Meal planning for the week? You totally need these sweet potato chickpea burgers! Aside from being healthy, vegan, and gluten-free, these tasty freezer-friendly veggie burgers are just plain delicious!
Hi!! Why does it feel like an eternity since I’ve done a recipe post? Eek!
Though I suppose that’s to be expected when you’re celebrating birthdays, breaking your laptop into two portable pieces, and trying to figure out what to do with a semi-empty abode in desperate need of furniture. I still have a table sans chairs and paper sticky blinds on my windows. Whoops?
At least the fridge is fully furnished with produce! Who needs a coffee table when you have a crisper full of kale!?
Don’t answer that.
So before we dive face-first into these burgers, I have a confession.
I made a terrible, terrible mistake when photographing these babies. Don’t get me wrong, burger buns are de-freaking-licious, but these veggie burgers taste even better wrapped in lettuce or front and center on a big leafy green salad. And yes, this is coming from someone who ran around the kitchen making sushi last night while clutching one of these bad boys in my hand like a cookie.
In fact, you should just make a ton and try it all three ways!
Speaking of hands. My hand model for this post? Kind of hot. He should really look into some sort of hand preservation contraption. It’ll keep his hands really really ridiculously good looking.
Sweet Potato Chickpea Burgers
Recipe makes 8 veggie burgers – some to nosh now and some to freeze for later!
Sweet Potato Chickpea Burgers
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups cooked mashed sweet potato
- 15 oz can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
- 15 oz can of cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1/2-1 cup of diced bell pepper
- 1 medium-large jalapeno diced
- 1 cup finely diced red onion
- 1 cup finely diced white onion
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 flax eggs
- 1.5-2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
- 2-4 TBSP extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- 1.5 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning blend (I love using Mrs. Dash)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- freshly ground black pepper, parsley, and red pepper flakes, to taste
Instructions
- To start, prep your flax eggs by adding 9 tablespoons of water to 3 tablespoons of ground flax seeds.
- Whisk together and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes to set.
- Bake or microwave your sweet potato and remove/discard the skin. Set aside.
- Drain and rinse beans, then add to the sweet potato.
- Next saute your onion, bell pepper, and jalapenos in approx 2-4 tablespoons of oil with a few cranks of freshly ground black pepper and a sprinkle or two of red pepper flakes.
- After about 7 minutes or so, add garlic and continue to saute until the veggies are translucent and tender.
- While they cook, use a large wooden spoon or potato masher to partially mash the beans, but not fully. You can also lightly chop them in a food processor or blender if desired, but the texture from the beans is great so try to keep them chunky. They whole beans give the burgers a meaty texture that makes me feel like I’m eating a traditional burger. Only they’re healthier… and more flavorful… and yes, just plain awesome this way.
- For the oats, they can be left whole or “chopped” by grinding them in a blender or food processor. If you’re sneaking them past a picky friend or family member, pulsing is the way to go, if you’re pressed for time, toss them in whole! I’ve had luck both ways!
- Once your veggies are ready, transfer to a large bowl with the beans, sweet potato, flax eggs, and raw oats, and then add your herbs/spices to season. I usually taste and sniff as I go and adjust the spices along the way. A little extra garlic, cumin, and red pepper flakes made their way into these bad boys! YUM! Let your senses be your guide =)
- In order to gauge how much of the oats to add, start by adding 1 and 1/2 cups and mix thoroughly. Next take a look at your mixture. It should be a little on the chunky side and slightly sticky. If it feels too wet to form into proper veggie burgers you’ll want to add an extra half cup.
- Good to go? The next step is to form the bean and veggie mix into balls.
- Cup each ball in your hands and squeeze, pressing it into a compact disc. Think of it as stress-relief!
- Form into 8 patties, cover, and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.
- Feel free to prep these overnight for the following day.
- Ready to eat? Pour a teeny bit of oil in a skillet, heat to high, and cook for a few minutes on each side until you’re left with a golden crust and a warm center. Cook a few at a time, trying not to overcrowd the skillet, it’ll be easier this way.
- Drizzle with yellow mustard and/or sriracha chili sauce and serve on a fluffy bun, wrapped in fresh lettuce, or atop a big bed of veggies. Empty out your crisper and have at it!
- I typically make one burger right away and then leave the remainder in the fridge overnight. The following day I cook up the rest of the burgers and split the batch between the fridge and freezer. To freeze: simply cook the burgers as indicated above, allow to cool a bit, and then freeze [spaced] on a plate or cookie sheet. Once they’ve had a chance to partially freeze you can pile them in baggies or your favorite airtight container for fast food without the freaky ingredients.
Notes
Nutrition
If you get a chance to try these Sweet Potato Chickpea Burgers, let me know! You can leave me a comment here (LOVE checking those daily!) or tag @PEASandCRAYONS on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creations. I can’t wait to see what toppings you add!
special diets and swaps
- These sweet potato chickpea burgers are vegetarian + vegan-friendly!
- Gluten-Free? Serve these baller burgers wrapped in lettuce – It’s delicious!
- T-Rex Chefs feel free to use 2-3 large eggs in place of flax egg but for the love of veggies put down the meat + make some darn veggie burgers! Please?
Tips + Notes
If you already have prepped beans on hand, you’ll use about 2.5-3 cups total. Since I’m trying to clear out my pantry, I grabbed a can of each from my stash. Also, the burgers set best when they have 30 minutes of chill time in the fridge prior to cooking. Feel free to prep them the night before! Craving black beans? Whip up some Triple-Bean Veggie Burgers!
After cooking, wrap any burgers that you don’t plan on stuffing your face with immediately in foil, saran wrap, or an air tight container and pop in the fridge or freezer for a quick meal. To re-heat, simply pop on a baking sheet in the oven for about 20 minutes at 400F.
so… how were they?!
These Sweet Potato Chickpea Burgers are crazy delicious!
Ever the sweetheart, my husband sat with one of these bad boys in his face and rambled in between bites: “Burgers are made of meat… These are patties.” big bite “Veggie loaves even.” chomp “Discs!“
Thanks Paul.
To date, these bad boys are in heavy rotation in our home. They are fantastic every which way. I’ll slap them on a burger bun one day, crumble them over a salad the next, and even stuff them in a sweet potato for a tasty veggie smorgasbord! There are almost always a batch in my freezer and my friends can’t stop raving about them! (cue happy dance!)
Needless to say, they’re a hit!
These super-satisfying Sweet Potato Chickpea Burgers are nothing short of amazing. Get one in your face pronto!
Crazy for veggie burgers? Try THESE next!
Wonderful! I got 10 burgers each about 4oz. cooked two right away to test it out. I see I need to be careful browning them so they don’t get too brown too fast and give middle a chance to warm. I used egg beaters instead of eggs or flax ( I know some will frown) but I was slashing a few calories, I didn’t add oil either, otherwise added everything else, including 1 cup bell pepper and 1.5 cup oatmeal. No problem holding together. I am now so excited about these veggie burgers I want to try one of your other ones. I do trust your recipes to be good and really enjoy how you write them up and give advice. Now which one to try next will be the hard decision! Thank you. So much different then anything you can buy and we do eat a lot of veggie burgers, need to start making them.
I’m so so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks Frances! xo
Hi I want to be able to take these camping but won’t be able to reheat in an oven can I reheat it on an electric frying pan or bbq?
Hey Annette! Electric frying pan will for sure work! I can’t remember if any of my readers have grilled this particular one so the electric pan is a safe bet!
Do you think you could use aquafaba instead of the flax eggs?
Hi Mandy! I haven’t tested it out to know for sure but let me know if you get a chance to experiment! From what I’ve read it makes a good binder when you lightly whip it until it resembles a runny glue-like consistency with bubbles. Keep me posted!
What can you substitute for the oats ?
Hi Sandra! You could try adding cooked rice or quinoa as the binder here in place of the oats. I’d have to test them out to have an exact measurement/ratio to advise on, but it’s for sure worth experimenting! I hope to experiment with an oat-free burger soon so I can provide more options. Any flavor combos or ingredients you’d like to see?
By far the best veggie burgers I have made at home. Not crumbly at all and great flavour.
These look amazing! We eat lower carb Mediterrian primarily, so I was curious as to the carb count. Is that just for the burger or the burger and the bun?
Thanks Patty! The nutrition facts (along with carb count) are estimated for the patties/burgers only so that everyone can choose their own bun. I’ve made them on a “lettuce bun” before as well and loved them!
Do you think you could make it with two cans of chickpeas? thank you
Hi Christine! You can absolutely use two cans of chickpeas in place of using just one can of chickpeas and one can of cannellini beans. They’re a little harder to mash than the cannellini beans so for the partial-mashing step you’ll just put a little extra muscle into it!
Hi these look so yummy! I can’t wait to make them. Instead of can beans can I use dried beans. (cooked of course) ?
Yes of course! I often cook big batches of dried beans until tender then freeze + thaw when needed in recipes! So excited for you to try these Nikki! xo
Thank you for getting back to me so soon! That’s what I do too! Making these tomorrow. Cant wait!
Is the sweet potato mashed before adding to the mixture or diced?
Hey Karen! I usually mash it before adding it to the rest of the mixture! xoxo
I’m changing my diet this but her looks like something I could try.
Is there another way to cook the burger without frying? I try eat very little fried foods.
Hi Deborah! I always sear mine gently on the skillet with just a little bit of oil before baking to help the burgers stay together, but I’ve had a reader try it with only baking! Here’s what she did: “I sautéed my veggies without the oil and oven baked the burgers for about 30 minutes at 400 degrees instead of frying. I only made a half batch and got 7 average size burgers from it.”
This was so good! Took some with me to my friend for lunch. She couldn’t believe how good it Was. We att it with Roman sallad and some dressing made like a cashewsauce with tomato paste and some liquid smoke. Thank you for a great recipie/ Tina from Sweden
Could these be grilled on a charcoal grill instead of in a frying pan?
Hey Heather! I haven’t tested these bad boys on the grill yet but let me know if you try it with one!
These are excellent! I’ve made a double batch three times so far, and they don’t last long! Everyone loves them!
I’ve tried many veggie burgers. These definitely are one of the best. Very flavorful! I sautéed my veggies without the oil and oven baked the burgers for about 30 minutes at 400 degrees instead of frying. I only made a half batch and got 7 average size burgers from it. Will definitely be making these again. Thank you!!
I put quick oats in by accident.. Please tell me this batch will be okay!? I usually have rolled oats on hand, but not today!
You’re a-ok Laura! The only oats that get a little weird texturally are the powdery instant oats. Quick oats are just ground smaller and I’ve used them before as well with great results! 🙂
These look amazing! I was wondering if there is a substitute that I can use for the oats. I am a bariatric surgery patient and the oats are still off the table.
Thanks!
Hey Chris, thank you! Can you have quinoa by any chance? Or rice? I think both would work as marvelous subs for the oats. The oats act as the binder mostly to keep the burger together (and for texture but quinoa and rice will take care of that!) so they may crumble a bit easier but will still be super duper delicious! Ooh! Especially crumbled over a big salad or a baked sweet potato!
Summer has finally come to Copenhagen, so it’s barbecue time 🙂 These look amazing! Could I use eggs instead of the flax eggs?
My dad’s side of the family is from Copenhagen! You can absolutely use eggs in place of the flax eggs, the recipe works great with both 🙂
I made a huge double batch of these – AMAZING. However, i froze the uncooked versions instead of the cooked versions. Should I defrost and cook per normal directions? Help 🙂
Aw thanks Steph! And lol fret not! I’ve tested the recipe both was for experimentation’s sake so they will 100% still be edible! what I ended up doing was nuking the uncooked frozen burgers for like, 30-60 seconds or so to take the edge off and then tossed them on sauté pan with a little hot avocado oil to pan fry em up as per the directions above.
Oh wow, I just made up a batch of these for dinner tonight. I had a bit left over after forming the patties, so I went ahead and fried it up to taste test. Can I eat them all before His Highness gets home?!?
Bahahaha! I’ll keep your secret if you do! 🙂 So glad you liked them Debbie! I hope His Highness approves too! 😉
He said, “I could eat these till I explode.” I am not kidding. This from a man who ate 2 vegetables when I married him: peas and corn.
Victory!!!!! So happy to hear it Debbie! 🙂
i made these yesterday and WOW was I surprised by the amount of flavor packed into these!!! I amped up the crushed red pepper a little and added some extra garlic. The texture was more of a crab cake for me – a little runny even though I added more oats (think it was bc of her liquid in the sautéed veggies), but a nice crisp outside and a soft, warm, deeeeeeelicious center. I served with a spicy yogurt sauce – nonfat Greek yogurt, honey, Tabasco, salt and pepper – and it was awesome. Hubby couldn’t get enough! I will definitely make again!
These are sooooooo good! In fact I’m eating one right now. =) I have been practically living off of them recently. =) My husband also liked these and he’s not a big veggie burger fan. He said they had a really good texture to them. I agree and they are filling as well. LOVE them! Can’t wait to try the pumpkin burgers next. I think this is my new favorite blog =)
These look amazing! I am always trying to think up new veggie burger ideas – can’t wait to give these a try!! 🙂
I was so excited for these but they turned out really runny:(. I plan on trying it again but I’m wondering what went wrong!
Hey Natasha! Another reader had a similar issue so I’d love to see if I need to further explain a step in the recipe. Generally when working with veggies and beans, they tend to give off liquid, so that’s usually why I suggest the different range of oats to be added: more oats added to a wetter mixture and less oats if the mixture comes up dry. [Very similar to making muffins and such] Little variations will happen depending on your brand of beans [some are really saucy] and how long you saute the veggies. I’ll help you get to the bottom of this!
Mind if I ask a few questions? // Did you rinse and strain the beans before adding them? Were the beans themselves firm or kind of mushy and soggy? [I’ve come across both, no worries!] How long did you put the patties in the fridge for? How wet was the mixture as you were forming them into patties? and lastly, when you were sauteeing your veggies did you add extra oil or butter to the pan? Whenever I make burgers I look for a sticky “batter” that holds together and holds shape well when formed into patties. That’s usually how I can judge if I need to pour more oats over the mixture. If the patties felt great and held form before pan-frying then the temp/time of the cooking may be something we want to explore further. Sorry for the question-a-thon but I want these burgers perfect on your plate! Keep me posted and we’ll figure out which step we need to look into!
The burger recipe has been tested a dozen times by myself and even more so by a few of my friends so it should absolutely work. We’ll get to the bottom of this! Thanks so much for your help! xoxo
Oh duh I forgot to update ze blog! Natasha and I chatted a bit and we think the veggies gave off too much liquid in this instance, making the burgers a bit wet. I made a little note in the recipe just in case, but if anyone feels like their veggies got a bit too runny, feel free cook off the extra liquid or drain it and if the burger mixture comes out a bit wet instead of sticky, then grab an extra half cup of oats and you should be good to go! Hope that helps everyone! This is one of my all-time favorites to make over and over, so I want it to work in every kitchen for every cook! <3
What a bummer. As a love of these veggie burgers, I do hope you try again Natasha. When they come together just right, they’re magical. I make lots of them in the Fall and live off them all winter long. They’re really one of a kind and pretty much my favorite veggie burger hands down. Good luck!
My rexture was off – mushy and didn’t hold together. I used the 1.5 cups of oats, maybe I should have used 2?? Also, I would cut down on the garlic. I’m a bit bummed I don’t “love” them since I made 9 with my recipe. Maybe it was as first-time attempt good??
ahhhh oh no! I wonder if it was a bean issue? Sometimes certain brands of beans are a bit softer/runnier than others [weird wording, I know! lol] and they will make the veggie burger mixture a bit wet, in which case the extra oats are a lifesaver for sticking them together and firming them up! I’m so sorry they didn’t come together perfectly! And sorry about the garlic, I’m a garlic fiend! I’m hoping the leftovers will stay together 100x better for you after baking them. Baking in general will dry them out a teeny bit so hopefully it will do that enough to fix the issue!
Hands down, these are my favorite veggie burgers ever! I bring them to all cookouts and by the end of the night, I have carnivores asking me for the recipe. I make them in double and triple batches now and mass freeze them. When the freezer gets low, I get anxiety because they’re that good. And delicious. And filling. And magical. And everything you’d want in a veggie burger.
awww thanks darlin!!!! <3
Meghan, I’m wondering how you are preparing them at cookouts. Are you able to grill them? Or do you precook and warm on the grill?
I’m making these for dinner tonight and will cook up the leftovers for a BBQ on Saturday (if I don’t eat them all)!
Is the sweet potato measurement (1.5 cups) mashed or cubed? I have a can of puree to use up so I was thinking of measuring that out but reducing the volume a bit.
I’ll report back after I make them!
I’m so excited you’re making them! Can’t wait to hear all about it! It’s 1.5 cups mashed for the recipe. Hope you adore them as much as my friends and I do! xo
These were delicious! By far the best veggie burgers I have made at home! They hold together really well too with the combination of the sweet potato and flax eggs. We grill out a lot and it’s great to have a go-to veggie burger recipe! I’m going to make a really big batch at some point and freeze a bunch for the future because here in Miami we have outdoor beach and BBQ weather almost year round 🙂
Those are some massive burgers thou! I ended up making twice the number and they are still a good size. Thanks for the recipe!
These looked so good…I am disappointed that they didn’t turn out 🙁 they were so liquidy that they couldn’t cook right, it’s a shame.
Ahh oh no! Feel free to email me at PEASandCRAYONS [at] gmail [dot] com and I can troubleshoot with you! I’ve made these several times and they also worked for friends and family too without fail.. hmmm… Did you make any subsitutions/additions to the recipe that could have added more liquid maybe?
OMG these look sooooo good! I am def. going to make them this weekend. Thx!
Yummmmm! I already make my veggie burgers similar to this (ok, the lazy version where it’s just sweet potato, cannellini beans, breadcrumbs, egg & seasoning) but I’m DEFINITELY going to be using this recipe next time as it looks deeeeeelicious 🙂 xx
can I be your “man hands” hand model?
Yum!! I love veggie burgers of all kinds…but sweet potatoes make everything better, that’s for sure!
Ohmysweetgoodness! I am making these TONIGHT!! I think the model sold me 😛 jk/lol Thanks Jenn! X
now you have me wondering if youre married to george costanza?
good lord I loved the hand model episode.
xo
Oh WOW! I love a good veggie burger and will definately be trying these out! Thanks 🙂
I think your hand model was channeling Blue Steel.
Can’t wait to try these “patties,” “loaves,” “discs” or whatever they’re called.
Can I tell you how much I love your instructions on how to freeze these as well. I’m making a big batch today with the intention of half now, half later. You seriously rock. Thanks!!
A day later and several veggie burgers later…
Last night, I made these for myself (and a crowd, but really myself), and they were amazing. Everybody loved them, and the flavor was incredible. I also cooked and then froze almost another dozen, and I’m pretty sure that’s not going to be enough.
They were really, really ridiculous good looking too. 😉
These look INCREDIBLE!!! I’m going away for a week- but I’m writing these down as the first thing to make when I get back home!!
Gorgeous looking hands on that model of yours haha!!!
Those burgers look so freakin’ delish!
Ahhhh! I love that you used sweet potatoes! I recently made Spabettie’s quinoa bean burgers…that was the first time I’ve ever made a veggie burger with potato in it…tasted like a burger and fries all in one! So, OBVIOUSLY I can’t wait to have a burger and SWEET POTATO FRIES in my face! Yum!
Can’t get over P’s commentary…tell him I said he should just stick to modeling! 😉
Those look SO good! Like SO SO good!!
Definitely will be making these! They look super scrumptious and I love the ingredient list. What a professional looking hand model you have there!! 😉
I just want to stuff one of these burgers in my pie hole. They look soooo good. Nom nom.
aaaand pinning now.
Those look delicious!
Uhhhh…….YUM! Looks and I bet tastes, FABULOUS!
This looks like it would be awesome even without the bun! Adding this one to my “to-cook” list 🙂
Thanks!
-Michelle {LiveLoudly}
Health & Wellness Blog
Those burgers look deeelicious! And those hands? Did you touch them up or what? (I mean, photo edit of course 😉 ) I’ve never seen such smooth, flawless hands before. Where’s all the hair???
… and now I want one. Thanks a lot, Jenn 😉
mmm I love sweet potatoes and chickpeas! This would be the perfect dinner for me. My fiance would disagree though but he doesn’t always have to eat 😉
I thought this was going to be a Chick-fil-a sandwich creation when you posted the pic. This is even better! Another T-Rex option – fried egg on top. YUM.