• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

FatFree Vegan Kitchen

Simply delicious oil-free vegan recipes

  • Recipe Index
    • Recipes by Category
    • Recipes by Tag
    • Recipe Box
  • About Me
    • Press
  • NewsBites
  • Shop!
  • Website

Sweet Potato Falafel with Yogurt-Tahini Sauce

January 4, 2009 By Susan Voisin 63 Comments
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Privacy Policy.

Jump to Recipe Share on Facebook

These savory, fat-free sweet potato falafel taste great stuffed into pita bread or a wrap, topped with yogurt-tahini dressing. Bake in the oven or air fryer.

Sweet Potato Falafel with Yogurt-Tahini Sauce

I don’t exactly know how I came to have about a dozen sweet potatoes in my pantry. I seem to remember buying a few for a casserole that I never got around to making, but I’m not quite sure how the others got there. My secret suspicion is that while behind closed doors, they’re multiplying like little vegetable bunnies. But whatever the explanation, I’ve had a surplus of sweet potatoes on my hands, so lately I’ve been slipping them into unconventional dishes, like this one.

These brilliantly colored falafel are a tasty treat, but I’m not going to lie to you: If you’re expecting the crispy, crunchy deep-fried delicacy, then you’ll be disappointed. I almost didn’t call them “falafel” because of that, but since I served them and ate them like falafel, falafel they shall be called.

If you prefer, think of them as savory, lightly spiced (or highly spiced, if you’re so inclined) sweet potato croquettes that taste great stuffed into pita bread or wraps, topped with yogurt-tahini dressing.

Sweet Potato Falafel

I made these in three different sizes: small patties, double-sized patties, and little balls. The small patties were so much better than the rest that I’m going to insist that you make them that way; the larger patties and balls are too dense inside and lack the crunchiness of the small patties. They’re easy to make uniform in size and shape if you use a cookie dough scoop to form them and then flatten them with your fingers or a spatula. (The scoop I use holds just over a tablespoon.)

Two of these small patties are just the right amount of filling for an average sized pita half. And don’t forget to serve them with the Yogurt-Tahini Sauce; though it’s higher in fat, it really complements the falafel–though it’s so delicious that it would improve just about anything!

4.80 from 20 votes
Print SaveSaved! Add to Recipe BoxGo to Recipe Box

Sweet Potato Falafel

Cooking the sweet potatoes in the microwave is a real time saver, but feel free to bake, steam, or pressure cook them instead. The moistness of sweet potatoes varies, so you may need to add a little more flour to achieve the right texture.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 5
Author Susan Voisin

Ingredients

  • 1/2 tablespoon ground flax seeds + 2 tbsp hot water
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 18 ounces, total)
  • 2-3 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 2 cloves garlic , minced or pressed
  • 1/8–1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup minced parsley
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 cup chickpea flour or besan
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • sesame seeds (optional)
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

  • Mix the flax seeds with two tablespoons hot water and set aside to thicken.
  • Pierce sweet potatoes several times with a fork and place on paper towels in microwave. Microwave on high for 2 minutes, turn over, and then cook for another 2 minutes. Check for tenderness, and if not cooked all the way through, cook in increments of 30 seconds until tender. Set aside to cool until easy to handle; peel and place in a large bowl.
  • Preheat oven to 400F. Mash sweet potatoes well with a masher or a fork. Add the flax mixture, seasonings (including parsley), and lemon juice and stir well. Mix the chickpea flour with the baking powder and add it a little at a time to the sweet potato mixture. Stir until well-combined. Batter should be stiff; if not, add chickpea flour a tablespoon at a time until batter is thick. (If the batter is too stiff to blend in all the flour, add water a tablespoon at a time.)
  • Oil a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Use a cookie scoop or rounded tablespoon to make about 20-22 little mounds of dough on the baking sheet (dipping the scoop in water every now and then will help prevent the dough from sticking to it). Flatten the balls to about 1/2-inch thick and 1 1/2-inches wide. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes, until bottoms are medium brown. Serve hot with yogurt-tahini sauce. These keep well and can be reheated briefly in the microwave.

Air Fryer Instructions

  • Preheat the air fryer to around 375F. Make sure the basket is hot before placing the falafel in it in a single layer (you may need to cook in batches if your air fryer is small.) Check after 10 minutes to see if the falafel are beginning to brown. Check every minute and remove when they are medium brown.

Notes

Per falafel: 38 Calories (kcal); 1/2g Total Fat; (11% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 119mg Sodium; 1g Fiber. Weight Watchers 1 Point.
Nutrition Facts
Sweet Potato Falafel
Amount Per Serving (4 falafel)
Calories 159 Calories from Fat 18
% Daily Value*
Fat 2g3%
Sodium 500mg22%
Carbohydrates 31g10%
Fiber 5g21%
Protein 6g12%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutritional info is approximate.

Course Main Course
Cuisine Vegan
Keyword baked falafel, fat-free falafel, sweet potato falafel
Have you made this recipe?Mention @SusanFFVK and tag #fatfreevegankitchen in your photos on Instagram.
Share on Facebook Share by Email

Sweet Potato Falafel with Yogurt-Tahini Sauce

4.80 from 20 votes
Print SaveSaved! Add to Recipe BoxGo to Recipe Box

Yogurt-Tahini Sauce

Don't be alarmed by the addition of ketchup! It lends great flavor to this delicious sauce.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 14
Author Susan Voisin

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup soy yogurt or other plain non-dairy yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons tahini
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic , pressed
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 pinch red pepper
  • 4 teaspoons ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons water
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

  • Mix all ingredients well in a small bowl. Add additional seasonings to taste.
Nutrition Facts
Yogurt-Tahini Sauce
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 20 Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Sodium 59mg3%
Carbohydrates 2g1%
Protein 1g2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutritional info is approximate.

Course Condiments, Sauce
Cuisine Vegan
Have you made this recipe?Mention @SusanFFVK and tag #fatfreevegankitchen in your photos on Instagram.
Share on Facebook Share by Email

 

Filed Under: Main Dishes, Recipes, Sandwiches Tagged With: Air Fryer, Gluten-free, Higher-fat, Potato Recipes, Soy

Get NewsBites!

Sign up for our newsletter to receive new recipes & tips by email!

Privacy Policy
Previous Post: « Moin-Moin (Nigerian Savory Black-eyed Pea Cake)
Next Post: Happy 3rd Birthday, FFVK! »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jen havard

    August 30, 2012 at 6:30 am

    These were excellent, such a treat! Served on a healthy pita bread, stuffed also with chopped romaine and grape tomatoes from the garden. Yum.

    Reply
  2. Marian Gleason

    January 4, 2013 at 1:41 pm

    Can’t WAIT to make these, Susan – I’ll post a pic on FB when I do! HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013 to you & yours!!! xxMarian (& Bill too – he LOVES your recipes!!)

    Reply
  3. Jarafel

    February 20, 2013 at 7:19 pm

    Hi Susan, I made these today and I added little bit of red onion and instead of flax seeds I used psyllium husk powder to keep things together, since it is fat free. falafels are very tasty, heavy a bit but tasty 🙂 thank you for the recipe 🙂

    Reply
  4. Katherine Baker

    January 4, 2014 at 12:59 pm

    Hi! I’d love to try your recipe for sweet potato falafel. I do not have a microwave and have no intention of purchasing one. Could the sweet potatoes be baked for one hour or, alternatively, boiled (cooking time less long). Thanks! 🙂

    Reply
    • Susan Voisin

      January 4, 2014 at 1:16 pm

      As I said in the recipe, cooking the sweet potatoes in the microwave is a real time saver, but feel free to bake or steam them instead. The moistness of sweet potatoes varies, so you may need to add a little more flour to achieve the right texture.

      Reply
      • Katherine Baker

        January 4, 2014 at 4:29 pm

        Thanks! No way will I purchase a microwave.

        Reply
  5. Becky

    January 6, 2014 at 1:14 pm

    Why don’t I know this? When you say a pinch of red pepper, do you mean red pepper flakes? Is there another form?

    Reply
    • Susan Voisin

      January 6, 2014 at 1:18 pm

      I meant ground red pepper (cayenne), but I’m sure flakes would be good, too. I should have been more specific. Thanks for pointing that out.

      Reply
  6. Amy

    January 8, 2014 at 8:30 pm

    I made this for dinner tonight and it turned out so yummy! The only change I made is I used chia seeds in place of the flax. They were delicious! Thanks for all of the great recipes. I am constantly bookmarking recipes on your blog. 🙂

    Reply
  7. Laura

    February 12, 2014 at 2:03 pm

    Hi Susan,

    All I have on hand is vanilla coconut yogurt so I don’t think that will work so well for the sauce. Would vegan sour cream work instead?

    Thanks!

    Reply
  8. Vanessa Sain-Dieguez

    January 4, 2015 at 8:15 pm

    Just made these and they’re delicious!!! Hoping my toddler will gobble them up. Do they have to be kept in the refrigerator? I’m assuming yes… Best advice for make ahead and keeping?

    Reply
  9. Diane Young

    January 8, 2016 at 3:42 pm

    I cannot get any dairy free yogurt in my area. I can get dairy free sour cream – do you think that would make a good substitute to make the yogurt tahini sauce?

    Reply
  10. Sharon Herbitter

    November 17, 2016 at 6:10 pm

    I’ve made these before (heck, I might’ve commented on this before!), but I made them again tonight and, man, are they good. And filling! And low calorie! Just a gem of a recipe. Thanks — as always.

    Reply
  11. Lydia

    September 5, 2017 at 5:14 am

    Made these and the sauce last night – two thumbs up!

    Reply
  12. Sara

    September 9, 2017 at 9:37 pm

    Made these the other night, and I love this recipe! I didn’t have any yogurt on hand so I substituted vegan sour cream for the Tahini Sauce. It worked out great & I have used the falafels over rice and with veggies, as well as in a salad.

    Reply
  13. dmitri

    February 27, 2019 at 11:35 am

    Hi! I´m making these and was just wondering: when you say “batter should be stiff”, how stiff are we talking? Banana bread batter? cookie dough? somewhere in between? I love falafel, so can’t wait to taste these! and for the record, I think “falafel’ is fully justified seeing as there’s garbanzo flour in them 🙂

    BTW, I love the new pic!

    Reply
    • Susan Voisin

      February 27, 2019 at 11:58 am

      Thanks! I would say more like cookie dough than banana bread batter. You should be able to mold it into balls or patties.

      Reply
  14. Natalie

    January 21, 2020 at 9:25 pm

    Hello!

    Going to make these tomorrow. Because there is only two of us, could you please tell me if they can be frozen after they are baked?

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Susan Voisin

      January 21, 2020 at 10:21 pm

      Yes, I can’t think of any reason why they couldn’t be frozen. Enjoy!

      Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Welcome to My Kitchen!

Susan VoisinI'm Susan Voisin, and I love creating delicious whole foods plant-based dishes with no added oil. Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram.
  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Find It Fast

  • Instant Pot Recipes
  • Ridiculously Easy Recipes
  • Weight Watchers Recipes
  • Recipes by Tag (ingredient, gluten-free, etc.)
  • Complete Recipe Index

Find a Recipe

Allergens

All of my recipes are vegan, dairy-free, and fish free. To find recipes free of other allergens, click on an icon below.

Gluten FreeNut FreeSugar FreeSoy Free

Footer

Fall Favorites

Pasta Fagioli with Cranberry Beans and Kale

Pasta Fagioli with Cranberry Beans and Kale

Vegan Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Vegan Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Spaghetti Squash Pesto Lasagna

Spaghetti Squash Pesto Lasagna

Lentil Soup with Coriander and Cumin from FatFree Vegan Kitchen

Lentil Soup with Coriander and Cumin

See More Fall Favorites

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Photos, original recipes, and text © Susan Voisin. All rights reserved. Do not republish content without permission.

Nutritional information is approximate and is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate. This site has no affiliation with Weight Watchers™️ and cannot guarantee accuracy of Points™️.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Copyright © 2023 · Susan Voisin · Privacy Policy· Log in