Tree Nut Free Falafel Bites with Tahini Sauce

Total time1 hr 15 min

Prep time20 min

Cook time25 min

4.8

(7)

Tree Nut 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 classic street-food falafel without a drop of oil for deep-frying. Fresh parsley and cilantro blended with chickpeas, warm cumin, coriander, and turmeric give each little disk a vibrant, aromatic flavor that tastes anything but simple. The tahini sauce — just sesame paste, fresh lemon juice, garlic, and a splash of water — comes together in minutes and is genuinely addictive as a dip. Because the whole recipe is built around pantry staples and fresh herbs, there's no need to scan labels for hidden tree nut oils or worry about cross-contact from nut-based coatings or fillings. The key technique here is patience: drying the chickpeas thoroughly and chilling the mixture before shaping means the falafel holds together beautifully in the oven and develops that satisfying golden crust. Serve them straight from the sheet pan with lemon wedges and extra parsley, and watch them 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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