✔ Updated · new copycat recipe with step photos
These copycat Cava falafel are crispy and deep golden outside, bright green and fluffy inside, the way the best falafel should be. The secret is soaked dried chickpeas, never canned.
How Do You Make Cava Falafel at Home? (Quick Answer)
Soak dried chickpeas for 12 to 24 hours, drain and dry them. Pulse onion, garlic, parsley and cilantro in a food processor, then add the chickpeas, cumin, coriander, salt and cayenne and pulse to coarse, damp crumbs. Mix in a little flour and baking powder, chill for 30 minutes and shape small patties. Fry at 350°F for 3 to 4 minutes, or bake at 400°F.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Start the chickpeas soaking the night before. Canned chickpeas are too wet and soft, and the falafel fall apart in the oil.
Why You'll Love This Falafel
- Shatteringly crisp a deep golden crust that crackles when you bite in.
- Green and fluffy inside loaded with parsley and cilantro.
- Fried or baked pick what suits your night.
- Naturally vegan and gluten-free with chickpea flour.
- Freezer friendly shape a double batch and fry from frozen.
What Is Cava Falafel?
Falafel is one of the main proteins you can pick for any bowl or pita on Cava's menu, and it's the go-to for vegetarians. Dining guides note it contains wheat, so it's bound with a little flour, which is how I make mine too.
Cava doesn't publish its recipe, so the amounts here are mine. My test for any copycat: does it taste like the original, and can a home cook make it reliably? Crisp outside, green inside, and it holds together every time.
Ingredient Notes
Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Dried chickpeas: soaked 12 to 24 hours, not cooked. This is non-negotiable.
- Parsley and cilantro: lots of them, for the bright green inside.
- Onion and garlic: for savory depth.
- Cumin and coriander: the classic falafel spices, with a little cayenne for warmth.
- Flour and baking powder: flour binds, baking powder makes the inside light and fluffy. Use chickpea flour for gluten-free.
- Oil: a neutral oil with a high smoke point, like canola or peanut.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Dried chickpeas only. Canned chickpeas are cooked and wet, so the mix turns to mush. My first ever batch used canned and half of it dissolved in the oil. Lesson learned.
- Dry them well. After soaking, spread the chickpeas on a towel and pat dry. Less water means crispier falafel.
- Coarse, not smooth. Stop pulsing when it looks like damp sand. A paste fries up dense and gummy.
- Chill before shaping. Thirty minutes in the fridge helps the flour and baking powder do their job, and the patties hold together.
- Watch the oil temperature. Keep it at 350°F with a thermometer like the clip-on deep-fry thermometer I use. Too cool and they soak up oil, too hot and they brown before the middles cook.
- Test one first. Fry a single falafel. If it breaks apart, mix another tablespoon of flour into the batch.
- A helper makes it fast. Lucy is my falafel shaper, and she has the gentlest touch in the house. Small, slightly flat patties cook the most evenly.
Copycat Cava Falafel
4
servings20
minutes15
minutes330
kcal13
hours5
minutesCrispy herb falafel inspired by Cava’s falafel: soaked dried chickpeas pulsed with onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, cumin and coriander, bound with a little flour and baking powder, shaped into small patties and fried at 350°F until deep golden, or baked. Green and fluffy inside.
Ingredients
- For the Falafel
1 cup dried chickpeas (not canned)
1/2 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, packed
1 cup fresh cilantro, packed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or chickpea flour for gluten-free)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)
- For Frying
3 cups neutral oil, such as canola or peanut
Directions
- Cover the dried chickpeas with 3 inches of cold water and soak for 12 to 24 hours. They will more than double in size. Drain well and pat dry with a towel.
- Pulse the onion and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the parsley and cilantro and pulse until finely minced.
- Add the soaked chickpeas, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper and cayenne. Pulse 15 to 20 times, scraping down the sides, until it looks like coarse, damp sand and holds together when squeezed. Don’t puree it.
- Transfer to a bowl, sprinkle over the flour, baking powder and sesame seeds and mix well. Cover and chill for 30 minutes so it firms up.
- Scoop 2 tablespoons per falafel and press gently into small patties about 1 1/2 inches wide and 3/4 inch thick. You should get about 20.
- Heat the oil in a heavy pot to 350°F, about 2 inches deep. Fry 5 or 6 at a time for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until deep golden brown and crisp. Drain on a rack and season with a pinch of salt.
- To bake instead, brush both sides with olive oil and bake on a parchment-lined sheet at 400°F for 22 to 25 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and crisp.
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Fried vs Baked Falafel
Both work; here's the difference.
| Method | Temp | Time | Texture |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deep-fried | 350°F oil | 3 to 4 min | Crispiest, like the restaurant |
| Oven-baked | 400°F | 22 to 25 min, flip halfway | Golden, lighter, less crunchy |
| Air fryer | 375°F, brushed with oil | 12 to 14 min, flip halfway | Crisp, great for small batches |
How to Build a Cava Falafel Bowl
- Base: greens and saffron rice, or half and half.
- Dips: hummus and a spoonful of whipped crazy feta.
- Sauces: my copycat Cava garlic dressing and a spoon of spicy Cava skhug for heat.
- Toppings: cucumber and tomato, pickled onions and pita crisps.
- Not vegetarian? Add a few slices of my copycat Cava grilled chicken alongside.
Storing, Freezing and Reheating
Cooked falafel keep for up to 4 days in the fridge. Reheat in a 375°F oven or air fryer for 8 to 10 minutes to bring back the crunch; the microwave makes them soft.
Raw shaped patties freeze beautifully for up to 3 months. Fry them straight from frozen, adding a minute to the time.
More Mediterranean Copycats
Build the rest of your bowl from my Cava copycat recipes. For more chickpea and herb dishes, my Lebanese recipes roundup has plenty of ideas, and every restaurant favorite lives in our copycat recipes collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Cava falafel made of?
Cava lists falafel as one of its main proteins, and dining guides flag it as containing wheat. Copycat versions like this one use soaked dried chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, cumin and coriander, with a little flour and baking powder to bind them.
Why do you need dried chickpeas for falafel?
Dried chickpeas that are soaked but not cooked have the starch and firmness to hold a patty together and fry up crisp. Canned chickpeas are already cooked and too wet, so the falafel go mushy or fall apart.
Can I bake falafel instead of frying?
Yes. Brush the patties with olive oil and bake at 400°F for 22 to 25 minutes, flipping halfway. They're a little less crunchy than fried but still golden and delicious.
Why is my falafel falling apart?
The mix is too wet, too smooth or not chilled. Dry the chickpeas well, pulse only to coarse crumbs, chill for 30 minutes, and add another tablespoon of flour if a test falafel breaks.
Is Cava falafel vegan?
Dairy-free dining guides list Cava's falafel as vegan-friendly but note it contains wheat. This copycat is vegan, and you can make it gluten-free by using chickpea flour.
Can I freeze falafel?
Yes. Freeze shaped raw patties on a tray, then bag them for up to 3 months. Fry from frozen at 350°F for 4 to 5 minutes. Cooked falafel freeze well too; reheat in a 375°F oven for 10 minutes.
What do you serve with falafel?
Put them in bowls with rice and greens, stuff them into warm pita with cucumber and pickled onions, or serve with hummus, tahini, garlic dressing and a spicy green sauce.
