Baked falafel in bowl 2 - by Chic n Cheap Living

In the Kitchen: The Best (Vegan too!) Baked Falafel

April 30, 2013

Fact: fried food is delicious.

But a moist delicious morsel also leads to a few extra pounds as well as an increased risk of health problems including heart disease.

Not a delicious thing for your health.

So that is why I use our oven constantly and create faux fried food.  Fried food is delicious because it is moist and has the great textural contrast of a tender interior with a crispy, crunchy outer coating.  I was looking for more vegetarian options for our menu as well as tweaking it to create slightly healthy versions (let’s face it, even vegetarians can love their oil and butter a little too much) and have perfected baked falafel.  You get the nutritious benefits of low saturated fat and sodium with a good source of dietary fiber, protein, and folate.  I found that a touch of oil created a nice texture and although I would have liked to eliminate it, I found that eliminating it entirely created a strange, mushy consistency (this version is still soft, but it can be too soft if undercooked).  The vegan addition of rice flour is a happy accident because I was running low on wheat flour and wanted to experiment with using rice flour in more recipes.

Note: I preferred the crisp of baking this in a non-stick oven safe skillet.  There was a distinct crunchy difference between falafel baked in my skillet vs. falafel baked in my non-stick pan.

I’m glad to share the results of my happy experiment with you and hope this encourages you to try this healthy, vegan treat!
Baked-falafel-in-bowl-2-by-Chic-n-Cheap-Living

Best Vegan baked falafel

Falafel Ingredients

  • 2 cups of cooked chickpeas or a 15 ounce can of cooked chickpeas
  • 1/2 cup rice flour
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro (about 1 1/2 bunches of leaves)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 3 teaspoons / 3 cloves of minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder

Tahini dressing Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt
  • juice of half a lemon
  • 1/3 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon tahini

Special Equipment

  • Baking pan or oven safe frying pan

Makes about 15 falafel balls

Preparation

1. Cook your chickpeas or if using canned chickpeas, rinse thoroughly. Toast your cumin seeds in a dry skillet if using whole seeds.

Baked falafel cumin seeds - by Chic n Cheap Living

2. Preheat oven to 400 F. Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor and pulse for several minutes until all ingredients come together.  The ingredients don’t have to be completely chopped.

3. Form falafel mixture in 1-1 1/2″ discs and place into pan (I find it easier to bake if it is slightly flatter).  Pop those yummy little balls into the oven.

4. Bake for 20 minutes.  Take out pan and flip over falafel discs.  Bake for another 7 minutes.

Baked falafel in pan- by Chic n Cheap Living

5. Remove falafel from oven and let cool.  Mix together tahini dressing ingredients and top over falafel and desired vegetables (I love red peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers!)
Baked-falafel-with-yogurt-dressing-by-Chic-n-Cheap-Living

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  • Girlie Blogger April 30, 2013 at 02:59

    My husband is part middle eastern and we love falafel. It’s delicious but packed with nutrition. This is a great recipe actually. Thanks for sharing.

    • Chic 'n Cheap Living April 30, 2013 at 03:22

      You’re welcome dear and I love middle eastern food! I wanted to find my own lower oil options and hope you like this as well!

  • The Dainty Dolls House April 30, 2013 at 06:16

    Mmmm…this looks great. Never had it before, but I think I must get some and have a go too :)) Have a wonderful day sweets xx

  • Cafe Fashionista April 30, 2013 at 08:47

    I have never tasted falafel before; but I’m not a meat eater so I would love to give this a whirl – it looks delicious! 🙂

  • Kim April 30, 2013 at 09:36

    Wow, these look great! Thanks for sharing a vegan recipe. I love the shape of the round patties, but if you want to completely eliminate oil and still get a crunch on the outside, you can make falafel in a waffle maker! We have tried it before and while it looks strange, it tastes delicious 🙂

    • Chic 'n Cheap Living May 1, 2013 at 05:42

      I’m ok with a little bit of oil in these and definitely experimented with the quantities and ratio of water to oil.
      Falafel in a waffle maker is a brilliant idea! Alas my George Foreman grill and panini grill are in NYC! I find that flipping the falafel over in a nonstick skillet does add a nice crunch as well but a waffle maker of some sort would definitely cut down on cutting time!

  • Sam April 30, 2013 at 10:02

    Thanks for this vegan recipe, its right up my food alley. I had no idea you could bake falafel’s, which makes this even better and a far more healthier choice.

  • A Very Sweet Blog April 30, 2013 at 13:08

    I’m trying to cut back on fried food myself. This dish looks really good.

  • Mary Jo April 30, 2013 at 16:01

    These look so delish–Thank you! I’m bookmarking because it will be the perfect summer dish!
    xo Mary Jo

    • Chic 'n Cheap Living May 1, 2013 at 05:36

      Thanks dear – baked falafel with fresh salad is great any time of year! Just remember to close your kitchen doors when baking so your home doesn’t get too hot!

  • lyddiegal April 30, 2013 at 22:48

    Yum. I have been craving this lately, but I never thought to make my own, haha.

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