Quick, easy to make and totally delicious, these Easy Oven Baked Falafel are going to be your new favourite recipe… Simply blitz chickpeas and flavourings, shape into balls and bake – that’s it! Naturally vegetarian and vegan, as well as being gluten and dairy free, they are perfect for feeding a crowd… or for a quick and easy weeknight supper.
What are falafel?
Falafel are a well-known and well-loved Middle Eastern snack made from chickpeas, herbs, spices and onions. Traditionally they are deep fried and served in pitta bread (or flatbread) with salad, or as part of a mezze spread.
Easy Oven Baked Falafel
Although falafel are traditionally deep fried, it’s much quicker and easier (not to mention healthier!) to bake falafel in the oven – which is exactly how I make them!
To make these Easy Oven Baked Falafel, all you need to do is tip two cans of chickpeas into a bowl, add flavourings (chillies, cumin, coriander, parsley, onion, garlic…), then blitz to a chunky paste using a stick blender. Finally, roll into balls and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
If you get your skates on these Easy Oven Baked Falafel can be made in under 30 minutes from start to finish… and they taste so much better than shop-bought!
What to serve with falafel?
Falafel are often eaten as street food in the Middle East, served in pitta breads or flatbreads with salad and a tahini-based sauce. If you are looking for a quick and easy lunch or dinner recipe, I’d definitely recommend going down this route!
Alternatively falafel are also often served as part of a mezze spread (mezze is a selection of small dishes served together, either as a starter or a main course) and this is my absolute favourite way to serve falafel.
I like to serve falafel ‘mezze-style’ with hummus, sweet potato cubes / fries, salad, tabbouleh and pitta or flatbreads – all out on the table so everyone can help themselves. I do it like this whether I’m just doing falafel for a quick and easy weeknight supper or I am entertaining at the weekend – it’s fun, the kids love helping themselves with whatever they want, and I don’t need to spend ages in the kitchen plating up!
If you want to recreate the mezze spread in the photos, you’ll need 1 quantity each of my Easy Oven Baked Falafel, my Roasted Red Pepper & Smoked Paprika Hummus (recipe coming soon) and my Baharat Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes, plus wholemeal pitta breads (I love these ones by the Food Doctor), rocket (arugula) and cherry tomatoes.
What to drink with falafel?
I recommend a zesty Sauvignon Blanc from somewhere like Chile or New Zealand to go with falafel. Or, if you prefer, a young and fruity red or rosé from Southern France or Spain would also go very well.
Can leftover falafel be reheated?
Yes, absolutely! Simply put any leftovers in a plastic lidded container and place in the fridge, where they will keep for up to 4 days.
To reheat, place on a baking tray in an oven preheated to 180C (160C fan/ gas mark 4 / 350F) for 10-15 minutes, or until piping hot all the way through.
You can also eat leftover falafel cold – they make a great addition to a lunchbox!
Can you freeze falafel?
Definitely… in fact making a double quantity and freezing half is a great idea! Simply put the falafel in a plastic lidded container and place in the freezer, where they will keep for up to 3 months.
Defrost overnight in the fridge, then reheat as above.
If you like this recipe…
…you might also like:
- How to Make Perfect Homemade Hummus (Vegan)
- Easy 2 Ingredient Yogurt Flatbreads
- Moroccan Spiced Roasted Vegetable Traybake
- Easy Tabbouleh Salad (Vegan)
- Harissa Spiced Cauliflower Steaks with Herby Green Lentils (Vegan)
How to Make Perfect Homemade Hummus
Easy Oven Baked Falafel (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- 2 x 400 g tins chickpeas drained
- 1 small red onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves grated
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes more if you like them hot!
- 2 teaspoons cumin ground
- 2 teaspoons coriander ground
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Black pepper to taste
- 15 g fresh parsley roughly chopped
- 15 g fresh coriander (cilantro) roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 220C / 200C fan / gas mark 7 / 425F. Lightly grease a large non-stick baking sheet with the olive oil.
- Place all the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and blitz together using a stick blender. You want to achieve a rough texture, with most of the chickpeas blended, but some still whole. Once you have blended to the right consistency, stir the falafel mixture with a spoon to make sure everything is well mixed.
- Shape the mixture into 24 small balls. Flatten each ball slightly, then place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Put the falafel into the oven for 20 minutes, or until golden on top and cooked all the way through.
- Serve with other mezze dishes, such as pitta breads, hummus and salad.
Video
Notes
- Suitable for freezing.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
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Janice Pattie says
These look so tasty and, of course, they are super simple to make as are all your recipes. I’ve only ever made falafel once, although I love to eat them, so I think it’s time to try this recipe.
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Janice! Do let me know what you think if you try them 😀
Helen Watkin says
I have developed a love for chickpeas, so I was delighted to find this recipe. They were so quick and simple to make, and very tasty. I’ll be making them again.
Eb Gargano says
Yay! I am so happy to hear that and thank you so much for the 5 star rating!! I am a huge fan of chickpeas too – in fact I often eat falafel with hummus for a full on chickpea bonanza 😀 Eb x
Michelle Frank | Flipped-Out Food says
Falafel has been on my cooking bucket list for the longest time. Seeing how easy this recipe is, I have no more excuses!!
Eb Gargano says
Oh in that case, you really HAVE to try these – they are super quick and easy… and utterly delicious, of course 😀 I’d love to know what you think if you try them! Eb x
Kat (The Baking Explorer) says
I love falafel, this looks so tasty and great that it’s oven baked as much healthier
Eb Gargano says
Me too – and totally agree about oven baked being better as much healthier – I don’t think you lose anything in taste / texture either AND oven baked is waaay easier, so WIN-WIN! Eb 🙂
Corina Blum says
I often make falafels and yours look delicious! The bonus is that one of my children will eat them too which means it’s one of our few vegetarian meals that at least one of the children will eat!
Eb Gargano says
Aw, thanks Corina 😀
Suzanne says
These are super lovely but mine were very crumbly have I done something wrong they fell apart when I picked them up!
Eb Gargano says
Oh how strange, I’m not quite sure why that would be… except maybe if you cooked them a little longer than it states in the recipe, or your oven is slightly hotter than mine and so dried them out a bit more, that might account for them being crumbly. It might be worth turning your oven down a fraction next time you make them and/or blitzing the mixture a little bit more so more of the chickpeas are a paste, which might hold them together a bit better. Very pleased to hear they tasted good, though! Eb 🙂
T says
This is my 2nd time making these! The flavor is delicious and I served with pitas and roasted sweet potatoes for a complete, simple meal. My family really enjoyed them. I’m wondering why after baking this 2nd time around they got a bit crumbly in texture & had trouble staying together? Any suggestions? Thank you for delicious plant based recipes!
Eb Gargano says
Yay! So happy to hear that. There are a number of reasons why you might get a crumbly texture. It can be because they are too wet (try to drain as much of the liquid off as you can). It could also be because they are too large (if maybe you made fewer larger ones, this could be the reason). It could also be if you have blitzed your chickpeas up too much. You want to ensure there are some larger and smaller bits of chickpea in there. It could also be because you cooked them for a bit longer the second time or in at a slightly higher temperature. If you are still having trouble, you could add a binder, such as a tablespoon of flour or a beaten egg… Hope the third time works out better! Eb 🙂
Lauren says
The ones we ate same day were lovely. We left some for the following day but they just crumbled. Would it be possible to prep one day and bake the next?
Eb Gargano says
I’m sorry to hear that – I’m not quite sure why that might have happened. But yes, absolutely you could prep one day and bake the next!