Macadamia Free Falafel Bites with Tahini Sauce

Total time1 hr 15 min

Prep time20 min

Cook time25 min

4.8

(7)

Macadamia Free Falafel Bites with Tahini Sauce

Crispy on the outside, tender and herb-packed on the inside, these baked bites deliver everything you want from a great falafel without a drop of oil in a deep fryer. Fresh parsley and cilantro blitz together with chickpeas, warm cumin, coriander, and turmeric to create a mixture that's fragrant before it even hits the oven. The trick is drying the chickpeas thoroughly and chilling the mixture before shaping — two small steps that make a real difference in getting that satisfying golden crust. A quick tahini sauce comes together while the falafel bake, with lemon juice and a little grated garlic loosening the sesame paste into something silky and bright. This is naturally a nut-free recipe from start to finish, so there's no need to scan labels or swap anything out — every ingredient is straightforward and easy to source. Serve them on a platter with lemon wedges and a scatter of fresh parsley, and they disappear fast whether you're feeding a crowd or just yourself on 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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