Baked Falafel is packed with chickpeas and fresh herbs, bursting with flavor, and baked in an irresistible herbed olive oil blend.
Eat them plain, serve them in a falafel bowl, in a pita sandwich, or on top of a salad; the possibilities are endless!
The Best Baked Falafel
During my time in Israel, I fell in love with falafel and learned to make it in local cooking classes. Inspired, I made a baked version that tastes just as good as the traditional fried kind.
This vegetarian recipe uses olive oil, pepperoncini juice, and dried herbs, making these falafels super tasty. It’s a fun mix of Israeli cooking and a lighter way to prepare food. Give it a try—you might find the best baked falafel you’ve ever had!
Quick Tip
Canned chickpeas won’t work in this recipe! They’re too wet and won’t form into workable patties.
How To Bake Falafel
- Soak Chickpeas: Soak dried chickpeas overnight or until tender.
- Blend Mixture: In a food processor, blend chickpeas, parsley, cilantro, green onions, garlic, spices, baking powder, salt, flour, olive oil, and broth.
- Prepare Tray: Mix olive oil, pepperoncini liquid, garlic powder, oregano, and pepper, and spread on a baking sheet.
- Form Patties: Shape the mixture into flat discs and place on the tray.
- Bake: At 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Serve and Store: Serve hot and store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Serving Suggestions
There are countless delicious ways to serve Baked Falafel. Some of our favorite ways to serve them:
- In a Bowl: Combine with couscous, rice, veggies, or salad, topped with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, red onions, feta, pita bread, and sauces like hummus or tzatziki.
- In a Wrap: Stuff pita or tortilla with lettuce, tomatoes, veggies, feta, and hummus or tzatziki sauce.
- In a Salad: Add to a Greek salad.
- As an Appetizer: Serve with a variety of dipping sauces, such as hummus, tzatziki, baba ganoush, or tahini.
Storage
Storage Tips
Refrigerate: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freeze: Lay them out in a single layer, then move to a freezer bag or container. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Reheat: Warm in the oven, air fryer, or microwave before serving. You can reheat frozen falafel directly from the freezer.
More Vegetarian Recipes
Baked Falafel
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Sheet pan
Ingredients
Falafels
- 1-1/4 cups dried chickpeas
- 1 cup coarsely chopped Italian flat-leaf Parsley
- 1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves
- 1 cup thinly sliced green onion whites
- 6 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1-1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth or water
On the tray
- 1/4 cup jarred pepperoncinis liquid
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Place chickpeas in a large bowl, with plenty of room for expansion, and add lots of cold water. Leave out to soak overnight, about 8–12 hours or until tender. They can soak for longer up to 2 days—just keep them covered in the fridge for longer periods of time.
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. Drain chickpeas well and add to a large food processor. Add in the parsley, cilantro, and green onions. Add in the chopped garlic cloves, cumin, paprika, pepper, coriander, baking powder, salt, flour, olive oil, and broth. Pulse for 3–5 minutes on high speed, scraping down the sides as needed. Blend until the chickpeas are broken down and herbs are well incorporated.
- Set out a large sheet pan. In a small bowl stir together the olive oil, pepperoncini liquid, garlic powder, oregano, and pepper. Whisk and then pour on the sheet pan. Tip the tray until the mixture coats the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
- Using a 1/8-cup measuring cup, scoop the dough and shape into discs about 1/2-inch thick and 2 inches wide. If the mixture is too hard to work with, refrigerate it for 20–30 minutes. Place the patties on the oiled tray. You should get about 20–22 falafel patties.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the pan and turn all the patties to the other side using a metal spatula. Patties should be golden brown on both sides.
- Serve fresh out of the oven with sauce of choice. Make falafel wraps or bowls (see note 1).
Recipe Notes
- In a falafel bowl: Start with a base of cooked couscous, rice, veggies, or a salad. Add the Baked Falafel patties and any other toppings such as chopped cherry tomatoes, sliced Persian cucumbers, halved Kalamata olives, thinly sliced red onions, feta cheese, and toasted pita bread. Add sauces such as hummus, tzatziki, baba ghanoush, or tahini sauce.
- In a wrap: Fill a large pita or tortilla with lettuce, cherry tomatoes, veggies, feta cheese, and sauce, I suggest hummus or tzatiziki.
- In a salad: I love this Greek salad with a few falafel patties added in.
- As an appetizer: Serve falafel with a variety of different sauces to dip in! Use sauces like hummus, tzatziki, baba ghanoush, or tahini.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
