Cumin-Spiced Falafel (Dairy Free + Gluten Free)

All the taste and nutrition of your favorite street-cart or restaurant falafel, but at a fraction of the cost AND baked rather than fried! A hit of cumin and cayenne elevate the flavor profile of these falafel patties. Try them on top of a salad, wrapped in a pita, or just by themselves for a quick meal that you can make ahead and reheat in a pinch!

If you’re from the DC area and are at least somewhat ratchet like me, you are undoubtedly familiar with the goodness that is Amsterdam Falafel Shop.

With locations in Adams Morgan, on 14th Street, and in Clarendon, it is a go-to for a quick dinner or a late night snack after dancing/drinking up a storm at Brass Monkey, Policy, or Clarendon Grill (respectively).

If you are unfortunate enough to not have been acquainted with Amsterdam Falafel, allow me to fill you in on what you’ve been missing.

Hot, spiced falafel, served to you in a bowl or a pita, a blank canvas upon which to paint your artwork. A buffet of self-serve toppings ranging from cucumbers to chickpeas to coleslaw. An array of do-it-yourself sauces that runs the gamut from sweet and nutty to bold and spicy. And, finally, the always-tempting option to add an order of hot and crispy french fries to your order.

Are you drooling yet? Good. Because we’re making our own!

As much as falafel is fawned over in the fast food world, the truth is, it’s incredibly easy to make – and to spice however you’d like! Just take chickpeas, almond flour and egg for binder, and whatever spices suit your fancy, combine, bake, and voila! You fancy.

These falafel were A+, so this recipe is clearly $$$$. Make these now, then come back next week to snag the recipe for my dairy-free, gluten-free falafel lettuce wraps! A lunch of champions, without a doubt.

Cumin-Spiced Falafel

To make these falafel, you will need:
– 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained
– 2 T almond flour
– 1 egg
– 3 cloves garlic, minced
– 1/2 t salt
– 1/2 t pepper
– 1 t cumin
– 1/2 t chipotle pepper
– 1 t turmeric

Preheat your oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In the bowl of a food processor, combine your chickpeas, almond flour, egg, garlic, and spices. Pulse until mostly smooth, with a few chunks remaining.

Use your hands to form the dough into 8-9 patties, then bake for 17-18 minutes. Remove pan from oven, let cool to firm up, and serve! Like I said – CRAZY easy.

But, will it satisfy that same drunken urge to pile a mountain of toppings and sauces onto a fried ball of chickpeas? Only time will tell…

XOXO,
Jess