Baked Falafel Recipe: Chickpeas, Fresh Herbs & No Deep Frying

Q: Why bake falafel instead of deep frying?

Baking keeps them clear of deep frying and needs only a little olive oil around the tray. Baked falafel come out a bit flatter, but I think they're healthier.

Baked Falafel With Chickpeas, Parsley, Dill And Coriander.

A Vegan, Gluten Free Falafel, Baked Instead Of Deep Fried.

Makes 24. Great In A Wrap, Or As Part Of A Meal.

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Introduction to this baked falafel recipe

This baked falafel recipe makes 24 falafel from dried chickpeas, parsley, dill, fresh coriander, onion, garlic and spices, baked in the oven instead of deep fried. It’s vegan, and gluten free as long as your baking powder is. You soak the chickpeas overnight, cook them for around an hour and a half, chill the mix for at least an hour, then bake the falafel for about 16 minutes.

I first learnt this recipe, and many others, in the free cooking class that’s part of the Flametree Yoga Bali retreat. I’ve added a few tweaks of my own, and the biggest is that I bake them rather than deep fry them.

Baked falafel come out a bit flatter than fried ones, but I think they’re healthier. I use them in a wrap for lunch, as a snack, or as part of a meal with my hummus and my chunky baba ganoush.

If you have any comments or questions, please contact us. Or chat with me at a Flametree yoga or meditation class via these timetables.

Baked falafel, ready to eat

Baked falafel made with chickpeas and fresh herbs, served for lunch

My baked falafel. Notice they come out in flatter shapes than fried ones.

Ingredients for this baked falafel recipe

Here are the ingredients for this Flametree Yoga Studio dish. It makes 24 falafel.

The chickpeas

2 cups of dried chickpeas
Baking soda, for soaking
Salt, to taste

The herbs, onion and garlic

1 cup of parsley
Half a cup of dill
Three quarters of a cup of fresh coriander
1 onion
3 to 5 cloves of garlic

The spices and the rest

A quarter teaspoon of black pepper
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of ground coriander
1 teaspoon of cayenne
1 teaspoon of paprika
Half to 1 teaspoon of baking powder
Some sesame seeds
A little olive oil, for the tray

Use dried chickpeas, not tinned. Tinned ones turn the mix to mush. If you need the falafel gluten free, choose a gluten free baking powder, as not every brand is.

How to make this baked falafel recipe

Use these steps to make these baked falafel.

Step 1: Soak the chickpeas

Soak the dried chickpeas overnight in water with baking soda.

Step 2: Cook the chickpeas

Boil the chickpeas in water until they’re cooked and soft, around an hour and a half.
Add salt to taste.
Keep the lid slightly off while they simmer. It makes them creamier.
Wash and drain the chickpeas.

Step 3: Blend and chill

Put the chickpeas, herbs, onion, garlic and spices in the blender, with the baking powder and sesame seeds, and blend.
Test the consistency. You need to be able to make a ball in your hand that holds together.
Put the whole mix in the fridge for at least an hour.

Step 4: Shape and bake

Heat the oven to 200°C, and put a sheet of baking paper on your oven tray.
Make the mix into balls, and spread them out on the tray.
Pour a little olive oil onto the paper around the edges of the tray.
Bake for 8 minutes, then flip them.
Bake for another 8 minutes, or until they’re brown on top. Then serve.

The amounts above make 24, so halve them if you’re feeding a smaller group.

Baked falafel with hummus and salad

Some of the combinations I made with my hummus recipe. Falafel and hummus are a great team.

Is falafel gluten free?

Falafel made the traditional way, from chickpeas or beans, herbs and spices, has no flour, so it’s naturally gluten free. This baked falafel recipe has no flour either, and it’s vegan too.

The one thing to check is your baking powder, as not every brand is gluten free. Some shop-bought and restaurant falafel do add flour, so it’s worth asking.

Where does falafel come from?

Most agree the falafel we know today began in Egypt, and it has spread across the Middle East for a very long time. In Egypt, where it’s often called ta’ameya, it’s typically made with fava beans.

This version uses chickpeas, as is common across Lebanon, Syria and the wider Levant.

Why bake falafel instead of deep frying?

Baking keeps them clear of deep frying, and needs only a little olive oil around the tray. Baked falafel come out a bit flatter, but I think they’re healthier. Flipping them halfway gives both sides a chance to brown.

Baked falafel recipe: quick questions answered

How long does this baked falafel recipe take?

Soak the chickpeas overnight. The next day they cook for around an hour and a half, the mix chills for at least an hour, and the falafel bake for about 16 minutes.

How many falafel does this recipe make?

It makes 24. Halve the amounts for a smaller group.

Can I use tinned chickpeas?

No. Use dried chickpeas and cook them yourself, as tinned ones turn the mix to mush.

Can you freeze baked falafel?

You can, but they’re best made fresh. Frozen and then microwaved, they may dry out more than you like.

What do you serve falafel with?

Use them in a wrap for lunch or a snack, or as part of a meal with hummus, baba ganoush and salad. Tabbouleh goes well too.

More Flametree Middle Eastern recipes

Making a Middle Eastern spread? Try my hummus recipe, my vegan shish kebabs, or my vegan pizza with tofu and za’atar.

Do you have a vegan recipe or dish you’d like to share?

Please contact me with any dishes you’d like to share with me.

Obviously, I’m especially interested in any dish that is already a great Darwin vegan option.

Alternatively, it may be a potential vegan Darwin recipe that I could adapt, or be inspired by, as I did here.

Experience eating alternatives at a Flametree Yoga Retreat

By the way, there are several upcoming Flametree yoga retreats in Bali in 2027.

Contact us for details of our Darwin yoga retreat packages, or our yoga class packages in the orange lines below.

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Learning to eat mindfully, as a result of yoga and pranayama meditation, is a great way to start more of a vegetarian or vegan journey, or simply mindfully eat whatever you choose.