Sweet Potato Falafel

These sweet potato falafels come out crispy outside and soft inside with no frying oil. Make them in the air fryer in 15 minutes or bake them in the oven. Canned or dried chickpeas both work, and they're gluten-free with 10 grams of plant protein.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Total Time 35

Serving servings

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato
14 oz can chickpeas, drained (or 1 heaping cup dried chickpeas soaked in water overnight)
¾ cup parsley, roughly chopped
¾ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
2 large garlic cloves
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoon flour, chickpea, gluten-free all-purpose flour, or all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
Salt & pepper, to taste
Olive oil or avocado oil spray, for extra crispiness

Instructions

Choose your chickpeas: Canned or dried both work here. For dried, cover 1 heaping cup with water and soak 12 to 24 hours at room temperature, then drain. For canned, drain well and pat dry with a paper towel so the mixture is not too wet.
Cook the sweet potato: Pierce the sweet potato several times with a fork. Microwave 3 to 5 minutes until very fork tender. Cool 5 minutes, then cut it open, scoop out the flesh, and discard the skin.
Preheat: For the oven, preheat to 375°F and lightly grease a baking sheet. For the air fryer, preheat to 400°F.
Make the Dough: Add the sweet potato flesh, chickpeas, parsley, cilantro, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, and baking soda to a food processor or high-speed blender. Pulse 2 to 3 times until the mixture sticks together but is still coarse and crumbly. Do not blend to a paste or the falafels turn out dense.
Add the flour: Transfer to a bowl and fold in the flour with a spatula. Folding by hand keeps you from over-pulsing the dough.
Shape: Roll the mixture into about 15 balls using a meatball scoop or your hands.
Bake in the oven: Place the falafels on the prepared baking sheet and spray or drizzle with oil. Bake at 375°F for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until crispy on both sides.
Or air fry: Place the falafels in the basket in a single layer without touching. Spray the tops with oil. Air fry at 400°F for 10 to 15 minutes until crispy outside.
Serve: Enjoy with hummus, tzatziki, in a gyro, over a salad, or on their own as an appetizer.

Notes

Don’t Over-Pulse the Dough: THIS IS SO SO IMPORTANT. You want to pulse the ingredients until crumbly. Do not mix until it is a paste, or else the falafels will become dense.

Canned vs dried: Dried chickpeas give a firmer, more traditional texture. Canned are faster and work well, but drain and dry them thoroughly.

Lower the sodium: Use no-salt-added canned chickpeas to cut the sodium significantly.

Freezing: Freeze before or after cooking. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet, freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Cook or reheat from frozen in the oven or air fryer.

Storing: Store cooled falafel in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

Reheating: Reheat in the oven at 350°F for 10 to 15 minutes, or the air fryer at 400°F for 3 to 5 minutes. Do not microwave or they get soggy.

Nutrition

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Greek, Mediterranean

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