Baked Sweet Potato Falafels

Ahh, falafels! There’s just something about these savoury, aromatic bites, that really gets the taste-buds tingling!

Originating from the middle-east, falafels have become a popular street food all over the world, and they can often be found served in a pita, along with hummus and tahini sauce.

Healthy, Oil-Free Falafels

Falafels are traditionally made with chickpeas and/or fava beans, and although they’re usually shallow-fried, I prefer to bake my oil-free falafels in the oven, so that they’re as healthy as they are delicious!

Made with chickpeas, sweet potatoes and a selection of herbs and spices, these gluten-free falafels are not only low in fat, they’re also packed with Vitamins A and C, as well as fibre, protein, B vitamins and essential minerals.

Making your Falafels

To make these low-fat vegan falafels, first, preheat your oven to 200°C (392ºF).

Next, peel and cut 300g of raw sweet potato (approximately 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes) into half inch pieces, and pop them into your food processor.

Please note: You may need to cut the sweet potatoes into smaller chunks, if your food processor isn’t as powerful.

Now, add in 350g of cooked chickpeas (approximately 1.5 cans) along with 2.5 tablespoons of tomato puree, 1 tablespoon of dried coriander, 2 teaspoons of dried paprika, 2 teaspoons of ground cumin, 2 teaspoons of maple syrup, and 1 teaspoon of garlic granules.

You can also add in a cheeky teaspoon of dried chilli flakes, and around half a teaspoon of sea salt (feel free to adjust these amounts, depending on your tastes).

Now, blitz your food processor until the ingredients form a batter.

You may need to scrape the sides of your food processor occasionally, to make sure everything’s included in the mix!

Next, simply roll the batter into small balls (about an inch in diameter) and place them on a lined baking tray.

Bake your falafels at 200°C (392ºF) for approximately 35 minutes, until they are firm, slightly browned, and can be easily removed from the baking paper.

Once cooked, the only thing left to do is serve them up with a drizzle of tahini sauce (or a blob of hummus) and enjoy them in a pita bread, or with salad.

I hope you enjoy making this recipe, and if you have a moment, I’d love to hear your thoughts on these sweet potato falafels, as well as any other ideas you might have, for recipes you’d like to see in the future.

Bon appétit! ?

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Baked Sweet Potato Falafels

Deliciously tasty vegan falafels, made with sweet potatoes, herbs and chickpeas.

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 30 Falafels

Ingredients

• 350 g Cooked Chickpeas
• 300 g Raw Sweet Potatoes (Peeled)
• 2.5 tbsp Tomato Puree
• 1 tbsp Dried Coriander Leaf
• 2 tsp Ground Paprika
• 2 tsp Ground Cumin
• 2 tsp Maple Syrup
• 1 tsp Garlic Granules
• 1 tsp Dried Chilli Flakes (Optional)
• 0.5 tsp Sea Salt

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 200°C (392ºF)
• Cut your peeled, raw sweet potatoes into 0.5 inch chunks and place them into your food processor. (You may need to cut them into smaller pieces if your food processor isn't as powerful.)
• Toss the cooked chickpeas, tomato puree, dried coriander leaf, paprika, ground cumin, maple syrup, garlic granules, salt and chilli flakes (optional) into the food processor as well.
• Blitz the mixture, until it becomes a batter.
• Mould the batter into small balls (about an inch in diameter) and place them on a lined baking tray.
• Bake in the oven at 200°C (392ºF) for 35 minutes (or until they're slightly browned and can be easily removed from the baking paper.)
• Serve in a pita with hummus and salad, and a drizzle of tahini sauce!