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

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).

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! 😉

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! 🙂

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! 😉

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!

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!

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!

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5 from 3 votes

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 38.1kcal

Ingredients

• 1 15 oz can chickpeas drained and rinsed
• ½ cup white onion finely diced
• 1 cup fresh parsley lightly packed
• 1 cup fresh cilantro lightly packed
• 1/2-1 tsp sea salt (to taste)
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp coriander
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 TBS ground flaxseed
• 1 TBS olive oil for greasing your pan

Instructions

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

Notes

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

Nutrition

Calories: 38.1kcal | Carbohydrates: 5.4g | Protein: 1.4g | Fat: 1.4g | Potassium: 64.4mg | Fiber: 1.4g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 6.4% | Vitamin C: 10.1% | Calcium: 1.5% | Iron: 3.1%

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.