This vegan baked falafel recipe is packed with flavor! Along with a delicious tahini sauce and tabbouleh salad, this recipe is a nutritionally balanced vegan dinner.
Skill: Easy | Time: 1 hr | Servings: 4 (2 falafels each)
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Baking Vegan Falafel: Getting it Crispy
Falafel is typically either pan fried or deep fried but this recipe creates a delicious and crispy vegan baked falafel!
One major issue with baking falafel is that they tend to dry out. This is why we’re adding some heart healthy olive oil into the falafel mix and then coating the outside of the falafel patties too.
I use an oil spray (either 100% olive oil or avocado oil) to coat the outside of the falafel. The oil not only keeps the falafels moist inside, but allows the outside to get nice and crispy.
When flipping the falafel halfway through baking, and when they first come out of the oven, the patties are really soft. Be careful when flipping and allow the baked falafel patties to cool for at least a few minutes before serving (they firm as they cool).
The Best Vegan Falafel Sauce with Tahini
A falafel dinner just wouldn’t be complete without a tasty sauce and nothing pairs better with falafel than a delicious, creamy tahini sauce.
Tahini is a great way to add healthy fats and some plant-based protein to a meal, along with some other great nutrients like zinc and calcium!
Tahini tends to be a slightly bitter so I like to balance out the flavor of my tahini sauce for falafel with maple syrup.
Tahini sauces can also be quite thick so add as much water as needed to reach your desired consistency. The tahini sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to a week and it thickens more as it cools (so if you add too much water, put it in the fridge and it will thicken again).
Vegan Tabbouleh Recipe
I love adding the fresh flavors of tabbouleh to falafel. For this recipe, I’ve kept the tabbouleh salad fairly simple as there are already a few components going on in this recipe.
If you’re looking for added carbohydrates and/ or fiber, adding some cooked quinoa to the tabbouleh is a great way to make an even more filling and nutritious meal!
How to Serve Vegan Falafel
There are countless ways to serve a vegan baked falafel recipe. I like to simply pile up a plate of tabbouleh salad and falafel then drizzle tahini sauce.
If you want, this baked falafel can easily be served in a pita bread wrap. Or, you can get creative and add any number of other ingredients to make a delicious meal. Check out my list of ideas for how to serve a falafel platter.
Falafel Meal Prep
Baked falafel with tabbouleh and tahini sauce is a simple recipe to prepare and a great idea for meal prep. You could easily make a double batch and portion out the extra for lunch or dinner meals for a few days!
If you do make a double batch, only put one can of chickpeas in the food processor at a time. Maybe it’s just my food processor, but if I put too many chickpeas in at once it becomes challenging to get a good texture. Some of the chickpeas will still be whole, while others have turned to mush. One can at a time works really well.
This is a quick meal to make, but if you are looking for an even faster meal that is equally tasty, check out my falafel plate recipe! Essentially the falafel plate recipe is a deconstructed falafel, so you save the time of blending the chickpeas up, and forming patties. Making a falafel plate is also perfect for anyone who doesn’t have a food processor!
I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you make it, please rate and comment below so others benefit from your experience.
More Deliciously Filling Vegan Dinner Recipes
Vegan Baked Falafel with Tahini Sauce and Tabbouleh
Equipment
- Food processor
- Can Opener
- Cutting Board
- Knife
Ingredients
Falafel
- 1 19 oz can chickpeas , rinsed and drained
- 1 C parsley
- 3 cloves garlic , minced/ crushed
- ¼ medium onion , chopped (about ⅓ C)
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
- 1 ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ tbsp almond flour (ground almonds)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- oil spray
Tabbouleh
- 2 C parsley , chopped (about 1 ½ C when chopped)
- 1 medium Roma tomato , seeded and chopped (about ⅔ C)
- ⅔ C cucumber , diced
- ¼ medium onion , finely minced (about ⅓ C)
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (zest of about 1 medium-sized lemon)
- 2 tsp lemon juice (juice of about ½ a medium-sized lemon)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt (to taste)
Tahini sauce
- ⅓ C tahini
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp water (or more for thinner sauce)
- salt (to taste)
Instructions
Falafel
- Place chickpeas into a food processor with the parsley, minced garlic, chopped onion, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, coriander, cumin and pepper.
- Pulse until the mixture is well combined but still has some texture.
- Place mixture into bowl and stir in flax seeds, olive oil, ground almond, and baking powder.
- Form falafel using a ¼ C measuring cup into 8 patties. Lightly spray a parchment or silicon mat lined baking tray with oil. Place the falafel patties onto the baking tray, spray the tops with oil.
- Bake at 350 °F for 12 minutes, flip, then bake for another 12 minutes. Both sides should be golden brown. Let sit and cool for 10 minutes (very important to let them cool before handling so they don’t fall apart).
Tabbouleh
- Chop the parsley, tomato and onion then stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil and salt to taste.
Tahini sauce
- Whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, vinegar, maple syrup, salt and water. I like to use a jar to shake the ingredients together.
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