• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Simple Green

seasonal plant-based recipes

  • Home
  • About
    • About Me
    • Portfolio
  • Index
  • Press
  • Contact
  • Shop
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Index
  • About
  • Shop
  • Contact
  • Press
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Index
    • About
    • Shop
    • Contact
    • Press
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » All Recipes

    Baked Falafel Bites with Garlic Dill Dip

    Inspired by traditional Middle Eastern falafel, these baked falafel are an easy recipe for lunch or dinner. This recipe be made ahead and kept in the fridge for use on salads, as finger food, or a quick nutritious bite. A simple garlic dill dip, made from a base of sunflower seeds, is a lovely accompaniment for this recipe.

    JUMP TO RECIPE

    overhead view of falafels and dip on a black plate with parsley.
    a portrait of falafels and dip on a black plate.
    Left image: close up overhead view of chickpeas. Right image: overhead view of falafel ingredients.
    a falafel pita being held in a hand.

    I'm always on the lookout for great finger food for our son. The other day, I had an intense craving for falafel so, I decided to try making them at home. I quickly realized that crafting non-traditional falafel is no easy task!

    Nevertheless, the result I achieved was a flavourful baked falafel with a crunchy outside and a good texture on the inside that reminded me of a traditional falafel. Like traditional Middle Eastern falafel, this recipe is high in fiber and protein; my four year old happily devoured a sizeable portion exclaiming "these Pa-lapels are so gooood, mommy"!

    Pair them with my easy Garlic Dill dip made from a base of sunflower seeds; this recipe makes a great lunch, snack or quick dinner. I hope you love them!

    Left image: overhead view of ingredients in a food processor. Right Image: overhead view of two hands holding a tray of falafel.
    closeup overhead view of falafels and dip on a black plate with parsley.
    overhead view of 3 falafel pitas in a tray.
    a plate of falafels and dip with a jar and spoon on a wood surface.
    0 from 0 votes
    Print

    Baked Falafel Bites with Garlic Dill Dip

    Inspired by traditional Middle Eastern falafel, these baked falafel bites can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for an easy salad topper, finger food, or snack. While blending, be sure not to over-process or puree the mixture- a coarse crumb with several larger pieces is optimal. Garlic dill dip is an easy and flavorful accompaniment.

    Course Main Course, snacks
    Cuisine Middle Eastern
    Keyword baked falafel
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 30 minutes
    Total Time 40 minutes
    Servings 15 Falafels
    Calories 96 kcal
    Author Heidi Richter

    Ingredients

    For the Falafel

    • 3 cups (485g) unsalted canned chickpeas, rinsed and patted dry
    • ⅓ cup parsley
    • ½ (115g) medium red onion roughly chopped
    • 3 cloves garlic
    • 1 ½ teaspoon ground coriander
    • 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt
    • 2 tablespoon olive oil
    • ¼ cup raw sesame seeds
    • 3 tablespoon spelt flour or all purpose flour
    • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

    For the Garlic Dill Sunflower Dip

    • ½ cup raw unsalted sunflower seeds
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt
    • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • 2 teaspoon dried dill or 1 tablespoon fresh
    • ½ cup + 2 tablespoon water

    Instructions

    Prepare the Falafel

    1. Preheat oven to 385°F. Brush a large baking sheet with a thin but generous layer of oil. Set aside.

    2. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then pat to dry to remove excess moisture. Place the chickpeas, parsley, onion, garlic, coriander, cumin, olive oil and salt in a food processor, then pulse until the ingredients resemble a coarse crumb (about 10 pulses).
    3. Scrape down the sides of the food processor, then sprinkle in the flour, sesame seeds and baking powder. Pulse another 5-6 times or until the mixture resembles a fine but coarse crumb with a few larger pieces. Be sure not to puree the mixture! Pour the mixture into a medium sized bowl and give it a couple stirs to make sure all the flour and sesame seeds are combined.
    4. Shape the Falafel: measure approx ~2 ½ tbsp, then roll it into a ball. Place the ball on the prepared baking sheet then gently flatten it with the palm of your hand until it's ~½" thick. Brush a small amount of oil on the top of each falafel and bake for ~30 minutes in the preheated oven, carefully flipping the falafel halfway through the cooking time. The finished falafel will have a nice golden brown colour. Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before serving.

    Prepare the Garlic Dill Dip

    1. To a high powered blender, add all the dip ingredients and blend on high until the mixture is smooth and even. Transfer to a serving dish and serve with the baked falafel as desired.

    Recipe Notes

    Because canned chickpeas can vary in texture, if your mixture is too crumbly (i.e. doesn't stick together when pressed between your fingers), stir in ~1 tablespoon of water. Baked falafel will last for about 4-5 days covered in the fridge, however, they will lose their crunchy texture if not eaten right away. Garlic dill sunflower sauce can be made ahead and kept covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.

    Nutrition Facts
    Baked Falafel Bites with Garlic Dill Dip
    Amount Per Serving (1 Falafel)
    Calories 96 Calories from Fat 54
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 6g9%
    Saturated Fat 1g6%
    Sodium 404mg18%
    Potassium 148mg4%
    Carbohydrates 8g3%
    Fiber 2g8%
    Sugar 1g1%
    Protein 3g6%
    Vitamin A 125IU3%
    Vitamin C 2mg2%
    Calcium 66mg7%
    Iron 1mg6%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. This is an approximation of the nutrition offered in this recipe, and is created using a nutrition calculator. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your preferred calculator.

    More All Recipes

    • a baker in a grey sweater holding a tray with 3 chocolate beet muffins.
      Jumbo Vegan Chocolate Beet Muffins
    • overhead view of an apple tarte tatin with a linen, apples and leaves and whipped cream on a marble surface.
      Vegan Apple Tarte Tatin
    • A person in a blue apron holding a bowl of roasted beet salad.
      Roasted Beet Salad with Medjool Date Citrus Vinaigrette
    • overhead image of a rectangular chocolate frosted cake on a grey surface with a beige linen and a knife.
      Vegan Double Chocolate Zucchini Cake

    About Heidi Richter

    Heidi is the recipe developer, photographer and gardener behind The Simple Green. She fuels her passion for food, gardening and photography with plenty of matcha tea and sourdough bread.

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    a portrait of Heidi Richter in a white camisole sitting behind a basket of tomatoes.

    Hi! I'm Heidi, the recipe developer, gardener, and photographer behind The Simple Green. I specialize in simple and seasonal plant-based recipes, both sweet and savory!

    Learn more about me.

    round award seal "taste canada awards shortlist"
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
    strawberries with text overlay Spring Recipes fruits crisps tender greens, pickles and more.
    A green tomato with text overlay "shop my favourite things".

    SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER

    get notified of new recipes!

     

    Footer

    © 2022 The Simple Green. This site is supported in part by the use of affiliate links. By using this site you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

    Accessibility

    Cookie Policy

    Copyright© 2023 · Brunch Pro by Feast Design Co.

    The Simple Green uses cookies to improve your experience while using this site. You can opt-out if you wish.acceptopt out Learn More
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT