Homemade falafel is so much easier than you might think! With simple pantry ingredients, you can create the best part of a Mediterranean feast right at home, and choose to bake or fry your falafels. You can use these falafels so many ways –in wraps, salads, or even spread with hummus as a snack! They also freeze well, so you can make these now and save them for another day. 

Homemade Baked Falafel Recipe:

Makes about 12-13 falafels

Adapted from Tori Avey 

• 1 lb dry chickpeas/garbanzo beans 
• 1 small onion, roughly chopped
• 1 cup fresh parsley leaves 
• 3-5 cloves garlic 
• 1 1/2 tbsp AP flour or chickpea flour
• 1 3/4 tsp salt
• 2.5 tbsp Wild Groves Olive Oil, divided 
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• Pinch of ground cardamom

Instructions:

1. Pour the chickpeas into a large bowl and cover them with about 3 inches of cold water. Let them soak overnight. You will have between 4 and 5 cups of beans after soaking.

2. Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans well. Pour them into your food processor along with the chopped onion, garlic cloves, parsley, flour or chickpea flour, salt, 1 tbsp of olive oil, cumin, ground coriander, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and cardamom. 

3. Pulse all ingredients together until a rough, coarse meal forms. Scrape the sides of the processor periodically and push the mixture down the sides. Process till the mixture is somewhere between the texture of couscous and a paste. 

4. Once the mixture reaches the desired consistency, pour it out into a bowl and use a fork to stir; this will make the texture more even throughout. Remove any large chickpea chunks that the processor missed.

5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours

6. About 10 minutes before you want to bake your falafel, preheat your oven. Meanwhile, form falafel mixture into round balls or slider-shaped patties using wet hands or a scooper. 2 tbsp of mixture per falafel is generally a good amount. If the balls don't hold together, adding 2-3 tbsp of flour may fix this issue.

7. Once you have formed all of the falafel balls, brush them with the remaining 1.5 tbsp of olive oil. Bake your falafel on a parchment paper lined baking tray at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through. Once they are golden brown on both sides, they are done. 

Product Links:

Koroneiki Extra Virgin Olive Oil