Caffeine Free Baked Falafel with Tahini Sauce
Crispy on the outside, tender and herb-packed on the inside, these baked falafel patties deliver everything you want from the classic street-food favorite — without a drop of oil in a deep fryer. Fresh parsley, cilantro, garlic, and warm spices like cumin, coriander, and turmeric do all the heavy lifting here, turning humble chickpeas into something genuinely craveable. The trick to getting that golden crust in the oven is thoroughly drying the chickpeas before processing and chilling the mixture before shaping — two small steps that make a big difference in texture. A quick rest in the fridge firms everything up so the patties hold their shape beautifully and come out of the oven with crisp, deep-brown edges. The tahini sauce comes together in minutes with just lemon juice, garlic, and a splash of cold water whisked in until silky and pourable — it's the kind of sauce you'll want to drizzle on everything. Every ingredient here is naturally free of stimulants, so this is a genuinely relaxed, feel-good meal from start to finish. Pile them onto a platter with lemon wedges and a scatter of fresh parsley, and dinner looks as good as it tastes.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the falafel
- 2 cans (15 oz each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, loosely packed
- ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, loosely packed
- 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 3 tbsp chickpea flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
For the tahini sauce
- ⅓ cup tahini
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
- 1 clove garlic, finely grated
- 3–4 tbsp cold water, as needed
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
For serving
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)
- lemon wedges (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Spread the drained chickpeas on a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and pat thoroughly dry — excess moisture is the main reason falafel falls apart or steams instead of crisping. Let them air-dry for 10 minutes.
- 2
Combine the dried chickpeas, parsley, cilantro, onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, turmeric, salt, black pepper, and cayenne (if using) in a food processor. Pulse 15–20 times, scraping down the sides as needed, until the mixture is finely chopped and holds together when pressed — it should look like coarse, slightly damp crumbs, not a smooth paste.
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