This Easy Vegan Baked Falafel is oil-free, healthy and incredibly delicious and full of flavor. No oil, not fried and baked for a delicious healthy dinner. Made with only 8 ingredients and whole foods and fresh ingredients for a satisfying plant-based meal.
EASY VEGAN BAKED FALAFEL
A couple of weeks back, my family and I took a little mini vacation to Austin. We had some out-of-this-world falafel pita sandwiches while there. The flavor was incredible, bold and spicy. The only issue was the ridiculous oil content. They were soooooo greasy, I mean greasy.
WHAT IS FALAFEL?
Falafel is a Middle Eastern popular dish traditionally made with chickpeas, spices like cumin and coriander and fresh herbs that can vary, like parsley or cilantro. Cilantro can be overpowering, so I use parsley. They are typically fried in oil.
I did a bit of research on how traditional falafel is made and using canned chickpeas is a big fat no-no apparently, because it doesn’t give the right texture and makes them too wet. Traditionally, you are to use dried beans and soak them overnight, but then it’s followed by frying them in oil.
Well, I don’t fry my recipes in oil and I didn’t have any dried chickpeas. So, I had an idea of roasting canned chickpeas to dry them out and give them a flavor boost at the same time, while preventing them from being mushy!
Another thing I did differently for extra flavor? I roasted the onion and garlic before adding it to the batter! So much flavor in these little gems, I tell ya. Oh, and I also added some hot sauce for a spicy kick.
HOW DO YOU MAKE OIL-FREE VEGAN FALAFEL?
Traditional falafel is also fried in a lot of oil and isn’t exactly my cup of tea these days. So, to replace the oil, I used potatoes! That is the magic ingredient I use in so many of my recipes. It helped to make them more moist and hold together better too. I promise, you do not need oil to make the most delicious healthy plant-based food. I teach you just how to do this with my oil-free tips here How to Cook and Bake Without Oil!
Now, these aren’t as moist as the typical fried, grease bombs….obviously. But, who wants that anyways? The texture is a bit different because they are not fried and are totally oil-free falafel, but they so delicious, you won’t mind.
I served these with my reader favorite, Vegan Lemon Cream Sauce, which also goes well with these my Oil-free Zucchini Fritters!
As usual, this recipe for these baked falafel requires just 8 ingredients (plus s/p & water) and if you want, throw in the optional hot sauce if you like extra heat, but it’s totally optional!
I can’t wait to hear what you think of these flavor-loaded Easy Vegan Oil-free Baked Falafel! It makes the perfect healthy dinner or meal to impress anybody, vegan or not! If you are looking for impressive meals to serve your guests, check out these 20 Healthy Vegan Recipes to Wow Non-Vegans!
VEGAN DINNERS TO TRY
- Best Vegan Garlic Alfredo
- Vegan Stuffed Ricotta Shells with Spinach
- Cheesy Mexican Tortilla Bake
- Vegan Cauliflower Curry Soup
- Easy Vegan Quick Curry
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!
Easy Vegan Baked Falafel (Oil-free)
Ingredients
PLEASE FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS!
- two 15 oz cans low-sodium chickpeas, drained & rinsed
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 4 extra large garlic cloves (with skins on)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 3 tablespoons (48g) smooth runny tahini
- salt and pepper (1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper)
- 1/2 cup (120g) cooked, mashed and tightly packed gold or red potato
- 3/4 cup packed flat leaf parsley
- 3 tablespoons water (use a bit more if needed if not using the optional hot sauce)
- Optional for a kick of heat: 2 tablespoons hot sauce (If you don't want to use hot sauce, then increase the black pepper to 1/2 teaspoon and add 1 additional tablespoon water if needed)
FOR SERVING (optional)
- chopped tomatoes, pita bread
- Serve with my Vegan Lemon Cream Sauce
Instructions
- Carefully read the instructions as to prepare these falafel correctly. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. You will first drain and rinse your chickpeas. Spread them out evenly on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Roast for 25 minutes. This helps them to give more texture to the falafel instead of just turning into mush like hummus when blended. It also gives a bit more flavor.
- In the last ten minutes of roasting the chickpeas, add the chopped onion and garlic cloves (with cloves still in their skins!) to another sheet pan lined with parchment paper and cook them for the remaining 10 minutes. Place the pan on the bottom rack. At this time, you cook your potato. I just cooked a small potato in the microwave (with skin on) and then remove the skin and mash it. Measure a tightly packed 1/2 cup. You can bake the potato if you want, but do not steam or boil as that will make them too moist.
- Remove both pans from the oven. Add the chickpeas to a food processor. Process just until there are no more visible whole chickpeas, but do not overprocess it too finely. It should look ground up but kind of chunky with no remaining beans whole
- Now, remove the garlic cloves from their skins and tear the garlic up a bit and drop the pieces scattered around the bowl, so they blend up evenly. Add the onion as well. Do not blend up yet. Add the cumin, coriander, tahini, salt, pepper, mashed potato, parsley, water and hot sauce (if using). Sprinkle the spices around the bowl so they blend evenly.
- Process until everything comes together and the mixture starts to form large sticky chunks. This may take 10-15 seconds. As soon as it does, stop processing. It should hold together easily when pressed and not be dry/crumbly, but pureed, but still see little chopped bits of onion in it. It should easily form into balls, if not, process just slightly longer until it's sticky and holds together.
- Preheat the oven again to 375 degrees and line another pan with parchment paper.
- Press, form and shape the mixture into tight balls with your hands. They should be about golf ball size and you should get 10-12. Place them all onto the pan and press them down to about 1/2 inch thick. The edges may slightly crack a bit when pressing them down, just piece back the edges with your fingers.
- If you like a really crispy exterior, you can always spray them with a little nonstick spray before baking if you prefer. I did not, but it is up to you. Bake for 10 minutes. Flip them over and cook another 10 minutes. If they are not flipping over easily, cook another couple of minutes until they flip easily. This will make sure they hold their shape. They should have nice golden brown tops. If you want these extra crispy, bake them longer, but just keep in mind they may become more dry.
Brandi these were so delicious. They were not dry at all like some recipes I’ve tasted or greasy, obviously. Hubby and I both loved the flavors and I know roasting the chickpeas makes a huge difference. The kemon sauce is “oh my goodness” great and really a great compliment to this. Thank you for a lovely meal.
Thank you so much Estee! I loved your pic you shared on Facebook as well! Yes, while they are not 100% as moist as traditional, since obviously they aren’t full of oil or fried in oil, they are still moist enough and so full of flavor and like you said, the sauce just completes it. Thanks so much for making them and sharing them!
Moist, but grease bomb-free, nice. 😉 I like that you used potato as well. And I might just give the sweet potato thing a try too!
Do you think this recipe would work with a Japanese sweet potato? They would come out a bit sweeter, of course.
Yes, another reader I believe used one! I haven’t tried it myself, but as long as you don’t mind it sweeter, then I think it should work! Let me know how it turns out! Thank you 🙂
Years ago, I accidentally discovered a way to make baked falafel more moist. After baking falafel for a picnic (I used a mix), I put them in a thermos to keep warm on the way. When I opened them up, the ‘steaming’ from the trip in the thermos had made them softer, and more like regular falafel (minus the grease). I assume the same could be done in a bowl with a plate over it as a lid to keep the heat/steam in.
I made these falafel balls along with the creamy lemon pepper sauce for my family the other night and they absolutely loved it! My little brother thought the falafel was real meat and he thought the sauce was some kind of cream cheese sauce! lol. They asked me to make this for them every single week from now on. Just so happy that I found a delicious vegan meal that my non-vegan family love and will happily eat weekly (probably daily)! The best thing about all thevegan8 recipes is that they’re guaranteed to turn out perfectly and be a winner every time!
Wonderful! I’m so happy to hear and see this feedback, thank you so much! What amazing feedback!
I liked the idea of no bake recipe as I am a huge fan of falafel. I followed the receipt exactly and really liked how workable the mixture was. The issue that I ran into was that 20 minutes bake time in the recipe was not enough. After 10 mins, the patties were still soft and could not flip them. It took almost 45 mins to cook. Overall, good result but bit dry.
Do you bake the patties in the middle or at the bottom of the oven? I baked in the middle and wondering if that may be a factor. Secondly, I used wax paper since I did not have parchment paper but I am not sure if that would make a difference.
Anyways, thanks for sharing the recipe and appreciate any insights.
Thanks
Hi Heron! That’s very odd, I’ve had several people make these with great success. These are actually very easy to flip at the 10 minute mark. Did you roast the chickpeas first before blending? Did you add the water? Only thing I can think is that the chickpeas weren’t roasted prior to dry them out some because that’s what makes them form so well together. If you did roast them, then it sounds like the mixture wasn’t processed enough to form the thick sticky mixture, because these hold together extremely well and 20 mins cooked them perfectly. If you cooked them for 45 mins, then that is why they were too dry. That will way over cook them and dry them out. Hope that helps! Hard to say exactly without being there, but those are my guesses.
I did roast the chickpeas and added ingredients as per the recipe. I didn’t have a food processor and ended up using a blender and may have over processed the mixture.
I’ll get another try this week.
Do you bake them in the bottom rack or it doesn’t matter?
Oh ok, the blender definitely probably blended them too much. I just pulse the ingredients in a processor just a bit. I bake on the middle rack, so you are definitely good there
Brandi-
I made these the other nite and had enough for additional week nite meals (shows they keep well refrigerated). I didn’t have pita pockets on hand but had flour tortillas. I charred them on stove, stuffed, wrapped and devoured!!! Thumbs Up! love them and so did my sister-n-law when she ate them.
Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback Kay! I truly appreciate it and I’m so glad these were such a hit. Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback!!
What a gorgeous recipe, Brandi. I can’t wait to try this! Seriously — love everything about this and falafel is one of my husband’s favorite things — so double incentive now 🙂
Thank you so much for the compliments Audrey, you are so kind! These turned out so good! I hope you try them!
I love anything little, non greasy and shoved in a pita!! These look so darn good. I just want to eat that whole pile without stopping. Probably all at once…
<3 <3 <3 I ADOREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE THIS CUISINE! ADORE IT! And you made it Vegan, so I loveeeeee you even more now!
Really intrigued to try this Brandi, as my falafel are positively drowned in oil 🙂
Love the addition of potato. I’m certain my potato-loving boy would adore these. We were in Texas recently too. Oh what a beautiful part of the world that is, and what an amazing country you live in. Didn’t make it down to Austin, but that’s a town on my bucket list for next time 🙂
Haha! “Drowned”…well the ones I had were definitely drowned in oil too. It’s just overkill for me. Since these are oil-free and baked (not fried) they definitely do not have that super crispy greasy texture, but they are still delicious and more like a burger type of texture. We could not get enough of them and the flavor is to die for. The potato helps to hold them together and give them moisture since there is no oil 🙂
Ahhh I love falafel!! They’re one of my favourite foods! I don’t like how oily the traditional kind are either, so these make the perfect version for me! Such a great idea including potatoes too, they’re so amazing! The hot sauce sounds addition sounds like a definite yes from me – yum!! Another awesome recipe Brandi 🙂
Grease bombs!! Haha!! Goodness, falafel is one of my absolute favorites and every now and then, as a treat, we’ll order out from our favorite Mid East place and I pay for it. Sooooo greasy. We’ve made our own baked falafel before, but there’s only been one recipe that comes close to the flavor + texture that I love. I’m willing to bet that this will be spot on. Potatoes!! They seem to be the answer for just about everything 🙂 I am SO anxious to try making these!!
Lol Mandy! Yes, they were total grease bombs…it made it hard to enjoy the actual flavor. Well, I recreated them and the flavor is SPOT ON. The texture is not dripping with grease, so it is a bit different, but absolutely delicious nonetheless, especially when topped with the lemon cream sauce which keeps them moist!
Thanks for this awesome recipe. I love that these are not fried in oil much like the ones you get in restraunts and take out.
Thank you so much Peggy! I’m so glad you loved these, thank you for letting me know!
Falafel is my FAVORITE!!! And you seriously did an AMAZING job with this recipe. They look so perfectly crispy on the outside too! The combo of the falafel + creamy lemon pepper sauce seriously has me drooling, YUM!!
Thank you so much Ceara! The combo isn’t traditional but it WORKS amazing! We ate them 3 days in a row, they were that good!
Foods that are too greasy are deal breakers for me, and I tend to have a hard time finishing them. I can eat all the sugar in the world, but grease…no. I enjoy foods like this on the drier side, so these look phenomenal! Of course you put your own spin on them, that’s what will make them so delicious!
I agree!! Bring on the sweets but stay away from the grease, haha!
Oh Brandi, I’m in love with this recipe! As a falafel addicted, I need this! I Baked my falafel for years, this is why I don’t want the traditional greasy stuff. I created some recipes like my macadamia chest nut falafel, or my hemp falafel, all baked not fried. Your recipe is a definitely must try for me , love anything with tahini. It’s amazing when we did a little vacation and get inspired, I totally hear you! Your pictures are stunning as always, every time I came back here , I really know your recipes made my day, thank u!
You are so kind Florian, thank you so much! So glad you love the pictures and your kind words made my day! Your macadamia chestnut falafel sounds incredible, need to check that out!
The oil is exactly why I avoid falafel in restaurants even though I love the flavor and they’re often the only vegan item available. These look like everything falafel should be – messy, spicy, flavorful.
Thanks Annie! Definitely spicy and flavorful!
What a delish looking falafel, Brandi! And love the fact they are oil free! AWESOMELICIOUS!
Thank you so much Anu!! They turned out sooo good!
I’m not a fan of falafel because it’s so greasy. This is a great recipe Brandi, one I’m sure to try.
Thanks Linda! Yeah-I don’t do oil anymore so I’m super sensitive in it in recipes, but I can withstand a bit of it if I’m out somewhere eating, but the ones we had in Austin were just straight up GREASY! The flavor and spices were so incredible though, that it inspired me to create my own and boy am I glad I did. These are incredible!
Falafel looks yummy! What is the nutritional information for this recipe? Thanks for sharing!
Hi Nancy! I will have the nutrition up soon, I just wanted to get the recipe up for you all!
where can i find the nutritional info for this recipe? sounds delicious
Hi Jade! I don’t have the nutritional info on this one, but there are many online calorie counters. You can try caloriecount.com under “Tools” “Recipe analyzer. I’ll try to get it added this week if I get a chance.
I love falafel! Have never tried to make it at home yet, but it’s on my list of to-do’s. This healthy version sounds great!
It is my first time doing it myself and I’m in love and since I made mine a bit different than the typical way, I love it even more! It has sooo much more flavor than other ones I’ve tried!
These look incredible! I love homemade falafel.
I love falafel, but I’m terrified of deep frying. Something about a huge pot of boiling oil makes me nervous. 😉 Thanks for posting this baked option! And I’m headed over to your lemon pepper sauce recipe right now–I love anything lemon pepper!
Your Falafel look scrummy – I have just made some Falafel this morning using Rose Elliot’s complete vegetarian book, she also advocates using dried and soak chickpeas – I buy my chickpeas dried, soak and cook them then freeze them in can size portions, these are what I used today and they taste every bit as scrummy as non cooked ones – I will give your roast ones a try very soon as they look so yummy – thank you for sharing the recipe 🙂
You are so sweet Lorna! Thank you! I’m not familiar with that book but I will check it out! There are so many variations of falafel around and my method is quite different and I suited the spices to my taste and we just died over them!! Especially with all the sauce and fixins’ inside the pita. It was just an amazing meal!