Crispy Falafel
This crispy baked falafel recipe is so easy to make and tastes incredible! Serve your falafel in pita sandwiches or salads. Gluten free.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 30, 2024
Raise your hand if you love falafel! I’ve gone back into the archives to highlight my all-time favorite homemade falafel recipe. Making falafel at home can be tricky, but this recipe is easy.
Six reasons to love this healthy falafel recipe:
- These falafels are golden brown and crispy on the outside. The insides are tender, delicious, and full of fresh herbs.
- They’re baked instead of fried, so they contain significantly less fat than fried falafel. And your house won’t smell like fried food for days. Winning!
- Once your chickpeas are sufficiently soaked, the falafel mixture comes together in no time. If you have someone to help shape the patties, they’ll come together even faster.
- These falafels are gluten free and vegan, so they’re a great party appetizer.
- These falafels freeze well, so they’re a fantastic protein-rich option to keep on hand for future salads and pita sandwiches.
- On that note, this recipe is easily doubled! See recipe notes.
Are you convinced yet? Let’s make some falafel!
How to Make the Best Homemade Falafel
Bake it, don’t fry it. I say this because frying requires a lot of sizzling hot oil, and that scares me. I also don’t have a good vent over my oven to take the fried food smell far, far away. Plus, you can use a reasonably amount of heart-healthy olive oil in the baked version.
Coat your rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. That way, you get a fried effect in the oven, and you don’t have to brush the little falafels individually with olive oil. Winning!
Use dried chickpeas, not canned. Canned chickpeas do not work for falafel. They’re far too wet. If you try to use canned chickpeas instead of dried and soaked chickpeas, you’ll end up with sad falafel pancakes. Some recipes try to counteract the wetness by adding flour, which significantly dulls the flavor and makes the texture more doughy.
Soak the dried chickpeas for at least four hours. If your chickpeas aren’t sufficiently softened, you’ll have unpalatably tough pieces of chickpea in your falafel. There’s just no workaround here.
Choose your dried chickpeas wisely. Try to buy your dried chickpeas from a store with high turnover, because old chickpeas need longer to soften. If you have options, pick the chickpeas that are the smallest, since they’ll soften faster.
Watch How to Make Crispy Falafel
Falafel Serving Suggestions
Serve falafel as an appetizer, wrap it into a pita sandwich, or add it to salad for a protein-rich topping. Falafel goes great with any of the following ingredients:
- Pita bread, warmed or toasted (tear it up for pita “croutons”)
- Fresh greens (such as spring greens or chopped romaine)
- Tomatoes, sliced
- Bell peppers, cut into strips
- Cucumber, thinly sliced
- Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
- Raw red onion, thinly sliced, or quick-pickled onions
- Feta cheese, crumbled
- Sauce: Something creamy like tzatziki, hummus, or tahini sauce, and maybe a spicy sauce like zhoug or shatta, too
Here’s a tahini dressing recipe that goes great with this falafel, too:
- 1/4 cup tahini
- Zest and juice of 1 small lemon
- 1 tablespoon white miso
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- Pinch of cayenne
- 1/3 cup water
In a small food processor, combine all of the ingredients and blend well. You can also whisk the ingredients together by hand in a small bowl, just note that you’ll need to chop the fresh herbs and zest more finely than you would if you were using a food processor.
Please let me know how you like these falafel in the comments! I hope you love them as much as I do. ♥
Crispy Falafel
This homemade falafel recipe is absolutely delicious, and remarkably crispy! Be sure to allow 4 hours soaking time for the chickpeas, preferably overnight. Then, the falafel mixture is super easy to make in a food processor. Recipe yields 12 to 13 falafels (see notes on how to double).
Ingredients
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup dried (uncooked/raw) chickpeas, rinsed, picked over and soaked for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours in the refrigerator
- ½ cup roughly chopped red onion (about ½ small red onion)
- ½ cup packed fresh parsley (mostly leaves but small stems are ok)
- ½ cup packed fresh cilantro (mostly leaves but small stems are ok)
- 4 cloves garlic, quartered
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon (about 25 twists) freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- With an oven rack in the middle position, preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour ¼ cup of the olive oil into a large, rimmed baking sheet and turn until the pan is evenly coated.
- In a food processor, combine the soaked and drained chickpeas, onion, parsley, cilantro, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, cinnamon, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Process until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Using your hands, scoop out about 2 tablespoons of the mixture at a time. Shape the falafel into small patties, about 2 inches wide and ½ inch thick. Place each falafel on your oiled pan.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, carefully flipping the falafels halfway through baking, until the falafels are deeply golden on both sides. These falafels keep well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for several months.
Notes
Adapted from The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook.
Make-ahead option: I haven’t tried this, but the original recipe notes that the uncooked falafel patties can be refrigerated on a parchment-lined baking sheet, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 2 hours before baking.
How to double this recipe: Preheat the oven with two oven racks near the center of the oven. Double all of the ingredients. If you have a large food processor (guessing 11+ cup capacity), you can mix all of the ingredients at once. Use two baking sheets, and swap their positions (top to bottom, bottom to top) when you flip the falafel halfway through baking.
Recommended equipment: I love my 11-cup food processor (affiliate link).
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Wow, I tried your recipe for the first time and these falafels are amazing. I doubled the recipe. The fisrt ones I ate were in a pita with romain lettuce and plain greek yogourt. It might seems plain, for a pita sandwich, but it was soooo tasty! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Stephanie!
Hi Kate,
I made a trip to Whole Foods last night to buy dry organic chickpeas. I had never used them before. I soaked them for 19hrs in the refrigerator. I made the Falafel tonight for dinner. DELISH!! The mixture was nice and moist and when i flipped them not a single one fell apart. The taste was great! I now can enjoy Falafel more often at home. Thank you so much.
Hooray! I’m glad you enjoyed it, Debra. I appreciate your review.
I would “feel awful” if I didn’t write a 5-star review for these crispy nuggets. I made them exactly as the recipe calls for. I was a bit worried that the patties were too moist when forming them, but they turned out GREAT after baking. I left them in the back of the oven a bit longer to brown properly…like 5 minutes or so. They are perfectly crispy and SO much better for a salad than the hard, fried versions. Awesome, light and full of flavor..!
Hooray! I’m happy you loved them, Dave.
These falafels are simply amazing!!! Not using canned chickpeas made huge difference. Thank you Kate! What’s the best way to reheat them?
Thank you! I’m glad you like them. They reheat well in the microwave.
I made these falafels and we loved them. The only difficult part was shaping them… mine looked like cookies! But the taste is to die for.
Hey! I’ve made these a few times and I always felt the same way before today. This time, I ended up wetting my hands before forming and it turned out better!
This is so good – made the felafel salad and dressing and absolutely loved it. Put it in a pita for my husband and he loved it too. Will definitely make it often!
Great to hear, Peggy! Thank you for your review.
I’ve had fantastic luck with this recipe (thanks Kate!) with canned chickpeas + a bit of chickpea flour to help dry out the mixture. I can go from plugging in the food processor to sliding a tray in the oven in less than 10 minutes. No soaking (or advance planning) needed!
What ratio did you use of canned chickpeas to chickpea flour?
This is the most amazing recipe for falafel. I loved the oven way! I made it today and my home is smell free! Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you, Maria! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
Wouldn’t olive oil used to grease the pan burn? Not recommended to expose olive oil to extreme heat I believe. Maybe sunflower oil is ok since it will only coat the outer parts of the patties.
Hi Hana, I haven’t had issues with it.
I doubled the recipe but it only made 12 patties. Maybe the 2 tbs measurement was too big? Also, I shouldn’t have doubled the salt. My mistake. The sauce to go with them is also delicious.
Question– I did not measure my beans before soaking. Do you have the proportion for soaked chickpeas?
Hi! Pre saoked. I hope that helps!
I just made this and measured that 1 cup dry garbanzos made about 2 1/4 cups of soaked garbanzos.
Amazing falafel recipe! This falafel recipe is spot on. They were not dry, stayed together when cooked, tasted great and the are crispy despite being baked. I served them with pita bread, tzatziki, hummus and romaine lettuce. Highly recommended.
Hi, I love the way the falafels are fried on the oiled baking sheet. I haven’t been sticking strictly to this recipe, but applying the idea of adding enough oil to the mixture and the baking sheet plus a lot of fresh herbs makes a big difference with any recipe. I’ve got four kids so not frying them the traditional way saves so much time, oil and nerves. :)
Wow! Great falafel. I made it this recipe for dinner tonight and the falafel came out perfectly — firm and tasty. I had my doubts when, half-way through cooking, they were still pretty moist and floppy and hard to flip over, but I ended up baking them about 10 minutes longer than the suggested time and they came out golden and perfect. Thanks for another delicious recipe.
Made these excellent falafels countless times. I include whatever is around – spinach, dill, hot peppers, spring onions – always great. A small ice cream style scooper makes prep easy. They freeze well. Thank you !
You’re welcome, Mabel! I’m happy you enjoyed them.
Hi Kate! These were excellent! Falafel is my favorite food and I have never attempted to make it. The flavor was amazing and I will for sure being making this again and again. I do have a question, however. I soaked my chickpeas for 8 hours and when I formed the patties I had a hard time getting them to stick together and flipping them was tricky. Perhaps, I made the mixture too wet somehow? I love this recipe and can’t wait to make it again so any advice would be greatly appreciated!!
Thank you for an amazing recipe! We make these at least once per week and they come out perfectly every time.
You’re welcome, Sarah! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
My first try at falafel. So good!!! I made your tahini sauce recipe with it. Yum!
This is the most awesome dinner I have made in a long time… and NO meat since it is Good Friday! Thanks!!
lisa j.
They are super yummy! I just struggle with them sticking to the pan and then I try to get them off and they fall a part a bit. :( Tips?
Hi! I’m sorry to hear that Are you sure there is oil getting under the patties? That should help. Let me know how it turns out next time!
Truly awesome recipe, the falafels with your Tahini sauce. I usually don’t write reviews, but just wanted to let you know that I’ve prepared several of your recipes and they have always been TOPS. Thank you.
I’m glad you did! Thank you for your review.
Absolutely amazing!!! It definitely makes a difference not using the canned chickpeas and baking them not frying. Thanks!!!
You’re welcome! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
A huge thank you Kate from Singapore. Wonderful recipe. Delicious. Being a vegetarian and a health conscious person, I loved the baking part instead of deep frying. I also just brushed a bit of olive oil on the baking tray instead of a 1/4 cup. Thanks again. Cheers
Made these for dinner tonight and they were really delicious! Had them with a big salad and made the tahini dressing to go with it (used leftover parsley rather than dill) and it was a great combination! Thanks for the recipe!
Made these three times and can never get the mixture to hold together! Always so much liquid that squeezes out when I try to form the patties. Every single time they’re tasty, just not the desired consistency. Help appreciated :)
Hi! I’m sorry to hear that. Are you using fresh chickpeas? How long are you soaking them for?
Thanks for the recipe. However, it didn’t really hit it for me. I have tried many different falafels and this just didn’t taste the same. The texture was good. I am not sure if it was the flavour or the fact that it wasn’t fried. It also got stuck to my pan even though I put a lot of olive oil. So I am not sure what it was.
I’m sorry you didn’t love this one, Tanaz. Thank you for your review.
Every single recipe I tried from you is outstanding, sometimes I don’t even check which website it is and when the food is done and realise it’s sooooo the best thing I had I’m like …searching who it was and… oh yeah that was Cookie and Kate again!
These are so, so good. The flavor is great and easy to bake. Love that I can freeze them. Yum!!
Yes, they are a great freezer option!
Thank you! All the crispy deliciousness without deep frying!
Thank you! All the crispy deliciousnes without deep frying!
Amazing recipe!!!! Adding to my personal recipe book, and will never need to look for another falafel recipe again. Thank you!
I’m not sure what I did wrong, I checked the recipe and ingredients 4 times, but mine disintegrated in to puddles. They were tasty puddles, but it ended up being more of a baked falafel spread…
Hi Mara, it sounds like you had too much liquid. Did you drain the chickpeas after soaking?
Hi I want to make these a few days before? Will the mixture last 2 days in the fridge?
Hi, I don’t recommend letting the mixture set for that long, it will likely change how they bake up. These do make great leftovers so I suggest making them and then reheating as needed. Enjoy!
Can you make this recipe with ‘jar’ chickpeas? We live in Portugal where the jar chickpeas are incredible. I usually use them to make homemade hummus… Will they be too moist?
Thanks!
Hi Brittany, Thank you for your feedback! This is really the best method I have found for falafels. Canned do work well for The Best Hummus.
The best falafel recipe ever! They’re delicious and easy to make! I made some tabouli as well ( btw, got the recipe from your website too and it’s amazing). Thank you so much!
Wonderful to hear, Rosana!
Wonderful! We’ve made these baked falafel twice now. I found that it worked better in my food processor to add an extra drizzle of olive oil (maybe an extra teaspoon) to get the chickpeas smooth. My husband doesn’t like cilantro, so the first time we just used more parsley and the second time substituted dill; both were delicious! Thank you!
Thank you for sharing your variations, Bekka. I’m glad these falafels are a hit.
These were fabulous. I ate them with a salad with tahini/tamari dressing and loved them. My husband ate them with sour cream and loved them. Definitely a keeper.
Sounds delicious, Carol! Thank you for your review.
Please carify: you DON’T cook the chickpeas even after soaking?
I soaked mine all night (but forgot to put them in the fridge). They’re raw, edible (al dente!) but taste kind of green. Go ahead and make the felafel without cooking?
Hi, no need to cook before. They will cook when you put them in the oven. I hope you enjoy them!
Amazzzzzing taste!!! However, I think I may have done something wrong as the consistency of my falafels are a bit ashy. I looked back on the ingredients and everything is right, so I have no clue what I did! Have any tips for me or ideas on what I did wrong? Thanks!!!
So ridiculously salty! I normally love cookieandkate’s recipe but this was a bust. Very salty, terrrible!
I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy this one. How much salt did you add?
Any suggestions as to how to make these without oil? I’m oil free at the moment, but craving falafel!
I don’t, sorry. I hope you can find something that works!
Hello, am I missing something?! The chick peas are soaked but surely they also cooked before putting them in the food processor with the other ingredients and .along the patties? Tks.
Hi Joan, the are cooked in the oven once they have become patties. I hope this helps!
I made this recipe today and was so amazed at how awesome the falafel turned out! I was a little concerned that my chickpeas didn’t soak long enough (I soaked them roughly 6 hours), but they turned out perfectly! I plan to pass this recipe along to everyone I know! Thank you!
Wonderful, Quinn! I’m happy you liked them.
Yum! Made this and chopped up veggies and lettuce and some of your tahini sauce to go with! I loved it! Pretty easy too- I just had to remember to get the chickpeas soaking.
Hi there! I am looking forward to trying to make this recipe. I am wondering if I double it, do you think the falafel’s would freeze well? I am thinking of freezing before cooking. Suggestions?
Hi! Yes, just double everything and need more baking sheets. These do freeze well once baked. Enjoy!
Can you make this recipe with canned chickpeas?
Thanks!
You won’t have the best results. This recipe requires dried and then soaked chickpeas.
I have made this recipe about a hundred times. I figured I should leave a review. I normally don’t review recipes but I needed to let you know how much I love this recipe. It comes our perfectly every time. I know it’s going to be great but I am still so happy every time it tastes so delicious. Also I love that it’s not fried so I feel so much better about eating it. Thanks for all your amazing recipes!
Nice blog
I’ve probably left a comment about these before, but just in case – folks, you will NEVER try and make falafels from those store bought mixes again. I’m all for convenience but I always found falafels kind of “meh” or I’d eat them the first day when fresh but find them gross the next day. THESE are gorgeous, fresh, delicious little balls of protein and happiness that are truly a gift. I am about to make a second batch now that my parsley has come in (survived through the winter in this Ontario, Canada garden)! Thanks Kate for always having the best vegetarian recipes for this girl who struggles to pick her 1-2 vegetarian meals every week. You’re a life-saver!
Wonderful to hear, Erica! Thank you for your review.
Love your recipes!
Can these be made without oil?
Sorry, you need the oil to get these crispy.
These were amazing! I lived in the Middle East for a long time and have been searching for a way to recreate falafel without frying them! These were perfect. These are now on regular rotation in our house along with your tabbouleh recipe.
These are fantastic! Super-easy and healthier with less oil. I used my #40 cookie scoop and then pressed each mound down – so speedy. I’m happy to have this recipe!
Perfect in every way! I have made these twice in the last week – once with your Greek salad and once with your broccoli salad. Thank you, as always, for the great recipes!
You’re welcome, Molly! Thank you for your review.
I have been making these falafels for years now and I have tried other recipes but nothing tastes like this and I love them and so does my son.