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    Home Ā» Entrees Ā» Vegan Falafel

    Vegan Falafel

    Published: Sep 30, 2020 Modified: Oct 6, 2020 by Alison Andrews This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe
    5.8Kshares
    Vegan Falafel

    Crispy and delicious vegan falafel. Simple, flavorful, filling, and restaurant quality. Served with a delicious tahini sauce!

    Vegan falafel in pita breads drizzled with tahini sauce.

    We lived in Dubai for 9 years and one of the major perks was the availability of falafel! Pretty much every shopping mall would have a place to buy a quick and easy (and totally delicious) falafel.

    And with a special request or two (to leave off the yogurt sauce for instance) it could be entirely vegan.

    Since we’re not in Dubai anymore and it’s not quite as easily available now, we needed a quick and easy recipe to make restaurant quality falafel at home.

    And this is it! This vegan falafel recipe is super easy, super quick and super delicious. Served with a fabulous tahini sauce your falafel cravings will be entirely satisfied.

    And if you love delicious vegan wraps then also check out our vegan gyros!

    Is Falafel Always Vegan?

    Falafel is almost always vegan. But they’re often served in a wrap and the sauces added may not be vegan as they are sometimes yogurt based. But the falafels themselves are vegan.

    Vegan falafel with salad in pita breads.

    How To Make Vegan Falafel

    You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.

    • Drain canned chickpeas and dry them on paper towels. Add the chickpeas to the food processor along with chopped onion and crushed garlic and process until roughly chopped.
    • Add finely chopped cilantro and parsley, white sesame seeds, salt, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, coriander powder and cumin and process again until roughly mixed.
    • Add in all purpose flour and process briefly.
    • Roll the mixture into balls and place them onto a parchment lined baking tray.
    • Use a small square of parchment paper and the bottom of a glass to gently flatten the balls.
    • Place into the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up.
    Step by step process photo collage of making falafel.
    • Add olive oil to a frying pan and when the oil is hot, add in 4 falafels (providing your pan is big enough). Fry until crispy and browned on each side, about 3 minutes each side.
    • Place the falafels onto paper towels to absorb excess oil.
    • Repeat for the second 4 falafel.
    Step by step process photo collage of frying falafel.

    Recipe Tips

    Dry the chickpeas on a paper towel. It’s important that you drain the canned chickpeas really well, and ideally also dry them off more using paper towels. We’re not using a lot of flour in this recipe so making sure the canned chickpeas are well drained and dried off keeps your falafel from being too wet inside.

    Place into the freezer to set for 20 minutes before frying. This enables them to be really firm and maintain their shape perfectly when frying.

    Make sure the oil is hot before adding the falafels. When the falafels go into the frying pan they should be sizzling. This helps to seal off the falafel so they hold their shape really well and don’t stick to the pan.

    Make them gluten-free. You can easily make these falafels gluten-free by using a gluten-free all purpose flour blend that is meant to replace regular wheat flour.

    Bake them instead. You can also bake these falafel. Place them on a parchment lined baking tray and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes then flip them and bake on the other side for 10-15 mins.

    Vegan falafel stacked up on a black plate.

    How To Serve Falafel

    Serve your falafels in pita breads with lettuce, sliced cherry tomatoes, pickles, and hummus, with a drizzle of tahini sauce over the top.

    Another great sauce option is vegan tzatziki which also pairs well with falafel.

    A stack of falafel on a black plate.

    Storing and Freezing

    Leftover falafel keeps very well in the fridge for 4-5 days.

    They are also freezer friendly and can be frozen before frying or after. Check out this article from The Spruce Eats with lots of tips on freezing and reheating falafel.

    Falafel stacked up on a black plate, with the top falafel sliced in half.

    More Delicious Chickpea Recipes

    1. Vegan Chickpea Burgers
    2. Vegan Chickpea Curry
    3. Vegan Chickpea Salad
    4. Vegan Meatloaf
    5. Chickpea Meatballs
    6. Vegan Tuna (made with chickpeas!)
    Falafel in pita breads with salad and tahini sauce.
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    Vegan falafel

    Vegan Falafel


    ★★★★★

    5 from 9 reviews

    • Author: Alison Andrews
    • Prep Time: 40 mins
    • Cook Time: 15 mins
    • Total Time: 40 mins
    • Yield: 8
    • Diet: Vegan
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    Crispy and delicious vegan falafel. Simple, flavorful, filling, and restaurant quality. Served with a delicious tahini sauce!


    Ingredients

    For the Falafel:

    • 1 15oz (425g) Can Chickpeas (~1 and 1/2 cups Drained)*
    • 1/2 Medium Onion (White, Yellow or Brown, Chopped)
    • 3 Cloves Garlic (Crushed)
    • 1/3 cup Cilantro (Finely Chopped)
    • 1/3 cup Parsley (Finely Chopped)
    • 2 Tbsp White Sesame Seeds
    • 1/2 tsp Salt
    • 1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
    • 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
    • 1/4 tsp Coriander Powder
    • 1 tsp Cumin
    • 2 Tbsp All Purpose Flour*
    • 4 Tbsp Olive Oil (Divided, For Frying)

    For Serving (Optional):

    • Pita Breads
    • Lettuce
    • Cherry Tomatoes (Sliced)
    • Pickles (Sliced)
    • Hummus
    • Tahini Sauce

    Instructions

    1. Drain canned chickpeas and dry them on paper towels. Add the chickpeas to the food processor along with the chopped onion and crushed garlic and process until roughly chopped.
    2. Add the finely chopped cilantro and parsley, white sesame seeds, salt, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, coriander powder and cumin and process again until roughly mixed.Ā 
    3. Add the all purpose flour and process briefly.Ā 
    4. Roll the mixture into balls and place them onto a parchment lined baking tray.Ā 
    5. Use a small square of parchment paper and the bottom of a glass to gently flatten the balls.Ā 
    6. Place into the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up.Ā 
    7. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil to a frying pan and when the oil is hot, add in 4 falafels (providing your pan is big enough to fit all 4). Fry until crispy and browned on each side, about 3 minutes each side.Ā 
    8. Place the falafels onto paper towels to absorb excess oil.Ā 
    9. Add the remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil to the pan and when hot, add in the remaining 4 falafels and cook until browned and crispy.Ā 
    10. Serve with pita breads, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, pickles, hummus and tahini sauce.Ā 

    Notes

    *Dry the chickpeas on a paper towel. It’s important that you drain the canned chickpeas really well, and ideally also dry them off more using paper towels. We’re not using a lot of flour in this recipe so making sure the canned chickpeas are well drained and dried off keeps your falafel from being wet inside.Ā 

    *Make them gluten-free. You can easily make these falafels gluten-free by using a gluten-free all purpose flour blend that is meant to replace regular wheat flour.Ā 

    *Bake them instead. You can also bake these falafel. Place them on a parchment lined baking tray and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes then flip them and bake on the other side for 10-15 mins.

    *Storing: Leftover falafel keeps very well in the fridge for 4-5 days.

    *Prep time includes the time spent chilling in the freezer.Ā 

    *Nutritional information is for falafel only and excludes anything they’re served with.Ā 

    *This recipe was first published in May 2017 but has now been updated with better photos and an improved method.Ā 

    • Category: Entree, Savory
    • Method: Food Processor, Stovetop
    • Cuisine: Mediterranean, Vegan

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 Falafel (of 8)
    • Calories: 129
    • Sugar: 1.5g
    • Sodium: 225mg
    • Fat: 8.6g
    • Saturated Fat: 1g
    • Carbohydrates: 10.4g
    • Fiber: 2.3g
    • Protein: 3.3g

    Keywords: vegan falafel, falafel

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    5.8Kshares
    Alison Andrews

    About the Author

    Hi I'm Alison Andrews, I'm the voice and cook behind Loving It Vegan. I love making delicious vegan food and creating vegan versions of all your old favorites, so that you’ll never feel like you’re missing out. Find out more about me here.

    Loving It Vegan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site may contain some of these links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through one of those links, Loving It Vegan will receive a small commission from the purchase at no additional cost to you.
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. AvatarTahira Akhtar says

      November 23, 2020 at 3:44 pm

      Will these work with dried herbs haven’t got any fresh on hand? Thanks

      Reply
      • Alison AndrewsAlison Andrews says

        November 24, 2020 at 11:25 am

        Hi Tahira, I think it would work if you omit the fresh parsley and cilantro but it wouldn’t be as tasty.

        Reply
    2. AvatarJessica says

      October 05, 2020 at 3:23 am

      These are fabulous! I didn’t have parsley so I just left it out. I’m not a fan of cilantro, but keep getting it from my CSA so finally tried out this recipe. This is now my my go-to every time I get cilantro. Thanks so much!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Alison AndrewsAlison Andrews says

        October 05, 2020 at 10:43 am

        Awesome Jessica! Thanks so much for the great review!

        Reply
    3. AvatarAnna says

      October 02, 2020 at 9:14 am

      Awesome, healthful and so colourful. I’m definitely making these tonight.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    4. AvatarDiana Schuster says

      October 01, 2020 at 1:42 am

      I just made this recipe and it’s aaaamazing! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Alison AndrewsAlison Andrews says

        October 01, 2020 at 8:28 am

        So happy to hear that Diana! šŸ™‚

        Reply
    5. AvatarRachel says

      September 30, 2020 at 4:46 pm

      Can these be baked?

      Reply
      • Alison AndrewsAlison Andrews says

        October 01, 2020 at 8:08 am

        Yes, bake on a parchment lined baking tray at 350°F for 15 minutes then flip them and bake on the other side for 10-15 mins.

        Reply
    6. AvatarClaudia says

      June 29, 2020 at 2:55 am

      Hello! I’m about to do the Falafels tomorrow, but I alrready have the chickpeas soaking, dotes it make any difference if the chickpeas are not canned? Looks delicious by the way šŸ˜‰

      Reply
      • Alison AndrewsAlison Andrews says

        June 29, 2020 at 12:08 pm

        Hi Claudia, as long as you use cooked chickpeas it should be fine, you would use 1 and 1/2 cups of cooked chickpeas to replace a can.

        Reply
    7. AvatarDeborah Holoboff says

      June 26, 2020 at 9:54 pm

      Yummy, I used cornmeal instead of flour everybody love them.🤩

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    8. AvatarHeidi says

      August 18, 2019 at 11:02 am

      Made these and they were phenomenal. Incredible recipe. I will be making them again and again……….Brilliantly easy too…..

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Alison AndrewsAlison Andrews says

        August 18, 2019 at 11:42 am

        Fantastic! So glad to hear that Heidi. Thanks for the wonderful review. šŸ™‚

        Reply
    9. AvatarKaty says

      March 10, 2019 at 6:04 am

      WOW! These were amazing! My whole family (including my picky 2 year old) LOVED them! So easy, and delicious!
      I made them with a “honey” chipotle sauce and a vegan tzatziki sauce, in homemade tortilla wraps, with a toasted buckwheat, roasted capsicum, roasted beetroot, spinach salad.

      THE BEST!!! (Now a weekly dinner!)

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Alison AndrewsAlison Andrews says

        March 10, 2019 at 12:55 pm

        Sounds totally delicious! Thanks so much for sharing and the awesome review! šŸ™‚

        Reply
    10. AvatarVivi Belle says

      July 15, 2018 at 5:00 pm

      Could you replace the flour in this recipe with vital wheat gluten to make them lower in calories and higher in protein?

      Reply
      • Alison AndrewsAlison Andrews says

        July 15, 2018 at 10:07 pm

        I haven’t tried that but it might be great! šŸ™‚

        Reply
    11. AvatarSarita Shoemaker says

      July 06, 2018 at 1:42 am

      Holy SMOKES this was
      1) as easy as you say
      2) absolutely deeeelish
      3) worth repeating, doubling (for more)

      You should rename them Disappearing Vegan Falafals
      I made my own hummus (husband’s recipe) for topping, chopped up cucumber and tomato with slivers of lacinato kale fresh out of our garden.

      Thank you for sharing this recipe.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Alison AndrewsAlison Andrews says

        July 06, 2018 at 11:28 am

        Awesome Sarita, hahaha, yes they disappear fast! So glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for your great review! šŸ™‚

        Reply
        • AvatarVerity says

          January 11, 2021 at 9:38 am

          Hi Alison,
          Is freezing them required if you were to bake them instead of frying them?
          Thank you

          Reply
          • Alison AndrewsAlison Andrews says

            January 11, 2021 at 11:31 am

            Hi Verity, you probably could skip it! šŸ™‚

    12. AvatarKelly says

      April 10, 2018 at 2:58 pm

      We loved these! I baked them instead of frying and they turned out great, perfect amount of spice. I added a little more sesame seeds, cumin, and coriander, to taste. And the sauce is fabulous! Can’t wait to use the sauce in other leftovers this week. Thank you for such an easy, delicious recipe.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Alison AndrewsAlison Andrews says

        April 10, 2018 at 3:52 pm

        Thanks for sharing Kelly! Great to hear about your adjustments and so glad you enjoyed the recipe! šŸ™‚ The sauce is definitely very versatile!

        Reply
        • AvatarDorothy says

          July 02, 2019 at 10:05 am

          Hello! Is it okay to use rice flour instead of all purpose flour? So it’s GF?

          Reply
          • Alison AndrewsAlison Andrews says

            July 02, 2019 at 4:17 pm

            Hi Dorothy, in my experience using a single type of flour like rice flour doesn’t work great for binding, I would rather use a gluten free all purpose flour blend. All the best! šŸ™‚

      • AvatarVivi says

        May 01, 2018 at 10:18 pm

        At what temperature and for how long would you recommend baking these? Thank you!

        Reply
    13. AvatarAnna Andrews says

      May 10, 2017 at 5:34 am

      Delicious falafels! One of my favourite foods!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • AvatarHina says

        September 01, 2017 at 3:21 pm

        me too Anna!

        ★★★★★

        Reply

    Comment Policy: Your feedback is really appreciated! Please do us a favor and rate the recipe as well as this really helps us! The most helpful comments are the ones that give useful feedback for others who might make the recipe, tell about substitutions you made or adjustments you made and how it turned out, or assisting other commenters. Rude or insulting comments will not be accepted.

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    Hi I’m Alison Andrews! I love making delicious vegan food and creating delicious vegan versions of all your old favorite dishes, so you can have your vegan cake and eat it too!

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