Whether you bake them or stick them in your air-fryer, these Sunflower Seed Falafels are both healthy and delicious! You can use them to make wraps, salads, sandwiches, or have them as a main served with roasted veggies.

I’m sure I’ve told you this before, but I’ve absolutely loved falafels ever since I ate my first one when I was about 16 years old. I’ve learned over the years, that the recipes vary and some aren’t nearly as good as others. This recipe takes a twist considering I don’t fry them, and I’ve clearly changed the main ingredient, garbanzo beans. Regardless of them being untraditional, I think I nailed both the flavor and consistency!

This salad has a mix of spinach, romaine, and red frisée topped with broccoli sprouts, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives, red and yellow baby bell peppers, and red onion. I dressed this with my Chive & Dill Tzaziki.

Why in the world would I not use garbanzo beans to make falafels? That’s a very good question, although some of you reading this may already have the answer, because if you’re looking at this recipe, you may need a garbanzo alternative as well.

As you may know, I make weekly prepared meals for people. Three of my customers in the past didn’t eat legumes at all. One was on a cleanse, one suffered from gut issues and legumes simply weren’t her friend, and the other ate paleo if not completely keto. While cooking for them, I needed to find an alternative to garbanzos when falafels were on that week’s menu. I then began using sunflower seeds as a replacement.

This pita is filled with falafels, tomato, cucumber, and broccoli sprouts, and then dressed with my Tahini-Mint Drizzle/Dressing. Some prefer theirs with Tzaziki, and I provide a recipe for that as well.

I recently started making these again because one of my current clients discovered garbanzo beans aren’t much her friend either. I also have a friend, who not that long ago ditched meat, and she came to me asking for ideas of low-carb dinner mains.

Since these days so many of us take that low-carb route, I figured this would be a good recipe to share (well, and because they’re delicious, of course!). Even better, we can still get a good dose of protein from the sunflower seeds, as well as the ground flaxseed and tahini (sesame seeds) which are also included in these Sunflower Seed Falafels.

OK, I explained the sunflower part, now why not fried? To make these healthy, of course! My customer, Gigi, has recently stopped eating added oils in her foods (I’ve been using vegetable broth for sautéing her veggies) as well as all things processed. My husband and I are also in our second week not eating any processed foods. OK, that’s a lie, we are still eating some items, such as tofu, and I do use oil at times, but I’ve cut down on it A LOT. Olive oil, as well as other cooking oils, are highly processed.

I am very curious how these turn out oil-fried, and I have wanted to give them a go simply to see how they hold up. I believe they should work just fine, being as they hold together rather well. In fact, I’m certain they’d fry well in a skillet but am only wary of straight-up deep frying these babies. If you try, please let me know in the comments below!

This salad has a mix of spinach, romaine, and red frisée topped with broccoli sprouts, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives, red and yellow baby bell peppers, and red onion. I dressed this with my Chive & Dill Tzaziki.

As you can see from the pictures, falafels are also very versatile. My favorite has always been to use them in a pita, but bread and flours aren’t always included in my or other people’s diets. I do love having them as a “meat” on my salad, also, alongside roasted broccolini and cauliflower. I do this over a bed of baby kale or spinach, topped with my Tahini-Mint Drizzle. That example I, unfortunately, do not have a picture of, but you’ll just have to trust me without a visual — it’s delicious!

The current way I’m eating does include flourless bread. Not flourless from alternative flours, but rather from bread made only from sprouted grains. The sandwich you see below, I used Ezekiel bread for, and it was incredible! To make gluten-free falafels sandwiches for my hubs, I use gluten-free bread or pitas, like these from BFree Foods.

This half sandwich includes Ezekiel bread spread with roasted garlic hummus on one side and my Tahini-Mint Drizzle on the other, then filled with broccoli sprouts, avocado, tomato, cucumber, one falafel — cut in half, and a little fresh spinach. Definitely one of my favorite kinds of sandwiches!

One of the reasons I’m sometimes disappointed with other people’s falafels is the lack of seasoning. I think I got my blend of ingredients for these just perfect, and they’re loaded with cilantro and parsley — just the way I like it!

I’ve been eating LOADS of these over the last week and a half, so much you’d think I’d be sick of them by now, but to be 10 percent honest, I’m kind of craving one right now. Sadly, I ate my last two for lunch yesterday. Oh well, I will survive… I think. LOL!

This pita is filled with falafels, tomato, cucumber, and broccoli sprouts, and then dressed with my Tahini-Mint Drizzle/Dressing. Some prefer theirs with Tzaziki, and I provide a recipe for that as well.

If you enjoy these falafels as well, let me know by leaving a comment below, or take a picture of yours and tag me on Instagram, @veggiesattiffanis. Salad? Sandwich? Pita? How did you choose to enjoy your falafels?

Print Sunflower Seed Falafels Your favorite Mediterranean food made both low-carb and oil-free. Servings 15 falafel balls Author Tiffani Wells Ingredients 2 1/2 cups sunflower seeds soaked in warm water for 15 minutes

1 1/3 cups fresh parsley

1 1/3 cups fresh cilantro

1/4 cup red onion diced

2 Tbsp tahini

2 Tbsp lemon

1 Tbsp ground flaxseed whisked with 2 Tbsp warm water Let sit 2 – 3 minutes to thicken

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp garlic minced

1 tsp dried coriander

3/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper Optional for serving… Tahini-Mint Drizzle/Dressing

Vegan Chive & Dill Tzaziki

Vegan Ranch Dressing Not traditional but still one of my favorite dressings for a falafel salad or pita. Instructions Drain the sunflower seeds from the water they're soaked in and add them to the food processor. If you've yet to mix the ground flaxseed with the water, do so now and let it sit to thicken for a couple of minutes. Add the flax egg plus all remaining ingredients to the food processor with the sunflower seeds. Mix on high until a grainy dough is formed, but make sure not to mix too long or it will become creamy like hummus. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes or more.

After removing the falafel dough from the fridge, roll it into 15 balls approximately 1 1/2" in diameter.

If using the air fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 370° F. Once preheated, lightly spray the bottom of the air fryer with cooking oil to prevent sticking. Next, add in the falafels, you can stack them on top of eachother to cook them all in one batch. Air fry for 10 minutes (but I usually set the fryer time to 20 minutes). Remove basket, carefully flip falafels (those stacked may be fragile). Fry for another 3 to 6 minutes. If using the oven: Preheat the oven to 375° F. Align falafels on a parchment-lined baking sheet and add baking sheet to the middle rack of your preheated oven. Bake for 10 minutes, then flip the balls and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Continue to flip and bake the falafel balls for 5 minutes at a time, until they've browned on all sides.

Serve the balls on their own, with roasted veggies, in pita, on bread, or over salad. If desired, dress them with my Tahini-Mint Drizzle, Vegan Chive & Dill Tzaziki, or Vegan Ranch Dressing.

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