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Baked Lentil Chickpea Falafel Recipe

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You won’t have any problem filling up on this easy healthy baked falafel recipe.  Bursting with Mediterranean flavors of lemon, parsley and tahini, this easy to make falafel recipe is sure to make a great impression! This version is low fat, vegan, gluten free, and baked to keep them heart healthy and figure friendly.

Falafel Recipe in a wrap with lots of veggies

When I first started eating vegetarian food, I would come visit my dad in Philadelphia. About a year into me deciding to eat vegetarian, he was so excited to take me to the little falafel restaurant he discovered, knowing that the ingredients were all vegetarian. The place was a little hole in the wall but the falafel made such an impression on me that I asked to go there every time I came to visit for the next 5+ years. Living in North Carolina, most of the local restaurants didn’t serve many vegetarian options and there certainly wasn’t full restaurants dedicated to vegetarian food.

Falafel Recipe in a wrap on a plate

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I can still remember biting into my first falafel pita. Stuffed with freshly made hot falafel, hummus, cucumbers, and just a touch of lettuce and tomato, the falafel pita was bursting at the seams. And I was in heaven! It was the first time I was really excited to try something new!

Falafel Recipe Tips

Traditional falafel are deep fried, but I try to limit my consumption of fried foods. Although I do believe in everything in moderation, I am a firm believer that if you can bake it instead, you should. Eating foods with added saturated fats (from things like deep frying) has been linked to increase in (bad) cholesterol. Deep frying food also adds unnecessary calories to a dish. I personally would rather fill my plate with heart healthy avocado than use those calories on fried foods.

Stacked Falafel Recipe

Instead of deep frying foods, I like to add flavor with fresh herbs and spices. What I discovered was that spices and fresh herbs can really transform foods! Bland chickpeas take on a whole new, super tasty life when mixed with cumin, lemon juice, freshly chopped parsley and garlic.

Back to the falafel. Traditional falafel are made from mashed chickpeas, lemon juice, fresh parsley, onions and garlic. I decided to add my own flair to this dish. I added tahini to the falafel base, and also used a combination of chickpeas and red lentils, and the end product made me do a little dance when I took my first bite! This falafel recipe comes together quickly, and just have to bake in the oven before enjoying.

Falafel Recipe in a wrap with lots of veggies

This Falafel Recipe is low fat, vegan, gluten free, and baked to keep them heart healthy and figure friendly. | www.PancakeWarriors.com

Baked Falafel Recipe

This 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!
4.86 from 7 votes
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Course: dinner
Cuisine: Medetterean
Keyword: Falafel
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 244kcal
Author: Bites of Wellness

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dry red lentils cooked
  • 1 can garbanzo beans chickpeas drained and rinsed
  • 2 tbs. chopped red onion
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 juice of lemons
  • 2 tbs. tahini paste
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
  • 1 tbs. ground flax
  • 1 tbs. coconut flour
  • 3/4 tsp. salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400F.
  • Cook red lentils according to package instructions (2 cups of water for about 15 minutes).
  • While lentils are cooking, combine chickpeas, red onion, garlic, lemon juice, tahini paste, cumin and fresh parsley in a food processor. Process until mostly smooth (doesn't have to be perfectly smooth like hummus). Add the ground flax and mix again to combine.
  • Transfer this mixture to a large bowl. Once lentils are done cooking, stir into the chick pea mixture. Add salt and coconut flour. Let sit for 5 minutes.
  • Add foil or parchment paper to a baking sheet. Spray with nonstick spray.
  • Using a large spoon, measure out about a palmful of the chickpea and lentil mixture and form a patty in your hand. Please note, you can also make smaller falafel balls that you can use a 1 tablespoon to measure out.
  • Once all the mixture is on the baking sheet, transfer to oven.
  • Bake at 400 for 20 minutes.
  • To serve, add 2 falafel patties to a pita or flatbread. Add a layer of hummus to one side. Rest the falafel patties on the hummus. Add cucumber, lettuce, tomato, avocado (optional) and optional tahini lemon sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 244kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 5g | Sodium: 373mg | Potassium: 587mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 6.7% | Vitamin C: 44.5% | Calcium: 6.9% | Iron: 27.1%
Tried this recipe?Mention @bites_of_wellness or tag #bitesofwellness

What about you?

  • Have you tried falafel before?
  • What is a favorite dish you try to recreate?
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Comments

  1. 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?

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  2. 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.

    Reply

  3. 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.

    Reply

  7. What a fun story that you dad was so excited to take you to a place that he thought you would like and it exceeded expectations! These look amazing!

    Reply


  9. I’m a vegetarian too who LOVES falafel!!! I’ve tried to make it before but pretty much failed. haha Thanks for sharing this, it looks delicious! I love the story behind it too about your dad! 🙂

    Reply

    • Lauren thanks 🙂 it was a bit of a necessity, I couldn’t get the pita to stay together lol! It did end up turning out great though 🙂

      Reply

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