When we did two rounds of Whole30 a few years back, it was a struggle to find things to eat as vegetarians that got us excited, because we admit: carbs are life. That was when we came up with our Whole30 compliant cauliflower falafel. Whole30 didn’t last for us (and that’s alright) but the idea of making our own falafels did. So we had to try our hand at the more traditional chickpea falafel.

We wanted to keep this recipe healthier without sacrificing flavor and have made these in two different ways (1) an aebleskiver pan (one of our quarantine purchases!) – they come out crispy on the outside with minimal oil and remain nice and moist on the inside and (2) an air fryer which also yields a crispy yet healthy batch of falafels! We typically make a giant batch of these and freeze half and keep the rest for wraps and salad bowls! 

Tips & Tricks

• If you don’t have an aebleskiver pan, you can easily bake these falafel at 375F for 15 min on each side on a lined baking sheet
• If you are using an aebleskiver pan, use chopsticks to flip them over – its our secret trick to getting the quick flip without poking / making holes in your falafel
• If you are in a pinch, you can used canned beans – but soaking the dried chickpeas gives the falafel better texture
• For a fun take on savory waffles, try placing a few tbsp in a waffle maker and top with hummus, veggies and your favorite hot sauce!

Recipe Information

• Prep time: 6 hours
• Cook time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 20 falafels

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried chickpeas
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 1/2 onion chopped
• 1-2 jalapeños chopped
• 2 tsp crushed garlic
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin powder
• Salt to taste

Directions

1. Soak dried chickpeas for 4-6 hours in cold water 
2. In a food processor, combine drained chickpeas, parsley, cilantro, onions, jalapenos and spices
3. Once combined slowly add flour 1/4 cup at a time  and pulse to combine
4. You want to be able to ball the mixture and have it hold together 
5. Adjust seasoning to taste – if you are unable to ball the batter, add flour 1 tbsp at a time until you get the correct consistency
6. You should be able to form a ball with your hands but it will still feel a little loose, not completely dry
7. Heat up an aebleskiver pan  and spray with olive oil cooking spray
8. Shape 1 inch balls of the batter and place in each socket – cook for 10 min and flip using a chopstick
9. Cook for 10 min on other side and keep aside to cool
10. Alternatively to cook in an air fryer, pre-heat to 350F and cook for 14 minutes flipping them over half way