Best Keto Falafel: 2 Fantastic Recipes (With & Without Soy)
Before going keto vegan, I was simply low-carb vegan. So I could indulge myself with occasional falafel (since chickpeas have relatively low insulin index).
But with great power (keto-power over fat) comes great responsibility. And turned out that I have to be responsible for banishing falafel from my life for good.
And guess what? I wasn’t going to allow for it to happen.
After trying, testing, and adjusting several recipes, I came to the conclusion that perfect keto falafel (that is also vegan) does exist. So prepared to be gone with the flavor.
Are you interested in a particular vegan keto falafel recipe? Then use the table of contents below to jump to the most relevant section. And you can always go back by clicking on the arrow in the right bottom corner of the page. Or check my post about Best keto vegan cookbooks for more recipes. Also, please note that some of the links in this article may be affiliate links. For more details, check the Disclosure section at the bottom of the page.
How many carbs are in a falafel?
Your typical falafel is prepared from ground chickpeas seasoned with parsley, coriander, onion, garlic, and cumin. But you most likely won’t be eating it by itself. The delicious chickpea patties most likely will be stuffed in soft and warm pita and topped with veggies and tahini sauce.
So, while patties itself are not that scary – a serving of six might have around 333 calories and 31.8 g of carbs, including 4.9g of fiber. But with all those extras, there will be way more carbs in falafel.
Is falafel keto?
Since a stingy portion of falafel has 26.9g of net carbs, it’s hardly can be called keto. You might say: “How about if I eat just one of those balls?”
Fragrant, hot, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside… Falafels sometimes refer to as But the worst thing about it “domino foods.” It’s very challenging to control the portion and very easy to overeat (like Oreos :))
Especially when the dish itself seems to be so healthy.
Also, let’s remind ourselves that falafels are deep-fried in most cases. And most likely, it happened with the use of canola or other doubtful oils. So, that kind of cooking method is never good for your health, whether you are following a keto regimen or not.
How to make keto falafel?
Easy keto falafel recipe with tofu
My personal favorite recipe of low carb falafel. Honestly, it’s even better than a real thing!
Notes
Only 1.4g of net carbs per one patty, not you can afford a full-sized portion even on keto!
Ingredients
- 280g firm tofu
- 4-5 large mushrooms
- A handful of coriander
- 1.5 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup ground almonds (you can use sunflower seeds meal if you want a nut-free option)
- 1 tsp salt
- Black pepper
Instructions
- 1. Mix all the components with the food processer or blender.
- 2. Split the “dough” into 12 parts and mold each into a patty.
- 3. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F
- 3. Place the patties onto a well-greased baking tray and cover the top of falafels with oil. I prefer to use coconut oil, but olive oil will do too. As well as any other oil you prefer.
- 4. Bake the falafels for about 30mins, flipping in in the process to make sure they baked well from both sides.
- 5. Once you feel they are ready to go, take them out and leave it aside to cool for a while. And as soon as you think your meal is at the right temperature - devour and enjoy. You can eat it is, as a side dish, accompanied by the salad…
Nutrition Facts
Easy keto falafel recipe with tofu | Recipe card
Serves: 12 patties
|
Amount Per Serving: 1 patty
|
||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 67 | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 5.1g | 7.7% | |
| Saturated Fat 0.5g | 0% | |
| Trans Fat 0mg | ||
| Cholesterol 0mg | 0 | |
| Sodium 199mg | 8.3% | |
| Total Carbohydrate 2.8g | 0.7% | |
| Dietary Fiber 1.4g | 4% | |
| Sugars 0.6g | ||
| Protein 4g | ||
| Vitamin A 0mg | Vitamin C 0mg | |
| Calcium 76mg | Iron 1mg | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Vegan Keto Diet Recipes and Tips
Baked keto falafel from cauliflower
Another vegan keto falafel option, for those who prefer to avoid soy
Notes
- If you falafel “dough” came up too liquidy, you can use chia or flax egg to fix it. Just mix 3tbs of water with 1 tbsp of chia/flax powder, wait till it creates egg-like texture and then blend it into your dough for the right consistency.
- You can store cooked falafels in a freezer for up to a month in an air-tight zip-lock bag.
- Put them for 6 minutes into the oven to reheat.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cauliflower rice
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1 small red onion minced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 chia or flax egg (optional)
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves minced
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- salt to taste
Instructions
- 1. Clean and pulse cauliflower to make the “rice.” You can go for a store-bought option, as well.
- 2. Put herbs, onions, garlic, and spices to a food processor. Blend well and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- 3. Add riced cauliflower, and all the rest of the ingredients - almond and coconut flours, pepper and salt. Mashed it all together.
- 4. Preheat the oven to 350F/180C
- 5. Shape falafel patties (12 would be a good number, based on the ingredients in this recipe) from the mixture and place them all onto a baking sheet sprinkled with oil.
- 6. Bake the falafels for 15-20 minutes till brown. Cool it down for 5-7 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts
Baked keto falafel from cauliflower | Recipe card
Serves: 12 patties
|
Amount Per Serving: 1 patty
|
||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 27 | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 0.4g | 0% | |
| Saturated Fat 0.2g | 0% | |
| Trans Fat 0mg | ||
| Cholesterol 0mg | 0 | |
| Sodium 28mg | 1.2% | |
| Total Carbohydrate 5.2g | 1.7% | |
| Dietary Fiber 2.7g | 8% | |
| Sugars 1.5g | ||
| Protein 1.7g | ||
| Vitamin A 0mg | Vitamin C 0mg | |
| Calcium 14mg | Iron 0mg | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Vegan Keto Diet Recipes and Tips
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