Do you love falafel but feel intimidated to make it at home? I have the perfect solution with my Crispy Baked Falafel with Tahini Yogurt Sauce. It’s just as delicious as the fried version, without all the mess and hassle.
My Crispy Baked Falafel is easy to put together and is just as satisfying as the fried version. Whether you make it into a pita sandwich, or serve it over a salad or rice, the tahini yogurt sauce is the perfect accompaniment.
Can I make this Baked Falafel gluten free?
Yes! I made this recipe a number of times without any flour and it still comes out great. Without the flour, the falafel doesn’t hold together as easily, but it will still keep it’s shape while baking, and comes out light and crispy. You can also substitute a gluten free flour, but I have not tested this.
Instead of pita bread, use a gluten free flatbread or pita. You can also serve this over a salad or with rice for another gluten free option.
You can even make this recipe vegan by using soy yogurt.
Can I use canned chickpeas for this recipe?
No. I would not suggest that. Canned chickpeas are much softer in texture than rehydrated dried chickpeas. It takes no time to pour some water over dried chickpeas, and you can easily soak the beans the day before or the morning before cooking.
Are all of these ingredients necessary?
The answer is no. I tested this recipe several times recently, and have made different variations of falafel over the past couple years.
You can completely make this recipe your own. As I explained above, the flour is not necessary. The baking powder gives the falafel a little lightness, but is definitely not necessary.
You can add more or less cumin or coriander, or completely leave the coriander out. If you like it spicy, add a little cayenne.
Sometimes, I put even more herbs into the mix. Depending on your preferences, you can use all cilantro or all parsley.
Olive oil is usually not included in a falafel base, but I like to add it to this baked variety to keep them as moist as the fried version.
Do I need to use both parchment paper and olive oil on the baking sheet?
In my experience, yes. I tried to bake falafel with a good coating of olive oil straight on the baking sheet without parchment paper, and my falafel stuck and broke apart when I tried to flip them. If you have new, nonstick baking sheets, you may have more luck than me.
An abundant amount of olive oil helps you achieve a crispy exterior on the falafel and provides a lot of flavor. I wouldn’t skimp here. And don’t worry, the falafel wont absorb all of the oil. Some of the oil will soak into and underneath of the parchment paper.
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Check out the links below for more easy, healthy recipes:
- Italian Lentil Soup
- Herbed Chickpea and Quinoa Salad with Tahini Yogurt
- Healthy Homemade Granola Bars
- Breakfast Oatmeal Smoothies
- Thai Red Curry Lentil Soup
- Kale Caesar Salad with Polenta Croutons
- Beet and Goat Cheese Salad
- Orange and Fennel Salad with Radicchio
- Pear and Pomegranate Salad with Goat Cheese and Pistachios
- Kale Apple Salad with Blue Cheese and Glazed Walnuts
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Crispy Baked Falafel with Tahini Yogurt Sauce
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 5 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Do you love falafel but feel intimidated to make it at home? I have the perfect solution with my Crispy Baked Falafel with Tahini Yogurt Sauce. It’s just as delicious as the fried version, without all the mess and hassle.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried chickpeas*
- 2 tbsp chopped white or yellow onion*
- 1 large clove garlic (or 2 small cloves)
- 1 cup loosely packed cilantro (leaves and tender stems)*
- ½ cup loosely packed parsley (leaves and tender stems)
- ¾ tsp ground cumin, or to taste
- ½ tsp ground coriander (optional)
- 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour*
- ½ tsp baking powder
- Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
Sauce:
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (I used 2%)*
- ¼ cup tahini (white sesame seed paste)
- 2 tbsp water, or as needed
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 small clove garlic, crushed
- Kosher salt
Pita bread, lettuce and sliced tomatoes, for serving
Instructions
- Soak chickpeas: Place dried chickpeas in a large bowl. Pour over enough water to cover by two inches. Cover bowl and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.* Drain and pat dry.
- Heat oven and prep tray: Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make falafel base:* In a food processor, combine drained chickpeas, onion, garlic, herbs, spices, salt and pepper. Pulse and process until finely ground. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, flour and baking powder. Pulse to combine. Wipe down sides of bowl and stir in any unincorporated flour. Do not over-mix into a puree. If you only have a small food processor like me, make in two batches and then stir batches together to evenly combine ingredients.
- Shape: Coat parchment-lined baking sheet with remaining ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) of olive oil. Spread evenly on surface. Using a ¼ cup ice cream scoop, scoop into falafel rounds 1-2 inches apart on prepared pan. You may use a smaller ice cream scoop or spoon of choice. Do not tightly pack mixture into scooper or falafel will be too dense. Flatten and shape into about ¾ inch rounds.
- Bake: Bake on center rack of oven for 12-15 minutes, or until well-browned on bottom side. Remove pan from oven and carefully flip falafel using a small offset spatula. Return to oven and cook an additional 12-15 minutes, or until well-browned on opposite side and cooked through. Season lightly with additional salt on top while hot.
- Make sauce: While falafel cook, make the sauce. Combine yogurt, tahini, garlic, water (if using), lemon juice and salt in food processor and blend until smooth and well-combined. For a thinner sauce, add water a teaspoon at a time until you reach desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed.
- Serve: Serve falafel sandwich-style in pita bread with lettuce, sliced tomato and tahini yogurt sauce. You may also serve over a salad or with rice. Enjoy.
Notes
It’s important the dried chickpeas are fresh. As dried chickpeas age, they become more dried out, and take longer to cook and soften. I once used dried chickpeas that were in my cabinet for over 2 years, and they were too crunchy in the falafel.
If you’re not an onion lover, you can omit it. I made this recipe many times without onion, however, I like the bite that it adds to the falafel.
If you dislike cilantro, just substitute with the equivalent amount of additional parsley!
If you’re gluten free, I suggest substituting an all purpose gluten free flour, however, I did not test that in this recipe. I did, however, make falafel numerous times without any flour and they still come out great. Without flour, the falafel don’t hold together as well, but they do have a nice light texture, and get very crispy.
You can substitute regular plain yogurt or soy yogurt for Greek yogurt. In this case, omit the water in the first step, and only add water after mixing all the ingredients to achieve your desired sauce consistency.
You can even soak the chickpeas several days before you make this recipe. After soaking at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours, drain the chickpeas. Place in an airtight container in the fridge and store for up to a week.
You can make the falafel base and store in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days before baking the falafel.
To store cooked falafel, place in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week.
Yogurt sauce will last up to 3-5 days in the fridge, depending on freshness of yogurt.
To reheat, lightly coat a nonstick pan with olive oil and crisp up falafel on the stove top over medium heat, flipping half way through.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 falafel with ¼ cup sauce
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 17g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 13g
- Cholesterol: 7mg
Warda says
Have you tried these in an air fryer?
Sabrina Russo says
Hi, Warda. No, I've never used an air fryer so not sure how it would turn out. Guess I should get on the trend!
Nancy Russo says
Will be making this for sure. Thank you for all these great recipes Sabrina.
Sabrina Russo says
Great! Let me know when you make it 🙂