Falafel is freaking delicious. Unfortunately, most traditional falafel recipes are deep-fried in oils that are not beneficial to our health.
While it’s totally okay to treat ourselves every once in awhile, I don’t want to eat falafel every once in awhile. I want to eat it all the time. So I created a baked version that is just as delicious, and it’s only got five ingredients.
It doesn’t get easier than this!
There’s plenty of flavour from the cumin and garlic, and the consistency was just perfect: a slight crisp outer coating, complemented by a creamy interior. Baking them longer will make them firmer, if that’s your thing, but also keep in mind that they will firm up as they cool.
If you don’t have a food processor, you could mash everything up with a potato masher or a fork – it won’t get as smooth, but that’s totally cool, too.
You can serve these the traditional way in a pita with hummus, you can have them alongside grilled or steamed veggies, or toss them on top of a salad.
Is there a fried food you’d love to see made healthier? Let me know in the comments!
Five-Ingredient Baked Falafel
Makes 12 to 16, depending on how large you make each falafel
2 cups cooked chickpeas
½ cup parsley (lightly packed)
2 tbsp tahini
½ tsp cumin
1 clove of garlic, chopped
¼ tsp salt, or to taste
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Roughly chop the parsley and add it along with the rest of the ingredients to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times, then blend until everything is well mixed.
If your mixture is a little dry, you may need to add a tablespoon of water. Don’t add a lot of water, as you don’t want the dough to be too wet. When the mixture mostly gathers into a ball in the bowl of your food processor, it’s ready. Taste and adjust cumin or salt if needed.
Using heaping tablespoons, roll the falafel into round balls, and then flatten them into patties about an inch thick (you can also make these bigger if you’d like). Place them onto a prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 25 – 30 minutes, depending on how soft you like the inside of your falafel to be. Keep in mind these will firm up as they cool.
