Gluten-Free Falafel Recipe

My gluten-free falafel recipe is packed with fresh herbs, delicious spices, and bursting with Middle Eastern flavors. It’s crispy on the outside and soft inside, the way a falafel should be. You won’t miss the gluten either! This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.

The first time I ever had falafel was when I visited Israel in 2010. I was a full-on gluten eater back then, so I could enjoy any old falafel I wanted.

I remember buying it from a food stand in Jerusalem and savoring every crispy, oily bite I could fit in my mouth – and belly – at the time.

Fast-forward to 2019, when I had the opportunity to travel to Israel again, this time as a gluten-free eater.

After searching on the Find Me Gluten Free app, I was able to find only one food vendor in the Jerusalem shuk (where I was near) that offered gluten-free falafel.

The falafel was made with only gluten-free ingredients and cooked in a dedicated gluten-free fryer. Here’s what it looked like:

I delighted in the falafel, although part of me never stop worrying about cross contamination as the vendor sold pita and other gluten-y dishes. Thank goodness I didn’t get sick.

I’ve been desperate to recreate that magical falafel experience at home, but haven’t been brave enough to try it… until now. Here is the result of my gluten-free falafel recipe-making experiment at home.

I’m pretty sure, after a bit of trial and error, that I nailed it.

What is a Falafel?

A falafel is a Mediterranean food staple. It’s so popular in the Middle East that it’s sold on the street by vendors cooking up this delicious ball of flavor.

In its truest essence, a falafel is a deep-fried ball (sometimes shaped like a patty) made from ground chickpeas along with a ton of herbs and spices. It’s best served right out of the fryer when it’s crispy and hot.

A falafel is typically served inside a pita, a top a salad, or on a meze tray (a Mediterranean snack board) along with hummus, tabbouleh (or tabouli), pita, and sauces. It’s perfect for anyone following a vegetarian or vegan diet.

Is Falafel Gluten Free?

Most restaurant falafels are not gluten free, unfortunately, with some exceptions. Falafels typically contain a bit of flour to hold them together, and they are typically cooked in a deep fryer, which may or may not be used to deep fry foods containing gluten (this is known as gluten cross contamination). A food cooked in a shared fryer is no longer gluten free nor safe for someone with celiac disease or gluten intolerance.

There are some rare restaurants that offer gluten-free falafels, as well as some store-bought brands, but if you want to enjoy these crispy balls of Mediterranean heaven, you’ll want to learn how to make them yourself. You’ll need only simple, clean ingredients, and you’ll find that the falafels fry up in just a few minutes.

How to Make Falafel

It’s easy to make gluten-free falafel at home with a handful of fresh ingredients. Don’t be fooled; while the process is easy, falafels have a complex, robust flavor that I can’t resist.

To make my falafels gluten-free, I use not only a gluten-free flour, but also add a secret ingredient (shhh!) to ensure my falafels don’t fall apart in the oil.

(1) Prepare Your Chickpeas

Start by using dried chickpeas (not canned) that have been soaked overnight or for about 10 hours in water.

Alternatively, to speed up the “soaking” process, boil a pot of water, add in 1 cup of dried chickpeas, cover, turn off the heat, and allow the chickpeas to “soak” in the hot water for 1 hour. Drain the chickpeas and they’re ready to go.

While I do not recommend using canned chickpeas, if you do, please note that you’ll need about 2 cups of canned chickpeas, which is equivalent to 1 cup of dried chickpeas. As the dried chickpeas hydrate in the water, they double in size. Also be sure to rinse canned chickpeas, if using, well.

(2) Combine Everything in the Food Processor

Add everything (except the oil) to your food processor, and blend, blend and blend! You’ll need:

• 1 cup dried chickpeas (soaked overnight)
• 1 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup (loosely packed) cilantro leaves with stems
• 1/4 cup (loosely packed) Italian parsley with stems
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour (in the red bag)
• 1 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice (approx. juice of one lemon)

About that Flour: I used Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour for this recipe because it’s made from a combination of garbanzo bean and fava bean flours. The blend will really bring out the chickpea flavor that makes for a great falafel.

Secret Ingredient: When I rolled the falafel dough into balls, they wouldn’t stick together. In fact, my first one fell apart in the cooking oil. To remedy this, I add 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum to my falafel mix to ensure everything holds together well. Don’t skip the xanthan gum, but remember, a little goes a long way in holding it altogether.

If your flour blend already contains xanthan gum, you don’t need to add more.

Now pulse everything in your food processor until it’s well blended but not pureed, about 50-60 pulses.

(3) Fry the Falafels

Now form the falafel mixture into 26 two-inch-sized balls. I like to slightly flatten each ball, but it’s up to you. Set aside.

Add vegetable oil to a large skillet pan until it’s about 1/4 inch deep. Be sure to use a high-heat cooking oil vs. olive oil. If you don’t know what high-heat cooking oil means, read my post about how to choose the right cooking oil for your dish.

Heat oil over medium-high heat until it’s shimmering and hot but not smoking. You can test the oil by putting a small piece of the falafel mixture into the oil. When the mixture sizzles in the oil, the oil is ready.

Working in batches, fry the falafels until golden brown on each side, flipping them after about 30-60 seconds. Watch them carefully as they cook up quickly.

If they brown too quickly, the oil is too hot. You want them to crisp up but still enjoy a few minutes of cooking time in the oil without burning.

Place each falafel on a paper towel-lined plate and continue to cook until all 26 falafels are crispy and cooked through.

(4) Serve and Eat

I bet you’re smelling all the fresh herbs and spices and can’t wait to sink your teeth into your final falafel creation.

The good news is that the gluten-free falafels taste best right away, so dig in.

Each garlicky bite will be filled with so many spices and textures. It’s an exciting experience, and I definitely recreated a taste of my Israel trip with this recipe.

Make Ahead Instructions: If you’re making falafels for a dinner party, cook them right before serving, or place the cooked falafels on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet in your oven and set your oven to low. My oven has a “warm and crispy” setting, which is perfect for keeping the falafels warm and crispy.

I like to top my falafel with hummus and serve it alongside this gluten-free pita bread, which you can purchase at Sprouts or online.

You can make your falafel meal a Mediterranean night to remember by adding my Cauliflower Tabbouleh Salad. Your meze plate (see above) will be filled with delicious and irresistible flavors that transport you to the Middle East.

Gluten-Free Falafel Mixes

If you don’t feel like making your own falafel mixture, you can purchase a pre-made mix and cook them up at home.

Trader Joe’s makes a falafel mix that is labeled gluten free. You can purchase the mix on Amazon if you don’t have a Trader Joe’s near you.

Update: Trader Joe’s also sells gluten-free frozen falafels that you can heat in the oven or airfryer. I used them to make a falafel salad.

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Ziyad also makes a dried falafel mix that is labeled gluten free, as does Tarazi and Orgran brands.

All of the mixes require you to add water, shape the balls, and fry the falafels in a pan with oil.

I personally don’t mind assembling the ingredients at home, but if you’re looking for a fast way to make your falafel balls, these mixes will do the trick!