Paleo Falafel (Bean Free, Keto)
Recipe Key
These light and crispy Paleo Falafel taste deliciously authentic but are made with cauliflower instead of chickpeas. It’s an easy dish, baked in the oven. Serve them with salad and Tahini Dressing for a fantastic meal. Paleo, low carb, vegetarian and Whole 30 compliant.
Falafel is a popular Middle Eastern dish with a slightly crunchy texture and a rich, savory, spicy flavor. Traditionally it’s made with a mixture of chickpeas (or fava beans), flour, fresh herbs, and spices that are formed into a ball or patty and fried.
As a teenager and young adult living in Greenwich Village my friends and I ate lots of falafel at Mamoun’s on MacDougal Street. It was a delicious, filling lunch or late night snack. They were served in pita bread layered with hummus, lettuce, tomatoes, and topped with tahini sauce.
I started eating falafel when the original Mamoun’s Falafel opened in 1971. Those were my collage days at NYU.
Now many years later, I wanted to recreate that wonderful dish and have it be paleo, without beans.
Since many of us don’t include chickpeas in our diet, I created these falafel with cauliflower. They still have authentic flavors of cumin, coriander and cilantro that are essential. But are full of vegetables, easy to digest and super healthy.
Instead of frying I bake them in the oven and they still come out beautifully crisp. The distinct aroma reminds me of being at Mamoun’s.
They’re gluten free, grain free, veggie packed and paleo. Children and adults love them.
These yummy little bites are easy to make in a food processor. The machine does all the chopping.
Start by processing the cauliflower until is finely chopped. Scrape into a bowl and set aside.
Without cleaning out your food processor, add the onion, garlic, cilantro and parsley. Process until finely chopped.
Add the cauliflower back in, along with the spices, egg, almond flour and arrowroot.
Process for a few seconds until just combined.
To bake the falafel, simply roll the falafel dough into balls about the size of a golf ball. It’s about 2 tablespoons. I use a cookie scoop and mound the batter, pressing it into a ball.
Place on rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. It’s good to brush them with a little avocado oil to keep them moist.
Then bake at 400° for 40 minutes, turning the the falafel halfway through baking.
Serving
I like to serve them on salad greens with tomato and Tahini Dressing. It’s very authentic and goes perfectly with the falafel.
I add a few olives and slices of watermelon radishes from my garden to the salad along with cilantro. But they are optional.
Use the dressing for the salad and drizzle more onto the falafel. Serve additional dressing on the side.
These paleo, bean free, falafel bites are so good. The herbs and spices give them an authentic taste and the texture is fantastic as well.
They are a great vegetarian lunch, dinner or enjoy as a snack, straight from the fridge.
Storage
Store cauliflower falafel in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the falafel for up to 3 months.
Reheat them them in a toaster oven, air frier or gently pan-fry. You don’t have to defrost them first. Just keep the heat on low to warm up the inside.
If you like this recipe try these other delicious bites for your salad:
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Paleo Falafel (Bean Free, Keto)
These light and crispy Paleo Falafel taste deliciously authentic but are made with cauliflower instead of chickpeas. An easy dish baked in the oven.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish, Salad, Appetizer
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Paleo, Gluten-Free, Bean Free, Vegetarian, Keto, Whole30
Ingredients
Cauliflower Falafel
- 2 1/2 cups processed cauliflower, about 1/2 medium head
- 1/4 cup onion, coarsely chopped*
- 3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped*
- 3/4 cup packed fresh parsley, coarsely chopped*
- 1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped*
- 1–2 teaspoons ground coriander*
- 2–4 teaspoons ground cumin*
- 3/4 teaspoon Celtic Sea Salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1 large pastured egg
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot flour
- Avocado oil for brushing
Tahini Dressing
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Celtic Salt
- Pinch of cayenne
- ½ cup water, more if necessary
For Serving
- Salad greens
- Cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- Olives (optional)
- Radishes (optional)
- Cilantro leaves (optional)
Instructions
Cauliflower Falafel
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Break the cauliflower into florets and place into your food processor, process into fine rice texture. Scrape out into a bowl and set aside.
- Without cleaning out your food processor, add the onion, garlic, and parsley. Process until finely chopped.
- Add the cauliflower back in, along with the remaining falafel ingredients. Process for a few seconds until just combined.
- Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, with about 2 tablespoons of mixture, form the mixture into 16-18 round balls, and place on baking sheet.
- Use a pastry brush and brush each falafel with oil or spray if you have an oil sprayer.
- Cook for 20 minutes on 400°F, then turn over and cook for another 20 minutes until nicely brown.
- While the falafel are cooking make the Tahini Dressing.
- To serve: Toss greens and tomatoes with a little dressing. Put onto a plate, top with falafel, and optional ingredients. Drizzle falafel with tahini dressing.
- Served extra dressing on the side.
Tahini Dressing
- Add tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt to a medium mixing bowl. Whisk with a fork to combine.
- Slowly add water until creamy and pourable. The mixture may seize up and thicken at first, but continue adding water, a little at a time, whisking until creamy and smooth.
- Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more lemon juice for acidity or salt to taste. Set aside.
- Store leftover dressing in the refrigerator up to 5-7 days.
Notes
I like lots of spice and use the full amount, but if you like less spice start with the lesser amount and taste it before forming into balls. Add more if desired, remember it will be milder after cooking.
You don’t have to coarsely chop the onions, garlic and herbs but it makes it easier to measure.
What type of tahini do you recommend for all of your tahini recipes? Roasted, raw?
Hi Lori, I use roasted tahini, it has a good flavor and is moderately priced. I like the brand Once Again here is the link.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VHLSCG?ie=UTF8&tag=eaweenli-20&camp=1789&linkCode=xm2&creativeASIN=B000VHLSCG. It’s available in most health food stores. Happy Cooking!
Looks so yum! I only knew making falafels with chickpeas, but the cauliflower idea is brilliant! Thank you!
How long are they good in fridge?
Do they freeze well?
Hi Renu, Great question. Store cauliflower falafel in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Yes you can freeze the falafel for up to 3 months. Reheat them them in a toaster oven, air frier or gently pan-fry. You don’t have to defrost them first. Just keep the heat on low to warm up the inside.
Hello Ingrid. Yes, I made this and everyone loved them…but I’m Low FODMAP because of IBS and wondered what I could use instead of cauliflower which is high FODMAP; Bok choy, fennel bulb, celeriac, white button mushrooms and swede are all low FODMAP up to 75 g. So I wondered which might work best consistency wise? Many thanks
Hi Augustine, thank you for reaching out. I would try a combination of celeriac and white button mushrooms. The mushrooms may work alone but they have a lot of water. The celeriac is dryer but it has a stronger taste which might be too much alone. Let us know how it comes out. Happy Cooking! Next time can you put in some stars it helps my rankings in google.