Nutmeg Free Falafel Bites with Tahini Sauce

Total time1 hr 15 min

Prep time20 min

Cook time25 min

4.8

(7)

Nutmeg Free Falafel Bites with Tahini Sauce

These crispy baked bites pack serious flavor from a lineup of fresh herbs and warm spices — cumin, coriander, turmeric, and a hit of cayenne all show up to the party. The chickpea base gets pulsed in a food processor until it's coarse and just barely holding together, which is exactly what gives each piece that satisfying, slightly crunchy exterior once it comes out of the oven. Chilling the mixture before shaping is the small but crucial step that keeps everything from falling apart on the baking sheet. The tahini sauce comes together in minutes — just whisk, add water gradually, and watch it transform from a seized-up paste into something silky and bright with lemon. Many spice blends and store-bought falafel mixes sneak in warm baking spices that don't belong, but every ingredient here is straightforward and easy to verify. This recipe is naturally free of the warming spice that often hides in unexpected savory dishes, so you can dig in without second-guessing the spice drawer. Serve them straight from the oven with extra lemon wedges and a generous drizzle of that tahini sauce — 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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