Falafel: the chickpeas are not the calories. The fryer and the sauce are.
A falafel patty is chickpeas, herbs and spices. Most of the calories on the plate come from the oil it fries in and the tahini sauce over it. Baked, with a garlic yogurt sauce, a serving goes from 444 to 278 kcal.
- 278 kcal a serving, down from 444 for the classic, with 14 g protein, 40 g carbs and 8 g fat
- 2 swaps, each with what it does to a serving, and 2 ways to add protein, up to 21 g a serving
- 4 servings, weighed at 720 g when finished, from 9 USDA FoodData Central entries in the library
Calories and macros per serving and per 100 g
The lighter example makes 4 servings from a 720 g finished batch: 180.0 g per serving. These are sample weights, not a measurement of your plate.
| Portion | kcal | Protein g | Carbs g | Fat g |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One serving | 278 | 14.3 | 40.0 | 7.5 |
| 100 g cooked | 154 | 7.9 | 22.2 | 4.2 |
Calculated from the ingredient totals below, before rounding the displayed serving. Use your own cooked weight; retained fat, liquid and portions can change the estimate.
Classic vs lighter, per serving.
The same baked falafel, made two ways from the same library entries and the same 4 servings. The lighter version is the one built on the screens below.
| Per serving | Classic | Lighter | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| kcal | 444 | 278 | −166 |
| Protein g | 13 | 14 | +1 |
| Carbs g | 42 | 40 | −2 |
| Fat g | 27 | 8 | −19 |
| Saturated fat g | 3.5 | 0.9 | −2.6 |
Saturated fat comes from the same USDA entries; the recipe sheet itself shows calories, protein, carbs and fat. Calorie and macro figures are fitness estimates, not medical or dietary advice.
Swap by swap.
Each change in turn, from the classic to the lighter version, and what it does to one serving.
1. Bake the patties instead of deep-frying them
−100 kcal, −12 g fat, −1.5 g saturated fat a serving
Frying leaves oil in every patty. Brushed with 15 g and baked hot, the batch has 100 kcal and 12 g of fat less a serving.
2. Serve a garlic yogurt sauce instead of tahini sauce
−66 kcal, +1 g protein, −2 g carbs, −7 g fat, −1.1 g saturated fat a serving
Tahini is ground sesame, close to 600 kcal per 100 g. 150 g of nonfat Greek yogurt with garlic and lemon makes more sauce for 66 kcal less a serving, and adds protein.
More protein, if you need it.
Hitting a protein target is the hard part for most people. Each option is added to the lighter version on its own, with what it does to a serving of 14 g protein and 278 kcal. Save the one you like as its own recipe.
Make it a bowl with more yogurt sauce
+38 kcal, +7 g protein, +3 g carbs, +0.1 g saturated fat a serving, making 21 g protein a serving
Using 400 g of nonfat Greek yogurt, as a sauce and a base for the bowl, adds 7 g of protein a serving for 38 kcal.
Use 700 g of chickpeas
+69 kcal, +4 g protein, +12 g carbs, +1 g fat, +0.1 g saturated fat a serving, making 18 g protein a serving
Another 200 g of chickpeas makes more patties and adds 4 g of protein a serving for 69 kcal.
Oil and fat: the type changes the fat, the amount changes the calories.
The three oils below are each 884 kcal per 100 g, and ghee is within a few calories of them. Swapping one for another moves the saturated fat, not the calories; using less is what saves them. Butter is lower per gram only because part of it is water.
| Fat, per tablespoon, 14 g | kcal | Fat g | Sat fat g |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olive oil | 124 | 14 | 1.9 |
| Canola oil | 124 | 14 | 1.0 |
| Avocado oil | 124 | 14 | 1.6 |
| Ghee (butter oil) | 123 | 14 | 8.7 |
| Butter, salted | 100 | 11 | 7.2 |
The sample data
These are the amounts of the lighter version used on the screens below, with each figure taken from the library entry for that ingredient. They are sample figures for a pot or tray of this size, not a measurement of anyone's kitchen.
| Ingredient | Amount | kcal | Protein g | Carbs g | Fat g |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chickpeas, canned, drained and rinsed | 500 g | 690 | 35 | 114 | 12 |
| Onions, raw | 80 g | 32 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| Parsley, fresh | 40 g | 14 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Garlic | 12 g | 18 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Cumin seed | 4 g | 15 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Coriander seed | 3 g | 9 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| All-purpose flour | 30 g | 109 | 3 | 23 | 0 |
| Olive oil | 15 g | 133 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Greek yogurt, plain, nonfat | 150 g | 92 | 15 | 5 | 1 |
| Whole recipe | 834 g | 1,112 | 57 | 160 | 30 |
| Per serving (4) | 180 g | 278 | 14 | 40 | 8 |
Calorie and macro figures are fitness estimates, not medical or dietary advice. Ingredient values are from USDA FoodData Central, which is in the public domain.
USDA source entries: Chickpeas, canned, drained and rinsed; Onions, raw; Parsley, fresh; Garlic; Cumin seed; Coriander seed; All-purpose flour; Olive oil; Greek yogurt, plain, nonfat. Match the preparation and weighed amounts to your own ingredients.
Why this recipe
Nobody can say how much oil a fried falafel kept, which is why shop-bought figures vary so much. A baked batch uses oil you weighed, and the sauce is part of the same recipe, so the serving you log is the plate you ate.
What to weigh
Weigh the chickpeas after draining and rinsing, as the library entry describes them. The ingredients weigh 834 g, and the sample patties and sauce together weigh 720 g after baking. A serving is 180 g, about four patties with sauce.
How to cook it
The method for the lighter version above, using the amounts in the sample data. Use a food thermometer to check the safe temperatures.
- Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Drain and rinse the chickpeas and pat them dry with a towel.
- Pulse the chickpeas, onion, parsley, two thirds of the garlic, the cumin, coriander, flour and a pinch of salt until coarse and just holding together.
- Shape into 16 small patties on a lined tray and brush both sides with the olive oil.
- Bake for 25 minutes, turning once, until browned and firm.
- Stir the rest of the garlic and a pinch of salt into the Greek yogurt and serve it with the falafel.
At a glance
- Prep: 20 minutes
- Cook: 25 minutes
- Makes 4 servings
- Per serving: 278 kcal, 14 g protein
Times are for a home kitchen and leave out any marinating or resting the steps mention.
The full workflow, in four steps.
1. Open Create a recipe and search the library
Open Add food and choose Create a recipe, name it, then choose Add ingredient. Searching "chickpeas" lists the canned entries; choose the drained and rinsed one.
2. Enter the amount you weighed
Switch the portion to grams and enter 500, about two cans drained. The sheet shows 690 kcal with 35 g of protein for the chickpeas.
3. Add the rest, then set the servings and finished weight
Add the onion, parsley, garlic, cumin, coriander, flour, 15 g of olive oil and the 150 g of Greek yogurt for the sauce, then enter the 4 servings and the 720 g finished weight.
4. Save it and log a serving
Save the recipe and it becomes one of your own foods. The next screen is the normal Add food form, ready to log one serving or any weight of it.
Tips while you build it
- Dry the chickpeas on a towel before you blend them. A wet mixture needs more flour and bakes soft.
- Pulse the mixture and stop while it is still coarse, like wet sand. A paste gives a dense patty.
- A serving is about 180 g. If you eat the patties without the sauce, build the sauce as its own recipe instead.
Go further
- Want the tahini sauce? Build a second recipe with 60 g of tahini where the yogurt is, and log the one you served.
- An air fryer works in place of the oven with the same 15 g of oil brushed on.
Each change is a second recipe with its own name, so the first stays as you built it.
Baked falafel questions.
How many calories are in falafel?
Baked, with the yogurt sauce, the sample is 278 kcal a serving, with 14 g protein, 40 g carbs and 8 g fat. Deep-fried with tahini sauce, the same serving is 444 kcal.
Is baked falafel made with canned chickpeas?
This one is. Fried falafel is traditionally made from dried chickpeas soaked overnight; canned chickpeas are softer, which suits baking. Enter whichever you use, since the library has both.
How much protein is in falafel?
The sample has 14 g a serving, from the chickpeas and the yogurt sauce. The page lists two ways to add more.
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- Help: scan, create and recipesThe same steps in the Help Center.
Cook it once. Log it for good.
Build a lighter version of your own lebanese favourite in Nutrition.