After an intense craving for beet falafel, I felt drawn to the kitchen to play around with a way to infuse this incredibly nourishing vegetable into falafel.
The result was a vibrant-colored, magenta falafel that was garlicky, zesty, crispy, and incredibly delicious. Plus, just 8 ingredients and simple methods required!
Origins of Falafel
The origin of falafel is an ongoing and heated debate. Some would say it’s a quintessential Israeli food, while Palestinians claim its Arab roots, and still others claim it originated in Egypt, Lebanon, or Yemen.
While we claim no expertise on the origins of falafel, we do know we absolutely love its crispy texture and rich flavor. Falafel is traditionally a fried ball or patty made from fava beans, chickpeas, or both. What’s not to love?
Those looking for a deeper dive into the much-debated history of falafel can find more information here and here.
Our inspired version uses chickpeas as a base and includes shredded beet for color and added nutrition. For a more traditional version of falafel, check out this recipe from Tori Avey, or this recipe from The Kat Chef.
How to Make Beet Falafel
This recipe starts with baking the chickpeas for 10-12 minutes to dry them out and yield crispy falafel! This a trick I learned from a friend years ago, and it’s yielded delicious vegan sausage, burgers, falafel, and more!
Next, shredded beets and baked chickpeas are added to a food processor along with garlic for zing, parsley for a fresh and herby flavor, cumin for smokiness, and sea salt for overall flavor.
Tahini and lemon juice add a little liquid to help everything blend into a tacky dough. But be careful not to over-mix as you’re not looking for a purée. See photo below for reference.
If the falafel dough is too dry, you can add more tahini or lemon juice. And if it is too wet, you can add some oat flour or gluten-free flour.
When the falafel is the right consistency, scoop out 1 ½-tablespoon portions and use your hands to form them into little patties (about 1/2-inch thick).
For cooking, you have a few options:
- Bake – this option uses less (or no) oil and is mostly hands-off.
- Pan Fry – this method is ideal for crispy falafel or if making just a few at a time.
- Pan Fry, then Bake – for even crispier falafel, you can pan fry them for a crispy exterior and then bake for 5-15 minutes for even firmer / crispier texture.
You can freeze uncooked falafel between layers of parchment paper. Then, when ready, just thaw and cook as instructed.
We hope you LOVE these beet falafel! They’re:
Garlicky
Smoky
Crispy
Salty-sweet
Customizable
& Delicious!
While delicious on their own, these falafel are elevated by the addition of hummus, (dairy-free) yogurt sauce, or tahini sauce. They would make a great snack, appetizer, or light meal. Or for a more filling meal, serve in a pita, on a salad, or in a bowl such as our Mediterranean Bowl.
More Falafel Recipes
- Classic Vegan Falafel (Gluten-Free)
- Kale Falafel Hummus Wraps (30 Minutes!)
- Better-Than-Restaurant Falafel (Vegan & Gluten-Free)
- Baked Quinoa Black Bean Falafel
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Easy Beet Falafel
Ingredients
FALAFEL
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (~1 ½ cups as recipe is written)
- 1 ½ cups shredded raw beets
- 4 cloves garlic, skins removed (4 large cloves yield ~2 Tbsp or 12 g)
- 1 ½ cups loosely packed chopped parsley (some stems okay)
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 – 3/4 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1 Tbsp tahini
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1-3 Tbsp oat flour (or chickpea flour or GF flour) (optional)
- 1-3 Tbsp avocado or olive oil (for cooking) (optional)
FOR SERVING optional
- Hummus (or store-bought // for topping)
- Garlic Dill Yogurt Sauce
- Tahini Sauce for Everything
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C), and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add rinsed and drained chickpeas to the baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until slightly cracked and dried out. Set aside. NOTE: Keep oven on if baking falafel or you want crispier edges!
- Shred beet using a box grater or grater attachment on the food processor, transfer to a bowl, and set aside.
- To food processor add garlic and parsley and pulse to chop into small bits. Then add baked chickpeas, 1 ½ cups shredded beets (as original recipe is written), cumin, salt, tahini, and lemon juice, and pulse for about 15-30 seconds. Be careful not to overmix — the mixture shouldn’t be puréed, just a tacky texture that forms easily when squeezed between your fingers. If too wet, you can dry it out with some oat flour (but we didn’t find it necessary). If too dry, add more tahini or lemon juice.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as desired, adding more salt to taste, cumin for smokiness, or lemon for acidity (just be careful not to add too much lemon or the falafel will become too wet).
- Scoop out heaping 1 ½-Tbsp portions of falafel dough (we like this scoop), and use your hands to form them into approximately 1/2-inch thick patties. As written, recipe makes ~16 small falafel or 8-10 larger falafel.
- NOTE: If not cooking all of the falafel right away, FREEZE uncooked falafel between layers of parchment paper and store in a container in the freezer up to 1 month. Then just thaw and cook as instructed!
- TO BAKE: Arrange falafel on the parchment-lined baking sheet from earlier. Spritz or brush with oil for crispier texture (optional), and bake for 20-30 minutes or until crispy on the outside.
- TO PAN FRY: Heat a large skillet over medium / medium-high heat. Once hot, add 2 Tbsp oil (or lesser end of range if adjusting batch size). Swirl to coat pan. Add only as many falafel as will fit comfortably in the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until underside is browned. Then flip carefully and cook for 2-3 minutes more. If you prefer them crispier, transfer them to the oven and bake for another 5-15 minutes.
- Enjoy as is or with sauce of choice. These would be especially delicious with pita, on a salad, or in a bowl such as our Mediterranean Bowl.
- Store leftover falafel covered in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days and reheat in a 350-degree F (176 C) oven. See freezing instructions in step 6.
Bea Cox says
I have found falafel to be extremely dry, do the beets and other ingredients moisten the falafel?
Yes! These do have more moisture than traditional falafel.
Susan says
Beet falafel was really tasty but they lacked “glue” to hold them together. Tripled the lemon juice and added more tahini but never achieved a “tacky” consistency….. just small baked piles of really tasty shredded beets!
Hi Susan, We find the chickpeas create the “glue” when blending. Is it possible those got left out or needed to blend a little longer?
Sue says
Definitely did not leave out a major ingredient…chick peas. I feel like baking them dried them out too much. Also, the warning not to over blend and create a purée may have caused me to underblend.
Skylar Southard says
Just made the recipe and had the same experience. But very yummy
Vv says
So d e l I c I o u s!!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them!
Kamila says
I made these today. They are so good.Adding raw beetroots was such great idea. Quick and easy to do…I baked mine and they were perfect.
Thank you for shearing.
We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Kamila! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Samantha H. says
Quick and easy to make and tastes delicious! Thanks for the recipe I shall definitely make this again.
Yay! Thanks so much for the great review, Samantha!
Andrea says
HI! This is amazing! we make your food all the TIME! 10/10 Where do you get your pottery? id love to look it up if you know the potters or name brands for that plate!
Hi Andrea! So glad you enjoyed this recipe! We get our pottery and props from various places, but a lot of it is from Etsy!
Andrea says
HI! Thank you so much! Do you know the shop names?!! I’ve been on Etsy for months but not finding anything even close to as nice in glazing! haha! I’d be eternally grateful!!!!
We aren’t sure on this specific one, sorry!
Kate says
Hi there. Could you substitute dried chick peas rather than canned ones which need to be baked to dry them out? Using dry chick peas might require a little more liquid to be added
Hi Kate! You would still need to cook your dry chickpeas fully in order to use them in this recipe. Hope this helps!
Fara says
Hi, I am looking to make these in a few weeks but from my experience raw beetroot normally needs hours of cooking, when you say “raw” do you perhaps mean just out of a packet/jar? sorry for such a silly question, unless the grated beetroot cooked quickly when you form it? I just can see that happening, would be grateful for your suggestion/understanding as these look amazing! thank you very much in advance. -Fara
Hi Fara! In our experience shredded beets do very well and cook much faster than larger pieces or whole beets. The recipe calls for shredded raw beets and should work perfectly. Let us know what you think when you give them a try!
Tia says
I have made this twice now and really like it. I use leftover beet juice pulp (and add a tiny bit of water), sub coriander for the parsley, and add a tiny bit of chilli or chilli powder. It’s quick to make and tasty. I don’t have a food processor but I adjust it to be made with a hand blender and it works well. (I just blend everything apart from the beetroot and then mix the beet pulp in). Such a great way to use leftover beet pulp. I’ve also used the falafel as filling in kimbap and it’s delicious! Thank you for the great recipe!
Amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review and sharing your creative modifications, Tia! xo
Humairah Irfan says
How is the fat 0 calories in the recipe?
Thanks for bringing that error to our attention! We’ll get it updated.
Veronica says
These are so good! I had to add an extra tbsp of tahini since the dough was a little dry after mixing but they turned out great. I pan fried and then baked for about 10min. Delicious with tahini sauce, will definitely make again!
Wonderful! Thanks, Veronica!
Anna Viehbeck says
Dude, these are morsels of heaven, especially paired with quinoa, roasted eggplant and hummus. I did NOT roast the chickpeas and my beets were cooked, also I had some freshly roasted garlic which I used instead of raw. My falafels came out on the tender side, and crazy delicious. Thank you Dana&the team!!!
Love these changes! Thanks for sharing, Anna! SO glad you enjoyed them.
Jean White says
So pleased to see this comment. I want to make this recipie but only had cooked beets. WEnt looking to see if someone else had made this with cooked beets. Thanks so much, will go ahead and make them this afternoon
molly says
Best ever. So delicious!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing!
AMALIA says
YUMMMMMMYYY!!! AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING!
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Amalia. Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Jennifer in SF says
These are delicious! I followed the recipe as written and didn’t need the flour at the end. I might process the beets and chickpeas just a little bit more than I did because a few of the patties didn’t hold together super well (but they still tasted great!). We get beets in our veggie box and it can be a challenge to do something interesting with them (aside from simple roasting). This recipe will be in the rotation!
Thanks for sharing your experience, Jennifer! Processing more should help with binding, but the flour also helps with that.
Gabrielle says
Would it work using canned or frozen beets? I sometimes have those on hand…
Hi Gabrielle, we haven’t tried that, so we’re not certain. The color may not be as vibrant and the flavor may be different. Let us know if you try it!
catherine says
i made these and added them into cookie and Kate’s ‘colorful beet salad’ SUCH a good combo! i would definitely recommend. these falafel are super tasty… who knew beet and falafel would make the perfect couple? Everything i have tried from your blog has been amazing, keep doing what you are doing!
Aw, thanks Catherine! xo
Natmytype says
Another delicious recipe – my family loved it!
Yay! Thanks for sharing!
eliza says
Is there anything I can replace the tahini with? I don’t have any tahini and don’t want to have to buy a big jar just to make these.
Perhaps cashew butter?
Carole Deich says
Per my current dietary guru, Dr. Gundry, I should avoid my beloved Chickpeas, but I adore beets and eat them daily. Have you any suggestions for substitutes for Chickpeas?
Hi Carole, can you have other legumes? Perhaps white beans? If not, that’s difficult as chickpeas are a key ingredient. You could possibly try a soaked nut, such as cashew?
Kara says
Found they keep their shape and don’t crumble if you lightly grease the pan. Too much oil and they turn into a puddle. Also subbed some beet for carrot which tasted great.
Very helpful! Thanks for sharing, Kara!
audrey says
Mine were good but frying them was a disaster. They disintegrated in the pan. Baking them was more successful but still very crumbly.
Hi Audrey. Did you blend them fairly well in the food processor or was there quite a bit of texture? I’m thinking they were either undermixed or too dry.
VICKY says
These turned out great! Loved the color and flavor, maybe even more so than regular falafel, this might be a go to recipe, we all loved them!
Whoop! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Vicky!
Sarah says
I love the flavor! I only pan fried them and they were very crumbly, but excellent flavor. I will definitely make them again!
Thanks for sharing, Sarah! These can be a little more tender than traditional falafel. They tend to firm up after refrigerating / freezing, so let us know how that goes. Next time try adding in a little oat flour or all purpose flour if not GF to help them form a bit better!
Jackie B. says
I’ll be honest – I was a little hesitant to make these because I’m weird about beets. But we had a bunch of beets on hand from our produce box, so I figured we’d give them a go. I’m so glad we did! They were so good! I was really happy with the texture and they held up nicely. They were great with hummus and tahini sauce. Yum!
Aw, yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Jackie! Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try and for the lovely review! xo
Colette says
These were great. I served in bowl and they were crumbly (as one might expect with falafel), but I think they’d be better either in a wrap or with moister chickpeas. I will try this next time I make. Overall nice flavour, quick, and satisfying :)
Thanks for sharing, Colette!
Ciara says
These have amazing flavor! Next time I think I will pulse the chickpeas first and then just mix in the shredded beets to everything afterwards. Will definitely be making again!
Thanks for sharing, Ciara!
Laura says
So yummy!!!!! I don’t have a food processor so I blended this in the blender with enough water to get things going and then thickened it back up with oat flour. The texture was a little soft inside but crispy on the outside, so delicious, and the texture probably could have been improved if I’d been patient enough to put them in the oven for a bit after I pan-fried them. All that to say, I will absolutely be making these again, food processor or no food processor! The flavor is soooooo good.
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Laura! Thanks so much for sharing!
Vivian Wong says
Hello, is it possible to leave out or replace the parsley with something else?
Hmm, maybe dill? We haven’t tried it though. Let us know if you do!
Amy says
Fantastic recipe for a filling, healthy and yummy dinner. Loved the garlic flavor. I subbed golden beets for red beets and spinach for parsley, both of which seemed to work well! The falafel did not have the beautiful red hue as pictured here on the recipe, but did turn out an appetizing green from the garden color.
Thanks for sharing, Amy! Next time would you mind adding a rating to your review? It’s super helpful to us and other readers! xo
Amy says
Yes! Not sure how I missed that. 5 stars!
Thanks, Amy!
Mary says
I’m so happy to find this recipe for beet falafel which is so manageable! I was nervous that everything was too loose to form into balls, but it happened, and out of the oven came these beeaautiful little flavor-packed falafels that are perfect on top of salads and made enough leftovers for a few meals. I also made a lemon tahini sauce to drizzle overtop. I already had golden beets on hand instead of regular beets so the falafel was a vibrant gold-yellow color! Looking forward to making these again with red beets per the original recipe next time!
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Mary! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Ann says
Made these for a dinner party and they were perfect! I left them in my oven for a little longer (maybe ~35-40 mins) to get the nice crusty outside. I doubled the recipe and made the bigger size (~2 tbsp each) and they were a huge hit! Not one left!
Whoop! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed them! Thanks so much for sharing, Ann!
Mel says
Had a great time making (and eating) these falafel! I chose to use dried chickpeas which I soaked for 24 hours before continuing with the rest of the recipe. I chose to bake mine in the oven for 20-25 minutes and they held together very well. I found the flavours all worked very well together and the shredded beets added a wonderful sweetness once the falafels were cooked. They’ve been a huge hit even with those that claim to not like falafel! Looking forward to making these again.
Thanks for the fantastic recipes :)
We’re so glad everyone has enjoyed them, Mel! Thanks so much for sharing =)
Mia says
These were a HIT! They were pan fried with olive oil on each side until a golden layer formed, then baked for around 10 mins. The end result were perfectly light yet moist, which I find store-bought falafels lack being that they are often quite dense and dry. Paired with your tzatziki recipe on pita with veggies. Will be making this easy recipe time and time again!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Mia! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Jessica says
We found ourselves with more beets than we knew what to do with this week, so decided to give these a whirl. They were so delicious! The pink colour is SO pretty and such a delightful novelty. We made according to the recipe and found that they were perfect. The beets added excellent moisture and a slightly sweet flavour to these otherwise fairly standard falafel patties. Served on a bed of kale with a garlicky lemon tahini sauce drizzled on top.
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Jessica! Love the way you served them too! Thanks so much for sharing!
Fern Faang says
Very yummy way to use my favorite food of all time… beets!
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Fern! Thanks for sharing!
Austin Z says
The beet falafel was delicious and packed a ton of flavor! Instead of the 4 cloves, I used two plus some garlic powder, as well as a dash of cayenne pepper to add some kick and it came out great! The patties were the perfect consistency with a tablespoon of gluten free flour.
Would definitely recommend and make again!
Thanks for sharing, Austin! So helpful.
katya says
Thank you for the recipe. I wanted to make something with beets! They are super tasty! And healthy :) definitely will make it again.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Katya! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Eva says
Other herbs that would go well if I don’t have parsley? Thank you!
Hmm, maybe dill? We haven’t tried it though. Let us know if you do!
Maren says
I really enjoyed this on whole wheat flatbread with pickled onions, cabbage and a lemon yogurt sauce. I made it as written (baked) and did need a bit of the flour.
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Maren!
KC says
We don’t love beets all that much, so they were okay, but a bit too beet-y. Otherwise, tasted okay! And those of us who like beets were fine with it :)
Thanks for sharing, KC!
Aira says
I made the beet falafels today to top a salad. Quick, easy to follow recipe. The texture and flavour are great. I baked mine (oil less) and opted out of the flour so I needed to be careful flipping but they held together well!
I did add some sauteed onions to them (it’s a clean-out-the-bottom-of-the-fridge day).
Thanks for sharing, Aira!!
Elizabeth says
These were delicious and so filling! Everyone loved them. We served them on a pita with couscous, baked yams, leftover beets, and tzatziki. We will definitely make again.
Yay, we’re so glad everyone enjoyed them! That meal sounds lovely! Thanks so much for sharing!
Kristen says
The flavor on these is really great; they came out a bit mushy, but I think that’s because they needed more flour. I think next time, I’ll make them as burgers.
Thanks for sharing, Kristen! This will depend on how crispy the chickpeas got when baking, as well as the texture of your tahini. Add some oat flour here as needed to thicken!
Lex says
Hi there – can you recommend an alternative to chickpeas? I have trouble digesting legumes! TY!
Hmm, that’s difficult as chickpeas are a key ingredient. You could possibly try a soaked nut, such as cashew?
katie says
I made these, but when I attempted to pan fry, the first batch fell apart! They taste amazing, but I was disappointed when they crumbled to pieces. I froze the second batch. Hopefully, when I fry those, they won’t crumble. Suggestions?
Hi Katie, these can be a little more tender than traditional falafel. They tend to firm up after refrigerating / freezing, so let us know how that goes. Next time try adding in a little oat flour or all purpose flour if not GF to help them form a bit better!
V says
Do you peel the beets before shredding?
You can! Especially if they look or feel extra dirty.
Karlie says
Can canned beets be used?
Hmm, I think they would be too tender / wet but if you try it let us know! I’m thinking canned would work better in this method.
Robin R says
I have previously baked peeled beets in the freezer. Can I use those?
Hmm, I haven’t tried it with baked beets. Let us know if you do!
osa romero says
What can I use instead of Tahini? I have a sesame allergy.
Cashew butter!
Mackenzie says
Could you replace the chickpeas with another bean and still get similar results?
I’d think cannellini beans would work well!
Zakiya says
Can these be air fried?
I would think so, yes! We don’t have one, but a convection oven is basically the same and that worked for me!