Pistachio 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 — earthy cumin, bright cilantro, and a satisfying golden crust that comes from pan-frying in a shallow skillet. The base is built entirely from dried chickpeas, fresh herbs, and warm spices, so there's no mystery about what's going into the mix. That matters a lot when you're navigating tree nut concerns, since many store-bought or restaurant versions can share prep spaces with a wide range of nuts. Every ingredient here is straightforward and easy to verify, giving you full control from bowl to plate. The silky tahini dipping sauce — just sesame paste, lemon, garlic, and water — pulls the whole thing together with a tangy richness that makes these impossible to stop eating. Serve them on a platter with lemon wedges and a dusting of paprika, and they look as impressive as they taste.
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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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