30-minute Falafel Sandwich (With Sweet Potato)
on Oct 08, 2025
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This might well be the best falafel sandwich. Made in just 30 minutes, the golden, crispy falafel are made from chickpeas, spices and – the ‘secret’ ingredient – sweet potato! Stuff them into pita or fresh rolls with hummus, dressing and snow pea shoots for an easy and light dinner that’s just a little bit different.
Fancy falafel
I’m not a vegetarian or vegan, but I could eat this falafel sandwich every day of my life! It’s something about the crispy outside and the mildly nutty and sweet, satisfying centre stuffed into soft bread with smooth, creamy hummus and fresh and crisp pea shoots.
The main difference between this falafel sandwich and other recipes you might see is that the falafel includes sweet potato as well as the classic chickpeas. I like it for the subtle, natural sweetness to balance the nutty chickpeas and savory spices.
I usually shallow pan-fry the falafel for the ultimate crisp, but if you prefer you can air fry them instead. I’ve included instructions for both methods below.
📌Recipe snapshot
- Prep time: Just 15 minutes.
- Recipe makes: about 30 falafel patties (enough for about 10 sandwiches)
- Great for prepping ahead. You can either store the uncooked falafel in the fridge for a few days until ready to cook, or you can freeze them for another day.
- Vegetarian recipe (vegan if you swap the yogurt for tahini dressing)
- Pan-fry or air fry the falafel – your choice!
About the ingredients
Here’s all you need to make the easy falafel for the sandwiches:
- A sweet potato: microwaved until soft. Or you can roast it, if you prefer, although this cooking method will take longer. You’ll need one medium sized sweet potato or two smaller ones.
- A can of cooked chickpeas
- A finely chopped onion
- Garlic and various other spices (cayenne pepper – optional, cumin, coriander, paprika)
- Flour, baking powder and salt: The baking powder will help you get a lighter, fluffier falafel. A little flour holds the mixture together.
- Lemon juice: to brighten the flavor
- Sesame seeds: These are optional, but they add a little extra flavor and texture sprinkled over the top.
And here’s what you’ll need to assemble your sandwiches:
- Hummus: You can either use my simple homemade hummus recipe, or just grab a tub of store-bought hummus for convenience.
- Bread rolls or pita bread: Aside from pita bread, good choices are Turkish bread, focaccia bread, lavash, naan bread, tortilla wraps, brioche rolls or fresh, crunchy French bread such as baguette.
- Snow pea sprouts: These are crisp, juicy and mildy sweet. They’re delicious on a falafel sandwich! However, if they’re not available where you live, good substitutes are regular pea sprouts or shoots, alfalfa sprouts, watercress or baby spinach. In fact, any salad greens would work, especially crunchy types such as iceberg lettuce.
- Cherry tomatoes and salad onions: Chop these and toss them together for a kind of simple salsa that will work perfectly in your sandwich.
- Greek yogurt: A big spoonful of Greek yogurt will finish off your sandwich perfectly. If you want to be fancy, go with lemon tahini dressing instead.
How to make the perfect falafel sandwich
Start by cooking your sweet potato. In the microwave is the easiest way. Just wash the sweet potato, peel it and pierce it a few times with a small knife or skewer. Then microwave it for about 10 minutes or until tender all the way through.
Roughly mash the tender sweet potato with all the other yummy ingredients.
Let the mixture chill out in the fridge for a while before molding it into little nugget-shaped falafel.
Then shallow pan fry in olive oil for about 5 minutes on each side or until golden and crisp.
How to build the falafel sandwiches
Once the falafel are cooked, here’s how I build my sandwiches:
- Start by spreading a generous amount of hummus over both sides of your pita or sandwich bread.
- Next is a big handful of snow pea shoots (sprouts), or your chosen substitute.
- Spoon over some of your chopped tomatoes and spring onions.
- Lay 3 or 4 of the cooked falafel on top (depending on how many fit onto your bread!).
- Finish by spooning over a little Greek yogurt, or, if you have time, drizzle over some of this amazingly delicious lemon tahini salad dressing.
Helen’s Top Tips
- While the sweet potato is cooking in the microwave, you can use this time to prepare the falafel toppings.
- If you prefer to air fry the falafel, simply spray the air fryer basket lightly with olive oil, then cook for 15 minutes at 375F/190C, turning half way through.
- Not really in the mood for a sandwich? Another option is to serve the falafel on top of the pea shoots and with all the other toppings on the side.
A few serving ideas
Eat the sandwiches by themselves, or make them into a larger meal! I recommend:
- Greek potato salad
- Cucumber, tomato and feta salad
- One pan vegetable couscous
- Simple orzo salad with pesto
Recipe FAQs
This recipe makes quite a large amount of falafel, so you can keep the dough in the fridge for a few days quite comfortably. I prefer to keep the uncooked dough in the fridge and then quickly pan-fry however many I want to make rather than frying them altogether then keeping in the fridge. However, if you prefer, it is possible to pre-cook them all, then quickly reheat them in a hot pan when you want to eat them.
Yes, you can freeze the uncooked falafel between sheets of baking paper in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before pan-frying as normal. You could also freeze them after cooking. Just defrost in the fridge then crisp up again for a couple of minutes on each side in a hot pan or air fryer. You can even cook straight from frozen although they’ll take a few minutes longer.
More easy sandwiches
- Try this Italian style vegetarian sandwich and find out why it’s one of my favorite sandwiches of all time.
- This dutch oven pulled chicken makes a very tasty sandwich, perhaps with avocado and your favorite sauce on top.
- A sandwich doesn’t get more delicious than this toasted ciabatta sandwich with artichokes and bacon.
- Make a 15-minute meal out of these crispy halloumi burgers.
30-minute Falafel Sandwich (With Sweet Potato)
Ingredients
For the falafel
- 1 medium to large sweet potato, peeled
- 1 can chickpeas, cooked (14 ounces)
- ½ medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, (optional)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ lemon, (juice)
- sesame seeds for scattering over, (optional)
- ½ cup olive oil , (for cooking) You'll need only about ⅓ of this for each batch of 10 falafel.
- 10 bread rolls, or enough for however many you're serving (The bread can be pita bread, slices of focaccia or ciabatta, Turkish rolls, or just nice slices of artisan bread.)
For the toppings (amounts are approximate and depends how many sandwiches you want to make at one time)
- 3 cups hummus, either around two batches of this homemade hummus or just use store bought (recipe for the homemade hummus is also below in the notes section)
- 12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
- 5 salad onions, sliced into small lengths
- 5 ounces snow pea shoots, (also called snow pea sprouts) Note you can use any kind of sprouts or something else fresh and green such as watercress, arugula/rocket, baby spinach or even just crisp lettuce.
- 1 cup Greek yogurt, (for a small amount for each sandwich)
Instructions
- Pierce the peeled sweet potato a few times with a sharp knife or fork. Cook in a microwave for about 10 minutes or until soft (you can roast them if you prefer at 400F/200C for about 45 minutes or so or until soft).1 medium to large sweet potato
- In the meantime, mash the chickpeas and other falafel ingredients (apart from the sesame seeds, if using) in a medium to large bowl with a potato masher or fork.1 can chickpeas, ½ medium onion, 1 garlic clove, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour, ½ lemon
- When the sweet potato is soft, mash it into the other ingredients in the bowl. Then cover the mixture and chill in the fridge for at least half an hour.
- Take spoonfuls of mixture about the size of a walnut and form into balls. Flatten the balls into a patty. If you like, press a few sesame seeds into them on both sides.sesame seeds for scattering over
- Heat up 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil on a medium high heat in a large frying pan or skillet. When quite hot, fill the pan with patties (about 10 for a large frying pan). Let them cook for about 5 minutes on each side or until golden and crispy.½ cup olive oil
- Mix the chopped tomatoes with the salad onions. Spread the sandwich bread with a few tablespoons of hummus, then top with some of the tomato/onion mixture and 2 to 3 handfuls of the greens. Then top with about 3 of the crispy falafel (for each sandwich). Finally, drizzle a spoonful of Greek yogurt over the top before closing the sandwich. Enjoy!10 bread rolls, 3 cups hummus, 12 ounces cherry tomatoes, 5 salad onions, 5 ounces snow pea shoots, 1 cup Greek yogurt
This looks so delicious! I am so hungry. I need to move away from the computer and get something to eat. I so wish I had one of these sandwiches right now 😀
Haha … I know the feeling. That happens to me every day when looking at different blogs! Hope you had something lovely for dinner!
Ahhh… I’m so sorry that you had a tough weekend Helen :* But I’m prettttty sure these beautiful falafels with those delish sweet potato patties made up for it! These look incredible and those tomatoes and the snow pea sprouts look so amazing! I could eat this every single day!!!!! <3
Ah, now that’s a compliment! I think I could eat these every day, too!! So glad you like them so much! 🙂
I’d say that rough start to your weekend ended beautifully with this really creative recipe, Helen! And the ingredients are nutrient-packed. Those purple sweet potatoes are cancer fighters, digestive aides,immunity supporters, etc. And those snow pea shoots are delicious! I had never had them until our local Chinese restaurant introduced me recently. Fantastic flavors here — a must pin!
Thanks so much, Lori! I’m so happy that you’re so excited about this recipe! And thanks so much for the nutrition info, too. Wow, it sounds like this was a bit of a ‘super lunch’ – just the business when you’re having a ‘blah’ weekend. Hope you have a great weekend!
P.S. Yes, snow peas are just delicious, aren’t they? Definitely buying those again!
This sandwich is amazing!
Thanks, Jocelyn!!
Hopefully this week will be a little better for you, Helen! I am so impressed by this falafel! It looks absolutely amazing! I love all of the ingredients, especially the chickpeas. Definitely pinning to try out. Have a great weekend, Helen!
Aw, thanks so much, Gayle! I’m so happy that you like it! Thanks for the pin as well and I really hope you do get around to trying this out. It really was delicious!
These sound delicious and I’m sure my step son will enjoy them as he loves sweet potatoes. Hope this weekend is better 🙂
Thanks so much, Tandy! Hope you have a great weekend, too!
I love Friends, it makes me nostalgic 🙂 Love the sweet potato/chickpea combo, and these falafels look delicious!
Thanks so much, Denise! Yes, I think I could still sit down and watch Friends for a whole day. Definitely makes me nostalgic!
Cette recette est top ! Tu as fait tout, le pain, la sauce, elle paraît très bonne! J’aime aussi les recettes d’ Ottolenghi. La dernier fois que je suis allée à Londres, on a mangé un jour las bas, c’était très bon!
Moi aussi j’adoré voir Friends 😉
Ooh, je savais pas qu’Ottolenghi a un restaurant a Londres! J’y irais tout de suite quand je retournerai en Angleterre!!
Je suis ravie que tu aimes la recette, Eva! 🙂
These sounds so much better than regular falafals! Can’t wait to make them!
Also, I love Friends and having been in the mood to watch them, have had my DVD set on constantly every night this week. And I can’t help but clap every time that part comes on in the song 🙂
Ha! So it’s not just me that likes that line! So happy you like the falafels. I’ll definitely be making them again!
This recipe sounds so amazing! So creative!
Thank you so much, Ambar!
There’s nothing like falafel to give us a boost. I like how creative this is , Helen. A new way to make falafel.
Thanks so much, Norma. I think falafel has got to be one of my all-time faves, so I thought I’d give it a bit of twist. So glad you like it!
Maybe I’m just not a very imaginative person, but I’m really trying to figure out how this would taste! And I can’t!! I guess that just means I’ll have to make it myself…. love sweet potatoes and would think this dish is just bursting with all sorts of luscious flavor. Where do you get these ideas? I guess there’s no microwave popcorn in your house!! But your probably the 10th person to suggest making my own hummas to me, so maybe it’s time to get a move on!
Oh, Laura, I’ve been buying supermarket hummus lately because I had sort of ‘forgotten’ how easy hummus is to make, but honestly it’s SUPER easy. Just give it a go once to see what I mean!
And thank you once again for your lovely complimentary comment. Your comments always make me blush and smile!! Have a wonderful weekend, Laura!
Ha, that certainly hasn’t been a good time. But this would make me feel much better! I love the Jerusalem cookbook so much! It’s one of my faves. Makes me feel very worldly to cook from 🙂 I’m making these, by the way! These are my kind of flavours. Super bold and hummus makes everything better! Yum. Also, that bread looks beautiful. I want to tear off a piece for a snack right now!
I honestly can’t stop reading my new book, Allison. It’s just so beautiful in every day … ahhh (wistful look).
I’m also smiling from ear-to-ear right now that you like these enough to make them. I really hope you like them!
Aw, yeah I know that feeling when it’s just not your day (or weekend!).
And yes, I do now have the friends song stuck in my head but that’s not a bad thing! haha These sound awesome – I can never ever get enough sweet potatoes and this would be such a different way for me to use them!
Oops, sorry about the song getting stuck in your head, Ashley! I hope it’s gone now!! (and this doesn’t remind you again and put it back … haha!)
So glad you like the recipe – I love both sweet potatoes and chickpeas so I thought I’d try putting them together to see what happened. 🙂
I adore falafel, but I haven’t made it with sweet potato before. Definitely going to make this. Going to share it with my followers on Twitter too 🙂
Aw, thanks so much for the share, Dannii! 🙂
And I always always get excited when someone says they’re going to make my recipe. So glad you like it! Have a wonderful weekend!
Never thought of using sweet potatoes for falafel! Totally doing it now!
I hadn’t until this point, Ami, but I’ll definitely do it again. So glad you want to try making them!
I definitely can commiserate on having a few “off” days in a row, Helen. That happened to me recently, where nothing I cooked turned out right, I spilled just about everything I touched, I wasn’t a happy camper, etc. It’s such a great feeling when the gray clouds part (both literally and figuratively)! But I can certainly see how these falafel would be the bright spot of your weekend. I love falafel, and never thought of adding sweet potatoes to them. They look delicious!
Aw, thanks Alyssa! I’m hoping for a better weekend this time around. It’s going to be lovely and sunny for a start, so that should help!
So glad that you like the falafel. I was really pleased with how they turned out and will definitely be making them again!
I’m sorry to hear that you had a blah few days there, Helen, but what a way to bounce back! These sweet potato falafel look amazing, and it was one brilliant idea you had making those. These look absolutely delicious! 🙂
Thanks, Marcie! I reckon if those are my only problems then I’m not doing too badly … haha!
So happy you like the falafel … I really enjoyed making them!
Oh dear Helen, you are trouble! I need to book a day of vacations to try a bunch of your recipes! This one is a total yes! I have sweet potatoes at home already!
I keep thinking of that phyllo and cheese recipe you have too!
Beautiful pics!
PS: Dummy question: how do you put your avatar/picture on your comments when you comment on other blogs?
Hi, Melanie! Oh, that’s not a dummy question at all! It’s really easy. You just go to the site gravatar.com, set up a wordpress.com account if you don’t already have one and then they guide you through the process, as I remember. I just had to upload a photo and I was set up within a really short time. Let me know if you get stuck and I’ll try to give you more specific instructions.
Also, thank you SO much for your really lovely, complimentary comment about my recipes. Honestly, I am blushing right now! I’m particularly happy that you still remember the feta cheese in filo pastry. You should definitely give that one a go – it’s so easy and delicious! Have a great weekend, Melanie! 🙂
Wow… This looks AWESOME, my dear! This looks heavenly. There are so many good things in this!! I need to try these ASAP.
Thanks, Olivia! I’m so happy you like these falafel and hope you do give them a try some time!