Dairy Free Falafel Bites with Tahini Sauce

Total time1 hr 15 min

Prep time20 min

Cook time25 min

4.8

(7)

Dairy Free Falafel Bites with Tahini Sauce

These crispy, herb-packed bites are built entirely from pantry staples and fresh ingredients — no dairy anywhere in sight, not even hiding in the sauce. Chickpeas form the hearty base, blitzed in a food processor with generous handfuls of parsley and cilantro, warm spices like cumin, coriander, and turmeric, and a touch of cayenne for anyone who wants a little heat. Baking them instead of deep-frying keeps things lighter while still delivering that satisfying golden crust and firm bite. The tahini sauce is the real showstopper — just tahini, fresh lemon juice, garlic, and water whisked together into something silky and rich that tastes like it came from a restaurant. Because every ingredient here is naturally free of dairy, there's no need to swap anything out or second-guess a label. A quick chill before shaping and a careful flip halfway through baking are the two small tricks that make these hold together beautifully every time. Serve them on a platter with lemon wedges and a little extra parsley, and they disappear fast.

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the falafel

1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, loosely packed
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, loosely packed
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
½ small yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2 tbsp oat flour
½ tsp baking powder
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided

For the tahini sauce

⅓ cup tahini
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1 small clove garlic, finely grated
3–4 tbsp water
¼ tsp 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 them as dry as possible. Let them air-dry for 10 minutes — excess moisture will make the falafel mixture too wet to hold its shape.
2
Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and brush or drizzle 1 tbsp of the olive oil evenly over the surface.

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