Lactose Free Falafel Bites with Tahini Sauce

Total time1 hr 15 min

Prep time20 min

Cook time25 min

4.8

(7)

Lactose Free Falafel Bites with Tahini Sauce

Crispy on the outside, tender and herb-packed on the inside, these baked chickpea bites deliver everything you want from a great falafel without a drop of dairy anywhere in sight. The whole dish is naturally built that way — chickpeas, fresh parsley, cilantro, warm spices, and a silky tahini sauce made from sesame paste, lemon juice, and garlic. No substitutions needed, no ingredient swaps to stress over. The oven does the heavy lifting here, giving you that satisfying golden crust without the mess of deep frying. Patting the chickpeas dry and chilling the mixture before shaping are the two small steps that make a real difference — they keep the falafel firm and help them hold together beautifully on the baking sheet. That tahini sauce is genuinely worth making from scratch. It comes together in minutes and has this bright, nutty, slightly tangy flavor that store-bought versions rarely match. Drizzle it generously, serve with lemon wedges, and you've got a snack or appetizer that feels impressive but is completely approachable for a weeknight.

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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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