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    Sweet Potato Falafel Pitas with Tahini Sauce

    July 21, 2015 by Denise Bustard 16 Comments

    Home / Recipes / Meal Prep Dinner / Sweet Potato Falafel Pitas with Tahini Sauce

    Jump to Recipe

    These sweet potato falafel pitas are a fun remix on the classic falafel: soft and slightly sweet. Bake them up in the oven and serve in a pita with crunchy veggies and a drizzle of tahini sauce.

    If you ask me, nothing beats a crispy baked falafel. The crispy texture and the Middle Eastern flavors are hard to beat! While we love the classic flavors, sometimes it's fun to get creative...like I did with Southwestern baked falafels with corn and black beans, and with these sweet potato falafels.

    overhead view of sweet potato falafels in two pitas with salad and tahini sauce

    Sweet potato falafels have a different texture from a traditional falafel; the water content of the sweet potatoes means that they are soft rather than crispy.

    But once we get on board with softer falafels, there is so much delicious flavor to enjoy! And stuffed into pitas, served with crunchy vegetables and a creamy tahini sauce, they are sooooo good.

    Reasons you'll ♡ sweet potato falafel pitas

    • they are a delicious vegetarian dinner option
    • they are simple to prepare and parts can be prepped ahead
    • the sweet potato falafels are a fun remix on a classic falafel

    sweet potato falafels in two pitas with salad and tahini sauce

    The sweet potatoes

    Before starting to prepare the sweet potato falafels, we will need 1 full cup of cooked sweet potato puree.

    You can cook your sweet potatoes in any number of ways including:

    • in the Instant Pot
    • in the Slow Cooker
    • in the Oven
    • in the Microwave

    Once your sweet potatoes are cooked through, let them cool slightly before scraping them out of the skins and mashing up with a potato masher. Allow them to cool before assembling the sweet potato falafels.

    Preparing the sweet potato falafels

    Once your sweet potatoes are ready, you can get to work on the falafels. Start by mashing up one can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed) with a fork. This will take some effort. We want them to be chunky and broken apart, and not smooth and pureed.

    Next, mix in the rest of the falafel ingredients: sweet potato puree, garlic, lemon juice, cayenne, baking powder, cumin, salt, pepper, egg and flour. Once mixed, scoop with a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop, or just eyeball it with a regular spoon.

    Scoop falafels onto a baking sheet and flatten ever so slightly with a spatula. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.

    side angle view of sweet potato falafel pitas with salad and tahini sauce

    How to serve them

    To serve, stuff 2-3 warm sweet potato falafels into a pita half, and add your favorite veggies. I've used tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and bell pepper. Next, drizzle with maple tahini sauce, and enjoy!

    Some other serving suggestions:

    • serve on a big Greek salad
    • serve in a tortilla and make them into tacos
    • turn it into a slider, serving on a small bun
    • switch up the tahini sauce for this green goddess dressing

    Recipe tips

    • sweet potato falafels are very different in texture from classic falafels; they are soft in texture and not crispy, but still have the familiar flavors
    • these falafels are best served fresh
    • leftovers may be stored in an air tight container, and reheated in a frying pan with a spritz of spray oil
    • if you can't find sweet potatoes, try swapping butternut squash puree
    • leftover sweet potato puree can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months
    • I would love to try prepping these in the air fryer; if you give it a try I'd love to hear how they come out for you!

    More sweet potato recipes

    • Mashed Sweet Potatoes
    • Smoky Sweet Potato Hummus
    • Southwestern Sweet Potato Wild Rice Salad
    • Crispy Air Fryer Sweet Potato Tots
    • Sweet Potato Pancakes
    two sweet potato falafel pitas on gray plate with dipping sauce
    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Sweet Potato Falafel Pitas with Tahini Sauce

    Course: Dinner
    Cuisine: Mediterranean
    Calories: 400kcal
    Author: Denise Bustard
    Servings: 4
    These sweet potato falafel pitas are a fun remix on the classic falafel: soft and slightly sweet. Bake them up in the oven and serve in a pita with crunchy veggies and a drizzle of tahini sauce.
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time12 mins
    Total Time27 mins

    Ingredients

    Sweet Potato Falafels:

    • 19 oz can of chickpeas (540 mL; drained and rinsed)
    • 1 cup sweet potato puree
    • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • ¼ teaspoon cayenne
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon cumin
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon pepper
    • 1 egg
    • ¼ cup all purpose flour

    Pita Fillings:

    • 1 pint cherry tomatoes (halved)
    • 1 bell pepper (diced)
    • 2 tablespoons red onion (diced)
    • 1 ½ cups cucumber (chopped into small pieces)

    Tahini sauce:

    • ¼ cup tahini
    • 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup
    • 1 ½ tablespoon lemon juice
    • 2-4 tablespoons water (to thin out)
    • salt + pepper (to taste)

    To serve:

    • 4 large pitas

    Instructions

    Sweet Potato Falafels:

    • Pre-heat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
    • In a large bowl, mash the chickpeas for a few minutes (it will take some elbow grease). They will be chunky but broken up.
    • Stir in the rest of the falafel ingredients: sweet potato puree, garlic, lemon juice, cayenne, baking powder, cumin, salt, pepper, egg and flour. Stir until completely combined.
    • Form 1.5 tablespoon balls (a cookie scoop helps to tightly pack) and place on baking sheet. Flatten slightly with a spatula (around 1 inch thick).
    • Bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Break one open to make sure they are cooked inside.

    While falafels are baking:

    • Mix up the fillings: cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, red onion and cucumber.
    • Shake together all tahini sauce ingredients.
    • Serve immediately.

    Notes

    Sweet potato falafels are very different in texture than traditional falafels; expect them to be softer and not crispy.
    Storage
    Sweet potato falafels are best served fresh, however leftovers may be stored in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, and crisped back up in a frying pan (an air fryer could potentially work really well, too!)
    Swaps
    If you can’t find sweet potatoes, try swapping butternut squash puree

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1/4 of batch | Calories: 400kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 813mg | Potassium: 940mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 15110IU | Vitamin C: 84.9mg | Calcium: 152mg | Iron: 3.9mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @SweetPeaSaffron or tag #sweetpeasandsaffron

    About Denise Bustard

    Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more. read more

    Previous Post: « Sausage Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
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