As I mentioned on Tuesday, life got carried away recently and this incredible recipe has been sitting in the drafts for weeks, just waiting to be published. Now the time has come and I'm so excited to finally be sharing these Buffalo Falafel with you!
Falafel are kind of my jam. Being from San Jose, CA, one of my favorite restaurants, back in the day, was Falafel Drive-In. I went through a phase where I think I went there for dinner every Friday, for at least a couple of months (Sundays were for burritos from Iguana's Taqueria). When they opened a Pita Pit in downtown, close to where I lived, amidst all of the bars and clubs I would frequent (I was in college, so that's what we did), that just so happened to be open until like, 2am or some ridiculous hour, you can bet I stumbled in there for drunken eats many a night. I think I even left half of one of their delicious falafel wraps in the backseat of a very generous designated driver and he didn't find it until the next day, making his car smell like, to put it mildly, a trashcan (Sorry, Binh!).
In my travels, the one vegetarian meal I could always find, wherever I went, was a falafel. From a back alley in the old Jewish Quarter of Grenada to Hummus Bar in Budapest to that one shop just down the road from my favorite gelateria in Florence- the falafel has always been there for me. In fact, that one in Grenada was so dang good, I had to go back for seconds. It was the best meal I had on that whole trip.
For as much as I love falafel, though, I don't make them nearly enough. It's stupid because they're so ridiculously easy. I can count on one hand the number of times I've made falafel in the last year and every time, it was my Falafel Taco recipe (also in my book), that I made. I love that recipe. That srircaha tahini sauce... But I digress.
During all of my gluten-free flatbread trials, one thing I thought about was what I was going to use them for once I perfected the recipe. Briefly, I considered folding my buffalo cauliflower inside them, and though I may actually do that in the future (because daaaaaaaaaamn, that would be hella good), what my heart kept calling out for was falafel. Naturally, several minutes later, the idea of buffalo falafel came to me and that was that. Buffalo falafel became my driving force behind perfecting my gluten-free flatbread.
So this is how simple this is- you make the falafel dough, roll it into balls and bake them. While they're baking, make your buffalo sauce and your tzatziki ranch sauce. When they're done baking, toss them in some of the buffalo sauce and bake for 5 more minutes. Throw them in your flatbread (gluten-free or full of gluten) or whatever bready vehicle you choose to use to transport these wondrous falafel balls to your mouth along with some falafel wrap fillings (I chose red cabbage and yellow bell pepper, but cucumber slices, or tomato, would also be good. As an afterthought, I wish I'd remembered that I had celery because I would've thrown some of that in there too), and drizzle with more buffalo sauce and some of that tzatziki ranch. Heck, you could throw them in a bowl with some salad fixings and be just as happy. Then you eat. Easy as that.
Ingredients
- one 15-ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/4 red onion, choped
- 2 to 3 garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoons chickpea flour
- 3 tablespoons almond flour
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- a couple dashes of cayenne pepper
- black pepper to taste
- 1 cup hot sauce of choice
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/2 cup unsweetened, plain vegan yogurt
- 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for 1 hour
- 5 tablespoons reserved soaking water
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1 teaspoon agave or maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chopped cucumber
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill
- wrap fixings like cabbage or lettuce, bell pepper, celery, cucumber, jicama, tomato, and/or avocado
- Yeast-Free, Gluten-Free Flatbread, Yeast-Free Flatbread, pita bread, tortilla, or wrap of your choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine the falafel ingredients in a food processor and process until fully combined and will hold together when squeezed. Use a tablespoon to scoop out slightly heaping spoonfuls and use your hands to roll the dough into balls. Place the dough on the prepared baking sheet. Continue until all the dough has been used and you have about 18 falafel. Bake the falafel for about 15 minutes, flip them and bake for another 10 minutes.
- While the falafel are baking, make your buffalo sauce. Combine the buffalo sauce ingredients in a cup and use a small whisk or fork to stir until combined. Set aside.
- Also while the falafel are baking, make your tzatziki ranch sauce. Combine all of the ranch sauce ingredients, EXCEPT the cucumber and dill, in a food processor and process until smooth, pausing to scrape the sides as necessary. Once smooth, add the cucumber and dill and process until you have a slightly chunky sauce. Set aside.
- Once the falafel are done baking, push them all to the center of the pan. Pour two-thirds of the buffalo sauce over the falafel and toss until fully coated. Return to the oven and let bake for 5 to 7 minutes.
- To assemble, place your fillings on your flatbread or whatever bread you're using, top with falafel, and drizzle with a little more buffalo sauce (totally optional) and the tzatziki ranch sauce. Fold/wrap and eat. Enjoy!
Notes
Instead of serving as a wrap, create a salad with lettuce and veggies. Top each bowl with falafel balls and drizzle with the sauces. Now you have a falafel salad. Enjoy.
Are you a falafel fan? How do you like to prepare your falafel?
Photography by Chris Miller
Caitlin
damn, girl.
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan
Oh MY goodness! You are killing it with these girl. Falafel are a favorite in our house, but buffalo falafel? Done and done.
Sharon Gjertsen
I like to make falafel as a patty, like a veggie burger, easier to eat.
Lorinda
I've never considered Buffalo flavoured falafel; they sound very tasty. I do have a couple of questions:
1) do they freeze well? I can't eat that many in a sitting!
2) the tzatziki sauce calls for unsweetened vegan yogurt, which isn't available locally. Can you suggest a substitution?
Thanks
keepinitkind
They should freeze well. As for the yogurt, I would just use a plain vegan yogurt and leave out the maple syrup from the sauce. Enjoy!
Lorinda
Plain, even sweetened, vegan yogurt is not an option. The only vegan yogurt I can buy locally is sweetened soy blueberry and strawberry (I'm allergic to strawberries) yogurt, sold in a multipack, so I don't buy it. Can I use a soft tofu with maybe some lemon juice? Or do you have any other suggestions for substitutes for yogurt?
keepinitkind
I think silken tofu would be a good option. Let me know how it goes!
Emma
Oh my! This looks killer. I adore falafel and totally agree that it's great to be able to fall back on when travelling and options are looking slim. I'm pretty new to the whole Buffalo/Ranch thing since it doesn't really exist in the UK but love the sound of the spiced up falafel and cool, creamy sauce.
jane
Being UK/Australian i don't know what you mean by 'hot sauce'? I rarely buy commercial condiments as they are so full of cr**. Is it something i could make? We can get Tabasco condiments here - is it something like that you mean? I'd be grateful for your suggestions!
keepinitkind
Hot sauce is similar to Tabasco. You could use tabasco or another brand of hot sauce (you may be able to find a more natural brand that doesn't contain so many preservatives. You could also use a sauce like sriracha. Good luck!
Kristine
This looks/sounds awesome! I do not have either types of flours listed, can I use regular flour?
keepinitkind
Thanks, Kristine! I'm not sure that regular flour will work the same way. Both the chickpea and the almond flours work as binders and also add to the flavor. If you don't have either of the flours, you can make them yourself with a high-speed blender, by blending dried chickpeas into flour and/or raw almonds into flour. Or you could pick some up- they're both pretty easy to find in stores. Good luck!
Johanna
This looks amazing. I can't wait to make it! Thanks for the recipe.
Mel@avirtualvegan.com
You have made my mouth literally water!
Buffalo falafel sound amazing and your pictures just make me want to run to the kitchen and make some right now...but it's nearly 9pm and I've had dinner so I need to abstain for now.
I look forward tot dying them soon!
Mel@avirtualvegan.com
I have just noticed my typos! It's your falafel's fault for distracting me!
It should say "I look forward to trying them soon!"
Amy @ Parsley In My Teeth
Falafels are one of my favorites and these look amazing! I'd be in serious trouble if there was a falafel drive-through in my neighborhood -- I'd probably stop cooking and live in their parking lot!
Jennifer Harmon {Peppers and Peaches}
YESSSS! Buffalo? Check! Falafel? Double check! I have been craving buffalo sauce out of nowhere and have been pouring it on everything in sight! I like the tomato paste in your recipe to balance the heat a little bit too. And obviously, pouring it on falafel is genius...keep at it girl!
Carolyn
i made these for dinner tonight, but they got mushy after i poured the buffalo sauce on and never crisped back up. Disappointing!
keepinitkind
I'm very sorry to hear that. I've made them a few times without any trouble. If you give me some more info, I may be able to help you troubleshoot the situation.
Kelly F
This looks delicious! Since you are using one cup hot sauce, is it spicy? :/
keepinitkind
Thank you. Yes, buffalo sauce tends to be on the hot/spicy side.
Jessica
Wow, these look amazing!! I've never made falafel before -- can they be made with dried herbs, or do I have to use fresh?
Thank you!
keepinitkind
Thanks, Jessica! I highly recommend using the fresh because the flavor will be stronger and they also help form the bulk of the dough. If you didn't want to use fresh, you could try dried herbs but I can't guarantee the results. Good luck!
Melissa
In the Mediterranean (Turkey and the Levant), a vegan equivalent of tzatziki is "tarator" (also "tarrator"). With tarator, you can use whole foods instead of non-dairy yogurts with a lot of thickeners.
Whip tahini with cold water, crushed garlic, and lemon juice to the consistency you want - thick for dip or thin for condiment. Add salt, pepper, and fresh herbs to taste (e.g. dill, mint, parsley, cilantro).
Gretchen
Those look delicious! I'll definitely be making them soon. I'm also a Bay Area girl who LOVES Falafel Drive In 🙂
Hypnotherapy Adelaide
Yum! Great wrap recipe. That is really nice tzatziki ranch sauce 🙂 Thank you
Hypnotherapy Adelaide
Wow, two amazing sauces on this one. I love buffalo and tzatziki. Really nice vegan variations.
Anne
Really excited to try these this week. Look amAzing. No vegan yogurt here so am just gonna delete that ingredient. Thanks for the recipe!
Anne
Made these last night. So delicious. Thanks for a great recipe. Definitely going in my rotation.
KDD
This recipe for baked buffalo falafel is great! I can't eat cucumber, so I substituted a homemade blue cheese horseradish sauce and served the falafel with a traditional quick pickle of thin sliced onions, beet chips and (believe it or not) very thin slices of raw turnip. It was delicious, and I'm so happy that you shared this wonderful recipe.