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The 7 Best Falafel Mixes of 2024

These give you fresh, crispy falafel at home

Collage of falafel mixes we recommend on a colorful background

The Spruce Eats / Lecia Landis

You don’t have to travel across the world to have good falafel—in fact, you can make it easily at home. While it’s not that hard to make from scratch, it does require a few specialty ingredients and a bit of time. Enter these quick-and-easy falafel mixes, which require no additional ingredients beyond water (and whatever condiments or salads you want to top it with) and come together quickly in a frying pan or oven.

Not all falafel mixes are created equal; some are spicier, saltier, drier, crunchier, or just downright better than others. We tasted a bunch to weed out the not-so-great varieties and confirm that the rest are worthy.

Best Overall

Ziyad Premium Vegetable Burger Falafel Mix

Ziyad Premium Vegetable Burger Falafel Mix

Amazon

What We Like
  • Extremely flavorful with a little spice

  • Ideal texture

  • Inexpensive

What We Don't Like
  • Hard to form into larger balls

This Lebanese brand was easily our favorite, thanks to its nuanced flavor that didn’t rely too much on salt and a perfectly crunchy-on-the-outside, chewy-on-the-inside texture that wasn’t too dry. The ingredients are simple and recognizable, with an all-chickpea base and a long list of spices—cumin, sesame seeds, coriander, parsley, garlic, black pepper, turmeric, crushed red chili pepper, and red chili powder—that explains why it’s so full of delicious flavor. Plus, it’s easy on your wallet and super easy to make. All you need to do is add water and let it rest for 30 minutes before molding and frying. The falafel balls are slightly difficult to form, but it just takes a little patience.

Size: 12 ounces | Makes: 9 balls per 1-cup mix | Servings Per Box: 2

Best Flavor

Cortas Falafel Instant Mix

cortas falafel

Cortas

What We Like
  • Dynamic flavor

  • Crunchy texture

  • Easy to make

What We Don't Like
  • Needs to rest for two hours

Another Lebanese brand, these falafel balls are packed with flavor and are super crunchy. Part chickpea and part fava bean, the spices aren’t listed (the package just says "spices"), but they’ve got something good going on, whatever it is. These are as easy to make as the others (just add water), but for some reason, the directions say to let the mixture rest for a full two hours before forming balls and frying. We cheated a little and started forming balls at one hour and 45 minutes. The long rest period does require some advance planning, as making a last-minute meal with these is a bit harder to accomplish.

Size: 7 ounces | Makes: 12 balls | Servings Per Box: 1

Best Baked

Tazah Falafel Mix

tazah falafel mix

Amazon

What We Like
  • 8 grams of protein per serving

  • Only needs to rest for 10 to 20 minutes

  • Clear frying and baking directions

What We Don't Like
  • A little hard and grainy

Another Lebanese brand, Tazah’s falafel mix contains chickpeas and fava beans spiced with garlic, onion, coriander, salt, and other spices, and also has corn starch plus baking soda and disodium dihydrogen pyrophosphate as rising agents, giving it one of the longer ingredient lists of the mixes that were tested. That said, these produced the best-baked option, turning out the crunchiest balls without frying, which is hard to achieve, although they were also a bit dry and would benefit from condiments. A bonus: The box has some creative serving ideas beyond the usual pita, like a falafel burger topped with feta cheese and cucumber yogurt sauce or a salad with lettuce, red onion, tomatoes, and feta cheese.

Size: 7 ounces | Makes: 15 balls | Servings Per Box: 1

Best Budget

Knorr Mediterranean-Style Falafel Mix

Knorr Mediterranean-Style Falafel Mix

Amazon

What We Like
  • Rests for 10 minutes

  • Just add water

  • Cooks quickly

What We Don't Like
  • Small box

This falafel mix comes in two servings, each in a separate bag so you can use one and keep the other fresh. The bags contain enough mix to make 12 falafels and only requires water. Once it is mixed, you also only have to wait 10 minutes before cooking these in a skillet or saucepan with some oil for 2 to 3 minutes. That means you have fresh, warm falafel ready in less than 15 minutes...and for a fraction of the cost of other mixes out there. Although the size of the box is smaller than others, it still makes a decent amount for the price. You can make them in the oven, too, if that's what you prefer. Just add some oil to the balls and monitor the outside—when it gets hard and brown, they are ready.

Size: 6.3 ounces | Makes: 24 balls total | Servings Per Box: 6

Best High-Protein

Trader Joe's Falafel Mix, Multi-Pack

trader joe's falafel mix

Amazon

What We Like
  • Spiced well

  • Flavorful with lots of visible parsley

  • Multiple servings

What We Don't Like
  • More expensive online than at Trader Joe’s

This fragrant mix has a whopping 13 grams of protein per serving, which is three falafel balls. There clearly is a lot of fava beans and chickpeas crammed into the mix, and there are also plenty of herbs and spices—you can see the parsley flakes clearly, which is a nice touch. More importantly, these balls taste pretty good, even when baked, although they could be moister...a dollop of tzatziki or hummus helps. These balls are also vegan, gluten-free, and kosher. This box contains enough mix for 27 balls and keeps well without tasting stale, so you don't have to make the entire box at once.

Size: 16 ounces | Makes: 3 balls (per serving) | Servings Per Box: 9

Best Gluten-Free

Tarazi Falafel Mix

Tarazi Falafel Mix

Courtesy of Amazon

What We Like
  • Baked and fried instructions

  • Easy to form balls

  • No common allergens

What We Don't Like
  • Very salty and a bit dry

This vegan, kosher, non-GMO, and gluten-free mix has a simple list of ingredients: chickpeas, fava beans, salt, spices, garlic powder, onion powder, baking powder, dehydrated parsley, and sunflower oil. There are clear instructions for baking and frying, and after you add water and let it sit for 30 to 60 minutes, the mixture has a good consistency that allows for easy patty forming. However, the box says it makes 12 balls, but we made nine—and they weren’t very large.

Size: 16 ounces | Makes: 9-12 balls | Servings Per Box: 2

Best Spicy

Jerusalem Foods Falafil Vegetable Burger Mix

jerusalem falafel

Jerusalem

What We Like
  • Simple ingredients

  • Instructions for frying, baking, grilling, and broiling

  • Gluten-free and vegan

What We Don't Like
  • A little dry

If you like spice, these crunchy chickpea-based falafel balls are for you. Made with multiple kinds of peppers, along with onions, parsley, garlic, sesame seeds, salt, and other spices, these have a kick that lingers. Interestingly, the box has directions for frying, baking, grilling, and broiling—something our tester didn’t see with any other brand, but it had her experimenting with all the ways to achieve a golden crust and chewy interior. The spicy falafel balls especially benefit from a cooling sauce, like hummus, tahini, or tzatziki, and taste great in a pita.

Size: 14 ounces | Makes: 12 balls | Servings Per Box: 2

Final Verdict

For a vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, wheat-free, and egg-free flavorful meal that has the crunchy-on-the-outside and chewy-on-the-inside texture you expect in falafel, we recommend the Ziyad Premium Vegetable Burger Falafel Mix. For a gluten-free falafel mix that tastes like any other falafel, try the Tarazi Falafel Mix.

What to Look for in Falafel Mix

Preparation Time 

Falafel isn’t that hard to make from scratch, so if you’re going to buy a mix, it should ideally save you more time. If you have to soak it for several hours or overnight, you may just want to go the homemade route, although with a mix, you won’t have to gather all the ingredients. Also, keep in mind frying and baking times, which aren’t typically included on the box.


Ingredients

Most mixes call for you to add water to the dehydrated powder mix and have simple ingredients, such as salt, spices, and baking soda or some other rising agent. The mixes have chickpeas, fava bean, or a combination of the two as a base. Some mixes do have wheat flour added, so if you’re sensitive to gluten, make sure to read the ingredient label carefully.


Storability 

Some of these mixes are only meant for one meal, while others are meant to be used multiple times by just using a portion of the powder instead of the whole sachet at once. If you’re going to be storing the remaining powder, make sure the package reseals well, or rehome it in a good storage container. You don’t need to put it in the refrigerator or freezer, but you can.

FAQs

How do you make falafel mix?

Most falafel mixes are very easy to make. Typically, all you need to do is add water (the amount is noted on the box) to the mix and let it rest for a certain amount of time (also noted on the box). After the rest period, you form the mixture into small balls or patties using your hands, a falafel mold, or a spoon. Then, you can either fry or bake them according to the package directions. They can be eaten plain or served with condiments, salads, or pickles, and in a pita or bun if you wish.

What can you add to falafel mix?

Most falafel mix just calls for some water, but feel free to customize the blend to your liking by adding more spices or finely chopped aromatics, like onions and garlic, or fresh herbs, like parsley, cilantro, and chives.

Can you freeze falafel mix?

You can freeze falafel mix if you’d like. However, because falafel mix isn’t all that perishable to begin with, it’s not really necessary. If you’re worried about pests getting into your open falafel mix, though, and you’d like to keep it in a very cold, dark place, absolutely feel free to store your mix in the freezer. Otherwise, you could invest in glass or plastic storage containers.

Can you make falafel in an air fryer?

Yes, you can make falafel in an air fryer. All you need to do is spray the air fryer basket with a vegetable oil spray and place the balls in a single layer, about an inch apart. Cook at 350 degrees for approximately 15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy on the outside.

How We Selected

To compile this list, our team of editors and contributors spent hours researching the best falafel mixes on the market, evaluating their key features—like ingredients, size, and price—in addition to reviews from customers and other trusted sources. We then used this research to assign a star rating from one to five (five being the best; one being the worst) to certain products on the list. Most products were also taste tested to ensure the quality and taste are up to par.

Why Trust the Spruce Eats?

Devorah Lev-Tov is a falafel lover married to an Israeli man who makes sure she only eats authentic Middle Eastern food. Her product and restaurant reviews, chef interviews, and other food and travel stories have appeared in a variety of publications, including Simply Recipes, Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, The New York Times, Vogue, Eater, Thrillist, and more. Devorah personally tested all of the falafel mixes featured in this roundup.

Amanda McDonald is an editor at The Spruce Eats and has over seven years of experience researching, writing, and editing about all things food — from what new products are at the grocery store to chef-approved hacks that keep tricky leftovers fresh for days. She updated this article to include the most up-to-date information.

Updated by
Amanda McDonald
Amanda McDonald
Amanda McDonald is a journalist living in New York City and Commerce Updates Editor for The Spruce Eats. She has written and edited health, wellness, food, and fitness content as well as recipes for multiple publications.
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