Mini Falafel Onion Pies

 These simple falafel and onion pastry pies are super easy to make and are something different to add to your lunchbox. They are also great for lunches at home and picnics.

MINI FALAFEL ONION PIES

These easy, mini pies are great for lunch boxes for kids or adults. You could also serve them with salad for lunch at home or serve them with salad and baby potatoes for dinner.

The spicy, savoury flavour of falafel is wonderful when paired with sweet carmelised onions.

You won't believe how quick and easy these are to make with just a handful of ingredients and there's no pre-cooking before you pop these cute little tarts in the oven.

Try them this week.

I know you'll enjoy them.

They are great for kids back-to-school lunchboxes too, especially when you're starting to run out of ideas.

Try them with Easy Homemade Rhubarb Chutney or Vegan Coronation Coleslaw

FALAFEL

I used ready-made falafel for these bakes, but you could make your own if you like.

Most supermarkets have a selection of falafel dry mix that you can easily make up or why not make your own from scratch?

Try this crispy falafel from Love & Lemons or you could try my edamame and pea falafel or my red kidney bean falafel both on my other blog Tinned Tomatoes.

I used a whole falafel in each pie, but my husband suggested half a falafel might be easier to eat. 

You decide.

FRUITY PIE GLAZE

I added a fruity glaze to these pies. 

Just over the falafel.

Don't brush it on the pastry as you'll just end up with sticky fingers.

I used apricot jam as a glaze, but marmalade would also be a good choice.

VEGAN PUFF PASTRY

Do check the pack to make sure, but you will find most of them are.

The only thing to look out for is 'all butter' puff pastry as it is exactly that and made with dairy butter.

READY ROLLED PUFF PASTRY

Of course you can make your own puff pastry, but it takes ages and life's just too short.

Shop-bought pastry is such good quality too and useful to keep in the fridge.

I personally perfer ready-rolled, as it takes out even more work, plus the fact I'm rubbish at rolling a perfect square and always end up having to re-roll and re-cut the excess.

Nope, ready-rolled does the job perfectly.

HOW TO GET A GOLDEN FINISH ON PUFF PASTRY WITHOUT AN EGG WASH

You can get a golden finish on puff pastry, there is no need to add an egg wash.

However if you put it in the oven with no wash, it will come out very pale or what we call peely wally here in Scotland. Great phrase, isn't it? 

My tip to get a golden finish is to brush the pastry with olive oil.

It really works.

5 TIPS FOR THE BEST PUFF PASTRY

Here are a few tips to get the best out of your puff pastry.

1. Preheat your oven.
2. Take the pastry out the fridge 15 minutes before you are going to use it to let it start to come to room temperature. Remove it from the package and leave it on a plate.
3. Unroll it gently to make sure it doesn't crack.
4. Leave it on the baking paper it is wrapped on, it will stop it sticking to the tray.
5. If you are making individual pies or tarts, once cut move them apart so they have space to rise.
6. Score an edge around the edge of the pastry being careful not to cut all the way through, this will give you a raised edge.
7. When adding the filling, try not to place any on the border or it will stop it rising as much.
8. Brush the edge with oil before adding the filling. It's easier and quicker to brush the pastry border with oil before the filling is on. 
9. Bake in the centre of the oven until risen and golden.

HOW TO SERVE FALAFEL PIES

 

 

MORE VEGAN RECIPES USING PUFF PASTRY

 

 

Here are a few more easy puff pastry recipes to try:

 

• Garlic Mushroom & Spinach Puff Pastry Tart
• Leftover Bolognese Sausage Rolls
• Mini Tomato Pastry Bites
• Mushroom & Chestnut Sausage Rolls
• Scottish Rumbledethump Pies
• Spicy Chickpea Sausage Rolls
• Vegan Pesto Cheese Swirls
• Vegan Pizza Swirls

 

You also may like to try Vegan Halloumi & Spinach Borek (filo cigar parcels) or Jerk Tofu BBQ Skewers.

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HOW TO MAKE MINI FALAFEL ONION PIES

Scroll down for the full printable recipe. If you don't have a printer, just hit print then save as a PDF.

 

 

STEP 1

 

Preheat the oven and take your pastry out of the fridge 10-15 minutes before you want to use it.

 

Remove it from the packaging and place on the plate, the assemble your other ingredients.

 

Carefully unroll the pastry and cut into squares. I cut mine into 15 squares, but your ready-rolled pastry may be a bit bigger or smaller. That's ok, just cut it into small squares that will hold a falafel with a border.

 

 

STEP 2

 

It's important to give the pastry squares a bit of room to expand, so divide the squares into two trays.

 

You can space one batch on a tray on the baking paper the pastry is rolled in, but you will need non-stick baking paper for the second tray.

 

Score a border around the edge of the squares and brush the border with olive oil. It's easier to do this before you add the filling.

 

 

 

STEP 3

 

Fill the centre of each pastry with caramelised onion chutney or jam.

 

Try to stay within the borders lines (a bit like colouring in).

 

As you can see I didn't do a brilliant job, but that's ok.

 

 

 

STEP 4

 

Add either a whole or a half falafel to the middle of each pastry.

 

If you add a half, then place it cut side down, so you still have a dome shape.

 

 

 

STEP 5

 

Brush each falafel with either apricot jam or marmalade.

 

If the jam or marmalade is a little thick, just warm in a pot or in the microwave briefly to loosen it.

 

Sprinkle some dried oregano (thyme works well with these too).

 

 

 

STEP 6

 

Bake until the pastry has risen and is golden.

 

Serve either hot or cold.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

📖 Recipe

Mini Falafel Onion Pies

Jacqueline Meldrum

Simple falafel and onion pastry pies are super easy to make and are something different to add to your lunchbox. They are also great for lunches at home and picnics.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 32 minutes mins

Course Easy Vegan Pastry Recipes

Cuisine British

Servings 15 pies

Calories 106 kcal

Ingredients

 

MetricUS Cup Measures

 

1x2x3x

• 375 g ready-rolled puff pastry (it's ok if your pastry is a bit bigger or smaller)
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 15 falafel or 15 falafel halves
• 320 g carmelised onion chutney
• 1 ½ tbsp apricot jam or marmalade
• 1 tsp dried oregano or thyme works well

Instructions

 

• Take the pastry out of the fridge to come to room temperature.
• Preheat the oven to 180c/160c fan/350f/gas mark 4.
• Measure out the jam. If it's not soft, either warm in a pot or in the microwave for a few seconds until a little runnier.
• Carefully unroll the pastry and cut into squares. I cut mine into 3 lines then 5 squares in each line to give me 15 squares. You want the squares to be big enough to hold the falafel a bit of filling and a border.
• Space the squares of pastry out on 2 trays lined with non-stick baking paper and score your borders around each square.
• Brush the borders with a little olive oil, then spoon some chutney onto each square, keeping within the border.
• Top with a falafel (or falafel half), then brush the falafel generously with the jam and sprinkle on some oregano.
• Bake for 12-15 minutes until the pastry has risen and is golden.
• Serve hot or cold.
• Enjoy!

Notes

• You may use marmalade instead of apricot jam and thyme works well on these tarts instead of oregano.
• You may use homemade puff pastry or a block of shop-bought puff pastry, rolled out and cut.
• You may use a whole or half a falafel on each pie, it's up to you. If you use half, place cut side down.
• These pies can be served hot or cold.
• They can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 for days or frozen (before they are baked), flash frozen on a tray, then moved to a freezer bag.
• You can bake them from frozen

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 106kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 1gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gSodium: 46mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2g

Keyword falafel pastry bites, falafel pies, falafel recipes, falafel tarts

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