Today, I am sharing with you these easy and healthy pumpkin chickpea falafels. They are full of pumpkin flavor, soft in the middle, and crispy on the outside. They are perfect as is, dipped in your favorite sauce, or added to your salad or pita bread.

The addition of pumpkin in the recipe keeps the falafels from becoming dry and adds tons of flavor. I also baked the falafels to keep them a bit healthier than what you might order out, but they still come out crispy! You can lightly fry them over the stove top - it will save you time!

For this recipe, all you need to do is add all of the ingredients to your food processor and lightly pulse. Be careful to not over do it- you do not want a creamy consistency - leave some texture! Once the ingredients have been somewhat incorporated, you roll them into balls and bake them in the oven for about 30 minutes! It is that simple.

You’ll notice that I only used 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree and on my blog I have tons of other recipes you can use to finish the can….

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Spice Blondies
Pumpkin Spice Oat Bars
Creamy Pumpkin Chickpea Pasta
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Oat Cookies
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
Creamy Pumpkin Freezer Fudge

I hope you enjoy!

Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 30 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:
Yields: about 15

1 can of chickpeas, rinsed/drained (15oz)
1/2 can of pumpkin puree
1/4 cup cilantro
1 cup panko crumbs
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
pinch of sea salt
1/2 tsp. cumin powder
pepper to taste
optional spices to add: onion, ginger, paprika, chili powder

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper

2. In your food processor, pulse together the above ingredients. Leave texture/somewhat chunky.

3. Scoop out about a spoonful size on to the parchment paper and gently flatten a bit

4. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes, flipping halfway.

5. The edges should be crispy and the center is soft.

6. Allow to cool completely and then store in the fridge for up to 3 days