Fructose Free Baked Falafel with Tahini Sauce
Crispy on the outside, tender and herb-packed on the inside, these oven-baked patties deliver everything you want from a classic street-food favorite — without a drop of frying oil. The ingredient list leans on chickpeas, fresh parsley, cilantro, and warm spices like cumin, coriander, and turmeric, keeping things naturally low in free fructose and free from the sneaky high-fructose additions that can make store-bought versions a gamble. Patting the chickpeas completely dry and chilling the mixture before shaping are the two small steps that make a genuinely big difference — you get a firm, golden crust rather than a soggy, crumbling mess. The silky tahini sauce comes together in minutes with just lemon juice, garlic, and a little cold water whisked in gradually until it's perfectly pourable. Together, the patties and sauce hit that satisfying combination of earthy, bright, and nutty that makes this kind of meal feel like a real occasion. Serve them straight from the oven with lemon wedges and a scatter of fresh parsley, and they disappear fast.
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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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