Oven-Baked Falafel Balls Recipe (Freezer-Friendly!) | Elephantastic Vegan (2024)

• ▢ 2 1/2 cups dried chickpeas
• ▢ 2 onions
• ▢ 4 garlic cloves
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• ▢ 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• ▢ 1 bunch fresh parsley
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ▢ ground pepper
• ▢ 2 teaspoons salt
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 2/3 cup besan/chickpea flour (+ more if the mixture doesn’t stick together)
• ▢ 3 tablespoons olive oil (+ more if the mixture doesn’t stick together)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon canola oil

• Put the dry chickpeas in a large bowl, cover with enough water (the chickpeas will double in size!) and let them sit covered overnight.

• Peel the onions and garlic cloves. Put them in a food processor and chop.In a pan with a teaspoon of canola oil, add the chopped onions, garlic, and cumin and let it cook on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes or until they start to brown.

• Drain and rinse the chickpeas and then work in batches by adding the first batch into the food processor and chop until the pieces are really small (you don’t want to make hummus). In one batch add in the parsley to chop it as well. Repeat until you’ve used up all the chickpeas. Transfer everything to a huge bowl.

• Add the lemon juice, cayenne pepper, salt, ground pepper, baking powder, and the onions and garlic. Mix well.

• Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C.

• Add in the chickpea flour and olive oil. Mix the chickpea mixture well and form little balls. If the dough does not stick together enough, add more chickpea flour and oil.

• Put the falafel on a baking tray and bake them in the oven for about 25 minutes or until they turn golden.

• You can eat the falafel like that or put them in a pan with a little oil for reheating when you need them. They freeze very well, so you will have a nice stash of homemade falafel in your freezer, which is super convenient!

Are Falafel healthy?

I wouldn’t consider the falafel you can buy in restaurants healthy because they are usually fried. These Falafel, however, are baked in the oven and therefore a much healthier option!

Can I freeze Falafel?

Yes, especially these ones are super freezer friendly. Bake them, then let them cool off completely, transfer them into a ziplock bag and freeze up to 3 months. For reheating, you can pop them in the microwave, bake them in the oven, pan-fry or add them to a Falafel Curry (it’s my favorite way to use frozen falafel because it makes them super soft again).

Can I use canned chickpeas for Falafel?

Absolutely! If you don’t want to use dried chickpeas, you can use canned chickpeas. But it’s best to use this recipe for Spinach Falafel and simply leave out the spinach.