Vegetarian Keto Falafel

This Vegetarian Keto Falafel offers a brilliant, low-carb twist on the classic Middle Eastern street food without using a single chickpea. By blending soaked walnuts, almonds, and sesame seeds with a vibrant medley of fresh cilantro, parsley, and mint, you get a savory bite that is rich in healthy fats and bursting with herbaceous flavor. The texture is uniquely satisfying, offering a dense and nutty interior with a gentle, dehydrated crispness on the outside that avoids the heaviness of traditional deep-frying. With just a hint of earthy cumin and a subtle kick of cayenne, these falafels deliver the authentic Mediterranean taste you crave while keeping your net carb count impressively low.

Preparation is key for this recipe, as soaking the nuts and seeds overnight ensures they reach the perfect consistency for pulsing into a uniform dough that holds its shape. If you find yourself missing a specific nut or have an allergy, you can easily swap the walnuts for pecans or use sunflower seeds for a similar earthy tone and texture. While the food dehydrator method is excellent for preserving the bright flavors and enzymes of the fresh herbs, using a low-temperature oven works just as well for a slightly quicker turnaround. For those who want an even deeper savory profile, feel free to experiment with a touch of smoked paprika or extra nutritional yeast to complement the bright lemon juice and garlic.

These falafels are incredibly meal-prep friendly and can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. If you want to make a larger batch to have on hand for busy weeknights, they freeze beautifully for up to three months; just ensure they are fully cooled before placing them in a freezer-safe bag. When you are ready to enjoy them again, skip the microwave to avoid a soft texture and instead pop them into an air fryer or a warm oven for a few minutes. This will help them regain their signature bite, making them the perfect protein-packed addition to a crisp salad, a keto-friendly wrap, or simply served alongside a dollop of creamy tahini dressing.

Yields 8 servings of Vegetarian Keto Falafel

The Preparation

• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup almonds
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh mint
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

The Execution

1. Place the walnuts, almonds and sesame seeds in a bowl. Fill with water, then cover and chill in the refrigerator for 12 hours. Once complete, strain and rinse.

2. Add cilantro, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, mint leaves, cumin, nutritional yeast, oregano, garlic, cayenne pepper, salt and ground pepper to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse mixture until smooth.

3. Add the soaked nut and seed mixture. Pulse until the nuts are the size of the sesame seeds.

4. Using 2 tablespoons at a time, roll the dough into balls. Press and rotate as you go to get the mixture to stick together.

5. Place the falafel on food dehydrator racks. Dehydrate at 110F for 10 hours, rotating halfway through. If you do not have a dehydrator, recipe can be cooked at the lowest temperature your oven will go (180F) for 3 hours, rotating halfway through.

This makes a total of 8 servings of Vegetarian Keto Falafel. Each serving comes out to be 269 calories, 25.5g fats, 3.6g net carbs, and 6.6g protein.

Vegetarian Keto Falafel

This makes a total of 8 servings of Vegetarian Keto Falafel. Each serving comes out to be 269 calories, 25.5g fats, 3.6g net carbs, and 6.6g protein.

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Prep Time 12 hours hrs

Cook Time 10 hours hrs

Total Time 22 hours hrs

Servings 8 servings

Calories 269 kcal

Ingredients

  

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• 3 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup almonds
• ½ cup fresh cilantro
• ½ cup fresh parsley
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh mint
• 2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon fresh garlic minced
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

 

• Place the walnuts, almonds and sesame seeds in a bowl. Fill with water, then cover and chill in the refrigerator for 12 hours. Once complete, strain and rinse.
  
• Add cilantro, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, mint leaves, cumin, nutritional yeast, oregano, garlic, cayenne pepper, salt and ground pepper to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse mixture until smooth.
  
• Add the soaked nut and seed mixture. Pulse until the nuts are the size of the sesame seeds.
  
• Using 2 tablespoons at a time, roll the dough into balls. Press and rotate as you go to get the mixture to stick together.
  
• Place the falafel on food dehydrator racks. Dehydrate at 110F for 10 hours, rotating halfway through. If you do not have a dehydrator, recipe can be cooked at the lowest temperature your oven will go (180F) for 3 hours, rotating halfway through.
  

Nutrition

Calories: 269kcalCarbohydrates: 3.6gProtein: 6.6gFat: 25.5g

Keyword dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, keto, low-carb, make-ahead, sugar-free, vegan, vegetarian