Raise your hand if you love falafel! I’ve gone back into the archives to highlight my all-time favorite homemade falafel recipe. Making falafel at home can be tricky, but this recipe is easy.
Six reasons to love this healthy falafel recipe:
- These falafels are golden brown and crispy on the outside. The insides are tender, delicious, and full of fresh herbs.
- They’re baked instead of fried, so they contain significantly less fat than fried falafel. And your house won’t smell like fried food for days. Winning!
- Once your chickpeas are sufficiently soaked, the falafel mixture comes together in no time. If you have someone to help shape the patties, they’ll come together even faster.
- These falafels are gluten free and vegan, so they’re a great party appetizer.
- These falafels freeze well, so they’re a fantastic protein-rich option to keep on hand for future salads and pita sandwiches.
- On that note, this recipe is easily doubled! See recipe notes.
Are you convinced yet? Let’s make some falafel!
How to Make the Best Homemade Falafel
Bake it, don’t fry it. I say this because frying requires a lot of sizzling hot oil, and that scares me. I also don’t have a good vent over my oven to take the fried food smell far, far away. Plus, you can use a reasonably amount of heart-healthy olive oil in the baked version.
Coat your rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. That way, you get a fried effect in the oven, and you don’t have to brush the little falafels individually with olive oil. Winning!
Use dried chickpeas, not canned. Canned chickpeas do not work for falafel. They’re far too wet. If you try to use canned chickpeas instead of dried and soaked chickpeas, you’ll end up with sad falafel pancakes. Some recipes try to counteract the wetness by adding flour, which significantly dulls the flavor and makes the texture more doughy.
Soak the dried chickpeas for at least four hours. If your chickpeas aren’t sufficiently softened, you’ll have unpalatably tough pieces of chickpea in your falafel. There’s just no workaround here.
Choose your dried chickpeas wisely. Try to buy your dried chickpeas from a store with high turnover, because old chickpeas need longer to soften. If you have options, pick the chickpeas that are the smallest, since they’ll soften faster.
Watch How to Make Crispy Falafel
Falafel Serving Suggestions
Serve falafel as an appetizer, wrap it into a pita sandwich, or add it to salad for a protein-rich topping. Falafel goes great with any of the following ingredients:
- Pita bread, warmed or toasted (tear it up for pita “croutons”)
- Fresh greens (such as spring greens or chopped romaine)
- Tomatoes, sliced
- Bell peppers, cut into strips
- Cucumber, thinly sliced
- Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
- Raw red onion, thinly sliced, or quick-pickled onions
- Feta cheese, crumbled
- Sauce: Something creamy like tzatziki, hummus, or tahini sauce, and maybe a spicy sauce like zhoug or shatta, too
Here’s a tahini dressing recipe that goes great with this falafel, too:
- 1/4 cup tahini
- Zest and juice of 1 small lemon
- 1 tablespoon white miso
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- Pinch of cayenne
- 1/3 cup water
In a small food processor, combine all of the ingredients and blend well. You can also whisk the ingredients together by hand in a small bowl, just note that you’ll need to chop the fresh herbs and zest more finely than you would if you were using a food processor.
Please let me know how you like these falafel in the comments! I hope you love them as much as I do. ♥
PrintCrispy Falafel
- Author: Cookie and Kate
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes (plus 4-hour soaking time)
- Yield: 12 falafels 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
This homemade falafel recipe is absolutely delicious, and remarkably crispy! Be sure to allow 4 hours soaking time for the chickpeas, preferably overnight. Then, the falafel mixture is super easy to make in a food processor. Recipe yields 12 to 13 falafels (see notes on how to double).
Ingredients
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup dried (uncooked/raw) chickpeas, rinsed, picked over and soaked for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours in the refrigerator
- ½ cup roughly chopped red onion (about ½ small red onion)
- ½ cup packed fresh parsley (mostly leaves but small stems are ok)
- ½ cup packed fresh cilantro (mostly leaves but small stems are ok)
- 4 cloves garlic, quartered
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon (about 25 twists) freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- With an oven rack in the middle position, preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour ¼ cup of the olive oil into a large, rimmed baking sheet and turn until the pan is evenly coated.
- In a food processor, combine the soaked and drained chickpeas, onion, parsley, cilantro, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, cinnamon, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Process until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Using your hands, scoop out about 2 tablespoons of the mixture at a time. Shape the falafel into small patties, about 2 inches wide and ½ inch thick. Place each falafel on your oiled pan.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, carefully flipping the falafels halfway through baking, until the falafels are deeply golden on both sides. These falafels keep well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for several months.
Notes
Adapted from The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook.
Make-ahead option: I haven’t tried this, but the original recipe notes that the uncooked falafel patties can be refrigerated on a parchment-lined baking sheet, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 2 hours before baking.
How to double this recipe: Preheat the oven with two oven racks near the center of the oven. Double all of the ingredients. If you have a large food processor (guessing 11+ cup capacity), you can mix all of the ingredients at once. Use two baking sheets, and swap their positions (top to bottom, bottom to top) when you flip the falafel halfway through baking.
Recommended equipment: I love my 11-cup food processor (affiliate link).
Red
Kate I made these today and they tasted so good! I tried pan Frying them first but that didn’t do the job so I baked the rest with a bunch of olive and they turned out really good; however when I followed the instructions as posted the mixture was not manageable. It just kept falling apart in my hands. I added panko 1/4 cup at time until it finally got to a consistency that I could form a ball with. By the time I was done I ended up using 1 and 1/4 cup of panko. I never use panko! I only used it because I had it lying around and needed to salvage these somehow. If the parsley and Cilantro was only roughly dried and had a bit of water in it still would that have caused this to happen? What is a healthier alternative to panko to get the consistency right if it turns out to crumbly next time I make it?
AMB
Perfect flavors – great job! The patties came out crumbly, though, probably something I did wrong. They will go into a veggie wrap so not a big deal. Thank you!
Catherine
Hi Kate. Thank you very much for the Falafel and Tahini Dressing recipes – together with your Mediterranean Roast Sweet Potato Salad recipe, they helped me make a very successful lunch yesterday. I love and dread having guests normally – love the company, dread having to cook and then watch them trying to look polite while they eat it. Yesterday was especially traumatic because it was for meat eaters who are great chefs themselves. Everything worked like a treat and I was able to prepare a lot of it the day before, which hugely minimized my stress. I used canned chick peas for the falafels because I didn’t have the option of dried, but it worked really well. I added pineapple juice to the Tahini Dressing and that worked well, too. Big hug to Cookie and warm thanks to you. Catherine in France.
Jiska
For how many people is this recipe?
Karla
Note to self, always read the notes :p I used canned chickpeas and ended up with the runny chickpea pancakes/hummus. Really great flavour though! I’m just going to spread it in a pita, add some greens and tahini dressing. Can’t wait to try this recipe again.
emma
Fantastic. without doubt the best falafels I have ever made. Thanks!
Ibtisan
These falafels were delicious.I air fried them instead of baking and they were crispy outside and moist inside. Great eaten with some salad greens or as a sandwich filling!
Danielle
I’m new to the air fryer, but would to try this! At what temp and for how long did you air fry? Did you shake or flip during the process? TIA!
Karleen
Ok made this today. I just added organic cayenne pepper instead of black pepper. Omg this was amazing. Thanks so much.
Nadia
I found this recipe a few months ago and I’ve made it so many times since then. It’s so simple and so delicious, my friends and I love it!
I adore your recipes, thank you so much for sharing them with us!!
Divya
I tried the falafel recipe today and it was amazing. Just the perfect amount of spice. Thank you Kate. Looking for more such wonderful recipes were I can blindly follow your instructions. Thanks
Sharon Burke
I just found your blog today (where have I been??) and bought the ingredients for three of your recipes. And then I found this one. Back to the store for dried chickpeas : )
I love to read recipes; I can read a cookbook like a novel. Your blog is a treat-not only is it beautiful and humorous but the recipes look divine.
I’m so glad I found you! Thank you for creating this beautiful, fun, healthy space.
Lilly Bean
This is my first time on your blog – I have yet to try the recipe (I do plan to in a couple of days) I was more sold on the entertainment. You had me at beep boop.
Kate
Hey, Lilly–so glad you found my blog! Let me know if you try these.
Alyssa
Hi! How many servings does this recipe make? I’ve done it once a while ago and it was delicious, but I can’t remember how much it made!
Kate
So sorry for the delay, Alyssa. I think it makes about 12 falafels!
Stephie
Love this! I have it in the oven right now :) I made this for the first time last week, and shoved it inside a pita pocket with hummus, spinach, cucumber, red onion and banana peppers. Admittedly, the first time I made this, it was too dry. I only soaked my chickpeas for 1 hour, and while it had good flavor, it was just too dry for my liking. For the batch in the oven now, I soaked the beans overnight, and I could tell when forming them, they won’t be dry this time! Nom nom nom nom thanks Kate!
Kate
You’re welcome, Stephie! Sounds like the second time worked out much better!
Berl Kaufman
Cool falafel recipe. I’ve been haunted by a falafel vendor in NYC who ceased to exist many years ago. His was absolutely the best I’ve every tried, and I’ve tried hundreds around the world.
One secret ingredient I was told about by an Israeli was sumac. It is an amazing spice, citrusy like lemon but without the liquid that can mess with your falafel, and aromatic that puts you in a shuk in Morocco or Turkey. Food Labs recently release a very good falafel recipe. But I still can’t come close to that place in NYC….
Keep up the great work!
Allison
I have to say I wish I hadn’t heeded your advice not to use canned chickpeas. These turned out awful. Maybe if I had soaked them overnight it would have been better, but an hour was definitely not sufficient. We had to eat them very carefully so as not to chip a tooth… I have liked all the other recipes I’ve made from this site a lot, though, so I guess they can’t all be keepers.
Kate
Hi Allison, I’m really sorry to hear you had trouble with this one. These falafel turned out perfectly for me when I posted the recipe, and it’s based on an America’s Test Kitchen recipe, so it clearly turned out well during their testing. However, last year, I ran into the same problem that you did, even after soaking the chickpeas over an hour. Some chickpeas are older than others and therefore more dried out. I haven’t found a solution yet, but canned chickpeas definitely are not the answer—they’ll turn your falafel into sad pancakes. Just wanted to offer this explanation to suggest that no matter how hard I try to offer consistently reliable recipes (I’m a perfectionist, so I aim far beyond that), it’s unfortunately impossible to account for every possible variant.
Hilary
I made the falafel last night and brought it in for lunch today. I soaked the chickpeas for hours (threw them in a bowl in the morning, made them around 4-5 pm) and I found the mixture was super easy to handle – I assume it’s much like shaping a hamburger. I heated a few up today for lunch and ate on a pita with your tzatziki sauce, feta, kalamata olives, and tomatoes. It was a great lunch and delicious. Also, I’ve never in my life been so happy to own a food processor! It made the patties super easy to make and the grating the cucumber for the tzatziki was done in seconds!
Lianna
I absolutely LOVE this recipe — I make it every month or so! I soak the chickpeas in a bunch of water overnight and then bake up the falafel on a big ol’ heavy duty sheet pan with great results. Highly recommended with pita chips (it’s easier for me to pack them in that form, though not as healthy as plain pita…). I always need lunch salads with protein which makes this a great stand-by! Thank you, Kate!
Kate
You’re welcome, Lianna! I’m so glad this is on regular rotation for you.
JO COBB
I haven’t made them yet but going to tonight for dinner. Had him for the first time last week deep-fat-fried I’m didn’t like them that way too hard and crunchy. I am learning to cook healthy. I just bought 25 pounds of black beans also red lentils light brown lentils, and Egyptian rice. I want to make something for tomorrow’s dinner with the black beans and lentils do you have a simple recipe that I could use to do this? Thank you so much for your time and getting back to me.
Kate
Hi Jo, I’m sorry for the delay. That’s a lot of beans and rice, amazing! Here are my recipes for black beans and lentils. Hope you find some inspiration there.
Ai
I know this is an old post but I’m trying this now. I’ve alwsts made falafels in the traditional deep frying method. This will be interesting! Also added some spinach for some color. Fingers crossed!!
Kate
Let me know what you think!
Denise Tade
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I never thought it would be so easy, crispy and delicious! I ended up leaving the mixed batch covered with plastic wrap in the fridge overnight (got distracted, and couldn’t finish what I started). I used an ice cream scoop, parchment paper, and a little olive oil.I don’t have a cast iron skillet but had a broiling pan handy and that seemed to do the trick. The chilled paste was easy to manage and cooked up like a dream.
Kate
I’m happy to hear they turned out well for you! Thank you for your feedback, Denise.
Renee
I came across this recipe in my quest to eat gluten and dairy free. I made this tonight and it turned out great, much better than expected to be honest! They were nice and crispy on the outside and crumbly on the inside just like at the middle eastern restaurant! Thanks so much for a great, fresh recipe that was pretty easy to make.
Kate
You’re welcome! I try to provide gluten and dairy free substitutions to a lot of my recipes, so you have come to the right place. Thanks, Renee!
Meg
Hi Kate!
Thank you for all the work you put into this blog. I have tried several of your recipes and they have all been wonderful. The pictures are gorgeous and make me want to make everything! However I am a little concerned that these falafel patties crumble apart while baking and are nearly impossible to flip without them coming apart. (even though I firmly packed the mixture into patties.)
Have you experienced this? If so, I would love to hear your suggestions. Falafel is my favorite!!!
Thanks! (and a belly rub for Cookie, as well!)
Deanne
So I didn’t have chickpeas, but I had a huge pile of yellow splitpeas that I needed to use. Worked so well. The falafel was so good, tasty, and easy. Will definitely do his again!
Kate
Yum! Thanks for the review, Deanne!
Lucy
Have made this a few times now and love it! We have the falafel in wholewheat pita breads with lettuce and tahini sauce. I normally soak the chickpeas overnight but I forgot to put them on soak last night so I only had a few hours and even though the recipe says soak for atleast and hour they were still a little hard after the falafel was cooked. Still delicious but next time I will soak them longer. I am a newly diagnosed diabetic and have been trying to find tasty healthy recipes and this is definitely a new favourite thanks!
Kate
Thank you, Lucy for the review!
Leah
Thanks Cookie and Kate! My first attempt at falafel and your recipe and step-by-step directions (with pictures!) made it turn out great. I omitted the onion, but the rest was the same. I will make this again.
Kate
Hooray! I’m glad to hear that, Leah. Thanks so much for the review.
Lauren
Looks delicious! Is the nutritional information not uploaded or is my computer not working? :)
Kate
It’s there! Try looking at your browser settings to make sure you have cookies enabled so the plug-in works. :)
Kim
This looks delicious! Can you use canned chickpeas for this recipe please?
Thanks
Kim
Denise
This is one of my favourite of your recipes. So easy and delicious to make, I always buy way too much parsley and then make a double batch and freeze.
Kate
Thank you, Denise!
Donna
I actually make Falafel once a month (a recipe very similar to yours), and the very last time used the leftovers in a salad for lunch. I took your recipe for Sunshine Salad Dressing and added a bit of tahini to it for a Mediterranean flair and it was delicious. Can’t wait to make it again, just for the leftovers.
Kate
Oh, that sounds delicious! Thank you, for sharing Donna.
Silvia
Love this ones!! Could you share the recipe in Kg?? Will then try and share
Kate
Hi Silvia – Unfortunately only use US measurements. But, you can use an online converter that should do the trick!
Roberta A Wilson
Made the Ultra Baked Crispy Potato Wedges, They turned out GREAT & were well received by my husband & mother-in-law. Husband isn’t one for a lot of spices, so these fit the bill!! MIL likes to cook her food until there is no shape or flavor left. Thanks for a great recipe — will make again & again!
Kate
Great to hear!
Grace
Okay, just to clarify, I can soak them for minimum 4 hours, but could also soak them overnight? Is 4 hours the magic number?
Grace
Actually….. if I had read more carefully I could have answered this question myself. NEVERMIND! So sorry!
Kate
Hey Grace, as long as your chickpeas are soaked for 4 hours or longer, the falafel will turn out great. I’m just trying to make sure that your chickpeas are hydrated enough that they won’t be crunchy/hard after blending. So there’s not a magic number, just a minimum number. :)
Gaby Dalkin
Mhmm, give me *all* the falafel!! Hands down one of my favorite things to eat.
Kate
It’s delicious!
Riddhima Nair
Thanks for sharing this crispy falafel recipe.
Kate
You’re welcome!
pam
Looks great! Do you have any suggestions for substituting the oil in this recipe?
Thank you!
Kate
I’m sorry, I don’t. You can definitely omit it from the filling for slightly less irresistible results. I haven’t tried baking it without the oil on the pan, but you could try it on a non-stick surface like parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Lulu
Hi Kate, another tip is to make the dough and you can freeze it in bags to use later. Defrost when needed then just shape and cook.
Tahini sauce is lovely drizzled on them to, (tahini, lemon, salt, garlic, olive oil, bit of yoghurt perhaps.) lovely in pita, always a hit.
I grew up on a Greek island with frequent visits to glorious Beirut, Paris of the Middle East.
Kate
Thank you, Lulu for the tips! I appreciate the review.
samantha pestl
have you tried freezing these? what a great little snack to whip out if they were!
Kate
I haven’t tried freezing all my recipes, but I know other readers have with luck. It seems like these are a great on to freeze!
Jen V
I LOVE falafel! I can’t wait to try this out.
Kate
Let me know what you think, Jen!
Cassie Autumn Tran
Falafels are always a mad favorite of mine. I would love to add a little customization for every time I make them differently colored–beet powder, turmeric, blue spirulina, and even charcoal powder!
Kate
Sounds like a great idea, Cassie! Thanks for sharing.
Jill
This is my all-time favorite recipe from your site! I still always make these as part of the salad in your original post- such a satisfying and healthy lunch! I don’t see the link to the original tahini dressing in this post but I hope you re-share that too because it’s SO yummy.
Kate
Wonderful, Jill! Here is a link to my new best tahini sauce! https://cookieandkate.com/2018/best-tahini-sauce-recipe/. Thanks for the review!
Jessica
I just made this and topped it with your tzatziki. Amazing! Thank you for your recipes-so easy to follow and the ingredients are always things I seem to have on hand!
Kate
Sounds delicious! And, you’re welcome Jessica! I appreciate the review.
LJ
Question about how the chickpeas feel after the soak — are they really firm (i.e. would they be uncomfortable to bite into?), or are they pretty soft and easy to bite? Somewhere in the middle?
I make chickpeas from dried sometimes and my impression is after I soak my dried chickpeas for 8-10 hours they are still really firm, but maybe that is appropriate for this recipe.
Kate
Hey LJ, they are not soft but I was able to bite the chickpea in half without much trouble (although you don’t want to eat raw beans). If you follow my soaking guidelines I think your falafel will turn out just right!
Janet
Just made these for the first time and they are delicious ! This recipe is a keeper. How ingenious to soak the chick peas but not cook them! I have been looking for a falafel recipe to make at home for a very long time. This is the first one that does the trick. Thanks so much!! Chuck peas rule!!
Kate
You’re welcome!
Abby
Made these the other night and they were delicious! So delicious, in fact, that we’re making them again tonight I think the cinnamon is what really makes them. I recommend doubling the recipe!
Kate
Love that, Abby! Thank you for sharing.
Debbie
Looks yummy – and no frying! I am one of the ‘cilantro is soap’ folks. Should I double the parsley or just leave out the cilantro? Thank you!
Kate
Hey Debbie! Just double the parsley.
Debbie
Thank you!
Kate K
I made this last night and it was really easy and tasty. I’ve only tried making falafel once before and found it fiddly, but this is an easy recipe with great results. We ate it with a big Greek salad and your tahini dressing, yummy.
Kate
I’m glad you thought it was easy and had great results! Thanks Kate for the review.
Liz
Thank you to the moon and back for his recipe! I love falafels and am gluten free and vegan. I’ve mastered the vegan taziki sauce but not the falafel, always used canned and they came out like soupy pancakes. So easy and delish, this will be one I make frequently!
Kate
You’re welcome to the moon and back. :) Thanks for the review, Liz!
Kate
You’re welcome to the moon and back, Liz! Thanks for sharing.
Marybeth Lane
I absolutely love this recipe. There used to be a tahini dressing at the bottom that was made with dill, lemon and parsley. Is there anyway you could let me know the ingredients? I loved the dressing as much as the falafel. Thank you!
Kate
Thanks, Marybeth! I’ve added the dressing recipe back, sorry about that!
Helen Liberatore
This falafel recipe looks amazing. Can I make it ahead and freeze and reheat the patties?
Kate
I haven’t tried freezing all my recipes, but I know other readers have had success with freezing this one and reheating in the oven.
Jane Cribb
I’m so happy to find this site!, thank you for sharing your healthy recipes, I just began on the minestrone… yum, the pecan tart with strawberries and yoghurt looks very appealing and the falafel recipe I just came across…
Kate
I’m glad you found it too, Jane! Thank you for your comment. I love to hear from you.
Jane
The minestrone was beautiful as was the yoghurt no cook tart with berries and today I’ve made the marinara sauce to go with lentils and the beautiful lemon yoghurt blueberry cake.. divine, your recipes are my favourite at the moment!, thank you and it’s great as my daughter is vegetarian and so far she has loved all your food too
Eileen Litchfield
Fantastic Felafel! Easy and delicious. Loved the touch of cinnamon and the easy bake in the oven. I did make them in advance a few hours, placed on the oiled parchment lined pan as instructed and baked them later. No difference in quality from when I baked them directly after making them. Another new keeper! Thank you!!
Kate
You’re welcome! Thanks for the review.
Monica
I made these yesterday- they are SO good!!! But mine didn’t hold together like the ones in your picture. Should I have added someliquid to it, or a bit more olive oil? Also my processor didn’t grind it as finely as shown, so I’m sure that makes a difference as well. I’m so glad I found your website- everything looks so good! I tried the hummus too- YUM!!!
Kate
Hmm… if you followed the instructions, I wouldn’t necessarily add any additional liquid. The food processor texture may have caused it. Sorry it didn’t turn out for you, Monica!
Jenny
Hands down the best falafels I’ve ever had! I don’t own a large food processor so I used my Cuisinart Mini Prep to smooth ingredients in 2 batches, then mixed together in a medium bowl.
Thanks for revisiting one of your favorite recipes! My family thoroughly enjoyed this one.
Kate
Hooray! Thanks so much, Jenny. I appreciate the star review.
Amanda
I have to say, I was a bit unsure how these would turn out once everything was mixed together. Even using dried chickpeas instead of canned, it seemed too wet. But these falafel baked up beautifully and were tasty to boot! Thanks so much for the recipe, Kate!
Kate
I’m so happy to hear that, Amanda! Thanks for your comment. If you would like to leave a star review, I would really appreciate it!
Madeline
This was amazing! At first I was worried because I soaked my chickpeas overnight and they were still hard, but the dough came together beautifully. These reheat really well! (I’ve reheated in the oven and in the microwave). Served with a yogurt sauce as a main dish. Simply fabulous, as always!
Kate
Thank you, for sharing Madeline!
Alyssa
These were so delicious! I served them with your hummus recipe, fresh veggies, and pita bread. Such a great meal – and further proof that good food doesn’t need to be fried!
Kate
I agree with you, Alyssa! Thanks so much.
Mar
Thank you! It was very easy to make and delicious as well. However, I made ahead for a dinner party and found that if you eat them cold, they are quite dry, and not really palatable, which was a huge disappointment. But hot, these falafels are amazing.
Kate
I’m sorry you were disappointed, Mar. These are best served warm. Thanks for your comment and review!
Liz
These were SO good! I doubled the recipe and so glad that I did. They were filling & fresh, not at all heavy or greasy. They reheated nicely for a great lunch the next day too. Thank you!
Kate
That’s great, Liz! Thanks so much.
Holly Lucido
I’ve made this recipe four times already since you posted it! It is so good and so simple to make! Thank you!
Kate
Love to hear that, Holly! Thanks for your star review.
Holli
Very good flavors! Mine were very crumbly, so maybe I’ll try a binder for future batches.
Kate
Hi Holli! I’m glad you like the flavors. They shouldn’t be crumbly. Interesting! Did was your mixture pretty smooth when you put it in the food processor?
Holli
Maybe I underprocessed them. Thanks for the tip!
Ella
Great party snack!
I made 5x the recipe for a group of 30 and it made three big trays full.
My chickpeas needed a full 20 hours soaking before they were soft enough to process.
I skipped the onion and added some radish instead.
They were pretty crumbly and hard to flip so I just drizzled the top with oil and didn’t worry about turning them. Once they were nicely crisp and browned, they held together.
Bec
Just made this for the second time. It has become a favourite in our house. The flavour profile is so good and I found they turn out extra crispy if you heat the oiled sheet pan in the oven while you’re processing the mix. This is an absolute winner – I’ve never made successful falafels at home before. Thank you!!
Kate
Thanks for sharing your tactic, Bec! I appreciate the review.
Mankiu
I didn’t even use oil and they turned out amazing and crispy! This was absolutely delicious Kate, even though I put in too much parsley it baked off to be less overpowering. I also added in a full tablespoon of cumin (I love it haha) and honestly I would 10/10 make this recipe again. You’re an absolute delight and have never let me down :)
Kate
Well, thank you! I’m glad you really enjoy it.
Morgan
Hi Kate,
Not sure if you are aware of the dangers of eating raw legumes but this recipe makes me nervous. Typically legumes are to be boiled at least 15 minutes to remove the toxins that can make you sick. I know these are baked but it doesn’t seem like enough to remove the toxin.
Tom
I think its missing some more spices and the oven frying method sticks to the pan…
Kate
I’m sorry to hear that, Tom! Did you use the 1/4 cup oil to evenly coat the pan? If you did that, that’s a little puzzling.
Ashley
So delicious. Since the weather here was unseasonably comfortable, we decided to cook the falafel on the grill. Cooking time was a little shorter than in the oven, but it turned out perfectly! We served it in fresh pita with some greens, hummus, and your Zhoug and Tzatiki sauces. Can’t wait to make it again!
Kate
Sounds like a delicious combination! Thank your comment and review, Ashley.
Denise
Great flavor !! Made them for 2nd time and used way less oil. The mix is very wet once processed and I had my doubts about the results. They came out fine. Will make them again. Easy.
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Denise! I appreciate the review.
Korrie
I hate the taste of cilantro. Should I sub it in this recipe or will I not be able to taste it?
Madison
Would love to kick up the spice in this recipe, do you have any suggestions? Could I add jalapenos?
Kate
You could increase the amount of cumin, if you like. I haven’t tried with jalapeños.
Erika
I think of falafel as one of those foods that I’ll only ever eat at restaurants because they’re hard to make (and I hate frying), so I was intrigued to try this. The texture and crispiness are perfect, and I like how flavorful they are!
Kate
Thank you, Erika! I appreciate the comment.
Leia
I had seen this recipe and finally got around to making it, and I’m glad I did. These falafel were super delicious! They did not taste like the falafel I am used to, it might be the cinnamon which is different. They were so good and so insanely easy to make though, I’ll definitely be making them again.
Kate
I’m glad you did too! Thanks so much for your review.
Kate Rife
These were incredible and SO easy to make! I loved it with the tahini dressing that you suggest. It made an amazing pita with just some lettuce, tomato and cucumbers!
Kate
Thanks for trying it, Kate! I appreciate the review.
Cara Norris
Making these right now for the third time. I love this recipe. So many other falafel recipes fall short. I think she’s found the ticket with the soaked, but not cooked, chickpeas. I do all cilantro (not a parsley fan). Biggest problem? I really need to quadruple the recipe.
Kate
Thank you, Cara!
Annie
This is definitely a winner! I soaked the chickpeas overnight and made this for lunch, and the consistency was perfect. I couldn’t wait to have the leftovers for lunch today in a pita with your Best Tahini Sauce recipe. Thanks!!
Kate
I’m happy you think this is a winner, Annie!
Kassadi
SO good! I forgot to flip them until they had already been in the oven for 25 min, so I left them for 10 more on the other side. Turned out wonderful! Will definitely be making again :)
Kate
Thanks for your review!
phil
you’re the only one who says bake it. I shallow fry falafel in olive oil. Almost every other chef I’ve looked at says fry it. One or two specifically said don’t bake it. I really think frying is the best.
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Phil! This method works well for me, but I do know there are other options out there too.
Deb White
These rock! Making them again soon. Thank you for another great recipe!
Kate
Thank you, Deb!
Rupal
I added some green chillis to spice it up. It turned out really well. Thank you for the awesome recipe.
Kate
Thanks for sharing! And you’re welcome, Rupal!
Melissa
This recipe is great to make a large amount of falafel in a relatively amount of short time (once the bean soaking is taken into consideration). While it wasn’t superb, it was pretty good. There was a slight crunch, just not as much as I was hoping for. I think next time I will try increasing the oven temp 25-50 degrees. Both my kids and I felt the flavor was a bit underwhelming. Next time I will use my recipe’s spice/seasoning quantities which seems to have always yielded the perfect amount of flavor. We all enjoyed the touch of cinnamon, so I will be incorporating that into my recipe. Also, I would recommend doubling the cilantro. After trying the batter, I felt the parsley was too strong and the cilantro was lacking, so I added in the extra cilantro and it yielded a much better result. I loved the batter texture of the uncooked beans; it was extremely easy to work with. My kids are extremely picky about their Mediterranean cuisine, and while not expecting much when they found out I was baking it (they feared “I would be ruining what should have been a great meal”), they were pleasantly surprised, however (they finished off over half of my double batch). I used a cookie scoop and then flattened it out to save time. With a few tweaks, I think this recipe has the potentual of being outstanding. As is, it is a simpler, healthier way to enjoy good falafel.
Kate
Hi Melissa, Thank you for sharing your experience. I’m sorry this one didn’t hit it out of the park for you! Thanks for sharing your plan for next time! You can always increase the spice amount of your favorite spices too and looks like to plan to!
Tia
Hi,
Made these and they are delicious but quite dry..! Any idea why or how to make them more moist?
Thanks
Kate
Hi Tia, sorry to hear that! Were your chickpeas crunchy in the final product? If so, they needed more soaking time. Be sure your parsley and cilantro are packed, as those add moisture as well.
Kathrine Jansen
Hi, Kate Your Crispy Falafel recipe, and sauces, are delicious! Thank you for all your wonderful recipes. On the falafels, do you have any ideas on how to make the falafels bind together? We live at 9000 feet, and followed the recipe, but ours came out crumbly. Do you think I should add more oil, less chickpeas? Thank you!
Kate
Hi Kathrine, sorry to hear that! Were your chickpeas crunchy at all (like they weren’t soaked long enough)? If that’s not the case, it does sound like you might need a little more moisture, so I guess I would add a little more oil. Be sure your parsley and cilantro are packed, as those add moisture as well. I wouldn’t decrease your chickpeas. I’m sorry, I don’t have experience cooking/baking at high altitude so these are my best guesses!
Kathrine
Thank you for the recommendations, Kate! I appreciate it. Yes, cooking at this elevation is a bit tricky. Thank you TONS for all your great recipes. We are thoroughly enjoying them!
Reka
Hi Kate! Just made this fantastic recipe, and it blew me away! All I changed was that I scooped out only 2 teaspoons (and not tablespoons) of the mixture at a time to for the patties.
Thank you for all the amazing inspiration, I’ve got so much praise thanks to your recipes :) This one definitely goes on the must-make-it-regularly list, too.
Kate
You’re very welcome, Reka!
esther
could i use vegetable stock instead of olive oi?
Kate
You really need oil here, sorry!
Darshini
Love this recipe! Even my 2 picky daughters asked for more!! But the 2 times I’ve made it the falafel seems to fall apart. I’m sure I’m doing something wrong. Is there anything I can do to bind them better? Maybe it’s my food processor. The mix def doesn’t look like yours. It’s more chunky?
Kate
Hooray! I’m sorry you hear, though, the texture wasn’t what you were expecting. You want to make sure the texture is small, that helps it to bind better. Maybe increase the speed or time if you can!
Tolu
I really love you right now. I love falafels but never made it because I don’t like frying. They came out moist on the inside and crisp on the outside. The only modification for me was I added cayenne pepper for a kick.
Thanks a lot
Kate
Ha, your sweet! Glad this is a great recipe for you, Tolu.
Danielle Reich
Delicious. Loved the sauce. Used it with my roasted cauliflower side, too!
Kate
I’m happy to hear that, Danielle! Thanks for sharing.
Margaret
Hi, I tried this recipe. The flavours are amazing. I found that my falafel patties turned out a bit dry. Any suggestions how to make them a bit more moist?
Connie
Ok, these little babies are literally THE best falafels I have EVER had. I will be keeping this recipe, five out of five!! We had them with whole wheat pita, hummus, vegan pesto mayo, tomatoes, kalamata olives and spring greens. OMG sooo good. Thank You!!! You’re the best! I could cry they are so good!
Kate
I love hearing that, Connie!! Thanks so much for your raving review.
Cristina
This recipe came out amazing! Mines looked a little more yellow maybe because I didn’t put as much cilantro. I did put some Masarepa, one egg, flour and more olive oil because my falafel mixture didn’t want to stick at first. Either way these came out great! I cannot wait to make them again. Could you give a recommendation on a good blender we can use instead of a food processor? Thanks in advance!
Kate
I’m glad you like it! Check out my shop page for my specific model, but I love my Vitamix! https://cookieandkate.com/healthy-kitchen-essentials/
Kim C
This was hands down the BEST falafel recipe I’ve ever tried. Actually, it was the BEST falafel I’ve ever eaten. The only change I made was to cut the recipe so I’d only be making 1/4 of it. Everything about this recipe worked perfectly. The cinnamon, which I was skeptical about because I tend to not like it outside of apple pie or toast, transformed the falafel from bland to having an outstanding aroma, and that somehow made it taste wonderful. I rehydrated the garbanzo beans for a full 24 hours and the texture was excellent. Now I wish I had only cut the recipe in half.
Kate
Hooray!! That’s so great to hear. Thanks for sharing and for your review, Kim.
Michele
Simply the best! I’ve been using canned garbanzos and frying my falafel until I ran across your recipe. What a difference the dried beans make. I soaked 24 hours and followed your recipe, adding a few things that I enjoy in my falafel (grated lemon rind, fresh lemon juice, cayenne and a couple dashes of worchestershire, lots of cracked black pepper). The texture was perfect from oven-baking, really deep flavor. I served mine with tzatziki along with diced red onion, campari tomatoes and warm naan bread. I will never go back to canned!
PS Your lovely and inspiring book, Love Real Food, arrived yesterday and I’m even more inspired. Thank you!
Kate
I’m so excited you got my cookbook, too! Let me know what you think, Michele.
Amy Doelling
Great falafel! We are adding this to our list of dinners. We put in a pita pocket with humus, cucumbers and tomatoes. So excited about this recipe.
Kate
Wonderful to hear, Amy! Thanks for your review.
Mayasa Adah Cirpili
I have done a felafel recipe with wet chickpeas, and they did come out pretty wet but I added almond flour and it didn’t alter the flavor or texture (just in case someone out here’s feeling pinched for time)
Kate
Thanks for sharing!
Gail
Made these tonight. We absolutely loved them. Thank you for the recipe. Thinking of adding some chili to them next time as I like spice.
Kate
You’re welcome, Gail!
JENNA METZ
Thanks for sharing! These turned out awesome. I used a little less than half the oil because our olive oil has a very strong flavor.
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Jenna!
Kim C
I made this again today. Super wonderful, delicious recipe. The absolute best falafel I’ve ever had. Remarkable because I’m a meat and potatoes woman and generally don’t like anything but meat and potatoes. This recipe has me convinced there *are* good, no, excellent, alternatives.
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Kim!
Leiona
I followed your recipe exactly and all i ended up with was a dried up crumbly mess. Did you forget to list a binder or an ingredient that holds them together?
Kate
Oh no! That shouldn’t have happened. Did you blend until smooth? The texture of the mixture really matters with this one. I’m sorry it didn’t turn out for you, Leiona!
Seetal
I made these today and they were delicious and so crispy – wouldn’t have known they weren’t fried. Won’t be having shop bought falafels again! My whole family loved them.
Kate
Great to hear!!
Marie
I made your recipe with some older chickpeas that I had trouble getting to soften when cooked. What a great way to use them!The FK avor was fab. Thanks bunches.