafel SandwichIn a salad like Falafel SaladIn lunch boxes for kids or adults, with a dipping sauce or hummus
More Mediterranean recipes
This recipe is a great idea for a filling vegan dinner or Mediterranean diet meal! Here are a few more great Mediterranean recipes to try:
Try a Quick Hummus BowlsOpt for a Falafel Burger insteadTry quick and easy Mediterranean Tuna SaladGo for simple Chickpea Soup with Rice
This easy baked falafel recipe is…
Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free. 4.7 from 3 reviews
