An easy keto falafel recipe made without chickpeas is a delicious snack or appetizer. But it's also a perfect addition to a low carb salad or a paleo wrap for lunch.
Recently, I was passing by a restaurant with a large sign on the window about falafels. Because I had never heard of them before, I had to look up what they are.
Falafels are small pieces of dough made with hummus or ground chickpeas that are deep fried. Since I’ve never tried them myself, I had to ask around and it sounds like they are a lot like hush puppies which are just deep fried dough balls made from a cornmeal batter.
Is Falafel Keto Friendly?
Unfortunately, a tablespoon of chickpeas has about 43 grams of net carbs per cup according to verywellfit. Therefore, standard recipes aren’t low carb so you shouldn’t eat them on keto.
After hearing about them, I just had to create an easy falafel recipe to try them out. And, I got a couple taste testers to make sure they did indeed taste like they should.
Ingredients Used
My recipe uses simple ingredients that are all paleo friendly.
- Eggs are used to bind everything together. And since coconut flour needs a little extra egg to prevent dryness, I've upped the eggs from one to two.
- Seasonings include cumin and coriander along with lemon juice and garlic. Salt and pepper are added to taste.
- A blend of low carb flowers are used because the combination provides a better taste and texture than using only one type.
- Kale adds in bulk and nutrition. For those that don't like this keto friendly vegetable, cauliflower or broccoli can be used instead.
Making Keto Falafel
Since I like to keep things as simple as possible, my recipe is super easy to make. And I decided to make them in an air fryer so it’s less messy as well. But if you don’t have an air fryer, you can just bake them in the oven instead.
- Mix all the ingredients together in a food processor until a dough is formed. A blender should work too, but some blenders don’t combine the ingredients as evenly as a food processor does.
- Once the dough is formed, simply divide it into 9 equal pieces and roll each one into a patty or ball. Then put them in the air fryer to cook for 20 minutes or bake them in the oven for 30 minutes.
How to serve them
I think this low carb paleo falafel is delicious served as a finger food for snacking. However, dipping them into keto veggie dip or keto blue cheese dressing ups the flavor even more.
They are also great additions to the following:
Since falafel balls are so similar to hush puppies, you can serve them the same way too. That means they are perfect for serving with seafood like my tilapia salad.
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Recipe
Keto Falafel
Video
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cloves garlic minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup almond flour about 60g
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour about 19g
- 60 grams kale chopped (about 4 cups loosely packed)
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into a food processor. Process until a dough is formed.
- Roll dough into 10 pieces (about 2 tablespoons each) to form into balls or patties. Then place into lightly oiled air fryer basket or lined cookie sheet. Air fry at 370°F for 18-20 minutes or bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 18-20 minutes until golden.
Notes
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Nutrition
Additional Info
Notes on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Copyright
© LowCarbYum.com - Unauthorized use of this material without written permission is strictly prohibited unless for personal offline purposes. Single photos may be used, provided that full credit is given to LowCarbYum.com along with a link back to the original content.
Geets
Can you freeze these?
Lisa MarcAurele
Based on the ingredients, these should freeze fine. I would reheat them in the air fryer so they are crisp.
Alee Robi
I'm completely shocked how much like regular falafel this tastes like. I had no kale so I used 60g of broccoli florets and it turned out just fine, absolutely delicious. I'm extremely picky and honestly the majority of substitute keto recipes I try I find disgusting. So this is a real winner. It took like maybe 5 mins of prep, just throw everything in the food processor. I rounded them up into 10 little balls and I coated them with a bit of oil for more fat and to get a crispier texture to my preference. Air fried mine for 15 mins and they were perfect. Crispy outside, soft chewy inside. I will absolutely makes these again it's so easy. 20 mins to get delicious falafel that tastes almost just like regular ones, you can't ask for better.
D Miranda
I've so missed eating falafel!!! This recipe is the real deal!!! I highly recommend it!! Pair with a good tzatziki sauce and you will be in heaven!!
Will
It’s crazy how much these taste like actual falafel, I actually pan fried them and added a bit of parsley and cilantro in with the kale and it’s AMAZING!!!!
Carina
W e love Falafels and make them fairly often, this recipe looks a great alternative, must try!
jennifer
Can't believe that last year was the first time I've had falafel -- can't wait to try your version in the Air Fryer
Don Baiocchi
Whoa, this is so easy! It just took a couple minutes to throw this all together and tasted so good!
Stacey Crawford
I miss having falafels at the "Falafel Hut" by where I used to work. It is so great to have a keto GF version that I can make in the air fryer! Can't wait to slather them in tahini dressing!
ChihYu
So good! Love that there's an airfryer and oven option for even easier prep!
Jean Choi
Omg, I LOVE falafel but I can never get it because it usually contains gluten! This is such a perfect and yummy. alternative.
Joni Gomes
Falafel without chickpeas omg yes! Bookmarking this recipe now!
Raia Todd
I love falafels, but I've never tried making them legume-free. I like the hidden greens in these! Definitely gonna have to try this recipe. 🙂