Low Carb Keto Falafel

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.

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.

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.

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.

This section contains step-by-step instructions and photos that show how to make this recipe. See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Expert Tips

Here is what you need to know to make the recipe perfectly:

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. 

Recipe FAQs

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 low carb pitta bread with salad and sauce!

They would also be delicious with my tahini bread.

Related recipes

Here are more keto cauliflower recipes to try:

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Recipe

Keto Falafel

Katrin Nürnberger

from Sugar Free Londoner

These keto falafel are a delicious appetizer or snack - or enjoy them with a salad for lunch or dinner! A fragrant, tasty vegetarian recipe that's perfect for summer. Or any time when you're craving falafel!

5 from 12 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Servings 5

Calories 256 kcal

Note: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary.

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 small cauliflower 350g florets / 3 cups cauliflower rice
• ▢ ¼ cup of each / 15g each fresh parsley and fresh coriander chopped
• ▢ 3 garlic cloves minced
• ▢ 1 small onion ¼ cup / 40g, finely chopped
• ▢ ½ cup / 50g almond flour
• ▢ ½ tbsp each ground coriander and sesame seeds (cilantro)
• ▢ ½ tsp each cumin, dried oregano, pepper
• ▢ ⅓ teaspoon cayenne or turmeric
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ▢ 2 eggs large
• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil + 2- 3 tablespoon for drizzling before baking

Tahini sauce

• ▢ 2 tablespoon tahini
• ▢ 1 garlic clove small
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ▢ 2 tablespoon ice cold water
• ▢ Pinch of flaked sea salt

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 200C / 400 F.
• Place the cauliflower florets in a food processor and pulse until a rice consistency.
• Transfer to a heatproof bowl and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and transfer to a muslin cloth, fine tea towel or strong kitchen roll and squeeze out as much water as possible. This is important to help the falafel stay tougher.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a non stick frying pan. Fry the onion for 2 - 3 mins on a medium heat until soft. Add the garlic and fry for 1 more minute until fragrant.
• Add the cauliflower and onion mix to the mixing bowl along with all the spices, seasoning, lemon, eggs and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Mix to combine. Roll / press into balls and place on a greaseproof lined baking tray. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and drizzle or brush over a good covering of olive oil.
• Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden on the outside and soft in the middle and to your liking. (Start checking from about 15 minutes as depends how big you make your falafel as to how long they take.) They will also 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. Drizzle tahini over the falafel before serving or serve on the side.

Video

Notes

Net carbs: 4.8g per serving without tahini sauce. Makes 15 falafel. 

I calculated 3 falafel per person = 5 servings in total.

Including the tahini sauce: 5.9g net carbs per portion.

Storage: Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

Don't cut corners when squeezing the cauliflower rice! Squeeze, squeeze, and when you think you're finished, squeeze once more! This is important to make the falafel more robust.

Note - if you find that the dough is too wet to work with, add 1-2 tablespoon more almond flour. This could happen if you squeezed less water out of the cauliflower than I did.

Tip: Make sure you brush on olive oil before you bake them. This will keep them nice and moist and makes them super tasty.

Note: I tested 2 cooking methods - pan-frying and oven baking. The oven method yielded firmer falafel. If you want to pan-fry, I recommend that you increase the almond flour to ⅔ cup / 70g to make the falafel sturdier. 

 

Nutrition

Calories: 256kcalTotal Carbohydrates: 9.8gProtein: 7.8gFat: 22.3gSaturated Fat: 3.2gFiber: 3.8gSugar: 2.6g

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