Courtesy of Paulina Cocina
Made with chickpeas, herbs, and spices, these golden bites are crisp on the outside and tender inside — perfect for serving with salads, pita, or your favorite sauce.
Ingredients (makes about 12 falafel)
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas (you can use canned, drained and rinsed)
- 1 green onion (scallion), roughly chopped
- 1 small handful fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 pinch ground cumin
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Bread crumbs, for coating
- Olive oil spray (or a light drizzle of olive oil)
Instructions
- Set your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
- Mash the chickpeas with a fork, potato masher or blender, until mostly broken down but still slightly chunky.
- Add the chopped green onion, cilantro, minced garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper to the bowl. Mix well to combine.
- Pour in the lemon juice and flour. Stir and then use your hands to knead gently until a cohesive dough forms. If it feels too wet, add a little more flour.
- Form the mixture into small balls (about the size of a golf ball) and flat them slightly.
- Press each gently into bread crumbs to coat.
- Place the falafel on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly spray or brush the tops with olive oil — this helps them turn golden in the oven. Bake for 18–22 minutes, flipping halfway, until crisp and golden brown.
- Serve warm with tahini sauce, yogurt sauce, or tucked into pita with fresh veggies.
Enjoy your healthier homemade falafel!
Nutrition facts per serving (5 falafels, ~150 g, ~5.2 oz):
Calories 319 kcal, Fat 7.2 g, Saturated Fat 1.0 g, Carbohydrates 52.6 g, Dietary Fiber 7.0 g, Sugars 5.1 g, Protein 11.2 g, Sodium 142 mg, Calcium 79 mg, Iron 4.1 mg, Potassium 319 mg, Vitamin C 10.8 mg.
