Last Updated on November 20, 2023
If you have not had homemade Gluten Free Baked Falafel you really are missing out!
These falafel are made with a gluten free flour and fresh herbs.
And trust me, the fresh herbs make a HUGE difference in the taste and texture of falafel.
For years I have been making the store-bought mixes for my family.
I made the falafel into balls and patties, baked and fried.
Served them on a bun, in a pita, and in a tortilla shell.
The mixes always seem to turn out so salty and dry.
When I made these Gluten Free Baked Falafel from scratch, I could control the salt, which helped a lot with the dryness.
And the wonderful flavor! WOW!!!
But really, falafel is so easy to make from scratch, I will never buy the mixes again and neither will you!
Now some of you may be asking…..
“What is Falafel?”
It is a traditional Middle Eastern street food.
Most commonly served in a pita or wrapped in a flatbread.
Usually topped with pickled vegetables and sauces, such as a hot sauce and a tahini-based sauce.
But it also can be eaten plain and dipped in any sauce.
Falafel is a fritter made with spices, fresh herbs, chickpeas, and/or a broad bean.
Ground up together to form a ball or a patty.
The patties or balls are then fried in your favorite oil or baked in the oven.
Ingredients needed for these falafel
- Beans – In this recipe I used dried chickpeas. Do not used canned, you will not get the same results. You will have to soak these chickpeas for no less than 8 hours, preferably 24 hours.
- Fresh Herbs – Cilantro and Parsley are the only fresh herbs that were used in this recipe.
- Onion and garlic – Fresh onion and garlic will be needed for the texture and the flavor.
- Flour – Gluten free flour will help to hold the falafel together, I used King Arthur Measure for Measure.
- Spices – Turmeric, salt, pepper, and a little cayenne pepper.
Soak the beans the day before making the falafel
Rinse and sort the chickpeas and place them into a large mixing bowl, cover the chickpeas with plenty of water, making sure to have about 2 to 3 inches above.
Soak at room temperature for no less than 8 hours, preferably up to 12 hours. Soaking them the day before would be ideal.
Instructions to make these Gluten Free Baked Falafel
The next day, drain and rinse the chickpeas.
Clean and wash the parsley and cilantro, set aside to drain.
While the chickpeas drain, clean and chop the onion, garlic and add to a food processor.
Preheat the oven to 375° F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.
Add the drained parsley, cilantro, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and turmeric to the food processor.
Process this mixture, scraping down the sides until the mixture resembles a pesto.
Next add the drained chickpeas and continue to pulse.
Pulse until the mixture resembles the size of sesame seeds.
Transfer the mixture into a medium sized mixing bowl.
In a small sauce pan, add water and flour together, whisk until there are no lumps.
Warm up this mixture, constantly stirring until it thickens, similar to pudding.
Remove from heat and stir in the baking powder.
Next add the flour paste to the chickpea mixture, stirring until well blended.
With your hands, scoop about the size of a golf ball of the mixture up and roll into a ball, place onto the lined baking sheet.
Continue making these balls until the dough has been used up.
These falafel balls can be left in ball form or can be pressed down to form a patty, in this recipe I made my falafel into patties.
You will only need one baking sheet, because the mixture will not spread while baking.
Bake the falafel for about 15 minutes, and then flip the patties to bake on the other side for another 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven once the patties have a nice brown color on both sides.
How to serve the Gluten Free Baked Falafel
- On a salad
- Inside a pita with fresh or pickled vegetables
- On a plate with a side of your favorite dip
- As a burger
- A meat ball replacement in your spaghetti dish
- In a wrap
- Make a falafel bowl
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Gluten Free Baked Falafel
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 8 Ounces Dried Chickpeas
- 1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro
- 1/2 Cup Fresh Parsley
- 1/2 Onion
- 1 tsp Minced Garlic
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- 1/4 tsp Ground Pepper
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1/4 Cup Gluten Free Flour I used King Arthur Measure for Measure.
- 1/3 Cup Water
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
Instructions
Soak the beans the day before making the falafel
- Rinse and sort the chickpeas and place them into a large mixing bowl, cover the chickpeas with plenty of water, making sure to have about 2 to 3 inches above.
- Soak at room temperature for no less than 8 hours, preferably up to 12 hours. Soaking them the day before would be ideal.
Instructions to make these Gluten Free Falafel
- The next day, drain and rinse the chickpeas.
- Clean and wash the parsley and cilantro, set aside to drain.
- While the chickpeas drain, clean and chop the onion, garlic and add to a food processor.
- Preheat the oven to 375° F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.
- Add the drained parsley, cilantro, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and turmeric to the food processor.
- Process this mixture, scraping down the sides until the mixture resembles a pesto.
- Next add the drained chickpeas and continue to pulse.
- Continue to pulse until the mixture resembles the size of sesame seeds.
- Transfer the mixture into a medium sized mixing bowl.
- In a small sauce pan, add water and flour together, whisk until there are no lumps.
- Warm up this mixture, constantly stirring until it thickens, similar to pudding.
- Remove from heat and stir in the baking powder.
- Next add the flour paste to the chickpea mixture, stirring until well blended.
- With your hands, scoop about the size of a golf ball of the mixture up and roll into a ball, place onto the lined baking sheet.
- Continue making these balls until the dough has been used up.
- These falafel balls can be left in ball form or can be pressed down to form a patty, in this recipe I made my falafel into patties.
- You will only need one baking sheet, because the mixture will not spread while baking.
- Bake the falafel for about 15 minutes, and then flip the patties to bake on the other side for another 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven once the patties have a nice brown color on both sides.
Notes
- On a salad
- Inside a pita with fresh or pickled vegetables
- On a plate with a side of your favorite dip
- As a burger
- A meat ball replacement in your spaghetti dish
- In a wrap
- Make a falafel bowl
