Lentil falafel will quickly become your new favorite vegan or vegetarian dish! Made with lentils instead of chickpeas, these baked lentil falafel are easy to make, packed with flavor and so delicious! Great for meal prep too!
Why you will love this recipe
- Budget friendly: made with inexpensive ingredients like lentils and red onion, these herby lentil falafel patties are packed with flavor but super budget friendly.
- Simple to make: All you need is a food processor and a few minutes to make these baked lentil falafel. Instead of deep frying or pan frying, these lentil falafel are baked in the oven making them even easier to make!
- Easy to customize: you can easily change up the flavors to suit whatever dish you are making. Add some heat from jalapenos or crushed red pepper flakes, change up the flavor profile completely by using different fresh herbs like cilantro or basil.
- Great for parties: these lentil falafel are great for parties because they are easy to make and also vegan, gluten free and dairy free. Make them ahead and heat them up just before the party!
- Perfect for meal prep: these lentil falafel taste great the next day and can be stored in the fridge up to 5 days. They are great stored in the freezer as well. Take time and make 2 or 3 batches at once and store the leftovers in the freezer.
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Lentil falafel ingredients
- Red onion – the red onion gives the falafel lots of flavor and also provides some moisture so the falafel doesn’t dry out when cooking.
- Lemon juice – lemon juice helps to elevate all the flavors and also helps to mellow out the onion flavor.
- Olive oil – this helps to create a moist baked falafel patty.
- Flat leaf parsley – flat leaf parsley adds so much flavor to the dish. It helps brighten the dish and elevates the flavor.
- Garlic – fresh garlic helps to take the flavor of these falafel to the next level.
- Spices: Ground cumin, garlic powder, salt – the cumin adds depth of flavor and smokiness, the garlic powder helps balance out the flavors and adds some umami to the falafel. Salt elevates all the flavors.
- Cooked green lentils – The most budget friendly option will be to cook the lentils yourself. You can also use canned lentils (rinsed well) or steamed lentils found in the refrigerated section of the produce section.
- Ground flax – ground flax replaces eggs in recipes and helps to bind the ingredients of the baked lentil falafel.
How to make lentil falafel
- Start by cooking your green lentils and letting them cool Typically I make a large batch early in the week. You can also cook and freeze your lentils so they are always available.
- To cook lentils, rinse the lentils, add them to a large pot (that has a lid) and cook 1 pound with 4 cups of water. Cover the lentils and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn down to low and simmer 15 minutes, covered.
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- To a food processor add the red onion, flat leaf parsley, olive oil and lemon juice. Process on high to start to break up the ingredients.
- Scrape down the sides of the food processor. Add chopped garlic, ground cumin, garlic powder and salt and process well until the red onion and parsley start to break down.
- Add the cooked and cooled lentils to the food processor and process on high, scraping down the sides a few times. You want most of the lentils to be broken up.
- Add the ground flax and process well to incorporate. Remove the blade and stir well to ensure the ground flax was well incorporated. Let sit at least 5 minutes.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray with avocado oil or olive oil.
- Using a tablespoon, scoop out 2 tablespoons worth of mixture at a time on the parchment paper. You will make 11 mounds.
- Take the 2 tablespoons into your hands and form into a patty (you want them all to be relatively the same thickness).
- Bake in a 375F oven for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool at least 5 minutes (10 minutes is preferred). The falafel will break apart easily when first out of the oven, you must let them rest.
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Top tips
- Finely chop the onion and parsley before adding the lentils. This will ensure you don’t have any big chunks of red onion or parsley in your falafel.
- Be sure to all the lentil falafel to cool before trying to remove them from the baking sheet after cooking. They are very fragile when they first come out of the oven and will easily fall apart if you don’t allow them to cool.
- If you are planning on freezing the falafel, allow them to cool completely in the fridge first before transferring them to the freezer. This will ensure they don’t develop too many ice crystals and change the texture when reheating.
Other ingredients to add in
- To add heat: fresh jalapeno (1/2 -1) or ½ – 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- For smokiness: add 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- For a Mexican flare: use lime juice instead of lemon juice and cilantro instead of flat leaf parsley.
- For a Moroccan flare: add 1 tsp. smoked paprika and ½ tsp. turmeric.
How to serve lentil falafel
- On salads
- In wraps (collard green wraps are great for this) with hummus or baba ganoush
- Serve with a drizzle of cilantro lime tahini sauce, a drizzle of tahini or pesto tahini sauce.
- Serve over yellow rice or cilantro lime cauliflower rice
- Serve along side of creamy cilantro lime slaw, Greek white bean salad or tomato basil salad.
Storing leftovers
- Fridge: Store leftover lentil falafel in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: After allowing to cool in the fridge, freeze on a piece of wax paper or parchment paper on a baking sheet. Once frozen solid, stack in freezer with parchment paper between each falafel to ensure they don’t stick together.
- Defrost in the fridge overnight or bake from frozen in oven at 375F for 15 minutes.
Substitutions
- Red onion: If you don’t like onion or cannot tolerate onion, use about ½ cup of shredded carrots for the moisture and to add to the texture of the falafel.
- Flat leaf parsley: You can also use cilantro in place of the parsley. You could also use ½ cup baby spinach + fresh mint (1-2 tbsp) in place of the parsley.
- Lemon juice: You can use red wine vinegar (about 2 tbsp) or apple cider vinegar in place of the lemon juice.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: You can also use avocado oil in place of olive oil.
- Fresh garlic cloves: You could use more garlic powder (1 tsp) in place of the fresh garlic but the flavor will not be as pronounced.
- Ground cumin: you can also use smoked paprika in place of the ground cumin.
- Garlic powder: You can omit the garlic powder if needed.
- Salt: salt helps to elevate all the flavors of the dish. If you need to omit the salt, use your favorite no added salt seasoning.
- Green lentils: you could also use white beans or chickpeas in place of the lentils.
- Ground flax: the flax helps to hold the falafel together. You could use ground chia seeds in place of the ground flax. You can also use 2-3 tbsp. oat flour or gluten free flour if you don’t have ground flax or chia seeds.
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Baked Falafel Recipe
$3.07 Recipe/$0.28 ServingThis healthy baked falafel recipe is made from chickpeas and red lentils. This gluten free, vegan, low fat recipe is a great vegetarian or vegan lunch or dinner. Even meat eaters will love this flavorful dish!
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Servings: 11
Ingredients
- 1/2 medium red onion - $0.17
- 1 large lemon, juiced - $0.42
- 2 tbsp. olive oil - $0.44
- 1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley - $0.75
- 2 garlic cloves minced - $0.12
- 2 tsp ground cumin - $0.20
- 1 tsp garlic powder - $0.10
- 1 tsp salt - $0.05
- 2 cups cooked green lentils - $0.75
- 1 tbsp. ground flax - $0.07
Instructions
- Cook lentils according to package instructions and allow them to cool.
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Add red onion, flat leaf parsley, olive oil and lemon juice to the food processor and process on high to break down the onion and parsley.
- Scrape down the sides of the food processor. Add the minced garlic, cumin, garlic powder and salt to the food processor. Process on high.
- Add the cooked green lentils to the food processor and process on high to break down the lentils (into a thick mash).
- Add the ground flax to the lentil mixture in the food processor. Process on high to combine well. Let sit 5 minutes.
- Add parchment paper to a baking sheet and spray with avocado oil or olive oil spray.
- Using a tablespoon, measure out 2 tablespoons of the mixture for each falafel. Form them into patties by pressing the mixture together in your hands and flattening them out. They should all be similar thickness. You will make about 11 patties.
- Bake at 375F for 20 minutes.
- After baking, allow to cool for at least 5 minutes (preferably 10 minutes).
Notes
*Nutrition information is per falafel patty.
To cook lentils, rinse the lentils, add them to a large pot (that has a lid) and cook 1 pound with 4 cups of water. Cover the lentils and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn down to low and simmer 15 minutes, covered.
Other flavors:
- To add heat: fresh jalapeno (1/2 -1) or ½ – 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- For smokiness: add 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- For a Mexican flare: use lime juice instead of lemon juice and cilantro instead of flat leaf parsley.
- For a Moroccan flare: add 1 tsp. smoked paprika and ½ tsp. turmeric.
- Fridge: Store leftover lentil falafel in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: After allowing to cool in the fridge, freeze on a piece of wax paper or parchment paper on a baking sheet. Once frozen solid, stack in freezer with parchment paper between each falafel to ensure they don’t stick together.
- Defrost in the fridge overnight or bake from frozen in oven at 375F for 15 minutes.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Amount per Serving
Calories
90
Fat
4
g
Carbohydrates
11
g
Fiber
4
g
Sugar
1
g
Protein
5
g
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database.
DID YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE?Let others know by rating and leaving a comment below!
Aqua
Tuesday 29th of January 2019
Sounds yummy. I'm a bit confused. For the lentils, are you talking about needing a cup of cooked? If so, how much of dry lentils do I need to cook first?
Sam
Thursday 31st of January 2019
Hi there! The recipes states 1 cup dry red lentils and the first step in the instructions is to cook the lentils in 2 cups of water according to the package directions. You could do this step ahead of time if you wanted to.
Maggie
Wednesday 15th of July 2015
Well, this was advertised as gluten free - so I'm in. However, you recommend serving it in a gluten-filled wrapper! Would love to have a gf wrapper - other than lettuce, which is cold and tiresome after a while - thanks though - can always top a salad with the patty (again, cold, and not 'hand' food.
Sam
Sunday 19th of July 2015
Maggie, you can make your own here is a great recipe: http://www.forkandbeans.com/2014/05/22/gluten-free-vegan-pita-bread/ or you could but the Udi's gluten free tortillas or you can make your own coconut flour based tortillas like in this recipe: http://againstallgrain.com/2012/01/23/chile-verde-chicken-enchiladas-scd-primal/
Sherry
Thursday 2nd of July 2015
Yum! Sounds and looks like a wonderful wrap. I love the flavor combinations. Thanks for linking up and sharing with us at Funtastic Friday. Hope you join us again this week.
Elaine
Wednesday 1st of July 2015
Wow!! Looks good! Thanks for sharing on My 2 Favorite Things on Thursday!! Hope to see you again tomorrow!! Pinned!
Joy @ Joy Love Food
Tuesday 30th of June 2015
I love falafel, but have never tried making it at home, this sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing at What'd You Do This Weekend? I look forward to seeing you again next Monday!