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two sweet potato falafel pitas on gray plate with dipping sauce
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5 from 1 vote

Sweet Potato Falafel Pitas with Tahini Sauce

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 minutes
Cook Time12 minutes
Total Time27 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Servings: 4
Calories: 400kcal
Author: Denise Bustard

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