So it’s two for one day over here at IBIH! Why are you getting a bonus post today? Because I just couldn’t sit on it for another day, that’s why!
Recently I posted this low carb hummus recipe, and in the post I mentioned having an idea for a cauliflower-based falafel. Well I had so much cauliflower in my fridge that I finally decided to start testing it out this afternoon.
I wasn’t really sure how I was going to go about it, just had a few theories on what might work and what wouldn’t. I figured I’d at least start today, but never dreamed that it would turn out as well as it did on the first try!
This cauliflower-based low carb falafel recipe is so good that it was all I could do not to burst into song like a Disney princess when I took the first taste of it.
I wanted the crunchy texture of a chickpea-based falafel so I started with raw cauliflower, first roughly chopped, and then ground in the food processor. I was worried that it would be too mushy when it cooked, so to keep the chickpea-like texture, I thought maybe ground almonds might do the trick.
I used the slivered almonds you can buy in the baking section of most grocery stores and ground them to a still slightly chunky texture in my magic bullet. To that I added the classic flavorings of falafel, a little heavier on the cumin to hide any cauliflower flavor.
To help bind it I used coconut flour and eggs.
When I formed them they held together well, but I never dredged them and I worried that they wouldn’t brown. As you can see by the picture they DID and perfectly!
Super crunchy like falafel should be! And the interior texture was so good – the slight crunch of the nuts mimicked the chickpeas unbelievably well! The real test though, was whether or not I could get them by my husband and four year old son. Hungry Jr. pronounced them “delicious” and Mr. Hungry never even tasted the cauliflower!
This is a major win for me because he HATES cauliflower and can sniff out even a hint of it like a cadaver dog in a cemetery. So when he got home from work I’d already cleaned up the evidence and had him taste one. He thought they were great except for the slight crunch of the nuts which is a weird thing he has.
Never caught the cauliflower though and was surprised when I told him. YYESSSS! In your FACE!!! (LOL, just kidding! I didn’t really say that but I did think it and do a mental victory dance!) They really are THAT good!
I can’t wait for you guys to try them and tell me what you think! If you like falafel, I think you’ll really enjoy them. If you’ve never tried falafel, then you’ll really REALLY enjoy them! Heck if you have a mouth, you are going to enjoy them!
Low Carb Falafel with Tahini Sauce (Gluten Free)
- Yield: (8) 3" patties
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cauliflower, pureed
- 1/2 cup ground slivered almonds
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin
- 1/2 Tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 large eggs
- 3 Tbsp coconut flour
- Tahini sauce:
- 2 Tbsp tahini paste
- 3 Tbsp water
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt, more to taste if desired
Instructions
- For the cauliflower you should end up with a cup of the puree. It takes about 1 medium head (florets only) to get that much. First chop it up with a knife, then add it to a food processor or magic bullet and pulse until it’s blended but still has a grainy texture.
- You can grind the almonds in a similar manner – just don’t over grind them, you want the texture.
- Combine the ground cauliflower and ground almonds in a medium bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until well blended.
- Heat a half and half mix of olive and grapeseed (or any other light oil) oil until sizzling. While it’s heating, form the mix into 8 three-inch patties that are about the thickness of a hockey puck.
- Fry them four at a time until browned on one side and then flip and cook the other side. Resist the urge to flip too soon – you should see the edges turning brown before you attempt it – maybe 4 minutes or so per side. Remove to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain any excess oil.
- Serve with tahini sauce and a tomato & parsley garnish if desired.
- Tahini sauce: Blend all ingredients in a bowl. Thin with more water if you like a lighter consistency.
- Category: Entree
- Cuisine: Falafel
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 patties
- Calories: 281
- Fat: 24g
- Carbohydrates: 5g net
- Protein: 8g
Ellen says
I have been wanting to try this recipe for a couple of years and finally made it tonight.
It is a winner and I am not sure if you ate chickpea falafel and this one side by side you could tell the difference. The texture with the ground almonds is spot on and the flavor is also fabulous. Possibly slightly spicier than I am used to with the cayenne, I might dial it back a bit next time, I am also going to add a pinch or so of baking powder or soda as that is a flavor thatis hinted in regular falafel. I did not add parsely or other hebs like cilantro as didn‘t have any and it was delicious as is. I followed the recipe as written.
The tahini sauce was also delicious, I also had some tzatzike with it. I made the balls a little smaller and got ten out of it. I do think they need to be friend in a good amount of oil to get that crispy outside texture though will be interesting if other readers can replicate with an airfryer.
This would be a perfect vegetarian meal with keto riced cauliflower instead of bulghur Tabouleh salad.
Thanks for all your fabulous recipes, your site is one of my go to‘s and I recommend it to any interested in keto cuisine.
★★★★★
Anna Roberts says
Help! I tried this recipe from the cookbook (which is beautiful and inspiring!) but I ended up with a plate-full of oil-soaked falafel mush. Tastes delicious but zero patty shapes! I am not sure where I went wrong- I’m am a trained chef but keto cooking is still very new to me and many of the tried and true methods I’ve come to rely on just don’t seem to work. My mixture was very soft and a bit spongy, not too wet to form a patty shape, but I wonder if I used too much cauliflower? My oil foamed up (I tried two different oils) and the patties just seemed to dissolve before my eyes. I know the oil was hot enough and I had beautiful browning, but both times once I flipped the patties I had a pan full of foam and mush. I thought about just scrambling the mixture and using it as a salad topper but it soaked up ALL of the frying oil so I’m sure it’s off the charts with fat, even for Keto.
Andie says
I haven’t tried these yet, but am drooling with anticipation. I have hemp hearts but not almonds – has anyone tried using hemp hearts instead of almonds? AND there was a question about making these in a waffle iron instead of fried pucks. I wonder the same. Frying is a pain in the neck & SO messy.
Larissa says
I love this recipe so much ! I have it everyday , however I am trying to lose weight and want to decrease the amount of calories ; can I use more cauliflower instead of 1/2 cup almonds ?
★★★★★
Katie says
AAAACK!!!! These were SO spicy, I had to throw the whole batch out!
What did I do??
Mellissa Sevigny says
The recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper which is barely noticeable in the finished product. If yours was unbearably spicy maybe you used 1/2 tablespoon instead?
Sheetal Shah says
Just made these and they were absolutely delicious. So happy to finally find a low carb version of falafel that Tastes like the real thing. Thank you!
★★★★★
Dana says
These were amazing!
I fried them in coconut oil 👍🏻
I’m wondering … do the macros listed above include the oil they are fried in? And how much oil shall i use? A cup total or less?
Maureen Luchejko says
I am a professional recipe developer. I’ve also been keto for two years. I’ve spent so much time & money looking for good keto recipes. Many have been disappointing — especially baking recipes. I love falafel but miss not being able to have it. I thought I’d try to find a keto version and boy did I luck out with this recipe. I just tested this and it’s delicious! An excellent keto version of falafel that doesn’t taste like fried cauliflower. I love it and will be making this for myself tonight along with an Israeli salad. Thank you!!
★★★★★
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks so much Maureen, that’s really high praise and means a lot! I hope you enjoy the rest of my recipes just as much!
Carmen says
I doubled the recipe. I baked half at 350 for 20 minutes and fried the other half. The fried falafel turned out moist and delicious but the baked falafel were too dry for my taste. I definitely recommend trying them to retain moisture. Great Recipe! Thanks!
★★★★★
Wendy says
Hoe many grams is one cup of cauliflower rice? I bought a bag of pre-grinded cauliflower rice of 400 grams but can’t find a converter from cups to grams for cauliflower rice
Julie Horning says
I made the cauliflower hummus on Thursday and my non Keto husband tasted and then kept wondering why he didn’t get any of it :) Tried these today – they are great – instead of frying – i did spritzed them with a little coconut oil and cooked them in my air fryer. Next time i will add a bit of tahini to the mix first – they don’t have enough fat when they aren’t fried in oil – my fault tho no fault of the recipe. I got exactly 8 patties – used a medium ice cream scoop and then shaped them – they held together great. Thanks Melissa.
★★★★★
Mellissa Sevigny says
Definitely need to try these in the air fryer, thanks Julie!
Kristen says
This was amazing! The proportions were on point. My family loved it. Do you know a good substitute for the eggs so that it could be vegan friendly?
Dana says
Can i use cauliflower rice and blitz it a bit in the food processor?
Annabel says
I did this last night, worked perfectly. I forgot to defrost the rice though…not sure if that plays into why they worked so well ?♀️
★★★★★
Adriana says
Has anybody done these chaffle style?
Miriam Gholl says
I’m new to keto (hence the late comment), but I had to tell you how excellent this recipe is! I served them to my Lebanese hubby tonight and he and I both LOVED THEM! The only change I will make the next time I make them (tomorrow?) is to use 1/2 almond flour and 1/2 coconut flour. My hubby didn’t mind the sweetness from the coconut flour, but since going off sugar, everything tastes very extra sweet. I only used about a 1/4 head of cauliflower and it came out to a cup, and I made 5 patties. Have you ever frozen them? That’s what I’m going to try tomorrow – great go-to dinner! Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
Susan says
I freeze these….they defrost fine!
Cheryl Caplan says
While I enjoyed the combination of ingredients and the flavor, I simply couldn’t get the individual “hockey pucks” to stay together while they browned in the oil. I added an extra egg but that didn’t help. My medium head of cauliflower delivered more than one cup of pureed cauliflower. Perhaps the proportions were off.
★★★
Mellissa Sevigny says
The recipe calls for the 1 cup of cauliflower – if you had more than that from your head of cauliflower you should have reserved it for another recipe, not used it all. That would have definitely thrown off the proportions – sorry if the instructions weren’t clear.
Paula says
You nailed it. These are outstanding! I made a tazikki sauce to go with them. Yum!!! Thank you.
★★★★★
Dee says
Seriously I could not believe how fantastic these were! The only change I made was instead of using tahini sauce I put a healthy sized tablespoon of tahini right in the mix. Really fantastic. Thank you for the recipe. I am off to buy more cauliflower now :)
Denise says
Plant based vegetarian. I was looking for something without beans or flour…The cauliflower dried out wonderfully..The spices..spot on..color… and texture…yup a falafel…yup excellent
★★★★★
Tasha Martin says
Oh my goodness! I love falafel and now I love you! Thank you so much for this recipe. I purchased your cookbook “Keto for Life” and have loved every recipe. This one is my absolute favorite! You’re brilliant! Thank you so very much!
Leila says
I’m seriously amazed by this recipe! Hubby even liked these and he HATES cauliflower! And he’s a falafel junkie! Delicious!
Jenni says
Do you think I could use almond meal instead of coconut flour. We have a coconut allergy to consider. Does anyone know the substitution ratio? I know that I would need more almond meal than coconut.
Sophilia says
These were amazing! Better than the real thing.
★★★★★
Carolyn Wallis says
I followed all recipe except I had whole almonds on hand so I just chopped them up a bit AND I used flax “eggs” (since I avoid chicken eggs).–so, yes, you can make this vegan! This recipe was amazing. My husband was delighted as falafels are one of his favorite international foods and we are reducing carbs. Thank you! I do want to mention that due to my work schedule, I had to mix up the falafel ingredients in advance and refrigerate before frying. It worked wonderfully. I am a bit confused on how much oil to put in the skillet. Did I miss that in the instructions?
★★★★★
Tamiko says
I was just wondering if using a flaxseed egg would work. THanks for the tip:)>
Kristen says
Sounds awesome! Can I sub almond meal or while almonds and pulse more? Don’t have any slivers on hand lol
Ody says
Loved this and I don’t even like falafel! I must have Donne something wrong though becuse I see no other comments regarding the issues I had. I weighed my batch in order to make sure each piece was the correct size but mine were far from hockey puck size and Moreno along the size of a golf ball. They were still very filling and I can’t imagine what I did becuse I followed the instructions to a tee. Also, does Thani come in different thickness? I had to toss the first batch of sauce becuse when the water was added it was nothing more than thani tinted water. I used far less water in AE cold batch and it was wonderful just curious why I seem to be the only one with these issues. My cauliflower husband could not believe it didn’t include chickpeas. I’ll definitely make again,
Ody says
Sorry for the typos the entry on my iPad wasn’t was a bit choppy?
Mellissa Sevigny says
I’m not sure how weighing them would make sure they are the right size – I didn’t mention weight anywhere in the post that I could see when I reread this. If you didn’t stir your tahini well then there is probably a solid lump at the bottom of your jar – once you stir it in then your tahini will be thicker and so will your resulting sauce. Glad you liked the flavors though!
Georgina says
I think she weighed the mix to get eight equal portions and those didn’t come up to hockey puck size. That’s how I understood it at any rate.
Em says
The taste of these was DELICIOUS, but I had the same issue. Definitely impossible to make eight 3” diameter, hockey puck thickness (which is about 1”) patties. It did make 4 perfectly though, so I just doubled the recipe. Again, great flavor though!
★★★★
Gigi says
Hi there! This recipe sounds absolutely fantastic and as I am throwing a Mediterranean themed low-carb dinner party next Saturday, I’d like to try this. The only question I have: I am making this for 10 people and have a starter, side, and desert to take care off, too. Has anyone tried to make these and then heat them up in the oven later? I would hate it if they turned out too dry, but don’t want to serve them cold either, as we are already having gazpacho as a starter. Any tipps would be greatly appreciated, thank you!:)
Michelle says
Had to revisit this site to leave a comment. Wow!
This is a fantastic recipe!! Thank you!
I’m seriously impressed and prefer them to ‘normal’ falafel! All the flavour and none of the dryness.
I felt a little nervous about how they would turn out as I baked them to avoid the oil and they browned-up beautifully! (180 celsius for 30 minutes – in a rubbish oven, I’d start at 20 mins if you have a good one!),
I also used ‘flax eggs’ to make the recipe vegan and that worked great.
I blitzed up a bit of extra cauliflower and used it make a tabbouleh-style salad to go with it, which was a perfect accompaniment!
Thanks again, I think this will become a regular in my kitchen!
★★★★★
Michelle Whitfield says
I made these today…..yummy! I didn’t measure the spices, I just eyeballed it. Could have added more salt.
★★★★★
Samantha Liner says
Made this recipe twice in two days it was so good! We’ve been craving falafel and this was absolutely perfect and so easy to make. Thank you for sharing this great recipe!
★★★★★
Melanie says
I just came across this recipe today and the one thing I miss on keto is falafels. I know it says 1 cup puréed cauliflower. Has anyone used packaged riced cauliflower to make this instead and do I still use 1 cup? And I’ve been having trouble finding ground coriander. Can I use fresh cilantro instead? I’ll probably try it. I can’t wait to make this!
Navjot Kaur says
try indian grocery store.. they will have it for sure. its one of our staple spice
Jennie says
these were really good, I still feel very happy about our wonderful dinner. The tahini sauce was super yummy with them. I fried them in Coconut oil and grapeseed oil mixed. We had a salad and cucumbers with supper too. I will definitely add these to our grain free routine. Thank you!
★★★★★
Pam says
I wanted to tell you that we tried this recipe and it is wonderful! Will definitely be making this one again.
★★★★★
SST says
I was wondering if the nutritional data includes the 1/2 cup of oil for frying and the tahini sauce.
Mellissa Sevigny says
An estimate of absorbed oil is included (though you don’t need half a cup to make these) and while it’s been a long time since I posted this so I don’t specifically remember, I always include the sauces in the nutrition info – or I’ll make a specific note saying I didn’t and why, which I didn’t do here so it’s safe to assume yes.
SST says
Thanks. I made these and they are terrific! I cannot taste the cauliflower at all. I count calories as well as carbs, so I ended up baking these at 350 for 15 mins. then turned them over and baked another 8 mins. and they are really good. I served with plain yogurt as a dip and am a happy camper!
★★★★★
Janet says
Any chance you know the net carb count of just the falafel sans sauce? I am not using the tahini sauce and was wondering. Didn’t know that you included it in the previous nutrition info until I read the comments! Who knew I could have been eating more of these delicious morsels! haha
Thanks again for your delicious recipes!
Janet
★★★★★
Janet says
You are a genius with flavors! This recipe is so similar to my high carb garbanzo bean falafels that if you gave these to 100 people and didn’t tell them…they would never ever guess it was cauliflower and almonds! Spot on! I doubled the batch since 2 of us are eating LCHF. Couldn’t wait for dinner, had to try them and I mean I couldn’t stop at just one! Had some tzatziki in the fridge from another meal and dipped them into that….delish!
Thank you for all your recipes…love the blog!
★★★★★
Mellissa Sevigny says
So glad you liked these Janet! I haven’t made them in ages, but your comment inspired me to get the stuff today! ?
SST says
Hi – Love your blog, but wish you would add the nutritional data for fiber and true carbs (not net). It would save many of us time so we wouldn’t have to upload to a recipe builder. Cheers!
Oliver says
I just made these and they are excellent!
Trying to become a vegetarian and staying in ketosis so these are a life saver!
★★★★★
Virginia says
These were amazing. The raw mixture smelled pretty terrible, but the end result was scrumptious. Now I can eat falafels again! Put in a liberal amount of spices!
Bronwyn says
Oh my goodness. These were fabulous. I was sceptical but wrong. These were amazing, thanks so much for the recipe! I subbed chopped almonds as I don’t have a food processor and used dried parsley. Yummy!!
Anu says
I made these last weekend and they were absolutely delicious! Thank you so much! I’d love to make them again for my OH but there’s a few things, like others, I’m a bit confused about. I too got a huge amount of cauliflower from my “medium head” (4 cups), so I ended up using 2 cups rather than 1… perhaps that was my first mistake? I left the other ingredients at their original amounts and this made the patties a bit crumbly when I fried them, a couple of them fell to bits. Doesn’t matter, though, because they tasted so delicious, but I’m wondering if you could please confirm the quantities again? I managed to shape 8 x 3″ patties with the 2 cups of cauliflower and I really don’t think I would’ve gotten even close with 1 cup, so should it be 1 cup or 2? Also, how much oil do you use for frying? Is it more a pan fry or a deep fry? Your gorgeous photo has the falafel browned all over, but mine only really browned on the two sides, with the edges still the colour of the batter. Should I have used more oil? Thanks again!
★★★★
Virginia says
Same thing happened to me. After using the Cuisinart, I got about 3 cups,0. I increased everything by double except the egg. They held together well.
Janet says
She does say “1 cup” cauliflower so forget that she says a “medium head” and proceed. But I always double the whole batch and make 16 of these delicious patties…because they never last long in our house….and why go to all the trouble to only get a meal. They stay great in the fridge and rewarmed in the microwave.
★★★★★
Jennifer says
Very good had to make a second batch!
Jennifer says
I was sceptical if this would turn out but the family loved it so much I had to make a second batch! Very, very good?
Kathrin Botkin says
Absolutely LOVED it – super easy to make and super yummy. My husband (who is a Falafel – lover) rated them as BEST falafels ! Goes super well with Paleo Nane bread and the Zucchini Humus ! Definitely a winner. Thank you
★★★★★
Beth says
I was looking for a coconut flour falafel recipe when I happened upon this. It sounded divine so I thought I’d try it. They’re fantastic!!! I will mention that being a rebel in the kitchen, I’m incapable of following a recipe as written so I added my own personal touches…I ground fresh kale in with the cauliflower. I used sesame seeds instead of almonds, and I baked them at 425 in a good amount of coconut oil instead of frying them.
I also made an avocado and tahini “hummus” to go with them. My dad’s family is Lebanese so I’ve been making traditional hummus my whole life. But I just started a ketogenic eating plan so needed to 86 the chickpeas. 1 ripe avocado, about 1/4 cup tahini, juice of one lemon, garlic to taste (we use a lot) and dried mint. Blend together. Drool-worthy.
Thank you SO much for this awesome recipe. I can’t wait to try (and of course mess around with) many others!
xoxo
niki says
I really needed to comment on this recipe. I have a HATE HATE relationship with cauliflower. I LITERALLY have thrown it up every single time I have tried eating it, all of my life.
it is offensive and disgusting. Cauliflower is the anti christ.
However… in an attempt to add new vegetables, I braved it and made your recipe and I LOVED it!! My husband loved it as well and he is not a huge fan of cauliflower either.
WELL DONE!
Mellissa Sevigny says
WOOT! I consider this a huge victory!!! Welcome to the dark side! :)
Wendy says
I love all of your recipes as so many of your followers do! I have recently made the faux-lafels and they really turned out amazing. The taste and texture were very comparable to the real thing, even better. I left my almonds very slivered like texture and my kids loved them. My only concern was my tahini sauce, it was very salty as the recipe called for 1 tsp of salt. Should I have used table salt instead of sea salt? In future I might even omit the salt altogether. What are your thought. Thanks again for all of your amazing creations!
Mellissa Sevigny says
I use kosher salt which is flaky and probably not as dense as your sea salt, definitely experiment with using less next time – salt is a tough measurement in a recipe because people’s taste is so different and the different varieties can vary so much in how salty they are. Glad you enjoyed the recipe though and thanks for the feedback!
anarcho-taoist says
Just like the real thing almost – maybe even better!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks so much – I couldn’t ask for higher praise!
Sherrie says
I made these the other night, they were delish. I added curry powder instead of cumin and corriander, just because. They were a little delicate in the pan but after being in the refrigerator overnight they had an even better texture. They were yummy for lunch the next day. Thanks so much for the recipe. Can’t wait to make them for my vegetarian daughter. Who knew a vegetarian and a low-carber eating the same thing!! Love it!
Susan says
I don’t know how I stumble upon this recipe, and was rather skeptical, but my husband hates cauliflower too so I thought I’d give this a go. SOOOOOO YUMMY! Neither of us could believe they were made of cauliflower! I made a double batch because my head of cauliflower gave me 2 cups when pureed. I’m glad I did because we had 1 batch for dinner (with a big salad) and the 2nd batch for lunch the next day, this time in wraps with lettuce and toms. Instead of the tahini sauce (didn’t have tahini on hand) I topped them with plain yogurt and chopped mint. I’m now going to go through the rest of your recipes – thanks!!!
Christine says
This has become an absolute favorite go to dish! So glad to have the recipe. I add a bit of yogurt to the tahini sauce as well. MMMMMM!
Sue says
FYI. I baked mine and they came out pretty good. Not as dark and crunchy as your beauties, but I was happy. I dusted with a little flour and sprayed with cooking spray. Baked 15 minutes per side at 400.
brittany says
I made this today (after finding the recipe about fifteen minutes before I decided to cook it haha) and it was really good! I was GOING to mention in my comment that the ‘batter’ was really watery and definitely couldn’t be preformed into hockey pucks. I was GOING to mention that for the second half of the batch, I put it through a sieve first and that helped make it more ‘shapeable’….then I got back on your site to comment and realized that I had skipped the coconut flour!! THAT’S why it was watery! Duh! Coconut flour would have sucked that moisture right up.
But I decided to share my dumbness in the comments in case others are out of coconut flour or something — these still work great, let it sit for a little bit to release the moisture then put through a sieve or maybe a nut bag, and you should be good to go! :) Maybe they are fluffier with the coconut flour? I’ll try it that way next time! :)
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks Brittany – glad you were able to make these work for you even without the coconut flour! ;)
JillS says
Made these tonight- they were great! I substituted ground flaxseed with water for the eggs to make the recipe vegan. Fantastic! We loved them!
Melissa says
Hi there, thanks so much for this recipe! My sweetie is type 1 diabetic and can’t really have your typical falafel, since the chickpeas have too many carbs. Every time it would be offered to him, he would only eat one or two balls, and his blood sugar would sky rocket. He showed me this recipe today, and we teamed up to make it, a little unsure since he absolutely detests cauliflower. Let me tell you, we BOTH loved it! He even said it was better than the falafel we had last week made by the Middle Eastern lady down the street. Beating a Middle Eastern family falafel recipe is no easy feat, but you’ve done it. Thanks so much for giving my sweetie something to drool over. It’s hard for him to find treats he can have, so we will definitely put this one in our weekly rotation!
– Melissa Rose
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know Melissa (great name btw, lol!) To know that he hates cauliflower (so does my husband) and that he still thought it was even better than a truly authentic falafel recipe really makes my day! :)
Melissa says
Yes, he loves them! So glad for this recipe, great work :) Actually making them again right now – which brought me back to this recipe! Great name as well haha :)
chris says
I added avocado, which gave them the green falafel color while also giving it a bit more body flavor wise, and they also held together better. I increased the salt by a tad and added some lemon juice. The falafel were fine when added with the zucchini hummus, but the lemon helped them stand on their own. I found they were better in bite sizes and I rolled them in the coconut flour, since coconut flour creates a crisp crust. I was able to achieve the exact color and consistency of a regular falafel this way. I also fried them at 350 and found anything towards the 375 range to give inconsistent results. Great concept, no one knew they weren’t normal falafel.
Kimi says
Is there anything low carb I can use to substitute coconut flour? I’m allergic…
Mellissa Sevigny says
I haven’t tried it Kimi but in theory almond flour would also work fine, maybe an extra tablespoon or two since it’s not as absorbent as coconut flour. Hope you like them!
Stephanie Wagner says
Great recipe!! I also had A LOT of cauliflower so I doubled the recipe. They freeze very well. Just thaw for 30 sec in the microwave and then pan fry to crisp them up again! Worked great!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks Stephanie, good to know that these freeze well, appreciate you letting us know!!!
Sarah says
Phenomenal recipe! It really is exactly like falafel and completely cauliflower funk free. My teens ate all of the leftovers immediately after lunch. I served it in a Joseph’s low carb pita with lettuce tomato and Trader Joe’s tahini sauce, about 8 net carbs all together and the best and most filling lunch I have had in weeks. I made a double batch and still have a lot of riced cauliflower left, I may be making it again tomorrow.
I thought the jerked ribs were my favorite of your recipes but they have been displaced.
April says
I’m definitely going to try these. I’ve found all the recipes you have given for the menu’s are great. I’m only on week one; but I LOVE it!
What could replace the Coriander? I’m also wondering about the Tahini paste as I don’t know if I will be able to find that.
Thanks for all your work. I’m going to be able to “Make it” this time…I just know it!
Mellissa Sevigny says
You can definitely make it April! There is really no replacement for coriander, but you could just omit it. The tahini paste is really critical to the authentic flavor, but if you can’t find it then let I suppose you could use almond butter – it will have a different flavor but would be somewhat similar. Let us know if you try it and how it comes out!
Janet says
Make your own tahini with plain white sesame seeds….toast them a bit and put them in the blender or food processor with a little vegetable oil and run until a smooth paste is made. Proceed with the sauce recipe.
★★★★★
Gina says
Not sure what I did wrong. :( I made the recipe, I thought precisely according to your directions. But I only came out with four 3-inch patties. There was no way that was going to make 8 of them. The only thing I was confused about was the amount of cauliflower. I used what I considered to be a medium head, pulsed it in the food processor as directed. But I came out with way more than one cup of pureed cauliflower. It was at least twice that. Maybe I didn’t puree it enough?? Maybe I should have just used all of it anyway?? What do you think? I have never had falafel before, but these taste great and the texture is exactly as you described. I am thinking that the cauliflower, eggs and coconut flour could work as a great binder in crab cakes and tuna or salmon patties. Oh the possibilities…… :) Thanks for all you do Mellissa. Want you to know that you are extremely appreciated!!!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thank you Gina! The recipe calls for the one cup so you did that right, but it’s been so long since I’ve made these that I’ll have to test it out again to see about the quantity. Glad you enjoyed the flavor and texture though, thanks for the feedback!!!
Sandi says
Mellissa , this recipe is amazing!!! I haven’t had falafels for years because of my tummys dislike of chickpeas.Now I can have them whenever I want! Thank you ,thank you, thank you!
I am new to your site and I am really enjoying it. The recipes I’ve made so far have all been very good. Keep up the good work, thanks again.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Welcome Sandi, and I’m so glad you enjoyed the falafel! It’s one of my favorite recipes on the blog but it’s been ages since I’ve made it myself – really need to make these again soon! Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Wafaa Wali says
I tried your recipe today but being a vegan, I decided to skip the patties part and just cooked it and added rice milk till it cooked and used it the way I would use couscous or lentils with salad. Great recipe, thank you.
Aaron says
This is seriously one of the most brilliant recipes that I have ever tried! This blows falafel out of the water. Thank you for being so smart.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Um…you’re welcome? ha ha! And thanks – so glad you liked it! I haven’t made it in AGES, time to add this one to the weekly rotation again – thanks for the reminder! :)
Colleen Stewart says
I just tried these and they are amazing!!! I seriously was waiting to feel sick and gross afterwords finding it hard to believe these were not made with chickpeas ;) Happily I feel great :) Two filled me up! I’m looking forward to leftovers tomorrow. Thanks for a great recipe!!
Jennifer says
Made these and just had to say they were AMAZING. Best ever!
Suzanne says
I made these tonight for my family but wanted to share my substitution — we’ve got zucchini coming out of our ears from our garden so I actually substituted a cup of raw pureed zucchini instead of the cauliflower (also because I was already using cauliflower “rice” to make a grain-free tabouleh as a side dish). I had to add a bit more almond and coconut flour to account for the added moisture in the zucchini, but otherwise they were FABULOUS. We wrapped them in swiss chard leaves (also from the garden) to make them pita-esque, and topped with the tahini sauce, tomatoes, and red onion. Thank you SO much for this recipe — it was a huge hit!!!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks for the feedback Suzanne! I’m going to try your zucchini version soon, sounds awesome! :)
Mitch says
These were awesome!
I’ve made “falafel” before, chickpea and non-chickpea variations and these were definitely the best.
Thanks :)
Christina W says
I just made these, and they are seriously amazing!! I’m so excited right now over the fact that I can have falaffel again!
However, I think that the size of cauliflowers here in Denmark must be enormous, because I got FOUR cups of cauliflower-rice from one semi-small (imo) cauliflowerhead :D. Oh well, just had to make more falaffel ;)
Coral says
Hi, great recipe, however do you have a suggestion for an egg free version ?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Hi Coral, I’m not really sure about making it egg free. Theoretically, mixing in 2 Tbl of flax meal (ground flax seeds) or chia seeds would act as a binder to replace the egg, but I’m not sure how much it would alter the flavor. If you try it, do let us know if it works or not and how the flavor is!
Crissy says
Eating these with your hummus now, so so yummy! Thanks for the recipe :)
Karen in Ithaca says
I just made these faux-lafel and am really impressed with their texture and flavor. In addition, my carb- loving kids thought they were yummy.
Mellissa Sevigny says
So glad you guys liked them Karen! It’s been SO LONG since I’ve made them, I really have to add them to our menu soon!
ladyp1234 says
Yum, these are delicious! Fantastic recipe. Thank you.
Melissa says
Do you think I can sub something for the eggs? I can’t have them and ooooh do I want me some falafel!
Debbie says
I bookmarked this recipe months ago and finally got around to trying it. Unfortunately, I didn’t remember that I am out of cumin and coriander until I started mixing the ingredients… oops! I compensated with extra parsley and added black pepper, sweet paprika, and spicy paprika. I figured it wouldn’t taste falafel-like without the cumin, but maybe it would still be salvageable as a vegetable patty? The result was fantastic! The texture is exactly like felafel (I live in the Middle East, so I know!). Even without the cumin and coriander it still tasted similar to its namesake. This recipe is a winner and was immediately copied down into my recipe notebook. They are very filling and you cannot taste the cauliflower at all (not that I would mind, I like cauliflower). The tehina complements this dish perfectly. Thank you for sharing this terrific recipe!
BabooBabeau says
Made these last night–AMAZING!
Sarah says
i made 2 batches on sunday. one i doubled the almond portion and the other i made as the recipe calls for. i prefer the one with more almond as it is more ‘nutty’ and taste more like a falafel to me. the others without double almond taste a bit soft. i also froze the regular recipe and cooked from frozen which could also contribute to the texture?
jenwang881 says
I would like to try this recipe but I don’t have any coconut flour. Can I substitute with rice/wheat/white flour?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Yes, you can use pretty much any flour in this recipe. Enjoy!
Anna says
By the way – I happened to add 1/2 tsp tumeric and this made the faux-lafel yellow on the inside, just like the real ones!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Awesome idea on the turmeric! Love that, thanks for sharing!
Anna says
I finally tried these – YUM! Thanks for this brilliant and original idea! Some of them fell apart though. Nothing a bit of locust bean gum won’t fix.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Never tried the locust bean gum Anna but thanks for the tip!
Hannah says
Melissa you are a Goddess! These are SO DAMN GOOD. Next time I will have to make double the recipe because they were just inhaled at dinner.
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Thanks Hannah! I love these too and I’m so glad you liked them! :)
Therese says
Delicious! I have just started eating along the primal/paleo style and am having a hard time reconciling myself to all the meat, so this was perfect. My husband and I both liked it. We served it with a salad of chopped tomatoes, chopped cucumbers, chopped greek olives with red wine vinegar and olive oil. It was great, so thank you!!
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Sounds like a yummy salad! Glad you enjoyed these, I don’t like to eat tons of meat either but it’s not easy to be low carb and not eat meat with every meal. I’m always looking for hearty alternatives and will work on more meatless recipes in the future. Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Erin says
OH my! These are so delicious! Thank you for creating such great tasting food using natural ingredients! My health depends on it! :)
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Mine too! ;) You’re welcome and I’m so glad you liked them!
Paul Halliday says
… at last, I made it!
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vcNM0n8fHqU/T4XttErRDBI/AAAAAAAASpo/q6MvcudSMNg/s1024/DSC_0015.jpg
Wow! Fantastic!
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Thanks Paul, glad you liked them!
gwenjj says
Any chance these would still be good baked instead of fried? I’m just so lazy sometimes!
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
This is pure speculation because I haven’t tried it, but I think it could work. The biggest issue I see with it is getting the nice crunchy crust on them. Maybe if you brush or spray them with oil first? They’d still be tasty either way, but the crunchy crust is where it’s at…
Tiffany Youngren says
I am so excited to try this!! Yum!!! Also took the links to the hummus, which also looks like a “must try”. Thanks!
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Can’t wait to hear what you thought of them, as well as the hummus! Enjoy!
Anonymous says
These are fantastic! I served these with a greek-ish salad on the side – yummorama. My 13 y/o just requested this to be her birthday dinner…and she hasn’t liked anything lately. anything. Thank you so much!!!
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Passed the picky teenager test??? Awesome! :)
Mary says
Liked this a lot! Topped it with a bit of Greek yogurt.LOVE your blog, can’t wait to try all the low carb dishes!
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Thanks Mary! Glad you liked it!
Anonymous says
WOW. I really mean it. I can’t believe how much that tasted like a true falafal. Many thanks! I served it with a cucumber and tomato salad and some Tzatziki sauce. Perfection!
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Right???? I couldn’t believe it either – that’s why I was so excited about it! Glad it worked out so well for you and thanks for the feedback!
Lauren says
This looks great! It’s going on my list of stuff to try. Cauliflower is so versatile!
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Hope you like them Lauren! I’ve got a batch of cauli in the microwave as we speak and I’m going to make more of these tomorrow!
Leigh says
So excited to find this blog. I can’t wait to make these. Do you think these could be made and then put in a freezer bag to be pulled out when you wanted to make a few? I am eating gluten free and trying paleo/low carb, and your recipes are a welcome change from most. Thanks! Oh I live in NC
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Hi Leigh and thanks! I think you probably could freeze them though I haven’t tried it. You could try freezing the patties formed but uncooked, or even fry them and then cool and freeze them and bake them for 10-12 minutes right out of the freezer to heat and crisp them up. In fact, I think I’m going to experiment with that theory myself! Let me know if you try it and if it works or not!
Shadaan says
I made these before and they were heavenly. So thank you for the recipe.
However before travelling,I made the falafel “dough” without the eggs and froze it to use later.
After defrosting,I added the eggs and a tad coconut flour as the dough looked too wet. But frying them, they opened up and turned a mess in the oil. So added more coconut flour ,shaped them and put them back in the freezer for 10 mins. Will fry them soon and update.
Any tips or hints how to rectify these..
★★★★★
Mike says
This looks really good. Plus it’s full of good and healthy ingredients…I’m definitely going to give it a try!
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Thanks Mike – I’m still really excited about them! I hope you like them and will let us know how they come out!
hazygirl_8 says
Thanks for the recipe! Made these for lunch today and they were really tasty :) Cauliflower is pretty hard to get hold of where i live and i’m really glad i used it this way. Cheers
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Thanks for the feedback! Sorry for you that you can’t get cauli easily! I remember in CT a few years ago it was $4 per head and up. My mother in law called me the other day because she found it at a local Aldi’s down here in SC for 89 CENTS a head! I didn’t get any because I’d already stocked up at 2 bucks and thought that was a good deal! Going to try growing my own this year for the first time – maybe you can too. Love it! :)
Tarah @ What I Gather says
I often complain about how much I miss falafel. I cannot wait to try this! I used to love falafel with tahini, lettuce, tomatoes and onions. So good!
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
When we used to go to NYC and walk around it was one of my favorite things to get from the food trucks! Even if we had dinner plans I always got some! So crunchy and delicious! I really love this version though and I hope you will too! Let me know if it satisfies your craving!
Maulbeere says
It satisfied mine! I’ve missed falafel since I developed an allergy to all beans, including chickpeas. These are amazing. I doubled the garlic, and upped cumin and coriander in mine by about 50% just because I like them that way. Gorgeous.
★★★★★
Matt Sevigny says
I just ate the falafel because you were excited and I didn’t want floor spice put into the things you make for me. Plus, you sabotaged my senses by adding the nuts and so I wasn’t focused on cauliflower detection. Well played……
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Well now that I know the nuts worked maybe I’ll try to sneak some broccoli by you next. You’ll never see it coming…then WHAM! Broccoli!! (rubs hands together cackling evilly)
Anonymous says
Mellissa, these sound outstanding! What a fantastic recipe. As usual, you’ve come up with an original and exciting idea. HOWEVER…..I have a theory on why Matt didn’t pick up on the cauliflower. You see, he stopped by our house on the way home last night. As he walked in, he nearly fainted as he let out a huge, “PHEW! What’s that sink?…cabbage?….cauliflower?” I had just roasted two large heads of cauliflower and the house was filled with it’s…uh……essence. So, my theory is that Matt’s nostrils experienced cauliflower sensory overload and didn’t have a chance to reset before tasting your falafel. Ha! Great job!! Can’t wait to try these…..when are you coming over? :o) XO Your mom-in-law
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
I almost brought you the leftovers this afternoon. But then I ate them instead. They were delicious! ;)
Cici says
I absolutely love this comment!
Paul Halliday says
What a cool idea! Falafel is often too dry inside, but I bet these are nice and moist.
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Hey Paul! You are right that they are sometimes too dry and crumbly, and these definitely were not. I hope you try them because I’m interested in hearing what you thought. I liked them even better than the real thing which was a surprise to me!
Jenny Yelle says
This looks so yummy!!! Because I am Greek, I always cook a Mediterranean themed Easter dinner, and these will be the perfect compliment to the meal… Thank you! I love your blog & e-mails!
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Thanks Jenny! I hope your family enjoys them and you’ll let us know how they come out!
Tim Newcome says
Wow….not only does that look delicious and interesting but excellent writing. I’m going to clip this and try it sometime. Actually I have put out a call to my FB friends to see if any of them can cook it for me, and send me a serving. Do you think they would reheat ok?
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Thanks Tim! Actually I ate a few for lunch cold today and they were still great so you should be ok if you can actually get anybody to make them for you! :)
Doris says
I almost want to go make them right now, but it’s nearly 11 pm and I would wake others up. So, I will have to wait until tomorrow. I am also probably going to do your cookies, and make a pizza tomorrow. It’s going to be featst time, and all your recipes!!!
Thanks, Melissa. We are so blessed to have you!
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Thank YOU Doris! I hope you guys liked them!