Navy Bean Falafel (Gluten-Free, Pan-Fried)

Name: Navy Bean Falafel (Gluten-Free, Pan-Fried)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
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 grated carrot; 1/2 teaspoon smoked 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 olive oil (or any oil you have on hand)

ByShashi CharlesUpdated on November 12, 2026

Made with canned navy beans, grated carrot, and almond flour, these gluten-free Navy Bean Falafel are golden and crisp on the outside and soft and creamy inside. They are seasoned with smoked paprika, turmeric, coriander, and cumin, and pan-fry in a few tablespoons of oil in about 20 minutes – a great snack or side dish.

Jump to Recipe

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.

This is 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 until golden and crisp.

Good to know before you start

Time: About 20 minutes, and you’ll need a food processor or blender.
Dry the beans well: After rinsing, pat the navy beans dry between paper towels. Wet beans make a loose mixture – one reader found hers too wet and added a little gluten-free flour to firm it up.
Pulse, don’t purée: Pulse just until everything is mixed. Over-processing makes the mixture mushy.
Handle them gently: These are softer than deep-fried chickpea falafel, and one reader found them crumbly. Shape them firmly, leave them alone in the pan until the bottom is golden, and flip them gently.

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. 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, most stores sell peeled and chopped garlic 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. One reader, Deborah, didn’t have coriander and used a little fresh cilantro instead – her husband said they were the best falafel he’s ever had.

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 packed with garlic, turmeric, cumin, and coriander.

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. Pat them dry with paper towels.

Then, place all the ingredients (the navy beans, egg, grated carrot, chopped onion and garlic, 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.

One evening, my daughter and I sat down to watch “God’s Not Dead,” a movie that had been on our to-watch list for a while.

One character, “Reverend Jude,” played by Benjamin Ochieng, moved me most. His calm, his wise words, and his joyful hope reminded me of my dad – and reminded me that even when we can’t see the reason behind things, 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 3–4 days.

These falafel can also be placed in an airtight plastic bag and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. They can be reheated by placing them in an air fryer or oven set to 350 degrees, for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Tips from readers

Sabrena found her mixture a bit too wet, so she added some gluten-free 1:1 flour to thicken it. She also added seven spice, a little cardamom, and extra cumin and paprika for a Persian-style twist.
Deborah swapped fresh cilantro for the coriander.
Sam called these some of the most flavorful falafel he has had.