Gluten-Free Baked Yam Falafel

Middle Eastern Gluten-Free Baked Yam Falafel packed with flavour and warm spices. This is a protein-packed vegan falafel made with yams, chickpeas, plenty of herbs and spices, lemon juice and sesame seeds.

Traditionally falafel is made from uncooked ground chickpeas or fava beans and then deep fried. To keep this falafel recipe healthier, this delicious gluten-free vegan snack is baked, cutting back on unwanted fats. In this recipe, I added yams and sesame seeds, keeping the falafel light and nutritious.

With so many little flavour nuances and the comfort of chickpeas and yams, these falafels are super flavourful! 

Are falafels healthy?

In this recipe, I used chickpeas, adding fiber and protein. Chickpeas are also a good source of essential vitamins and minerals.

For the yams, they are packed with vitamin C, potassium, B complex vitamins and betacarotene. And sesame seeds will add iron to the mix.  All in all, this is a nutritionally packed snack.

I like to serve falafel as a healthy snack with yogurt because they are super filling and keep you energized for hours.

If you are following a gluten-free, plant-based diet, freshly made falafel is an excellent choice for a savoury gluten-free snack.

What is falafel, and is it gluten-free?

Falafel is usually a deep fried ball, or sometimes a patty made with chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans, sometimes fava beans or a combination of both.

The use of chickpeas is mostly used in Middle Eastern countries, such as Syria and Jordan.

The combination of chickpeas and fava beans or just fava beans is believed to originate from Egypt. Falafel is the ultimate Israeli street food, served in warm pitta shells with various toppings, like tomatoes, tahini sauce, pickled turnip, chopped peppers, cucumber or humus.

For the question, is falafel gluten-free? The answer is, not always. The reason is that falafel is often made with wheat flour. So be cautious when eating falafels in restaurants or from street vendors.