Barley Free Vegan Falafel Bites
Crispy on the outside, tender and herb-packed on the inside, these little bites deliver everything you want from a great falafel — bold spice, fresh green flavor, and a satisfying golden crust. The base is built entirely from dried chickpeas, fresh parsley, cilantro, onion, and garlic, so there's no grain or gluten-containing cereal to worry about beyond a small amount of all-purpose flour used as a binder. That makes this a genuinely safe and delicious option for anyone navigating barley or other grain sensitivities without sacrificing any of the flavor. The overnight soak is the real secret here — it keeps the texture coarse and falafel-like rather than mushy, which is exactly what you want when they hit the hot oil. Pan-frying in a neutral oil like canola or avocado oil gives you that deeply golden, crackling exterior without needing a deep fryer. The tahini sauce — just tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and water — comes together in minutes and is the perfect creamy, tangy counterpoint to the warm, spiced bites. Serve them on a platter with lemon wedges and a dusting of paprika, and watch them disappear fast.
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Learn more →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
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- ½ cup neutral oil (such as canola 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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