Healthy Baked Falafel sandwich is a chickpea-based batter that is baked and stuffed into pita bread with spinach, salad, and tahini sauce.
Best Falafel
To date, the best falafel I ever had are Mamoun's Falafel in New York City. Back in the day Mamoun's Falafel just sold for $2, nowadays $6. I know. Talk about inflation. Mamoun's is this total hold in the wall in the West Village and serves up the most delicious falafels I've ever had.
You guys know, I don't fry food at home. I'll eat fried food outside on occasion, but I try to stay away from it. Since I love falafels so much, I decided to make a homemade "baked" version of them, and even the hubby approved. For my fried-food lover husband to approve them is a big deal. Hope you guys try these falafels.
What is a Falafel?
Falafel is a Middle-eastern street food that's a deep-fried fritter made with chickpeas, parsley, garlic, and so much more. The falafel is stuffed into a pita with veggies and tahini sauce along with optional dips such as hummus, babaghanoush, and tabouli.
My version has a slight Indian twist to it so I replaced the parsley with cilantro in this recipe, I used green chilies for some kick, and I used Desi atta to bind the falafel. Trust me, it still tastes a lot like the middle-eastern version.
Baked Falafel is:
Healthy
Vegetarian
Delicious
Nutritious
Packed with Good Fats
Soft and Slightly Crispy
Baked, NOT Fried
Easy Weeknight Meal
Dairy-Free
Made with Whole-Wheat Pita
How to make Baked Falafel recipe step by step?
Make the Falafel
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine all the Baked Falafel ingredients in a food processor.
3. Pulse, but don't blend until smooth. This is what you should have.
4. Using a mini-scoop, form little balls and place them on a baking tray.
5. Into the oven for 25 minutes, flipping halfway.
6. Once done, this is what you should have. Set aside.
Prepare the Shirazi Salad
1. Chop cucumber, tomatoes, and onions. Add olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper.
2. Top with fresh cilantro, parsley, and mint - you can use any combo you like. Mix well. Set aside.
Make the Spicy Tahini Sauce
1. Combine all the ingredients in a blender.
2. Blend.
Assemble Falafel Sandwich
1. Bake half a whole-wheat pita in a toaster oven - bake for a couple of minutes at 400 degrees.
2. Take a couple spoonfuls of hummus and spread it inside the pita bread.
3. Fill with fresh spinach leaves.
4. Add 3 pieces of baked falafel.
5. Add 2 spoonfuls of the Shirazi salad you prepared.
7. Top with creamy tahini sauce.
8. Top with buffalo sauce.
9. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Serving Suggestions
- Assemble Falafel Sandwich as indicated starting with a pita pocket, then hummus, chopped spinach, baked falafel, Shirazi salad, creamy tahini sauce, buffalo sauce, and parsley.
- For an even healthier version, skip the pita bread and turn this dish into a salad. Place your mixed greens, and top with baked falafel, Shirazi salad, creamy tahini sauce, and parsley. You can add some quinoa to give the salad some substance.
Tips on making Healthy Baked Falafel Sandwich:
- Pulse the falafel ingredients in a food processor so it's coarse and not smooth & creamy.
- Bake the falafels in the oven at 400 degrees for 25 minutes, flipping halfway.
- In the meantime, prepare the Shirazi salad and Creamy Tahini Sauce.
- Assemble falafel sandwiches.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I make this Baked Falafel Recipe without egg? Can I make this recipe vegan?
Personally, I haven't tried it, however you may try using a flax egg and see how that works out. Mix 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed meal with 3 tablespoon water. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then add the flax egg to the falafel mix. Let me know if you try it. 🙂
2. Can I make Baked Falafel Sandwich gluten-free?
The falafel batter calls for a ¼ cup of Desi atta which is durum wheat flour.
For a gluten-free option, skip Desi atta and you can try using two tablespoons of rice flour or chickpea flour. Prepare the batter and add see if you need more flour, then you can add another 2 tablespoons. Alternatively, you can also use ¼ cup of white gluten-free flour.
The creamy tahini, Shirazi salad, and buffalo sauce are all gluten-free.
Instead of whole-wheat pita bread, use gluten-free pita pockets.
3. What sauces can I use in a Falafel Sandwich?
For this recipe, I made my own creamy tahini sauce which tastes incredible. It's totally worth the step. I love using buffalo sauce for some extra heat and tang.
4. Can I use store-bought tahini?
Sure. I feel homemade is best and it doesn't require much time, but yes you may use store-bought.
5. Can I use store-bought hummus?
Yes! I am working on perfecting my hummus recipe, in the meantime, I bought my hummus from the Farmers Market and it's so delicious.
6. What kind of pita bread should I use?
I strongly recommend using pita bread with pockets. I got mine at Trader Joe's and it's whole wheat.
7. Does this Baked Falafel really taste good? Are you sure I won't miss the fried stuff?
Yes, the Baked Falafel tastes amazing, but fried is fried, and yes, fried will taste better but not by much.
Here you're eating a healthy, nutritious meal that tastes amazing and you won't feel guilty eating it any day of the week.
8. Can I use canned chickpeas for falafel?
Yes! You can also use soaked chickpeas that is cooked, but it is more work. For a quicker option, I use organic canned organic chickpeas.
9. Will this Baked Falafel recipe work for meal-prepping?
Yes. I ate Baked Falafel on 3 different days. The falafel will last for 5-6 days in the fridge. The tahini sauce will last for up to a week. The Shirazi salad will keep in the fridge for 5 days. So yes, you can make this early in the week and it'll last you a good 4-5 days. You can also skip the pita bread and enjoy it as a salad.
More Chickpea Recipes
Baked Falafel (healthy, dairy-free)
Healthy, Vegetarian, Dairy-Free, Whole WheatEquipment
Video
Ingredients
Baked Falafel
- 15 ounces organic canned chickpeas, rinsed & drained
- 1 small onion
- large handful fresh cilantro
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 2 teaspoon coriander powder
- 2 green chilies
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup desi atta, Indian flour or white flour
Shirazi Salad
- 1 large cucumber, peeled & diced
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves, chopped
Spicy Tahini Sauce (or use store-bought)
- ½ cup sesame tahini, I like Joyva brand
- ½ cup + 2 tbsp water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 cloves garlic
- salt to taste
for each Falafel Sandwich (makes 8 half sandwiches)
- 1 whole-wheat pita bread, baked a couple minutes to warm
- 2-3 tablespoon hummus, homemade or store-bought
- ⅓ cup fresh spinach, chopped
- 3 baked falafel pieces
- 2 spoonfuls Shirazi salad
- 2 tablespoon spicy tahini sauce
- 1 tablespoon buffalo sauce
- fresh parsley to garnish
Instructions
Make the Falafel
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Combine all the Baked Falafel ingredients in a food processor.
- Pulse, but don't blend until smooth. This is what you should have.
- Using a mini-scoop, form little balls and place them on a baking tray.
- Into the oven for 25 minutes, flipping halfway.
- Once done, this is what you should have. Set aside.
Prepare the Shirazi Salad
- Chop cucumber, tomatoes, and onions. Add olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper.
- Top with fresh cilantro, parsley, and mint. Mix well. Set aside.
Make Spicy Tahini Sauce
- Combine all the tahini sauce ingredients in a blender.
- Blend until smooth & creamy.
Assemble Falafel Sandwich
- Bake half a whole-wheat pita in a toaster oven - bake for a couple of minutes at 400 degrees.
- Take a couple of spoonfuls of hummus and spread it inside the pita bread.
- Fill with fresh spinach leaves.
- Add 3 pieces of baked falafel.
- Add 2 spoonfuls of the Shirazi salad you prepared.
- Add 2 spoonfuls of the Shirazi salad you prepared.
- Top with buffalo sauce.
- Garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
Pin & Enjoy!
faseela says
ww...........baked filafel sandwich............superb
Khushboo says
Can you stop by place and cook me falafels- this looks delicious! I LOVE Middle Eastern food, probably because Lebanese food was so freely available in Nigeria! Did you ever go to Al Basha? Best restaurant ever!
Gina @ Running to the Kitchen says
I'm sold. Making these for dinner tonight 🙂 I love Mamoun's too! There's one in New Haven (another hole in the wall) that I used to go to a lot when I lived there for a year.
PS- we have the same oven 🙂
Peanut Butter Lover says
These sound great! I am so going to make these this week... Quick questions though, is there any other vegetables that I could put in the falafel to make them lower in calories? AND Is there any ingredients that could make them higher in protein? Either way- They sound amazing!
BeetleBuggy says
Oooo yummy! I've never ventured into making falafel and I would like to try them out some day. My family's a big meat-eating one, so you're more likely to get kebabs in their tummies. But, this is a great alternative for a sandwich. I love that it is baked and not fried!
honeywhatscooking says
@Khushboo - haha! It'd be cool if you lived around me so we could share recipes. Regarding Nigeria, we actually never ate out, and I left when I was 9. I'll have to look up Al Basha. 🙂
honeywhatscooking says
@Gina - wow, Mamoun's is awesome! If you make this, do let me know how it turned out. Oh, I have a GE oven, it's pretty good.
honeywhatscooking says
@Peanut Butter Lover - Hmm..other vegetables to make them lower in calories? I thought 'chickpeas' were high in protein and lower in calories. I would also look into edamame or green peas or perhaps even frozen spinach (with the water completely drained). What do you think? Let me know. 🙂
honeywhatscooking says
@BeetleBuggy - I love kebabs too, but typically don't cook meat at home. However, when dining at a MIddle Eastern restaurant, I will totally order chicken kebabs.
Anonymous says
looks yummy cant wait to try it.
Peanut Butter Lover says
@Honey - Thanks. I don't have all of those vegetables available and I was curious as to what else would taste good because I am not familiar with Middle Eastern food.
This recipe piqued my interest however, so I scoured the internet for more Middle Eastern inspired dishes. I found two that look amazing:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/upside-down/detail.aspx
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chicken-Shawarma/Detail.aspx
peanutbutterlover says
@Honey - Haha. Another comment from me! I made a variation of this tonight. It was great: http://peanut-butter-lover.blogspot.com/2011/12/easy-middle-eastern-recipe.html
Kevin says
Those baked falafels are looking good!
honeywhatscooking says
@Kevin - glad you visited and approve. I love your originality and recipes. 🙂
Anonymous says
i made these falafel but they were too thin and the recipe isnt as good as mama's traditional lebanese ones
honeywhatscooking says
@Anonymous - Sorry to hear that. I wouldn't be able to compete with your mama's traditional Lebanese falafel anyway 🙂 These are baked as well.
Anonymous says
do you think this would work with just an egg white instead of the whole egg?
honeywhatscooking says
@Anonymous - I'm pretty sure it would.. start with 1 egg white, and add another egg white if need be.
Teeni says
Just wanted to thank you for sharing this recipe. I tried it out last night and I am loving it - easy, healthy, AND I like it better than the fried falafel I've had in the past which can tend to be very dry. Plus, cooking my own chickpeas and using my own ingredients is a much better way to control what goes into my body as well as cuts down on costs. This was a lovely recipe that I will be making over and over so once again, thank you for sharing it. 🙂
honeywhatscooking says
@Teeni - you're welcome. It's fun cooking these kinda foods at home because you know exactly what's going in your body, and at least it isn't fried. So happy you enjoyed it. 🙂
Falafel sandwich says
Falafel sandwich is a popular recipe from Middle East, consists of chickpeas that are shaped into patties.
Falafel sandwich
Marysa says
This looks AMAZING. I love Middle Eastern food and could seriously eat Falafel every day of my life. Going to be making this recipe this week!!
honeywhatscooking says
@Marysa - it was really good, let me know how it goes after you make it. 🙂
Jeel says
I just tried this last night and it turned out pretty good! my only thing is that I felt like mine were a little more gooey on the inside then i would have liked. Could that be because I pulsed it too much in the food processor? Or just that i need more baking time? I had put it in the oven for 30 mins already and i was afraid if I did it longer then maybe it would burn.
honeywhatscooking says
@Jeel - I wouldn't bake them in the oven much longer, perhaps you can try baking them at 375 degrees, or even 350 for a little longer. Mine were very slightly gooey as well, but I liked it that way since they aren't deep fried.
Pro Gait Analysis says
Yummy! Thanks for sharing!
KAJU1982 says
If I make the batter the night before would that be okay. I want to make it tonight then bake them tomm night since I'm having friends over tomm night. Please let me know soon and great recipe by the way.
Kajal
honeywhatscooking says
@Kaju1982 - I am sure the batter will be okay if you make it the night before, but then again, I haven't tried it so I can't confirm. Give it a try. Let me know. Thanks.
KAJU1982 says
I made the batter last night and tested it out. I made it a little to salty. How can I fix that?
honeywhatscooking says
@Kaju - To fix the salt issue, I would make another 1/2 batch of falafel and add it to your current mixture. See if that resolves the issue. Not sure how much salt you used, so you may need another 1/2 batch, 3/4 or another full batch.
Siri Lilja says
Made these last night and they were absolutely delicious. Thanks for a great recipe 🙂
Scratch is Better says
These are so good! Been making them for a few years. Instead of using canned beans, what would you reccommend as cooking time and amount of dried beans?
Great data for Real Estate Lake LBJ Agent says
I looooove falafel! This baked sandwich version sounds delicious!
Parvani says
Made these and they were delicious!!!! Thank you for sharing a great and easy recipe... can't wait to try more ????
Purvi says
What can you replace the eggs with?! Also do you have a post anywhere for tzatiki sauce recipe 😀
honeywhatscooking says
Hi Purvi, i don't have a recipe for tzatiki, however when i made it in the past - use 2% or higher Greek Yogurt. Grated cucumber with the water squeezed out, lemon juice, garlic, salt, black pepper, good quality olive oil, and fresh dill. Taste as you go along, and I'm sure it'll be good. 🙂
Purvi says
What’s a egg replacement for this recipe?
honeywhatscooking says
Hi Purvi - I haven't tested, but if you don't want to use an egg, just omit. It should be okay.
Jane says
I made these yesterday for lunch and used the flax egg. They came out perfect! So delicious 😋 Great recipe!
Jayashree says
These were really yummy and so easy to make. I loved the healthier version and it came together quite quickly - perfect for a weekday meal!
Kim says
Baked falafel is absolutely delicious! Very easy to put together & love the leftovers! We used garlic naan, hummus, spinach, salad & tahini! Will definitely become apart of our regular rotation!!
honeywhatscooking says
HI Kim, Thanks for sharing. I'm so glad to hear that. It's a favorite of mine too, love the tahini. 🙂
honeywhatscooking says
Thanks Kim. I'm so glad to hear that. OMG.. same, love the leftovers. I literally ate these for 3 days and it felt like a brand new meal each time. All I had to do was assemble. 🙂
Rhea says
Love this recipe! I make this both in the oven and air fryer and it always comes out delicious. Flavorful and healthy, I use it on salads, sandwiches, wraps, and just for snacking too.
honeywhatscooking says
Thanks Rhea. I'm so glad you enjoyed the falafel both ways. I bet air fryer is even better. Great healthy meal or snack. xoxo.
CRG says
This recipe was a hit with my family!! My husband is very picky about falafel so I’m glad I was able to make this for him. Thank you!
Paige says
Doubled the recipe, Left out the egg and cooked them in the air fryer and soooo excited about having these for meal prep this week. Never knew falafel this yummy was so easy to make!
honeywhatscooking says
So glad to hear that Paige. I bet they're even better in the air fryer. I need to get one. Thanks so much for your comment. 🙂