Low Carb Keto Falafel

Name: Keto Falafel
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 small cauliflower (350g florets / 3 cups cauliflower rice); 1/4 cup of each / 15g each fresh parsley and fresh coriander (chopped); 3 garlic cloves (minced); 1 small onion (1/4 cup / 40g, finely chopped); 1/2 cup / 50g almond flour; 1/2 tbsp each ground coriander and sesame seeds ((cilantro)); 1/2 tsp each cumin, dried oregano, pepper; 1/3 tsp cayenne or turmeric; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1 tsp sea salt; 2 eggs (large); 1 tbsp olive oil + 2- 3 tbsp for drizzling before baking; 2 tbsp tahini; 1 garlic clove (small); 1 tbsp lemon juice; 2 tbsp ice cold water; Pinch of flaked sea salt

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These keto falafel are so tasty. You won't believe they are made with cauliflower! My cauliflower falafel taste just like the real deal: crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and packed with flavour from spices and fresh parsley.

a plate with keto falafel dressed with tahini sauce

Falafel is one of the fast foods I have been missing since I've started eating a keto diet.

When I lived in Berlin, there was a Middle Eastern food truck close to my house, which had the most amazing chickpea falafel. They were super crispy and served in a pita bread with salad and lots of tahini dressing.

I am so happy that I finally got around to making a cauliflower falafel recipe. Cauliflower really is a superb low carb alternative to chickpeas.

This keto falafel got the thumbs up from everyone. It is on a par with my spinach balls!

This vegetarian recipe works well as a lunch or dinner with a salad. Or, serve as a keto appetizer with the tahini dipping sauce.

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🌟 Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
Recipe FAQs
Serving Suggestions
Related Recipes
Recipe

🌟 Why You'll Love This Recipe

Authentic flavor
Light, fluffy texture
Naturally gluten-free
Nutritious and packed with veggie goodness
Only 15 minutes prep
4.8g net carbs

Ingredients

Cauliflower - The fresher, the better!
Onion - finely chopped.
Egg - I used large eggs.
Almond flour and sesame seeds - I'm using ground almonds, which is equivalent to regular almond flour in the US. Super-fine almond flour will also work.
Parsley and coriander - both flat leaf or curly parsley are fine. Don't substitute this with dried.
Garlic and spices - Fresh garlic will lend better flavour than garlic powder. But if powder is all you've got, don't sweat it! Also essential are cumin, pepper and oregano.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Instructions

It's surprisingly easy to make keto falafel. Here are the basic steps.

For details instructions, scroll down to the recipe card.

Step 1: Place the cauliflower florets in a food processor and pulse to a rice consistency. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and microwave until soft.

cauliflower rice squeezed dry with a cheese cloth

Step 2: Allow to cool slightly and transfer to a muslin cloth, fine tea towel or strong kitchen roll. Squeeze out as much water as possible.

Step 3: Heat olive oil in a non stick frying pan. Fry the onion on a medium heat until soft. Add the garlic and fry until fragrant.

all ingredients for falafel in a bowl before mixing

Step 4: Add the cauliflower and onion mix to mixing bowl along with all the spices, seasoning, lemon juice, eggs and olive oil. Mix to combine.

Step 5: Roll / press into balls and place on a parchment paper lined baking tray. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and drizzle with a good covering of olive oil.

cauliflower falafel before baking on a baking sheet lined with parchment

Step 6: Bake until golden on the outside and soft in the middle and to your liking. They will firm up as they cool.

Tahini Sauce

Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix with a hand balloon whisk. This will stop the tahini splitting.

Katrin's Top Tips

Squeeze all liquid out of the cauliflower. This means - squeeze, squeeze, and when you think you're finished, squeeze once more! This is important to make the falafel more robust.

Check your dough. If it is too wet to work with, add 1-2 tablespoons more almond flour. This could happen if you squeezed less water out of the cauliflower than I did.

Be generous with the olive oil. Make sure you drizzle over plenty of olive oil before baking. This will keep them moist and makes them super tasty.

closeup of a bitten into falafel showing the inside

Recipe FAQs

Can I pan-fry keto falafel?

Yes. Pan-frying makes the falafel nice and brown all over, but they are a little more fragile than the ones made in the oven. Also, you'll need a generous amount of oil for the pan. To make the batter sturdier for pan-frying, increase the amount of almond flour to ⅔ cup / 70g.

Can I air fry them?

Cauliflower falafel would be perfect for air frying. Put them on parchment paper just like in the oven so they don't stick. This should take a little less time than in the oven.

What can I use instead of almond flour?

Use the same amount of sesame flour or 3 tablespoons coconut flour.

How do I store keto falafel?

Store keto falafel in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Or, freeze the falafel for up to 3 months.

Can I reheat keto falafel?

Yes. Re-heat them in the oven or gently pan-fry.

browned cauliflower falafel in a frying pan

Serving Suggestions

I served my low carb falafel on a bed of cauliflower keto tabbouleh for lunch. This Middle Eastern salad is light and fragrant and takes only 15 minutes to prepare.

The combo was delicious!

You could also go for a simple green salad or even a Greek salad with olives and feta cheese. Not quite authentic, but the flavours mingle well.

Or go for the Berlin Food truck option and put them in a keto pitta bread with salad and sauce!

They would also be delicious with my tahini bread.

Here are more keto cauliflower recipes to try: