Baked Black Bean and Sweet Potato Falafels

Name: Baked Black Bean and Sweet Potato Falafels
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 3 servings
Ingredients: 400 g of Sweet Potato; 1 tsp of Cardamom Pods; 1 tsp of Cumin Seeds; 1 tsp of Coriander Seeds; 240 g of Black Beans (cooked); 0.5 tsp of Cayenne Pepper; 0.5 tsp of Black Pepper; 0.5 tsp of Salt; 1 Lemon; 5 g of Fresh Parsley; 5 g of Fresh Coriander; 50 g of Onion; 2 Garlic Clove; 3 tbsp of Buckwheat Flour; 1 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Allergen and Diet Summary

Vegan

Dairy-Free

Eggs-Free

Nuts-Free

Gluten-Free

Recipe Categories

Nutrients

Nutrient	Grams	RDA
Carbs	55.2g	18.4%
of which Sugars	15.7g	17.5%
Fats	4.8g	7.4%
of which Saturates	0.8g	3.8%
Proteins	8.1g	17.6%
Fibers	8.6g	34.5%

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Falafels are an Egyptian fritter recipe traditionally made with chickpeas or fava beans mixed with herbs and spices.

If you would like to try a healthier variation of the classic recipe, we will show you how to make Oven Baked Black Bean and Sweet Potato Falafels.

Why Black bean falafels you ask? Well, black beans are awesome! They are high in fibre, iron, folate, and antioxidants. We used sweet potatoes instead of chickpeas because they are just as yummy but with fewer carbs and lots of vitamin A!

Unlike the original recipe where falafels are cooked by deep-frying, here we just coat them in a little olive oil and then bake them in the oven, making them low in fats.

Our falafel recipe is also vegan and gluten-free, making them suitable for almost everybody!

For more allergen and diet friendly recipes, be sure to check out our free Smart Search tool. If you prefer to receive healthy variations of your favourite recipes straight in your inbox, you could receive two new recipes per week!

Ingredients

Print Recipe

Sweet Potato	400 g
Cardamom Pods	1 tsp
Cumin Seeds	1 tsp
Coriander Seeds	1 tsp
Black Beans (cooked)	240 g
Cayenne Pepper	0.5 tsp
Black Pepper	0.5 tsp
Salt	0.5 tsp
Lemon	1
Fresh Parsley	5 g
Fresh Coriander	5 g
Onion	50 g
Garlic Clove	2
Buckwheat Flour	3 tbsp
Extra Virgin Olive Oil	1 tbsp

step 1

Bring water to a boil and cook the sweet potatoes with the skin on for 15 minutes or until you can easily insert a skewer through them.

Drain and allow to cool down. Then, peel the sweet potatoes, transfer them to a clean bowl and mash them with a fork.

Step 1.1 of Baked Black Bean and Sweet Potato Falafels

step 2

Heat a pan over medium heat and dry toast the cardamom pods, cumin seeds, and coriander seeds until they become very fragrant (1).

Allow to cool down and remove the seeds from the cardamom pods.

Grind the seeds with the help of a mortar and pestle or with a spice grinder (2).

Step 2.1 of Baked Black Bean and Sweet Potato Falafels

Step 2.2 of Baked Black Bean and Sweet Potato Falafels

step 3

In the blender bowl, add drained black beans, cayenne pepper, black pepper, ground seeds, salt, lemon zest, parsley, coriander, chopped onions, and crushed garlic (1).

Pulse the ingredients just until you have a chunky dough rather than a smooth mix (2). This way, the falafel will better hold together during cooking.

Step 3.1 of Baked Black Bean and Sweet Potato Falafels

Step 3.2 of Baked Black Bean and Sweet Potato Falafels

step 4

Next, combine the mashed black beans with the sweet potatoes and mix well to incorporate the ingredients (1).

Add buckwheat flour as needed until the mix is not too sticky (2).

Cover with a clean cloth and refrigerate for 10 minutes. This will make it easier to work the dough into falafel balls.

Step 4.1 of Baked Black Bean and Sweet Potato Falafels

Step 4.2 of Baked Black Bean and Sweet Potato Falafels

step 5

To make the falafels, pinch off a small amount of dough, roll it into a ball in the palm of your hands, and place it in a baking tray greased with vegetable oil (1).

Repeat until you have used all the sweet potato and beans mash.

Bake in the oven at 200°C (392°F) for 15-20 minutes flipping halfway through cooking time (2).

Before serving, drizzle the falafels with tahini sauce and enjoy with a tomato and cucumber green salad.

Step 5.1 of Baked Black Bean and Sweet Potato Falafels

Step 5.2 of Baked Black Bean and Sweet Potato Falafels

Tips

If you don't have buckwheat flour, and would like to keep this recipe gluten-free, you can use coconut, almond or oat flour.
For perfect falafels, the dough should be a bit sticky and chunky.
Add nutritional yeast to the sweet potatoes mash for a healthy boost and extra flavour.