butternut squash + chickpea falafel {vegan, gf}

6/7/2018

The absolute EASIEST falafel recipe. Perfect for when you have some leftover roasted squash or sweet potato. Made with 100% real ingredients, nothing artificial, and baked instead of fried unlike some store-bought alternatives. These falafel require only 3 main ingredients, plus any spices you wish to add. Make this recipe your own by adding your favorite gluten free flour and spices.

You're more than welcome to purée your own chickpeas, but I cheated and used my favorite trusted hummus {Joseph's Hummus} as a shortcut. Note: If you do choose to purée your own chickpeas, you'll have to add some olive oil for consistency and perhaps some more salt and pepper for flavor.
For this version of the recipe, I used squash which gave the falafel a slightly sweet taste. But I think they would come out even better using roasted sweet potato. Feel free to use this recipe as a basis for making your own unique and healthy falafel.

What you'll need:

1-1/2 cup of roasted squash or sweet potato {roast with oil, salt, + pepper for 35-45 min at 350}
1/2 cup hummus
1/4 almond flour or any gf flour

optional spices/add ins- you do you!

1 tbsp flax meal
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp paprika
dash of black pepper

What you'll need to do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Remove the skin from roasted squash or sweet potato.
3. Add squash or sweet potato to food processor using the "S" blade.
4. Add hummus and desired spices. Blend until you have a thick purée.
5. Taste and see if you would like to add more spices. If the purée is not as "doughy" as you'd like, add more almond flour.
6. Wet your hands with olive oil, and begin forming little falafel balls {about 2-3 inches in diameter}.
7. Place the balls on the baking sheet and flatten slightly.
8. Bake in the oven for about 35-40 minutes, or until crispy and golden.