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These were herbaceous bites of falafel heaven. Loved them baked. No grease or mess. Lentils were a nice twist. I added a pinch of cumin. Delicious!
Julie Mullin
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Okay, guys.
I’m so super excited even though the picture suggests that I have lost my food mind. Here I am, after being gone for a few days (why does it take me like five years to recover from the workshop?!) and THIS is what I hit you with. That’s right – THIS.
This simple baked falafel that only requires five basicingredientsto throw together (featuring my one and only LENTILS) is really the only thing I could bring toyou today – it’s all I’ve been thinking about in the food realm lately. ♡ It’s ultra-textured, just the right amount ofspicy, and baked to soft perfection for all your lifelong falafel wants and needs. This baked falafel is my new favorite way to build a meal.
I mean…
Maybe it’s a little yellow-green. Maybe it looks like alien food I DON’T KNOW.
But it definitely, absolutely, for sure tastes very bomb.
If you’ve never had falafel before, first of all, 😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱!
Secondly, okay. Breathe. Steady. Calm. We can be calm about this. Right now at this very second, google “best falafel in (name of your area)” and get out into the world and find yourself some good falafel. I’m serious. Leave this blog now and go get the job done. Also: call me, because I want to come with.
Once you’ve been introduced to the wonders of falafel, if there should come a day when I don’t want to go with you because I love wearingsweatpants and XL hoodiesmore than I love going out for falafel(I mean, weird, I don’t know, just throwing it out there) or even more shocking: YOU yourself don’t want to go out into the world for falafel (!!) but you still want to eat all its flavor-jolting plant-basedgoodness for weeks on end inrockinsalads, over-the-top sandwiches, and… all the other stuff that people eat falafel in, then this recipe was made just for you and me and all the other simple recipe lovers of the world.
This baked falafel recipe = a handful of regular things.
lentils / cilantro + parsley / garlic / jalapeño / lemon juice / salt / olive oil all up in the food processor.
HOW TO MAKE OUR BAKED FALAFEL:
Speaking of food processor, do you have one? YOU NEED ONE. I love mine so much thatI wrote a full post showing off 12 magical ways that I use my food processor. Must must must. Go now.
We’re going to get a little bit of flour in there to hold it all together, too, so technically we’re at more than 5 ingredients if you must get tech-ni-cal, but I always feel like things that 98% of my readers already have in their kitchen cabinets don’t need to count as full blown ingredients.
Just… quit.
Golocate somelentils and cilantro and jalapeños and get started.
Guys, girls, readers, frenz. I need you to know that have somereally good, colorful, healthy and extremely satisfying things to come next week for which you will want your little falafels at the ready.And while you’re at it this weekend getting these all set for your fridge for weekly meal planning, go ahead and double the recipe – they freeze nicely and there is absolutely more than one recipe ft. these little weirdos on the food blog horizon.
And then also while you’re at it, go ahead and DEVOUR THEM. With tahini or hummus or magic green sauce. Somehow I even managed to find a way to eat a few of them with my leftover Thai massaman curry and pad see eiw and white rice combo.Awesome Thing #49 About Falafel:plays nice with other foods.
I feel a good, falafel-filled weekend coming on for you! 👋
It wouldn’t be weird to bring falafel to Friendsgiving, right?
**I really wish I would have thought to get a picture of the inside texture of these little guys, but somehow I missed that… for now, you’ll have to trust me that the insides stay deliciously moistwithoutgetting heavy or overly mushy. I’ll work on getting a picture in the next day or two anduploading it in the post for reference.**
Simple 5 Ingredient Baked Falafel
- Author: Pinch of Yum
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 9–12 falafel patties 1x
Description
Easy baked falafel at home in 30 minutes WITHOUT deep frying! Features lentils, herbs, garlic, lemon juice. Use in salads, sandwiches, healthy recipes.
- 2 cups cooked lentils
- 1 huge handful (a cup or so) fresh cilantro leaves and stems
- 1 huge handful (a cup or so) fresh parsley leaves and stems
- half a jalapeño (if you like spicy – leave ribs and seeds!)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1–2 cloves garlic
- a squeeze of lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1–2 tablespoons all purpose flour (sub a gluten free flour if needed)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pulse all ingredients except flour in a food processor until combined. The mixture should form semi-dry crumbles that stick together when you press them.
- Stir in the flour – just one tablespoon at a time, until it’s just dry enough to handle. Form into 9 patties and bake for 18 minutes. Remove from oven and use in salads, sandwiches, bowls, etc. Refrigerate for a few days or freeze.
Notes
Traditional falafel is made with chickpeas. I used lentils here because I’m more likely to have lentils on hand at any given time. Also: because I LOVE lentils. I have not tried this recipe with chickpeas.
For the lentils, lean towards just barely cooked. That will give you a better texture than overly wet, heavy, and mushy lentils.
If you don’t have a jalapeño, use red pepper flakes for heat.
Nutrition information is for one falafel patty.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Keywords: falafel recipe, lentil falafel, baked falafel, lentil recipe
Frequently Asked Questions For This Baked Falafel
How could I use chickpeas instead of lentils?
Yes, chickpeas would be a more traditional ingredient to use here and should work great!
Could you fry the falafel?
Yes, the falafel would be delicious fried! You may want to make them a bit small or press the falafel balls into a flatter shape so they cook more evenly.
What other herb could you swap in for the cilantro in the falafel?
Omitting it or adding more parsley would be your best bet!
Would canned lentils work in this recipe?
As long as they are thoroughly drained, canned should work.
Can I use a different type of lentils instead of brown?
Any other lentil besides red lentils should work.
Can you use a gluten-free flour instead of all-purpose? (Almond flour, 1:1 GF flour, oats, etc.)
Any type of dry thickening or binding agent should work! Start with the 1-2 tablespoons as written. If you feel it is too wet and needs more body, add another tablespoon until you’ve reached a consistency that feels good.
Can you freeze the falafel after baking?
Yes, these should freeze great! They should keep for up to 6 months.
How do you eat this falafel?
In a sandwich, in a bowl, swapped in for chicken for these pitas, or dipped right into some hummus or Magic Green Sauce!
PS. Thanks for all your feedback via Snapchat and the Facebook VIP team on the studio paint situation yesterday! I’ve enlisted the help of some trusty (read: fashionable) friends who are going to come and help me make sense of myself in this new, super cool but currently directionless studio space situation we’ve got going on. Good things ahead! XO
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our delicious lentil recipes page. Check it out!
