Navy Bean Falafel
Packed with plant protein and flavor, these easy, gluten-free Navy Bean Falafel are spiced with smoked paprika, turmeric, coriander, cumin, onion, and garlic and make a tasty and nutritious snack or side dish.
Popular in Middle Eastern cuisine, falafel are deep-fried fritters made with fava beans or chickpeas (or a combination of both) and a variety of spices. They are usually crunchy on the outside and tender and tasty on the inside.
However, today I have my spin on falafel.
Instead of using fava beans or chickpeas, the falafel you see here in this post are made with canned navy beans, carrots, and a plethora of seasonings. These Navy Bean Falafel are pan-fried to crispy perfection.
What are the ingredients needed to make these Navy Bean Falafel?
You will need the following 12 ingredients to make these navy bean falafel, most of which might be pantry staples:
- Canned navy beans
- Egg
- Onion
- Fresh garlic cloves
- Carrot
- Smoked paprika
- Ground turmeric
- Ground coriander
- Ground cumin
- Almond flour
- Salt and black pepper
- Oil
Substitutions
- Canned navy beans
I usually have canned navy beans on hand as I can easily add them to everything from veggie balls to cheesecake to navy bean soup, without having to soak them. I like to use navy beans in this falafel recipe because they tend to have a creamier and more mild flavor than fava beans. A cup of cooked navy beans (which made this list of “9 Healthy Beans and Legumes You Should Try” has about 255 calories, 15 grams of protein, 19 grams of fiber, and 47 grams of carbohydrates. They contain no saturated fat and are a good source of calcium and potassium. And, the high fiber content of navy beans (and other white beans) is said to help lower cholesterol. In this recipe, navy beans can be substituted with fava beans, chickpeas, cannellini beans, or Great Northern beans.
- Egg
The egg in this recipe is a binder. However, it can be left out, and the quantity of almond flour reduced so that when the other ingredients are mixed together in a food processor, they can be formed into a patty or ball without falling apart.
- Onion + Garlic
I like to use fresh onion and fresh garlic in this recipe. If you are not a fan of peeling and chopping garlic and ginger, most stores sell peeled and chopped garlic and ginger in the produce section, though they tend to cost more than the fresh, intact ones.
- Carrot
I wanted a pop of color and a little more added fiber to this dish, so I opted to add in some grated carrot. The carrot can be substituted with some chopped spinach or kale, or it can be omitted completely.
- Spices
Smoked paprika, turmeric, coriander, and cumin are spices that are pantry staples for me. I use them in everything from curries to roasts to chutneys. I love the combination of these four spices. However, if you have some harissa on hand, you could use 3 teaspoons of harissa instead. You could also add in a teaspoon of oregano or parsley.
- Almond flour
I wanted to keep these navy bean falafel gluten-free, so I opted to use almond flour. However, if you do not require that these be gluten-free, almond flour can be substituted with bread crumbs.
- Oil
A few tablespoons of olive oil was all that were used to pan-fry these falafel. The olive oil can be substituted with any oil you have on hand.
Instructions
These Navy bean Falafel are so easy to make. And with a little carrot and onion, these little bites are big on taste! These are also jam-packed with garlic, turmeric, cumin, and coriander – ingredients, my mom swears, ward off nasty colds.
- To start, peel and chop the onion and garlic.
- Then rinse and grate the carrot.
- Open the can of navy beans and drain the liquid out. Then, add the navy beans to a colander and rinse them well under running water.
- Then, place all the ingredients (the navy beans, grated carrot, chopped onion and ginger, smoked paprika, turmeric, cumin, coriander, salt, black pepper, and almond flour) in a food processor or blender, and pulse until all ingredients are well incorporated. Make sure to pulse your food processor until the ingredients are well mixed. Do not over-process or blend the ingredients as the resulting mixture will be too mushy.
- Right from the food processor, shape the mixture into balls and flatten each ball slightly. However, if you used a blender, then scoop the mixture into a bowl and then gather some of the mixture, and shape the falafel.
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- Then add the olive oil to a frying pot or frying pan, and place it on a stovetop set to medium heat. Depending on your stove, you might have to increase this to a medium-high heat.
- When the oil is warm, add the shaped falafel (they will be slightly wet but will dry out as they cook) and cook 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Sometimes my daughter and I plan on binge-watching a series of movies or the latest season of our favorite TV series (our current one is You)
Well, this past weekend we rented and sat down and watched one titled “God’s Not Dead.” This movie had been on our “to watch list” even though “critics” gave it a score of 16 out of 100!
Now, I might not have the experienced perception of a movie critic, but I would have to disagree with that score! This movie ignited discussions and realizations in our house that were eye-opening.
While the main focus of this movie is on the college student who decides to take on the challenge of proving God is not dead to his atheist professor, numerous other characters show the strength, perseverance, and beauty of the human spirit when fueled by faith.
One such character that moved me was “Reverend Jude,” played by Benjamin Ochieng. Reverend Jude’s quite calm, his wise words, his hope, and his always joyful demeanor not only reminded me of my dad, but they also reminded me that there is usually a reason for things. We might not understand these reasons or accept what may be. Sometimes we question the reason behind a loved one’s death. Sometimes we cannot seem to see the reason behind a friend’s health woes. Sometimes we are baffled at the never-ending onslaught of bills that threaten to drive us to bankruptcy. And, sometimes we are boggled by friendships and relationships that just end. But, if we stay still, oh so still and look clearer, we might see that the reason has nothing to do with the result.. and we just have to hang in there and trust.
My daughter and I enjoyed this movie and didn’t get up to get any snacks, mostly because we had a whole bowl of these Navy Bean Falafel bites with some sweet chili sauce and mango chutney, and a celery stalk on the side.
How to serve these Navy Bean Falafel bites?
These Navy Bean Falafel make a delicious snack when served at room temperature with some spicy sweet chili sauce or pumpkin chili sauce, and mango chutney or purple sweet potato chutney.
These falafel can also be served as a side dish with a meal consisting of this Za’atar Ras El Hanout Chicken, these sautéed celery, and these air fryer zucchini fries.
Or, with some Marry me tofu, lemon za’atar quinoa, and this pistachio kale crunch salad.
These falafel pair well with everything from roast veggies and meat recipes to soup recipes.
Storage
Leftovers of these navy bean falafel can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or so.
These falafel can also be placed in an airtight plastic bag and stored in the freezer. They can be reheated by placing them in an air fryer or oven set to 350 degrees, for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup navy beans (drained, rinsed canned navy beans ~ I dried these between paper towels to remove excess moisture)
- 1 egg
- 1/4 onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1/4 cup carrot grated
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 3 tbsp almond flour (or more if falafel are too wet)
- 1/4 tsp salt and pepper
- 2-3 tbsp oil
Instructions
- To start, peel and chop the onion and garlic.
- Then rinse and grate the carrot.
- Open the can of navy beans and drain the liquid out. Then, add the navy beans to a colander and rinse them well under running water.
- Then, place all the ingredients (the navy beans, grated carrot, chopped onion and ginger, smoked paprika, turmeric, cumin, coriander, salt, black pepper, and almond flour) in a food processor or blender, and pulse until all ingredients are well incorporated. Make sure to pulse your food processor until the ingredients are well mixed. Do not over-process or blend the ingredients as the resulting mixture will be too mushy.
- Right from the food processor, shape the mixture into balls and flatten each ball slightly. However, if you used a blender, then scoop the mixture into a bowl and then gather some of the mixture, and shape the falafel.
- Then add the olive oil to a frying pot or frying pan, and place it on a stovetop set to medium heat. Depending on your stove, you might have to increase this to a medium-high heat.
- When the oil is warm, add the shaped falafel (they will be slightly wet but will dry out as they cook) and cook 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
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Fun idea here, Shashi! I’ve had falafel a few times, and I’ve always enjoyed it…but I’ve definitely never had it with navy beans. Laura is a huge falafel fan, so I might need to give this a try when she’s around. Thanks for the inspiration!
These falafel are some of the most flavorful I have had. Thanks for the recipe.
My husband said it is the best falafel he has ever he has ever had. It was so easy to make. I didn’t have any coriander but I threw in a bit of cilantro. Other than that, I pretty much followed the recipe
The the flavor of these are so yummy but found that they were very crumbly when cooking so not sure if I did some thing wrong when I mixed everything.
Hello! Thank you for the recipe. We found that the falafels were a bit too liquid. Perhaps I should have taken a paper towel to squeeze the fresh navy beans, but I ended up adding Bob Red Mills 1:1 flour (gluten free) to thicken it up. I love Persian food / spice, so I added 7 spice and more of the other spices (cumin, paprika and added Cardamon powder. That did the trick for us. Trying to go on vegetarian lifestyle, and this recipe is a nice addition!
This sounds amazing! I love that you used navy beans instead of chickpeas, because navy beans are one of the very few vegan foods that are higher in lysine than arginine. I eat them every day to counter the effect of all the high arginine plant proteins, so it’s great to see a new recipe for them!
I love falafel but I have never tried to make them out of navy beans. Thanks to you now I do have a great recipe to try these chubby, tasty guys.
It never occured to me to make falafel with beans, I always made them with chickpeas. What a great idea, thanks !!
Thanks so much Don – and thanks for stopping by – hope you get to make some navy bean falafel soon 🙂
I LOVE Falafels and have been searching for a good recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much!
What a great movie snack! I love falafel, and this is such a great idea to sub a different kind of bean. Great for an emergency situation when I run out of chickpeas!
Thanks so much Lori!
I’ve been wondering about that movie! My brother and mom went to see it when it was in the theatre and loved it. Now I know i need to rent it! Love the falafel – perfect for movie night 🙂
Thanks so much Ashley! Yes – I would highly recommend that movie!
Great recipe, Shashi … falafel is one of my very favourite snacks!
Thanks for the wise words today, too. I haven’t had the greatest of weeks so this really hit the mark for me. 🙂
Your welcome Helen – whatever you are going through – I hope and pray things get better sooon for you, my friend.
XXs
Although I know this is falafel, it looks like buttery biscuits, and now I really want a buttery biscuit!!
Hahaha! This might also be good in a buttery biscuit no? 🙂
The movie sounds so interesting, thanks for the scoop! Also, I love that you used a different type of beans for falafel. So creative!
Thanks so much Erin!
These look amazing delicious! I love the spices you have flavored the falafel with here
Thanks so much
I’m not sure I am able to believe in God. I’ve been into science for too long… it seems to me that the universe is so incredibly crazy to have a creator. The nature, the way things work and go on, maybe all this is “god”. Anyhow… let’s talk about these bites. I have a clear opinion about them: they are fantastic!
Thanks so much Daniela – they were pretty awesome!
My daughter and I have gotten in the habit of renting Redbox movies and having a movie night. I will have to look for that one. And I might have to make some of these falafel to munch on. They look wonderful!
Thanks Christin – with the weather cooling down – we are trying to squeeze in more movie nights! So nice to hear you and your daughter have yalls own movie nights!
These look delicious- I actually prefer navy beans to chickpeas!
Yay – navy beans are so versatile – great savory and sweet! Thanks Arman!
Your movie night sounds awesome! And it sounds stupid but I never really thought to make felafel with anything apart from chickpeas. Great idea!
Thanks Lorraine – you gotta try navy beans!
I can see these little flakes and delicious little bits of veggies in your falafel and I am certain this would be the perfect finger food to accompany a good movie… and way more fun that eating popcorn.
Thanks so much BAM – yes – these are much better and better for you than popcorn! 🙂
It’s always a lovely surprise when a movie has been panned by critics, that you take it out and watch it and are pleasantly surprised. If a movie doesn’t do well in the US, it doesn’t get a cinematic release here which is probably why I haven’t heard of it. I’ll look out for it xx
Next time you are in the US -maybe you could find it? Or you could come by our place and watch it? 🙂
Shashi, I love those little savory cakes – I could eat so many of them at once! Love that they are gluten free, of course!
Thanks so much Julia
Love that you made falafel with white beans, looks delicious. So nice you and your daughter enjoyed the movie together, sounds like a good one.
Thanks so much Cheri – next tme I gotta try using pinto beans to make falafel – what do you think? 😉
i love falafels ad this one seems very delicious. now i need some hummus!!
Oooh hummus would have been so good with these – but we started eating and forgot about all sides!
Thanks Dixya
Can you believe that I’ve -never- tried falafel before? Not even the traditional kind? I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume that’s not really acceptable. Oops 😳 And you know what I miss? The good old days where you had to go out to a rental store, browse the shelve, and pick out a movie… getting super peeved when what you wanted was already rented out 😆 I know things are easier these days, but I still miss the old ones!
Amanda – I do miss those days too, my friend – so much fun perusing those aisles – even with the peeve factor 😉
Now wait – you haven’t had falafel???
Yum! I haven’t had falafel in literally decades… I think these might be a good snack for my Netflix marathons. 🙂
Thanks Sashi – yes, yes indeed!
I love navy beans, those falafel look so good, there is no breading? I am going to make these, I’ve been craving falafel.
Thanks Suzanne – nope, no breading at all!
These look so good! Would love to try it!
Thanks Asmita!
It’s been a really long time since we rented movies, but if I had a basket full of this falafel, it might make it more tempting. Just sayin’.. 🙂
So…you saying I should maybe mail you some of these? I think I have the same mail man that David at Spiced Blog has – just saying – he might eat it before it gets there… 😉
Haha! That nasty mailman obviously needs to find a wife who cooks so he stops taking all of our food! 🙂
Haha – Becca – you are so right! Are you volunteering for the position? 😉
I don’t think my husband would appreciate that, but thanks for thinking of me 😉
Oh snap! You have one of “those” 🙂 …ok…guess we might have to start a Match.com profile or something for this postman….
Ha! We always plan on watching a movie on Friday nights but just never end up doing it! I don’t know what it is!
And this dish sounds awesome! My kind of meal!
Thanks Ashley!!!
I am thinking it’s the weather – I adore being outside – but when it gets cold I am always indoors…that’s my story at least! 🙂
This looks delicious! Thanks for sharing that movie, it sounds like something I would like. I especially like when you said “we might see that the reason has nothing to do with the result” 🙂
Thanks so much Bianca – it happens often – we watch a movie that has so much good stuff in the middle – a character that isn’t a star one that says or acts a certain way or something that is said…just makes it for me!
My hubs would love this dish! :)-Ashley
Thanks Ashley!
Aww now I want to see that movie! You and your daughter are so cute, i love your relationship! And these navy bean falafels looks amaaaazing 🙂
Aww – thanks Charlotte! Yup, being a single parent has had it’s perks for me – one of them is being really close to my gal! 🙂
Those look really tasty!!
I’ve been wanting to watch that movie – I will have to check it out soon.
Thanks Kim – yes, I sure hope you get to watch it!
we have been SO wanting to watch that movie, and now I know that we need to get our butts to red box. AND we need to get our butts into the kitchen to eat these. I seriously haven’t tried falafel, but have been DYING to! Pinning!
Wait – what??? You haven’t tried falafel???? That’s more shocking than when I found out you moved cross country!!!
Thanks Taylor!!!
Yes – that movie is really good – specially the middle parts!
i love navy bean, and so does my gut. which means i get to make these! YAY! genius
Yes to gut friendly foods! Thanks Lindsay
I just put that movie on my Netflix queue. I’m definitely intrigued after reading this post. I’ll let you know my thoughts.
Holy moly those falafel look good and I bet they taste even better than they look. I need me some of that! 😉
Thanks Mike – they did taste pretty darn good!
So, am curious – since I am late replying – did you get a chance to watch the movie? Any thoughts if you did? I am so curious to know…
I feel like movie reviews are like restaurant reviews…people only speak up if they have something bad to say, so all the good reviews get filtered out. Glad you enjoyed the movie! Also, love this new take on falafel. A must try!
Thanks so much Joanne! Yes – I didn’t think of it that way – but you are so right! And now that you mention it…I don’t remember the last time I read a totally positive review!
I’ll have to check out God’s Not Dead – a topic I’m very interested in recently – and I’ll have to have a plate of these falafel when I watch ;).
Thanks Jeanette – I sure hope you get to try them both 🙂
I haven’t heard of the movie – I’ll be sure to look it up.
And also, your take on falafel sounds delicious 🙂
Thanks so much Jyoti 🙂
O yes, these are a great snack for movie night.
Thanks Angie!!!
Oh I’m jus the same about movies. I always stock up over the weekend with great plans to watch them all…9 out of 10 times, I end up watching reruns on TV instead! When will we ever learn eh ;)! As much as I love chickpeas, I love the twist on these…and hey no chickpeas in the falafel only means compensating with extra hummus right :)!
Khushboo – I am thinking when the weather gets cooler and I detest being outside – then I will watch more movies and tv – I watch so little Iended up cancelling my cable this past weekend!
Yes to more hummus! Btw, thanks lady!
I haven’t rented a movie in ages but it might be time. Those falafel made from beans sound pretty good right now!
Thanks Maureen! Yes – yes it’s about time for a move rental 🙂
Your pictures are amazing. I want to eat these little bites right NOW! Great idea. It you like these types of movies you might also enjoy Heaven Is For Real. Based on a true story (I read the book twice) and really good acting and story. Very thought provoking. Thanks for all your interesting posts. Cheers to both you and your daughter.
Aww-thanks so much Joan! I am speechless at your kind words…thank you – you made my day…
I read Heaven is for Real – and loved the book – but haven’t seen the movie yet – wonder if is similar to the book…
Aaw, so sweet that you and your daughter finally got to have your movie night. A pan of these falafels sounds like the perfect snack food while watching a movie 🙂 Navy beans instead of chickpeas sounds awesome and I love love love the spices in here! Gorgeous photos too girl, just want to reach right in and grab one of these babies! Pinning 🙂
Aw – thanks so so very much Kelly!
I totally hear you on renting movies, I used to do that all the time! But it’s been ages since I’ve rented anything, now everything is rented online it seems, lost a bit of it’s romanticism of browsing the shelves! This recipe looks amazing and your pictures are beautiful. Totally loving all those spices happening, especially that coriander!
Thanks so much Pamela!
Yes, you are right – everything is done online – but I don’t have access to Red Box online as NetFlix seems to not have the more recent movies yet…