
For the past several months, I’ve been on a quest to make a veggie burger that had everything on our wish list. I’ve probably made over 100 veggie burgers and they all came up short, either by just a tiny bit or by a landslide.
I’m always asked what I do with failed recipes and my answer is usually the same- I eat them! An imperfect veggie burger crumbled over a salad is quite tasty. Same goes for a doughy muffin crumbled over a bowl of Vegan Overnight Oats. Unless something I make is really gross, I eat it.
However, I am picky about three things:
1) The recipes that I post on the blog
2) Homemade Veggie burgers
3) Tying my running shoes before a run (I always stop once to re-tie them, lol)
Now you know. :)

Eric and I put together a ‘must-have’ list of requirements during our mission. Veggie burgers are serious business around here and we have quite a checklist. ;)
Our veggie burger must haves:
- Can’t be mushy in the middle (the problem I have the most)
- Crispy outer shell
- Lots of flavour from fresh herbs & spices
- No tofu (not a fan)
- Crunchy, chewy texture is a must
- No cracking or falling apart (another common problem)
- Must cook well 3 ways: frying pan, oven, and BBQ
- Could make a grown man shed a tear of joy (ok, that was my requirement, heh)
If one of those elements is missing, the recipe is as dead to me as the burgers flippin’ on the McDonald’s grill!

After writing about my most recent Lemon Rosemary burger fail (that drove me to make PB Crunch Blizzards), I received an email from a lovely reader named Jenny who must have known that I was one failed veggie burger short of being buckled into a straitjacket.
Jenny writes, “After reading your post today, which has me day-dreaming about cookie dough blizzards by the way, I wanted to share with you the best veggie burger recipe our family has come across (even my meat-lovin’ husband requests them from time to time!). The recipe is from the Whitewater ski area in Nelson, BC and hasn’t failed us yet. It isn’t vegan but I’m sure you can work your magic to make it so.”
Isn’t Jenny great?

After reading Jenny’s email, I flew into the kitchen so fast my processor spun. I figured there was a 0.0002% chance they would work, so I was quite hopeful.
As luck would have it, magic did happen in my kitchen that fateful evening as Eric patiently awaited the outcome, fearing he’d be served yet another bowl of cereal.
He wasn’t. :)

Oh She Glows
Our Perfect Veggie Burger
Crunchy, chewy, with a crispy outer shell, these delicious veggie burgers have all the right elements we love in a veggie burger. Light on the beans, these burgers aren’t mushy in the middle, but have a nice mixture of breadcrumbs, chopped almonds, sunflower seeds, and seasonings to round them out. Best of all, they work great in the oven, frying pan, or even on the BBQ. They can also be made gluten-free by using gluten-free oats, Tamari, and breadcrumbs. Don’t have breadcrumbs? Just process a few slices of bread in the food processor for instant breadcrumbs. I used 3 slices of Ezekiel bread.
Inspired by Whitewater Cooks.
Yield: 8 burgers
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup onion, diced
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- Flax eggs: 2.5 tbsp ground flax + 1/2 cup warm water, mixed in bowl
- 1 cup oats, processed into flour* (other flours might work)
- 1.5 cups bread crumbs (I processed 3 pieces of Ezekiel bread until fine crumb)*
- 1 cup grated carrots
- 1 cup cooked black beans, rinsed and roughly pureed or mashed
- Heaping 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley (or fresh herb of choice)
- 1/3 cup almonds, chopped (toasted if preferred)
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, (toasted if preferred)
- 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Tamari (soy sauce)
- 1.5 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. oregano
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp kosher salt)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F (if baking). In a large skillet, sauté onions and garlic in 1/2 tbsp oil. Mix your flax egg together in a small bowl and set aside for at least 10 mins while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
2. Place all ingredients (except spices and salt) into a large mixing bowl and stir very well. Now, add seasonings and salt to taste.
3. With slightly wet hands, shape dough into patties. Pack dough tightly as this will help it stick together. I made 8 medium patties.
4. Cooking methods: You can fry the burgers in a bit of oil on a skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side. If baking in the oven, bake for 25-30 mins (15-17 minutes on each side) at 350F, until golden and crisp. For the BBQ, pre-bake the burgers for about 15 minutes in oven before placing on a pre-heated grill until golden and crisp on each side. Our preferred method of cooking was frying in the skillet!!
GF Note: To make these burgers gluten-free, use certified GF oats, GF Tamari, and gluten-free breadcrumbs.
These burgers take a good 30 minutes of prep work, but the extra effort really paid off. You could also double this batch and freeze the leftovers for quick weeknight meals!

This veggie burger ‘dough’ is so good to eat straight from the bowl! Another thing I learned during my mission: if the ‘dough’ doesn’t wow you, the burgers won’t either. Don’t be afraid to adjust the seasonings to taste.
For my first trial, I didn’t process the oats into a flour and they didn’t hold together very well when frying. For my second trial, I used oat flour instead of whole oats and they held together very well!
Before baking in the oven:

After baking for 20 mins. on each side…crispy and golden!

Our preferred method of cooking is on the skillet, fried in a bit of oil. The burgers get this crispy shell similar to a hash brown! We already have plans to fry the ‘dough’ in a skillet for breakfast.

We also tried them on the BBQ, which also worked well. Pre-cook them in the oven for about 15 minutes first to firm them up a bit.

Then I raided the garden…

On the side, kale chips and ketchup.

On the burgers, we had homemade BBQ sauce, ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomatoes. The second night, we had guacamole and pico de gallo on top- incredible!

I hope you love ‘em too!

Don’t forget, this morning is the last chance to enter the Glo bar Giveaway! (Your comments are amazing by the way)









{ 414 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh yes!!!!! I’ve been dying to make a big batch of veggie burgers to keep on hand for a quick snack or meal!! These are on this week’s “to-do” list! Thanks :-)
These look like an updated version of what’s on the market! No more cardboard, hello a good veggie burger! Thanks.
These look hearty and amazing!
Hahaha….now I’m just staring at the pictures in a daze and my mouth is literally watering.
P.S. I just took the last of my oil-free zucchini walnut loaf out of the freezer and enjoyed it for breakfast. Another great recipe…Thanks X 2!
Glad you liked the loaf!
The pics make me hungry for one too…sadly we’re out!
AWESOME!
Thanks for sharing!!
Oh this look delish, totally whipping them up this week – Thanks Angela!
These sound delicious! I hate how some veggie burgers have no protein in them, but with all the beans and seeds, these must be loaded! Can’t wait to try!!
These look awesome!! Definitely going to have to try these babies out :)
These look ridiculously good! I am picky about my burgers too – definitely can’t have the mush in the middle. The other day I made an Asian-inspired version that was really good (http://wp.me/p16jDn-Ae).
I used quinoa flakes in them and I think the secret is using some sort of bread substance – like the flakes or what you did here with the oats/bread.
The mushy inside! I haven’t conquered that one yet. Hopefully practice makes perfect!
Ok, Angela! You keep giving me so many recipes to bookmark and try. I cannot wait to try this recipe! I love a good bean veggie burger as I actually love the soft middle (only made at home bc I hate all the crap in processed store bought varieties) so this recipe will be a nice addition. And, the health meter on these bad boys looks extremely high. Um, excellent for the bod and tasty too. This is why I love your site.
Enjoy :)
That’s like the EXACT dinner I was dreaming of having tonight! I’m dying to make my own veggie burgers (I’m not sure why I haven’t yet, it’s really sad!). I bought kale last night and am going to be venturing into the world of kale chips – SO excited!!
These look delicious! I have been wondering how to make a good homemade veggie burger! I guess I will need to try making these soon!
Is there a substitute for the flax eggs? Can we use regular eggs?
I’m wondering the same thing.. I’m sure we can, I just want to know how many. This recipe looks delicious!!
Yup! I would guess 2 regular eggs *should* work.
I will let you know once I try it out!!
I made this with three medium eggs and it worked beautifully. Thanks for a spectacular recipe! We had them plain one night and in mushroom cheeseburgers tonight – both were delicious. I really like the texture.
I was just going to ask the same thing! No offense intended, but I’d rather use regular eggs. Would I use two?
no offense taken, dont worry!!
2 eggs should work
Those look amazing! Thank you, I am always on the search for a perfect veggie burger! :)
Those look delicious! I love crunchy, flavorful veggie burgers too.
Oh my gosh, these look perfect
Crispy shell is SO necessary
Can’t wait to try this recipe out Angela, thanks for the many hours of sweat and tears to find the perfect veggie burger :)
Wow, these look so good! I had the most amazing black bean burger and sweet potato/quinoa burger in Wholefoods, London (England not Canada!) and since then I have been craving another fresh burger feast…this recipe should do the trick! :-) xyx
Oooh yum these look great Ange! I love your criteria for a good burger too, especially the last point!! I haven’t been a fan of the store-bought veggie burgers I’ve tasted, and the ones I try to make usually either have the cracking problem (especially when made with chickpeas) or the mushy problem (especially if made with beans!) I’m glad to hear these work! :)
I’m glad you found a winning recipe! I love the picture of the bbq sauce/ketchup/tomatoes oozing out over the burger — it makes me want to take a big bite!
Those do look like the perfect veggie burgers – I always have trouble with mine crumbling or being mushy! Those look fantastic!
In the pictures it looks like there are whole oats in the mixture but there isn’t whole oats ‘(just ground ones) in the recipe. Maybe I am wrong…?
My first trial used whole oats, 2nd trial used oat flour (process whole oats). Use oat flour :)
So is it a cup of oat flour, or a cup of oats ground down, which would make less flour? If I already have the flour how much do I use?
I used 1 cup of rolled oats and ground it into a flour. You can also use 1 cup + 1 tbsp oat flour.
These sound amazing!!!! I wonder how it would taste subbing in cannelini beans and then basil…I’ll have to try it!! And the original too, of course :D
These are the prettiest veggie burgers I’ve ever seen!
I’m the same way about eating “failed” cooking and baking projects – unless it’s truly horrendous, I re-purpose it somehow or suck it up and chow down! My budget doesnt really allow for throwing away gobs of food, and I love that you don’t waste yours either!
These look absolutely jam-packed full of goodness! If you had to take a guess, do you have any idea how much protein these babies have going on? I’m looking to up my intake and these sound like an awesome whole-foods way to do it :D
im not sure….maybe I will calculate the nutritional info at some point!
I love that there are so many veggies in that veggie burger! A lot of times, I feel like they’re lacking (like if there’s really only one veggie in there). I can’t wait to try these!!
Oh, my goodness, I got all excited when I read the part about your reader’s meat-loving husband eating these veggie burgers from time to time. THAT is music to my ears!
These look absolutely amazing! OMG look at that texture! WOW! Certainly a winner. Book marking this right now!
I can’t wait to try these out and freeze some for quick work meals! Also, your photography is just stunning. I’m constantly in awe of how you make everything look so gorgeous!
Thanks Jennifer :)
Do I freeze these raw or cooked? if cooked how long and what method? Thanks. I am new to your blog and and am looking forward to trying these.
I think you can freeze them raw, thaw in fridge or at room temp, and cook as usual. I also think you can freeze them already cooked (for both: double wrapped and put in air tight container), but I would imagine they wouldnt last quite as long in the freezer.
Sorry, I didn’t see your answer. Do you think I can still freeze them raw with the “real’ eggs in them? They really are good and I am quite proud of myself. I have not eaten meat for 40 years and these blogs are really helping me with new ideas.
@Mika: I include egg in my variation of the veggie burger recipe here (http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/on-air/as-seen-on/Village-Whiskey-Veggie-Burger-62562777.html), and I freeze it with no problems. I form each patty and wrap it in plastic wrap, then stack and freeze them flat in large glass containers or Ziploc bags. I defrost them in the fridge or, in a pinch, quickly in the microwave. I always polish them off in under a month or so, though, so I can’t be sure how long they’ll keep in the freezer.
Ok, so I made these tonight and they are as good as all the pics! My question remains about freezing them, I did use 2 “real” eggs. Thanks!
I knew you would find the perfect veggie burger recipe! This looks fantastic and I can’t wait to try them! I would never have thought to add the nuts and seeds!
….and good call putting ketchup on the kale chips — that’s another must try for sure!!
I’ve never seen veggie burger dough look so good before. These are definitely a must try!
These look awesome! I’m always on the hunt for new veggie burgers, and my criteria is pretty similar to yours. I think homemade veggie burgers are so much better than boxed ones.
I have always wanted to make my own veggie burgers, but most of the recipes I’ve seen have things in them that scare me. This recipe has stuff that I already have in my kitchen – perfect!! They are going on tonight’s dinner menu :)
Ooohhh….this recipe sounds epic! I’ve been craving veggie burgers lately, but have the same frustrations–mushy middle, can only be cooked in one fashion. I look forward to testing out this recipe!
These look really tasty – and soo healthy!
These look great Angela!
Is it too much to ask for the burgers to taste like meat also? lol… hamburgers are the one thing I really crave since going vegetarian. If you’re ever in the LA area, there is a place called Umami Burger that has THE most amazing veggie burger.. & it even tasted like meat! I didn’t secretly envy my family members’ burgers as we ate like I normally do because this burger was so darn good.
haha yea some people would like that as well…Im personally not a fan of meat taste anymore. I stopped craving it after a few months.
It’s been so long since I’ve made veggie burgers! These are definitely on my must-make-soon list!!
is that you in the banner?
yup :)
this looks amazing angela!! I just might have to whip up a batch of these for dinner tonight! :) thanks
I input the recipe in MyFitnessPal.com and here is the calories and nutrition info on the veggie burgers based on 8 burgers. Calories 214, Carbs 12, Fat 11, Protein 9, Sodium 405, Fiber 6. I used canned black beans so the sodium would be reduced drastically if you used cooked black beans as per the recipe.
Thanks Sue that is nice to you to share!