Traditionally, falafel is shaped into balls and fried in oil, but for this recipe it is pressed into patties and baked. Falafel is a Middle Eastern dish whose signature ingredient is ground garbanzo beans. This recipe makes about 8 patties, but double it for families or if you want to freeze some. Serve with Tzatziki Sauce.
Baked Falafel
- Total Time: 55 mins
- Yield: 2-4 (makes eight 2 ½-inch patties) 1x
Ingredients
- 1 can cooked garbanzo beans (15 ounces; about 1 ½ cups), drained and rinsed
- 1 ½ cups chopped kale
- 1 cup chopped parsley or cilantro
- ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup chopped yellow or white onion
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground corander
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Tzatziki Sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place all of the ingredients (garbanzo beans, kale, parsley or cilantro, rolled oats, onion, lemon juice, garlic, coriander, cumin, and paprika) into a food processor, and process briefly, just until the mixture starts to stick together (it shouldn't be smooth, but have texture where you can still see small bits of ingredients). Transfer this to a medium bowl.
- Form 8 balls (¼ cup falafel for each) and space them evenly on the baking sheet. Flatten each ball with your hand into a patty that is about 2 ½ inches in diameter and ½ inch thick.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then gently flip each patty over. Bake for 15 minutes more, or until lightly browned on each side. Let cool at least 5 minutes before serving. Serve with Tzatziki Sauce on the side.
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ recipe (2 patties)
- Calories: 163
- Sugar: 2.5g
- Sodium: 36mg
- Fat: 2.2g
- Saturated Fat: 0.4g
- Carbohydrates: 28.1g
- Fiber: 2.5g
- Protein: 7.9g
- Cholesterol: 0
Yogurt is typically used in Tzatziki (pronounced "sotseeky") sauces, but I use cashews instead, or you could use white beans for a lower-calorie sauce (see Note). Serve this sauce with Falafel Patties, as a dip with cut-up vegetables, or as a sour cream substitute on baked potatoes.
Tzatziki Sauce
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: About 1 cup 1x
Ingredients
- 2 ounces raw, unsalted cashews (about ½ cup)
- ⅓ cup water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 small clove garlic
- 1 cup chopped cucumber (peeled and including seeds)
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill (or ½ teaspoon dried)
Instructions
- Place the cashews, water, lemon juice, and garlic into a blender, and set aside for at least 15 minutes (so the cashews can soften).
- Blend the sauce until smooth.
- Add the cucumber and dill, and blend briefly (you want the final sauce to retain some texture). add a little water if needed. Chill for the best flavor. Store covered in the refrigerator and shake before using.
Notes
Use ¾ cup of white beans (drained and rinsed) instead of cashews for a lighter, lower-calorie sauce. If you make your own plant-based yogurt, feel free to use that, or some soft tofu.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ recipe (¼ cup)
- Calories: 85
- Sugar: 1.5g
- Sodium: 3mg
- Fat: 6.3g
- Saturated Fat: 1.1g
- Carbohydrates: 5.8g
- Fiber: 0.7g
- Protein: 2.9g
- Cholesterol: 0
Do you freeze patties before or after baking?
I would do after. 🙂
I love you recipes, but when I use your print function, the type comes out so small it is difficult to read. Not sure you can do anything about that, but it would be nice.
Hi Jean, sorry about that. I just printed the Tzatziki Sauce recipe and it took up about half a page of paper; is that what you're getting? Or is it smaller than this?
I agree with Jean that the print is too small. When I print, I do see a funtion with a + on the side and I hit it 4 times and the print takes up more page space but it is still small. Not sure why this is.
Hi Diane, I'll try to figure out how to make the type larger; thank you! 😉
Hi Cathy. I'd like to try these recipes, but I DO make my own yogurt. First I make oat milk using steel-cut oats, then I make that into yogurt, and so oat yogurt, unsweetened, no "natural flavors". Do you have a modified tzatziki recipe using yogurt? I love your recipes so will definitely give this a try.
That's great. I'd just replace the cashews and water with the yogurt. 🙂 Maybe add 1/2 c yogurt and then more as needed after blending.
Thanks so much. I'll try it!
I am making this tonight! You've made switching to no salt, no sugar, no oil a pure delight!! Your dishes are DELICIOUS! Thanks so much! Can't wait to see more new recipes to choose from! ??
Thanks Sybil! 😉
I made this for dinner two days ago and it was incredibly delicious. My husband rated it a 10, on a scale from 1-10 (and me too, of course). He was surprised when I said it was no oil / no salt, he could have easily eaten all eight patties. It really turned out very well, I religiously followed your recipe. - Can't wait for your cook book!
Yay! Love to hear that! 🙂 Thanks Ruth!
Hi Cathy , what a wonderful recipe so easy and so delicious loved the tzatziki. Thanks for all the time and effort you put into making and sharing your recipes .I also can't wait for your cookbook. Karen 🙂
Hi Cathy! I like falafel with tzatziki sauce. This one is very delicious and healthy. Thanks for sharing.
I LOVE falafel! There's a place down the street from where I live that I go to frequently to enjoy these veggie bites. Now I'll have to make my own with this recipe!
Made this recipe today! Actually, I made it twice -- accidentally left the parsley out of the first batch and didn't realize it til they were already in the oven, so I made a second batch with parsley. Good thing I made two batches! Eight patties would not have been enough for the two of us. My husband ate 6 and I had 4! Another super recipe, Cathy! Thank you so much! Btw, I'm not eating nuts these days, so I used white beans to make the sauce. That worked well, though I'm sure the cashew version is richer and somewhat creamier.
If you add a bit of steamed potato to the recipe instead of all beans, you will get a richer mouth feel.
I made the chickpea patties Thursday. Yum! You never cease to amaze me! It was way easier then my other patty recipes and good. I am a mother of a 2 month old and a three year old. I need healthy recipes I can prepare while holding a crying baby. I am so thankful that your recipes are easy! today my 3 year old asked me to make the patties again!! I will be making those tonight! I have your pumpkin bars in the oven now and we had the carrot cake muffins for breakfast. FYI to streamline I make this entire recipe in the food processor. I grind the chickpeas, oats, kale, cilantro then add spices and shape. Easy!
Thanks Julie! 🙂
The Falafel was very good as well as the sauce. Had sauce left over and it makes a nice salad dressing.
Hi Cathy,
Thanks so much for your recipes...with the falafel what is a gluten free substitute for oats...for some reason even gluten free oats bother my body. Could I use millet or quinoa? thanks
I've heard that quinoa flakes work well. Or you can try just leaving it out. 🙂
Hi Cathy ! I made this tonight, following your recipe to a T and WOW it was so delicious, this will definitely be a keeper for me! I put a tsp of sriracha on the side but didnt even need it. Thanks for a GREAT one! 🙂
Awesome. Followed the recipe exactly (so unlike me). I did double the recipe, thankfully.
This is such a great recipe! We've been following the Eat to Live plan and struggle with finding flavorful options. We are a house full of foodies and the praise for this dish was unanimous. Can't wait for new recipes and the upcoming cookbook!
Fantastic! Is this recipe in your new cookbook? I ordered one and can't wait for it's arrival!
Yes it is! Thanks! 😉
For making the chickpea patties, in the first instruction, could I put all the ingredients into a blender and still get the same effect?
No, a blender won't work. A blender needs some liquid to "move" and we want these to be somewhat dry. If you don't have a food processor, just chop and mash things by hand. 🙂
Hi Cathy, happy to find your website. I did blend too much, how I can make the mix more thick now to rescue the baked falafel? Thank you. Lilia Y.
I'd add some more oats maybe. 🙂
OMG. I'm transitioning and have tried cashew-based non-dairy yogurt and it was truly awful. So, I was fully expecting I'd have to buy conventional tzatziki to accompany the falafel. Wow. Instead, I absolutely love your tzatziki recipe. I do however consider it essential to use fresh dill. Yumm!
Thanks Lani! 🙂 It's also good as a sour cream alternative over baked potatoes! Yum!
Have you tried Trader Joe’s unsweetened plain cashew yogurt? That is the best tasting, in my opinion of cashew yogurts.
I have not, but thanks for the recommendation! 😉
Made this today. The falafels were lovely. But i didnt have any cashews for the tzatziki so used hazelnuts which didnt work well. Will try again when I have some cashews. Many thanks for the recipe.
I have made tzatziki using tofu and it is wonderful.
The falafel is a very good recipe, but I think you should add 1/4 t black pepper. Or maybe I just like things spicier than you.
Sure; I am not a hot/spicy eater generally, so add whatever you like. 🙂
Hi, I'm allergic to cashews. What could I use to replace them, in this and other recipes?
I'd use another nut or some tofu. 🙂
Hi Cathy, I am making these along with some other recipes including peach pie lets. Can I make the falafel a day in advance and just reheat them? Or, can I make them further in advance, freeze them, and then cook the day of. Thanks for all you do. Every one has loved your peach pielets
Thanks Karen! 🙂 Yes, you can make the falafel ahead freeze them. Or you can just make the dough, freeze it and then cook it when you're ready (this will likely result in a moister patty compared to freezing them finished).
The flavor and texture of these patties contrasts well with the light, fresh taste of the tzatziki sauce. I tried both the cashew based and low-fat sauces listed in your cookbook and found them both to be awesome. I remember eating the typical deli deep-fried falafel in the past and ending up with a stomach ache but you have made this recipe incredibly healthy and delicious.
Yay! Thanks Kevin! 😉
Hi this looks great! Is there nutritional info available for your recipes? Thanks!
It's only in the cookbook, not on the blog. 🙂
this was soooooo delicious! both the falafels and the sauce. thanks so much for the recipes 🙂
Made these tonight. Mine are green! Perhaps I packed the greens too much and over mixed in the food processor? Would've been good for St. Patrick's day:)
Hi: I want to make these for a potluck. Can I make them in smaller balls, almost small meatball sized? How do you think that would affect the cooking time? One member of our ptluck group can't do garlic, but I assume garlic is probably important to the authentic taste, right? Thanks, Cathy. I have your cookbook and love it. It's my go to! All the best.
Hi Kathleen, Thank you for your note and for buying the cookbook, so glad you are enjoying it. 🙂 Sure, I think these would work well as small balls; I'd cook them at least 30 minutes, and then maybe a little longer so the center gets cooked enough, but not so long that they get too browned. Garlic is nice but optional. You could add the garlic to half the batch if you want. Thanks!
Hi Cathy,
Just a quick note to say that I made these this evening and they were outstanding. I have a couple of questions/observations. My patties were green in colour. It could be that I may have put more greens in the cup measurement than was strictly required. I generally find the cup measurements to not be very accurate as you can get more or less of the ingredient depending on how fine or coarse you cut. Would you mind putting weight measurements instead or, as well as in your list of ingredients.
I did not have kale so I substituted for Broccoli Rabe.
Next time I will try the Tzatziki sauce with the white beans - what a great way to get extra beans in you. You are very clever. Thank you Cathy, you are very clever and my go to SOS lady .
Thanks Isabella! 😉 Sometimes I offer weights with things like nuts and dates, that come in so many sizes. But in this case, more or less greens won't really make a difference, except in color I guess. Next time you can use less if the color was off-putting for you.
This is delicious! Also served with slaw on the side. My husband also loved it xo Defiitely wil make this often. xo Thanks Cathy It is the best falafel recipe i have made .
Can't wait to try this as I'm hoping the rolled oats in your recipe will be 'the' binder I need to hold my falafel together, unlike previous attempts. I also like to use garbanzos soaked overnight (then drained, pulsed in food processor) but am not sure what measure to use that will be equivalent to 1-15 oz can.
Oh, BTW, I use tofu to make my tzatziki & think it tastes great!
Thanks for your wonderful recipes & helpful hints!
Thanks Susy! 🙂 I think oats do a great job of binding ingredients, so hopefully you will get good results with this recipe. I can of garb beans is about 1.5 cups.
Hi Cathy, I don't take well to parsley or cilantro herbs. Is it fine if I leave it out? Would you advice to double any other ingredient in lieu of those? Please let me know. Thanks so much for your easy vegan SOS free recipes. They are much appreciated. I look forward to hearing back from you & cooking this meal over the weekend for the week ahead 🙂
Hi Jennifer, I'd just leave the herbs out; it won't be a problem. 🙂 Thanks!
Omg, Cathy! I love you! I love all your recipes, too. I can’t believe I’ve missed this recipe for tzatziki sauce until now. I love tzatziki and have missed it. Thank you so much!
Thanks Annette! 😉
they were delicious. awesome! i didnt have fresh herbs or coriander but they still came great...and the falafel sauce was incredible! i had everything but the cucumber so i used chopped pickles.
Oh great! Thanks Melissa! 😉
Hi Cathy! Love your recipes and cookbook.
Have you ever tried to freeze the tzatziki sauce? I’m putting some frozen meals together for family.
Thanks!
Hi, Hmm, not sure. The cucumbers are my only concern, but if they don't thaw well, you could just reblend the sauce. 🙂
I seem to collect falafel recipes, I love them that much. I've tried 6 of the recipes. Then I made your falafels from your book "Straight Up Food" last night and Hubby and I found yours to be the best. They will be my go-to falafels, I can't wait to make them for my extended (unfortunately non-vegan) family!
Yay! 🙂 Thanks Beth! Glad to hear you liked them so much!
I'm so looking forward to trying this recipe! Great reviews! By any chance, do you also have a tahini dipping sauce?
Hi Mary, I do have a tahini sauce at the bottom of this recipe in the Notes section. These also go well with hummus and Baba Ghanoush.
Just made these tonight and they are delicious! My new favorite falafel recipe! I especially like the addition of the greens. I didn’t have any cilantro or,parsley, so I just used extra greens and thought that worked well. I appreciate that you made the video. It helped me to see the consistency of the mixture and also to see how you shaped the patties. Thanks for sharing and for taking the time to do the video.
Thank you, Debra! 😉
Absolutely delicious!! I made them a bit smaller and they baked up just fine!
Love this falafel recipe! Using Yupik organic spelt flakes instead of oats worked perfectly. Thank you😚
Good to know; thanks Terri! 😉
Love your food and truly the way you organize the info is so simple. Thank you Cathy!
Thank you so much! 😉
I've only just discovered your channel today,your recipes & ingredients look delicious & I can't wait to make them.however I have a few food allergies & gluten & rolled oats are some of them.can you please suggest a good substitute for the oats in this recipe.?
Try quinoa flakes. 🙂