Alpha Gal Friendly Vegan Falafel Bites

Total time8 hr 40 min

Prep time20 min

Cook time20 min

These crispy little bites are packed with fresh herbs, warm spices, and the satisfying crunch that only comes from a proper pan-fry in hot oil. The base is dried chickpeas — soaked overnight and pulsed to a coarse, textured mixture — which gives each bite a heartier, more authentic feel than anything made from a can. For anyone navigating alpha-gal syndrome, the challenge is often hidden mammalian ingredients lurking in sauces, coatings, or processed foods, and this recipe sidesteps all of that entirely with a clean, plant-based ingredient list. Every component, from the falafel itself to the silky tahini dipping sauce, is built from vegetables, legumes, fresh herbs, and pantry staples — nothing to second-guess. The tahini sauce comes together in minutes with lemon juice, garlic, and a splash of cold water, and it's the kind of bright, nutty drizzle that makes you want to eat these straight off the rack. A dusting of paprika and a squeeze of lemon at the end pull the whole platter together beautifully. Whether you're serving these as an appetizer or building a full spread around them, they deliver serious flavor without any of the stress.

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the falafel

1 ½ cups dried chickpeas
½ medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, loosely packed
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, loosely packed
1 ½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
McCormick Gourmet Organic Ground Coriander, 1.25 oz Morton & Bassett Ground Coriander Badia® Ground Coriander 1.75 oz Spicely Organic Coriander Ground, 1 each Frontier® Organic Ground Coriander Seed
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½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
½ cup neutral oil (such as canola oil or avocado oil), for frying

For the tahini sauce

¼ cup tahini
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, finely grated
3–4 tbsp cold water
¼ tsp salt

For serving

pinch of paprika (optional)
lemon wedges (optional)

Instructions

1
Place the dried chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with at least 3 inches of cold water. Soak at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight, until the chickpeas have roughly doubled in size and are tender enough to pierce with a fingernail but still raw at the center. Drain and pat dry.
2
Combine the drained chickpeas, onion, garlic (for the falafel), parsley, cilantro, cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt in a food processor. Pulse in short bursts, 15–20 pulses total, scraping down the sides as needed, until the mixture resembles coarse, slightly damp sand — no whole chickpeas remain, but the texture is not a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl.

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