Falafel in a Pan
Falafel in a pan is a healthier, lower-oil take on classic falafel: instead of rolling and deep-frying balls, you blend soaked dried chickpeas with onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, mint and spices, press the mixture into a lined baking tray, brush the top with oil, and bake at 180°C for 30 to 35 minutes. Simple, vegan, and perfect for meal prep.
Falafel is really one of my favorite things in the world, so I wanted a version I could make often without standing over a pot of hot oil. I chose to do this falafel recipe in a pan to reduce the amount of oil I am using, and I think it turned out amazing. The secret to a perfect falafel is not cooking the chickpeas before you assemble it, and that one rule is what keeps this baked version light and crisp instead of dense and gummy.
I think it is pretty amazing when people manage to deliver great, comforting taste without the use of meat, and this tray of falafel does exactly that. You can cut it into squares and eat it on its own as a snack, tuck it into a pita, or pile it on top of a salad. Whichever way you go, go hard on the tahini. Trust me, you will love it. Give this recipe a go and tell me how it turned out.
This Recipe Works If You Need
- A meal-prep batch you can bake once and portion across several lunches.
- A lower-oil alternative to deep-fried falafel that still tastes like the real thing.
- A naturally vegan protein built on chickpeas, no eggs or binders required.
- A hands-off recipe where the oven does the work while you set the table.
- A flexible base you can serve as a snack, inside a pita, or over a salad.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Less oil, no frying: baking in a pan uses just a brush of oil on top instead of a pot of it, so you get crisp edges without the heaviness.
- Vegan by default: falafel is one of those foods that are vegan with no tweaks needed, so it fits straight into a plant-based plate.
- Big, fresh flavor: three fresh herbs plus cumin, oregano and chili powder give it the herby, spiced taste that makes falafel worth craving.
- Meal-prep friendly: one tray bakes into a slab you can slice, cool and store for the week ahead.
- Forgiving and simple: a food processor does the blending, and the only real rule is to start with soaked, uncooked chickpeas.
Ingredient Notes
Dried chickpeas: these are the heart of the recipe and they must be dried, not canned. You soak 1 ½ cups overnight and use them raw, never boiled. Soaked-but-uncooked chickpeas stay firm and grainy when blended, which is exactly what holds the mixture together as it bakes. Canned or cooked chickpeas carry too much water and turn the batter to mush, so skip them here. Look for chickpeas that are evenly sized and free of cracks, and give them a full overnight soak so the centers soften.
Onion and garlic: one onion and four cloves of garlic build the savory base. Because they go into the food processor raw, they release moisture and aroma straight into the mix. Choose a firm onion with tight, papery skin and plump garlic cloves with no green sprouts, since sprouted garlic can taste sharp and bitter once baked.
Fresh parsley, cilantro and mint: half a cup of each is what gives falafel its signature green color and herby lift. Use fresh, not dried, and chop them so they feed evenly through the processor. If cilantro is not your thing, you can replace it with more parsley. Buy herbs with perky, unwilted leaves and add them generously, because they carry most of the freshness in every bite.
Chickpea flour: two tablespoons go in at the end, after you have blended everything else. It acts as the binder that soaks up extra moisture and keeps the slab from crumbling. Stir it in by hand rather than blending it, so the mixture keeps some texture. If your batter still feels wet, a little extra chickpea flour helps it firm up.
Cumin, oregano and chili powder: ground cumin is the dominant warm note in any good falafel, with oregano and a quarter teaspoon of chili powder rounding it out. Toasting whole cumin seeds and grinding them fresh gives the deepest flavor, but pre-ground cumin works well too. Add the chili powder to taste if you want only a gentle background heat.
Baking soda: one teaspoon lightens the texture so the baked falafel is not as dense. It reacts during baking to open up the crumb, which matters more here than in fried falafel since there is no bubbling oil to puff it up. Measure it level so it lifts the mixture without leaving a soapy taste.
Tips
- Never use cooked chickpeas. The single most common falafel mistake is reaching for canned or boiled chickpeas. They hold too much water and the mixture falls apart. Soaked dried chickpeas, used raw, are what make it work.
- Pulse, do not puree. Pulse the chickpeas and aromatics until ground but still slightly coarse. If you blend to a smooth paste, the falafel turns pasty; you want a texture that just holds together when pressed.
- Press the mixture firmly into the tray. Pack it down well into the 20 x 20 cm tray so there are no air gaps. A compact slab bakes evenly and slices into clean squares instead of crumbling.
- Brush the top with oil for crisp edges. That thin layer of oil is what gives you the golden, slightly crunchy surface that mimics fried falafel without the deep fry.
- Watch for the color cue. At 180°C it takes 30 to 35 minutes; you know it is ready when the top is golden and the edges have pulled slightly away from the parchment.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap the cilantro: if you find cilantro soapy, replace that half cup with extra parsley. The falafel stays green and herby without it.
- Adjust the heat: the quarter teaspoon of chili powder keeps things mild. Add more for a spicier batch, or leave it out entirely for kids.
- Shape it differently: the same mixture can be rolled into small balls or patties before baking if you prefer individual pieces over a sliceable slab.
- Lean on the spices: a pinch of coriander or a little extra cumin deepens the flavor if you like your falafel on the bolder side.
Storage and Make Ahead
This is a recipe that practically asks to be made ahead. Once the slab has cooled, cut it into squares and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days, which makes it ideal for stacking into lunches across the week. You can also soak the chickpeas and blend the mixture a day early, keeping it covered in the fridge until you are ready to press and bake. To freeze, layer the baked squares with parchment and freeze for up to two months, then reheat in the oven to bring back the crisp edges.
For serving, remember to go hard on the tahini whether you eat it on its own, inside a pita, or over greens. If you want more ideas, this is closely related to my healthy vegan falafel, and you can browse plenty of other recipes with chickpeas or wrap it up into a falafel wrap for an easy lunch.
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Falafel in a Pan
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup dried chickpeas
- 1 onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- ½ cup fresh parsley chopped
- ½ cup fresh cilantro chopped (or replace with parsley)
- ½ cup fresh mint chopped
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 Tbsp chickpea flour
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp oregano
- ¼ tsp chili powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- oil for brushing
Instructions
- Soak the chickpeas overnight, then drain.
- Add the drained chickpeas to a food processor together with the rest of the ingredients except for the chickpea flour.
- Pulse together until ground.
- Transfer to a bowl, season with salt and pepper, add the chickpea flour and combine.
- Transfer to a 20 x 20 cm baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Press it well and brush the top with oil.
- Bake at 180 degrees C for 30-35 minutes, until golden.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
No, canned chickpeas will not work for this recipe. Falafel needs dried chickpeas that have been soaked overnight but never cooked. Canned and boiled chickpeas hold too much water, so the mixture turns to mush and falls apart instead of binding. Soaking 1 1/2 cups of dried chickpeas overnight is the step that makes baked falafel hold its shape.
The secret to a perfect falafel is not cooking the chickpeas before you assemble it. Raw soaked chickpeas stay firm and grainy when blended, and that texture is what holds the mixture together as it bakes. Cooking them first adds moisture and turns the batter pasty, so the falafel loses both its structure and its bite.
Yes, falafel is naturally vegan. It is one of those foods that are plant-based by default, with no tweaks needed. This pan version is built on chickpeas, onion, garlic, fresh herbs and spices, with no eggs, dairy or other animal products, so it fits straight into a vegan diet.
Bake it in a pan instead. Press the blended chickpea mixture into a 20 x 20 cm tray lined with parchment, brush the top with oil, and bake at 180 degrees C for 30 to 35 minutes. The brush of oil gives you crisp golden edges that mimic fried falafel while using far less oil than deep frying.
Once cooled, cut the falafel into squares and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. That makes it well suited to meal prep, since you can bake one tray and portion it across several lunches. You can also freeze the baked squares between layers of parchment for up to two months.
Falafel can be served many ways: on its own as a snack, tucked inside a pita, or piled on top of a salad. Whichever way you prefer, go hard on the tahini, which ties everything together. A fresh salad or pickled vegetables on the side rounds out the plate.
Can you use chick pea flour instead of making it from dried chick peas.
Chickpea flour has a very fine texture, so the overall recipe’s texture may be different, however, the taste should be the same.
According to your instructions, the dry chickpeas are soaked but not cooked before adding them to the food processor and combining with the other ingredients? What a great idea for a healthy, deconstructed falafel dish.
Yes. 🙂 Even for the traditional falafel, the chickpeas are not cooked, they cook when fried. This is basically the same, but easier.
I just made this today…the texture is perfect!! Definitely a recipe I will come back to again and again 🙂 Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Thank you, Shelby!
Sooo tasty and just perfect for meal prep!