Traditional falafel is high in FODMAPs. The combination of chickpeas (or fava beans), onion, and garlic in a standard recipe means most falafel you’d buy at a restaurant or from a pre-made mix will likely trigger symptoms if you’re sensitive. The good news is that homemade falafel with a few smart substitutions can fit comfortably into a low FODMAP diet.
Why Standard Falafel Is High FODMAP
Falafel has three main FODMAP problems, and they tend to show up together in every traditional recipe.
First, the base. Falafel is built on chickpeas or fava beans, both of which are high in galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), a type of carbohydrate that ferments rapidly in the gut. Dried chickpeas are only considered low FODMAP up to 29 grams per serving, which is roughly two tablespoons. A single falafel ball typically uses more than that. Fava beans are similarly problematic: research on fava bean flour found that even a small amount of protein-rich fava flour in a 200-gram serving of food can reach the threshold for triggering symptoms.
Second, onion and garlic are flavor staples in falafel. Both are packed with fructans, another FODMAP group, and they’re high in fructans even at very small quantities. There’s no “safe serving” that preserves the flavor while staying under the limit.
Third, some recipes and commercial mixes include wheat flour as a binder, adding another source of fructans on top of everything else.
What About Store-Bought Falafel Mixes?
Pre-made falafel mixes are almost always high FODMAP. Even a simple-looking mix with just chickpeas, fava beans, sodium bicarbonate, spices, and salt has been flagged as containing at least one high FODMAP ingredient and one that could be moderate or high depending on the serving size. The problem is that you can’t control the ratio of chickpeas to fava beans, and many mixes also contain onion powder or garlic powder in their spice blends. If the label lists “spices” without breaking them down, assume garlic or onion is hiding in there.
Frozen or refrigerated pre-made falafel from grocery stores and restaurants carries the same risk. Garlic and onion are so fundamental to the traditional flavor that almost no commercial version omits them.
How to Make Low FODMAP Falafel at Home
Homemade falafel gives you full control over every ingredient, and the modifications are straightforward.
Start With Canned, Rinsed Chickpeas
Canned chickpeas that have been drained and rinsed are considered low FODMAP at up to 42 grams per serving, about four tablespoons. That’s noticeably more generous than the 29-gram limit for dried chickpeas. The rinsing step matters: it removes up to 40% of the water-soluble FODMAPs that leach into the canning liquid. Don’t skip it.
For a batch of falafel, you’ll want to measure your total chickpea amount and divide by the number of balls you’re making, aiming to keep each serving within that 42-gram window. For most people, two to three falafel balls per meal is a reasonable target.
Replace Onion and Garlic
The simplest swap is garlic-infused olive oil, which captures the garlic flavor without the fructans (FODMAPs are water-soluble, so they don’t transfer into oil). For onion flavor, finely chopped chives work well, since the green parts of chives are low FODMAP. You can also use the green tops of spring onions.
Specialty FODMAP-friendly garlic and onion replacer products exist if you want a closer match to the original taste. These typically use maltodextrin combined with natural garlic or onion flavoring. A teaspoon of each in a batch of falafel provides a convincing result.
Use a Safe Binder
Skip wheat flour. Use a gluten-free flour like rice flour or oat flour (oats are low FODMAP up to about half a cup) to help the falafel hold together. A small amount of cornstarch also works. Most falafel recipes don’t need much binder, so this swap barely changes the texture.
Season Generously
Cumin, coriander, paprika, cayenne, salt, pepper, and fresh herbs like parsley and cilantro are all FODMAP-safe and carry much of falafel’s distinctive flavor. With garlic-infused oil and chives handling the allium notes, a well-spiced falafel can taste nearly identical to the original.
Watch for FODMAP Stacking
Even when your falafel is made with safe portions, what you eat alongside it matters. FODMAP stacking happens when multiple foods that are each individually low FODMAP combine in one meal to push your total FODMAP load over your tolerance threshold. This is especially relevant with falafel because the foods people pair it with (hummus, tahini, pickled vegetables, pita bread) can each contribute their own FODMAPs.
Tahini is low FODMAP at around 30 grams, which is about two tablespoons. That’s a reasonable drizzle over a falafel plate. Hummus is trickier because it contains both chickpeas and garlic, so store-bought hummus is usually high FODMAP unless it’s specifically labeled otherwise. If your plate already has chickpea-based falafel, adding a large scoop of hummus doubles your GOS exposure from a single meal.
Monash University, which developed the FODMAP diet, notes that stacking is primarily a concern within a single sitting. Spacing meals two to three hours apart allows your gut time to process FODMAPs between eating occasions. Their guidance also clarifies that combining multiple foods at their tested “green” (safe) serving sizes in one meal is generally fine for most people. Stacking typically only becomes a problem if you’re still experiencing symptoms despite following the diet carefully.
Eating Falafel at Restaurants
Restaurant falafel is the hardest to navigate. You can ask whether the kitchen uses fresh garlic and onion versus powdered forms, but even if they’ll tell you, the answer is almost always yes to both. Some Middle Eastern restaurants make falafel from a base of soaked raw chickpeas rather than cooked ones, which means even higher FODMAP content per ball since the chickpeas haven’t been rinsed of their water-soluble sugars.
If you’re in the elimination phase of the FODMAP diet, restaurant falafel is best avoided. During the reintroduction or personalization phase, you might find you can tolerate a small portion, especially if the rest of your meal is low FODMAP. Everyone’s threshold is different, and some people with IBS handle moderate amounts of GOS without issues.