Low-Fat Baked Falafel Recipe

Low-Fat Baked Falafel Recipe

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 2 servings

Falafel is a popular Middle Eastern dish that scores on many levels. It is vegan, high in fiber, tasty, and versatile—if only it wasn’t deep-fried. But that should not deter you from making falafel from scratch because falafel does not need to be deep-fried, you can also bake it. Just like the original, baked falafel is still crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Falafel can be made with dried fava beans and chickpeas, or with chickpeas only, like in this recipe. Using canned chickpeas makes these falafel especially easy and quick to prepare. These falafel are ready in 30 minutes.

There are a couple of tricks for making falafel. First, when shaping the falafel, have a bowl with water stand by and moisten your palms as needed so the mixture does not stick to your hands. And, secondly, make sure that the baking dish is well coated with olive oil, otherwise the falafel will stick and break apart when turning them halfway through baking. 

Baked falafel can be served the same way fried falafel would be served. For lunch, try it in a pita sandwich with tahini and veggies. For dinner, arrange it on a platter with some hummus and a Middle Eastern salad, baba ghannoujfresh pita bread, and a salad. French fries are sometimes added to the pita with the falafel instead of vegetables. 

Falafel are also ideal to make ahead as vegan party food or for a vegan buffet or picnic. You can easily double the recipe.

Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, they keep well for three to four days. You can also freeze them raw and bake them later (see note for details).

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 (15- to 19-ounce) can chickpeas, drained

  • 1 small onion, chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Low-Fat Baked Falafel Recipe ingredients

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. Drizzle olive oil evenly in shallow baking dish. Preheat oven to 350 F.

    greased baking dish

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. While oven is preheating, mash chickpeas with mortar and pestle or in food processor. Add onions and garlic and blend.

    chickpeas, onions, and garlic in a food processor

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. Add remaining ingredients to make a thick paste-like consistency.

    chickpea mixture with spices in a food processor

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  5. Shape into pingpong-size balls and place in preheated baking dish.

    falafel balls on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  6. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, turning halfway through cooking.

    Low-Fat Baked Falafel Recipe on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

How to Store and Freeze

Falafel can be frozen for later use. After baking, allow them to cool down and place the baking sheet in the freezer for about 1 hour. Then pull back out and place in a freezer safe bag. They will keep in the freezer for about six months.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
549 Calories
22g Fat
72g Carbs
21g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 549
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22g 28%
Saturated Fat 2g 12%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 1080mg 47%
Total Carbohydrate 72g 26%
Dietary Fiber 19g 66%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 21g
Vitamin C 6mg 28%
Calcium 223mg 17%
Iron 5mg 25%
Potassium 455mg 10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)