Make your own falafel at home using dried chickpeas - and better yet, make a huge batch and freeze the rest so you always have some ready to use! They are delicious in wraps, pita, on couscous or salad!
These balls of chickpea goodness are awesome! I always make a huge batch of Falafel, because they freeze well and it doesn't really take that much longer to make more of them. I love them in wraps, on couscous, in the pide bread, in pita sandwiches or in curries... so good!
These falafel are not only vegan but also gluten-free! Chickpeas are rich in protein and iron and because they aren't fried like you would get them at restaurants, these could be considered as healthy (or at least healthier)! For these Falafel, I used dried chickpeas, but if you prefer using canned chickpeas, I've got a version you'll love here.
How to make Falafel...
Making Falafel is super easy! As always, you can find the full recipe (ingredients + instructions) in the box at the end of the post.
Serve the Falafel...
- in a wrap e.g. salad, hummus, and tomatoes in thick fluffy tortillas
- with couscous: Simple Onion Couscous or Mediterranean Couscous
- in a burger: Falafel Burger with avocado sauce
- on a leafy green salad with soy yogurt sauce or tahini dressing!
Falafel FAQ
I wouldn't consider the falafel you can buy in restaurants healthy because they are usually fried. These Falafel, however, are baked in the oven and therefore a much healthier option!
Yes, especially these ones are super freezer friendly. Bake them, then let them cool off completely, transfer them into a ziplock bag and freeze up to 3 months. For reheating, you can pop them in the microwave, bake them in the oven, pan-fry or add them to a Falafel Curry (it's my favorite way to use frozen falafel because it makes them super soft again).
Absolutely! If you don't want to use dried chickpeas, you can use canned chickpeas. But it's best to use this recipe for Spinach Falafel and simply leave out the spinach.
More Falafel Recipes
- 25+ Vegan Falafel Recipes for Chickpea Lovers
- Spinach Falafel with canned chickpeas
- Falafel Burger
- Green Falafel with collard greens
- Oil-Free Oven-Baked Falafel with Cilantro
- Falafel Curry
- Falafel Wrap
I hope you enjoy these falafel as much as I do! Let me know if you give them a try!
If you don’t want to miss out on any new recipes, subscribe to my newsletter, follow me on Instagram and Facebook!
Cheers, Bianca
Huge Batch of Oven-Baked Falafel Balls (Freezer-Friendly!)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups dried chickpeas
- 2 onions
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 bunch fresh parsley
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ground pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅔ cup besan/chickpea flour (+ more if the mixture doesn't stick together)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (+ more if the mixture doesn't stick together)
- 1 teaspoon canola oil
Instructions
- Put the dry chickpeas in a large bowl, cover with enough water (the chickpeas will double in size!) and let them sit covered overnight.
- Peel the onions and garlic cloves. Put them in a food processor and chop. In a pan with a teaspoon of canola oil, add the chopped onions, garlic, and cumin and let it cook on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes or until they start to brown.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas and then work in batches by adding the first batch into the food processor and chop until the pieces are really small (you don't want to make hummus). In one batch add in the parsley to chop it as well. Repeat until you've used up all the chickpeas. Transfer everything to a huge bowl.
- Add the lemon juice, cayenne pepper, salt, ground pepper, baking powder, and the onions and garlic. Mix well.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C.
- Add in the chickpea flour and olive oil. Mix the chickpea mixture well and form little balls. If the dough does not stick together enough, add more chickpea flour and oil.
- Put the falafel on a baking tray and bake them in the oven for about 25 minutes or until they turn golden.
- You can eat the falafel like that or put them in a pan with a little oil for reheating when you need them. They freeze very well, so you will have a nice stash of homemade falafel in your freezer, which is super convenient!
Emma says
I'm planning to make these tomorrow and am super excited about it!
Just wanted to check...do you recommend cooking them before freezing them and then just heating the frozen ones up as and when you want them?
Thanks!
Bianca says
Hi Emma,
yep, I usually just bake the whole batch and then freeze the leftovers. But you could probably do it the other way around as well. I just think they would hold together better when frozen after baking.
Lee Meyer says
I want to make these for a large party. Can I make the recipe up to the baking stage, freeze the balls on a baking sheet and put them in a bag. Thaw and bake them the day of the party?
Amy says
when did you freeze them? before or after baking?
Bianca says
after baking! :)
Amanda says
Hi! Love your “about me”- I went back to vegan towo years ago and am the same “fell in love with food all over again.” :)
Question- I want to use canned chickpeas for this resize (I don’t have dry on hand) - why did you recommend the other falafel recipe for canned (the spinach one)? I like the seasonings in this one ! :). Could I just add the same seasoning you have for this into the spinach ? And if I wanted to keep the spinach could I? Thanks! First time making falafel and don’t want it to be a major flop so lots of questions and unknowns ! 😁
Kat says
Delicious my quantity was about 25 but they were bigger.
Beverley says
Just made these, they are delicious !!
Chelsea says
This was easy to make and really delicious. I have made a lot of different versions of falafel and this one is my new favorite. Thank you!
Bianca says
Awesome! I'm really happy you like them :)
Trina Bruvold says
Have you tried freezing them before baking? I wonder if they would freeze well and turn out less dry in the end compared to pre-baked.
Adriana says
First time I made falafel, and I'm not searching for another recipe! They came out perfectly, and believe it or not the recipe is easy enough to make it with one hand - I had no choice because I broke my right hand 3 weeks ago. So I used an icecream scooper to make balls then flatten them a little (they ended up more like mini-patties but that is not an issue). My husband was very skeptical but he ended up eating more than the rest of the family :D.
Leslie says
My first try at falafel! Very good. I didn't have chickpea flour. I substituted oat flour. I was concerned at first because I always taste test as I go along. I was worried when the uncooked beans had a raw or green taste. After cooking, however, that was gone. I will probably increase cumin seed by 1/2 t next time as that is a fav flavor for me. Thanks for the recipe.
Karen Fahlman says
I just made this recipe. My first time making falafels. I am really happy with the result. I didn’t have chickpea flour so I used almond flour. I used a cookie scoop to make the balls uniform. Has anyone flattened the balls and turn them have way through baking them?