Real falafel involves soaking dried chickpeas, grinding them with herbs, forming balls, and frying the whole thing. This is not that. This is what you make on a Tuesday when you want those same flavors—cumin, lemon, parsley, garlic—in about ten minutes with no hot oil involved.
The base is canned chickpeas mashed with Greek yogurt and a fairly aggressive spice mix, spread on whole grain toast and topped with a thick slice of tomato. It’s filling, it’s got real flavor, and it’s the kind of thing I have started making on rotation when we need lunch handled fast. The falafel spice blend is the whole point here—don’t be shy with the cumin.
The recipe as written makes one serving, which is a good way to try it first. But fair warning—once you’ve made it once, you’ll probably want to use the whole can. A standard 15oz can makes exactly 4 servings, the mixture keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days, and all you have to do each time is toast fresh bread. Full batch quantities are in the Storing section below.
Why I Love This Recipe
10 minutes, no cooking — toast the bread, mash the chickpeas, done.
Real falafel flavor without frying anything or soaking dried chickpeas overnight.
164 calories and 2 WW Points — substantial enough to call lunch.
6 grams of fiber and 11 grams of protein from the chickpeas and yogurt.
Works as breakfast, lunch, or a snack — the spice level plays at any time of day.
How Many Calories and WW Points in Falafel Toast?
According to my calculations, each serving (entire recipe) has about 164 calories and 2 WW Points.
To see your personalized WW Points, track this recipe in WW App! (You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)
Note: Your Points may vary depending on the type of bread you choose.
Old WW plan: 4 PointsPlus
Ingredients and Substitutions
Whole grain bread — use whatever you like: Dave’s Killer Bread, Ezekiel, Nature’s Own, Oroweat, The Rustik Oven. The points will vary by brand, so check the WW app if you’re tracking closely. A lower-carb bread will drop the points; a denser, seedy loaf will add them.
Chickpeas — canned, rinsed and drained. You only need a quarter cup, which is about a quarter of a standard can—save the rest for a salad or another round of this.
Plain fat-free Greek yogurt — acts as a binder and adds creaminess. Regular plain Greek yogurt (2%) works fine and adds a little richness. A small amount of hummus can sub in if that’s what you have.
Fresh parsley and cilantro — both are in there and both matter. If cilantro’s not your thing, just double the parsley. Dried parsley works in a pinch but fresh is noticeably better.
Cumin — the dominant spice; don’t reduce it. This is what makes it taste like falafel rather than just mashed chickpeas on toast.
Lemon juice — fresh is better than bottled here; you only need half a teaspoon so it’s worth squeezing.
Onion and garlic — both listed as optional because I typically skip them in favor of onion powder and extra garlic powder, which are faster and still deliver the flavor. If you have fresh and want to use it, go for it—just chop fine.
Dried dill — an unexpected addition that works well; adds a slightly herby brightness.
Paprika — just a dash for color and mild warmth.
Tomato — one thick slice on top. A ripe, in-season tomato makes a real difference here. Cherry tomatoes halved work too if that’s what you have.
How to Make Falafel Toast, Step-by-Step
Step 1: Gather and prepare all ingredients.
Step 2: Toast 1 slice bread.
Step 3: Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, thoroughly mash 1/4-cup rinsed and drained canned chickpeas.
Step 4: Add the remaining ingredients to the mixing bowl—yogurt, chopped onion (if using), chopped parsley, minced garlic (if using), chopped cilantro, cumin, lemon juice, dried dill, garlic powder, paprika, salt and black pepper—and mix thoroughly.
Step 5: Spread mixture on toast.
Step 6: Top with 1 thick tomato slice. Enjoy!
Here’s another favorite, easy-to-make toast topper, Avocado BLT Toast.
Tips for Success
Mash the chickpeas well. The mixture spreads much more cleanly when the chickpeas are thoroughly mashed—a fork works fine but a small potato masher is faster.
Don’t go light on the cumin. It’s the flavor that makes this read as falafel-inspired rather than just generic chickpea toast. Use the full half teaspoon.
Taste before spreading. The spice balance is personal—if you want more lemon, more garlic, or more heat (a pinch of cayenne is good), adjust before it goes on the toast.
Let the toast cool for 30 seconds before spreading so the chickpea mixture doesn’t steam-wilt on the hot bread.
Make a batch with the whole can. A standard 15oz can of chickpeas is about 1½ cups drained—exactly enough for 4 servings. Scale everything up 4x (½ cup yogurt, 2 teaspoons cumin, 2-½ tablespoons parsley, and so on), mix once, and refrigerate. Toast fresh each day and you’ve got lunch handled for most of the week.
Storing and Making a Batch
The assembled toast is an eat-now situation—the bread softens fast once the spread goes on. But the chickpea mixture keeps well on its own, and this is one of those recipes that genuinely rewards making a full batch at the start of the week.
A standard 15oz can of chickpeas yields about 1-½ cups drained—exactly enough for 4 servings. Here’s the full-can version:
The chickpea mixture works well beyond toast—think of it as a falafel-spiced spread that happens to be great on bread. A few other ways to use it:
Stuffed into a tomato — hollow out a beefsteak tomato, fill it, eat it with a fork. Feels like a proper lunch.
Lettuce wraps — a large romaine or butter lettuce leaf, a scoop of the mixture, a few cucumber slices. Low carb and genuinely good.
Pita pocket — stuff it into a whole wheat pita with shredded lettuce and a drizzle of hot sauce.
On cucumber rounds — for a no-bread snack or appetizer, spread on thick cucumber slices instead of toast.
Grain bowl base — spoon it over a bowl of farro, bulgur, or brown rice with some chopped vegetables.
Mash the chickpeas, mix everything together, and store in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It keeps well for 3–4 days. Each morning (or lunch, or whenever) just toast a slice of bread, spread, top with tomato, done. Four lunches from one can and about ten minutes of prep.
This Falafel-Spiced Chickpea Toast takes 10 minutes + no cooking — mashed chickpeas seasoned with lemon and spices spread on whole grain toast, topped with a tomato slice.
1/8teaspoongarlic powder (or more if omitting fresh garlic)
1dashpaprika
Salt and black pepper to taste
1thick tomato slice
Instructions
Gather and prepare all ingredients.
Toast 1 slice of bread.
Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, thoroughly mash 1/4-cup rinsed and drained canned chickpeas.
Add the remaining ingredients to the mixing bowl—yogurt, chopped onion (if using), chopped parsley, chopped garlic (if using), chopped cilantro, cumin, lemon juice, dried dill, garlic powder, paprika, salt and black pepper—and mix thoroughly.
Spread mixture on toast. Top with 1 thick tomato slice. Enjoy!
Notes
Serving size: 1 falafel toast (entire recipe)WW Points: 2Check the WW Points for this recipe and track it in the WW app.
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.Old WW Points: 4 PointsPlusStoring and Making a BatchThe assembled toast is an eat-now situation—the bread softens fast once the spread goes on. But the chickpea mixture keeps well on its own, and this is one of those recipes that genuinely rewards making a full batch at the start of the week.A standard 15oz can of chickpeas yields about 1-½ cups drained—exactly enough for 4 servings. Here’s the full-can version:
Mash the chickpeas, mix everything together, and store in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It keeps well for 3–4 days. Each morning (or lunch, or whenever) just toast a slice of bread, spread, top with tomato, done. Four lunches from one can and about ten minutes of prep.
Is this actually falafel? Not in the traditional sense—real falafel uses dried (not canned) chickpeas, forms them into balls or patties, and fries them. This is a falafel-spiced chickpea spread, which is faster and doesn’t require any cooking. The cumin-herb-lemon flavor profile is the connection.
Can I use hummus instead of making the chickpea mixture? You can spread hummus on toast as a starting point, but the texture and spice level won’t be the same—hummus is smoother and more lemon-forward. This mixture has more body and a more complex spice blend. Worth making from scratch at least once to see the difference.
Can I make this without cilantro? Yes—just double the parsley. The flavor shifts slightly but it’s still very good. Fresh mint is another option if you want an herb that plays well with the cumin-lemon combination.
Can I make a bigger batch? Yes, and I’d encourage it. A full 15oz can of chickpeas makes almost exactly 4 servings. Scale the spices up 4x, mix the whole thing at once, and refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 4 days. Toast fresh bread each time—the spread keeps, the toast doesn’t. Full batch quantities are in the Storing section above.
What bread works best? Anything sturdy enough to hold the spread without getting soggy immediately. Dave’s Killer Bread and Ezekiel both work well. A very soft sandwich bread will deflate under the weight of the topping—go with something with some structure.
