Coconut Free Baked Falafel with Tahini Sauce
Crispy on the outside, tender and herb-packed on the inside, these baked falafel patties deliver everything you love about the street-food classic without a drop of oil for frying. Fresh parsley, cilantro, garlic, and warm spices like cumin, coriander, and turmeric do the heavy lifting here, giving every bite serious depth and fragrance. The trick to getting that golden crust in the oven is patience — thoroughly drying the chickpeas and chilling the shaped patties before baking makes all the difference between a patty that holds together beautifully and one that crumbles. Every single ingredient in this recipe is naturally free of coconut in any form, so there's no need to scrutinize labels or swap anything out. The silky tahini sauce comes together in minutes with just lemon juice, garlic, and a splash of cold water, and it's the kind of drizzle-over-everything condiment you'll want to keep in your fridge all week. Serve these straight from the oven with lemon wedges and a scatter of fresh parsley for a meal that feels impressive but is genuinely weeknight-friendly.
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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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