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Vegan Baked Falafel (Gluten-free)

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Healthy Gluten-free Vegan Baked Falafel! The perfect quick & easy meatless dinner recipe! They’re gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan & freezer-friendly! 

front view of a stack of 6 healthy vegan baked falafel, the top one has a bite taken out of it.

Happy Meatless Monday!  I’ve mentioned before that I’m a veggie-lover living with a family of carnivores…so when I create a vegetarian recipe that fulfills my meat & potatoes-loving hubby…I know it’s worthy to share with all of you!

This recipe for Vegan Baked Falafel is gluten-free and dairy-free! It’s a recipe that has been years (seriously years) in the making! After countless trials and errors, I’ve finally hit the falafel jackpot! So let’s jump right in with some step-by-step instructions on how to make this recipe!

How to make Baked Falafel

1. Use a Food Processor!

This Vegan Baked Falafel recipe is best when made in the food processor. Start by processing the chunkier ingredients (chickpeas, herbs, & onions).

Overhead view of a food processor in the first step of making healthy vegan baked falafel

Then add the rest of the ingredients. To keep these gluten-free ground flaxseed is used as the binding agent. It works beautifully and results in some amazingly delicious little falafels! 😉

Overhead view of a food processor with the finished healthy vegan baked falafel mixture in it

2. Grease your pan well! 

The next step is super important! To keep your Vegan Baked Falafel from sticking to the pan, you need to grease it with olive oil (not nonstick spray).

Simply “glug” about 1 TBS of olive oil onto the pan and use a spatula (or your fingers) to spread it around. This ensures that there is a sufficient amount of oil to crisp the falafel and make it easy to flip halfway through baking.

3. Portion & Bake

Form about 2 TBS portions of falafel mixture into thin patties and place on your greased baking sheet! Bake for about 20 minutes, flip them over & bake for 10 more (or until golden brown). Remove and EAT! 🙂

Overhead view of a baking sheet with 16 healthy vegan baked falafels before being baked int he oven

When I was pregnant with my son I craved falafel all.the.time. I ate at a local Lebanese restaurant at least once a week (no joke) because I hadn’t yet perfected the art of falafel-making! Plus, they had the best pillowy-soft pita bread in the history of the world (still haven’t been able to duplicate that one yet)!

My daughter, who was not yet two, would eat with me (because she goes where I go), and people would always stop and comment. “Wow…how old is your daughter? My 18 month old would never have eaten that!”

I would simply smile thank them… but it wasn’t like I had to force falafel on her…she absolutely loved it! When I make them now, she always claims the leftovers for lunch the next day. Makes her mommy proud! 😉

Front view of two gluten-free healthy vegan baked falafel. The top one is torn in two.

However, we moved way from Chicagoland and all the glorious dining options I was so accustomed to.

Since moving to Salt Lake City almost 3 years ago, I have yet to find falafel that even comes close to what I could get back in Chi-Town…so I made it my mission to create this delicious and healthy recipe!

This Vegan Baked Falafel is completely gluten-free and vegan! It’s a perfect entree served with tzatziki sauce, in a pita or on a salad!

Overhead view of 11 gluten-free healthy vegan baked falafel in a line in a small loaf pan

Vegan Baked Falafel: Substitutions 

Like I said above, I tinkered with this recipe for years before I got it to be exactly the way I like it! So there are only a few substitutions I could recommend!

  • White onion. Any onion works well in this recipe! I have used red, white, and yellow all with great results!
  • Garlic powder. If you are a garlic lover, I recommend substitution fresh minced garlic for the powder.
  • Olive oil. Any neutral oil works well! I recommend olive oil or avocado oil!

Front view of a stack of 5 healthy gluten-free vegan baked falafel, the top one has a bite taken out of it

IF YOU MAKE SOMETHING FROM JOYFOODSUNSHINE I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOUR CREATIONS! DON’T FORGET TO RATE THIS RECIPE AND LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW! ALSO, FOLLOW ALONG WITH ME ON INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, FACEBOOK AND TWITTER FOR MORE RECIPE INSPIRATION AND A GLIMPSE INTO OUR EVERYDAY LIFE!
5 from 3 votes
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Healthy Vegan Baked Falafel (Gluten-Free)

Healthy Gluten-free Vegan Baked Falafel! The perfect quick & easy meatless dinner recipe! They're gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan & freezer-friendly! #falafel #baked #healthy #recipe #vegan #glutenfree #dairyfree #freezerfriendly #meatless #maindish 

Course Main Course
Cuisine Mediterranean
Keyword 30 minutes, chickpeas, cilantro, dairy-free, easy, falafel, gluten-free, healthy, main dish, parsley, vegan
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 16 falafel
Calories 38.1 kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Add chickpeas, onions, parsley and cilantro to your food processor fitted with an “S” blade. Process until well combined (but still chunky).
  3. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, coriander, cumin, baking powder and flaxseed. Process until well mixed and fine. (mixture will ball up in the processor).
  4. Generously grease a large baking sheet with oil (olive or canola).
  5. Roll about 2 TBS of falafel mixture into balls and then flatten into discs and place on baking sheet evenly spaced.
  6. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, flip and bake on second side for 10-15 minutes (until golden brown)
  7. Remove from oven and serve with tzatziki sauce, in a pita, or on a salad!

Recipe Notes

These freeze very well! Simply reheat in the oven when ready to eat!

Nutrition Facts
Healthy Vegan Baked Falafel (Gluten-Free)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 38.1 Calories from Fat 13
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1.4g 2%
Potassium 64.4mg 2%
Total Carbohydrates 5.4g 2%
Dietary Fiber 1.4g 6%
Sugars 0.3g
Protein 1.4g 3%
Vitamin A 6.4%
Vitamin C 10.1%
Calcium 1.5%
Iron 3.1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Up close front view of one baked falafel being held between a finger and thumb with one bite taken out of it

Do you love falafel? Do your kids have strange favorite foods? 

I hope you all have an amazing Memorial Day! It’s my sweet baby girl’s 1st birthday today (insert LOTS of emotions). I’m so grateful I get to be her momma. More on her to come later this week! I can’t believe my Naomi is ONE.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Megan

    Falafel is one of those things that I always get if it’s on the menu! I have attempted it at home quite a few times, but it has never worked out right. I’ll have to give yours a go and see how I do.

    Reply

    • Laura

      Hey Megan!! I’m exactly the same way! There’s nothing quite like discovering a restaurant that makes excellent falafel! 🙂 I am with you…it took me yearssss to finally get this homemade falafel to come out just right! 🙂

      Reply

    • Laura

      Rachel! I’ve tried actually frying it with disastrous results! LOL! I found baking to be the easiest (and healthiest) method! 😉

      Reply

  7. Marilyn Lesniak

    Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe at the #RecipeSharingParty! I hope to see you next week. Pinned and Yummed. Please visit #OverTheMoon on Sunday or #ThursdayFavoriteThings for more sharing fun! Don’t forget to Comment your link #’s so I can be sure to visit and you get a chance to be featured!

    Reply

  8. Emily Weir

    I’ve been wanting to try baking my own falafel, but feel intimidated to try! These look tasty though so maybe I just need to start with a tested and proven delicious recipe 🙂

    Reply

    • Laura

      Hey Emily! I totally understand the feeling! When I tried frying them it was an absolute disaster! LOL! But between using the food processor to make sure everything is well-combined, and baking them all at one time in the oven…they really are a quick and easy dinner option that aren’t in any way intimidating! 😉

      Reply

    • Laura

      My husband actually agreed to eat a vegan diet for 2 weeks once (after watching Forks Over Knives)! I was SO excited! And by the end he agreed that he felt totally satisfied (I think he thought he would starve if he didn’t eat meat hahaha)…but he still wanted to go back to his meat-eating ways! A lot of times I just forgo the meaty part of the meal and load up on the veggies! 🙂

      Reply

    • Laura

      Thank you Elissa! 🙂 I love the friend varieties…however whenever I try to fry things at home it always turns into a disaster! So I’ll have to stick to baking for now! 😉

      Reply

  16. Deborah Davis

    I am a big fan of falafel and I can be found munching on falafel delights at least twice a week. I’m so glad to see your vegan and gluten free recipe. I am featuring this at the Healthy Living Link Party!

    Reply

  17. Sara

    I gave this recipe a go today, and this is honestly the best falafel recipe I’ve ever tried – others are too dry or fall apart too easily, but these were just perfect, thank you for sharing!

    Reply

  18. Holly

    These look amazing! Can I use eggs instead of the ground flaxseed? Or chia seeds? And if so, how much do you recommend to substitute?

    Reply

    • Laura

      Hey Holly! Honestly I have never tried making these with anything other than ground flaxseed! If you need a substitution chia seeds could work, but I would grind them into a powder in the blender before using them, although again I haven’t tried it so I cannot guarantee how they will turn out with a substitution!

      Reply

  19. Diane Kay

    AMAZING!!! I’ve been vegan for 9 years and this war my first try at Falafels! Thank you for the awesome recipe! I’m going to try and veganize tzatziki sauce, any ideas will be greatly appreciated!

    Reply

  20. chrysta

    Made this and loved it – I only wish I had a bigger food processor so I could make more at once. Even my onion- and cilantro-hating husband is already asking me to make it again, and my daughters (two and four) devoured it as well. Thanks!

    Reply

  21. BOnnie

    It was so nice to see a few comments from people who actually MADE the recipe – and enjoyed it. I’m so tired of reading about how good someone thinks a recipe LOOKS!

    Reply

    • Laura

      LOL Bonnie I totally understand what you mean! Before I started a blog I never understood why people commented on a recipe if they didn’t make it! I only ever commented if I made a recipe and loved it! Now that I am officially a blogger I understand it…it’s other bloggers’ way of supporting their friends! Sometimes I don’t have time to make a friend’s recipe but it looks SO good I just have to tell them! It’s funny how I find myself doing the very thing I questioned before! 😉

      Reply

  23. Meredith

    Made this just now. The mixture was very dry. Baked them and most fell apart during flipping, crumbled. I didn’t want to give up so ate the few that made it and they were very salty tasting. Help! I so wanted this to work!

    Reply

  24. Jules


    I’ve just made these and they smell AMAZING! Can’t wait to scoff the lot, I mean, can’t wait to put them in the fridge for later to eat at a reasonable time and have a reasonable serving size! 😑😂

    Reply

  25. Sandy

    I’ve made these twice! I used chia seeds this last time and added some lemon juice so the chia wouldn’t dry it up too much and it was delicious! Thank you for the awesome quick and healthy recipe 🙂

    Reply

  26. Micky

    I can’t stand dhania (what we South Africans call fresh coriander / cilantro leaves). Can it be omitted or substituted for anything else like celery or spinach?

    Reply

    • Laura

      Hey Micky! You could try omitting the cilantro! It does impart a pretty critical flavor in the Falafel, but if you don’t like it you could just increase the parsley or add spinach!

      Reply

  27. Aiko

    I made these falafels last week, and they turned out perfectly! Thank you for a healthy and delicious version of a favorite dish!

    Reply

  28. Ali Gregro

    I made this and it was TOO SALTY! I had to throw them out. I remade a double batch with 1/2 tsp salt and it was much better.

    Reply

  29. Noah Garrod

    I made these and only ended up with eight falafels, even though I portioned the patties with 2 tablespoons each? Did i do something wrong? Thanks.

    Reply

      • Noah

        Thanks for getting back to me! Yeah i reckon mine were a bit thicker. Also I think the baking powder actually makes them a bit too salty. Actually, I used Bi-carb soda so maybe I should try baking powder

        Reply

        • Laura

          Hmm! Good theory on the baking powder! I think the main culprit is probably that some people aren’t using Sea Salt, and instead are using table salt (iodized). It’s also possible that some canned chickpeas are saltier than others!

          Reply

  31. Stefanie


    I made these last night and they were amazing! My husband even enjoyed them and he is not a fan of vegetarian meals. I’ve made other Falafel recipes and they never turn our well. I also love that these are baked and not fried. Thanks so much for the recipe! I’ll be making them again this week!

    Reply

  32. Rusty Ryan

    How well does this recipe reheat? Want to make this for Easter Sunday for your sister but want to make ahead?
    Happy Easter!!

    Reply

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