Baked Pumpkin Falafel with Maple Tahini Sauce

Pumpkin is the secret ingredient that your falafel has been missing. This fall-inspired falafel is perfect in a salad, stuffed inside pita, or on its own!

I carefully planned out all of my posts for the whole month of November, which is something I don’t often have the discipline to do. But November is a big month, so I did it! And when I proudly showed my calendar to my husband, he commented on the fact that I scheduled not one, but two, Thanksgiving leftover recipes.

I didn’t actually intend that. My mashed potato pancakes were meant to be a Thanksgiving leftover recipe, but this falafel wasn’t. But I was also kind of like, “Well hey, now that you mention it, maybe some people will have a half cup of pumpkin leftover.”

Okay, so not that many Thanksgiving recipes will leave you with a half cup of leftover pumpkin. But if you do happen to have some leftover, well, here you go!

And if you don’t have leftover pumpkin, crack open a new can. It’s worth it for this recipe!

So, what’s pumpkin falafel like? It’s a lot like regular falafel, but more moist and tender, thanks to the addition of pumpkin. I also added some cinnamon, because it goes so well with pumpkin and the savory spices you find in falafel!

Also, this stuff is baked, so it’s quite a bit healthier than the falafel you might find at a restaurant. It’s nowhere near authentic, but it’s super tasty and pretty darn healthy to boot!

To make your pumpkin falafel, just throw everything into a food processor and pulse.

You just want everything finely chopped and well mixed. Don’t overdo it! Keep some texture in the mixture. Nobody likes mushy falafel.

Shape your mixture into patties, lightly oil, and bake.

I love my pumpkin falafel in a bowl, with the maple tahini sauce as dressing, but it’s also awesome stuffed in a pita, or on its own and dipped in the maple tahini sauce.

Tips for Making Perfect Pumpkin Falafel

• Keep a bowl of water handy when shaping your falafel, and then use it to keep your hands wet. This will help prevent the mixture from sticking to them.
• Leftovers will keep just fine in the fridge or a day or two. But if you’re able to plan ahead, just shape and bake as many falafels as you’ll eat. Store the remaining mixture in the fridge or freezer, then thaw if frozen, shape, and bake! It’ll be just like it’s freshly made.
• The recipe instructions give you the option of making your falafel with panko breadcrumbs or chickpea flour. I prefer the texture with panko breadcrumbs, but chickpea flour will enable you to keep the dish gluten-free.
• Can the oil be omitted? Yes, but the falafel will be a bit on the dry side.

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5 from 2 votes

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Baked Pumpkin Falafel Bowls with Maple Tahini Dressing

Pumpkin is the secret ingredient that your falafel has been missing. This fall-inspired falafel is perfect in a salad, stuffed inside pita, or on its own!

Course Entree

Cuisine American, Middle Eastern

Keyword chickpeas, Falafel, pumpkin

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 332 kcal

Author Alissa

Ingredients

For the Pumpkin Falafel

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 (14 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs OR 1/2 cup chickpea flour
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
• 1 small onion, roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For the Maple Tahini Dressing

• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice about 1/2 lemon
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/2 tablespoon sriracha sauce, or to taste
• 1-2 tablespoons water, as needed

For Serving (Just suggestions - use what you like!)

• Lettuce, or greens of choice
• Chopped tomatoes
• Sliced cucumber
• Sliced red onion or scallions
• Pita bread

Instructions

To Make the Pumpkin Falafel

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Coat a baking sheet or oven-safe skillet with about 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil.

2. Place the chickpeas, panko or chickpea flour, pumpkin, lemon juice, onion, garlic 1 tablespoon of olive oil, cilantro, parsley, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, salt, and pepper into the bowl of a food processor fitted with an s-blade.

3. Pulse until the ingredients are finely chopped and well-mixed, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Don't overblend. Taste-test the mixture and adjust the seasonings to taste, if needed.

4. Form the mixture into 16-20 balls or small patties. The mixture will be soft, so handle it gently and use wet hands to avoid sticking.

5. Arrange the falafels on the baking sheet or skillet and brush them with the remaining olive oil.

6. Bake for about 35 minutes, turning halfway through.

To Make the Maple Tahini Dressing

1. Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl, thinning with as much water as you need to achieve the desired consistency.

To Serve

1. Stuff in pita bread, use as a salad topper, or serve the falafels alone with maple tahini dressing.

Recipe Notes

The falafel mixture can be prepped in advance and refrigerated for a few days or frozen before baking.

Nutrition information is for falafel made with panko breadcrumbs and dressing. It does not include accompaniments.

Nutrition Facts

Baked Pumpkin Falafel Bowls with Maple Tahini Dressing

Amount Per Serving (5 falafels with dressing)

Calories 332 Calories from Fat 151

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 16.8g 26%

Saturated Fat 2.4g 12%

Sodium 872mg 36%

Potassium 406mg 12%

Total Carbohydrates 39g 13%

Dietary Fiber 8g 32%

Sugars 3.9g

Protein 9.6g 19%

Calcium 10%

Iron 24%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.