When it comes to onion rings, I’m a bit of a late bloomer.
I don’t think I tried my first onion ring until I was in my twenties, and when I did, I can’t say I was blown away. They were a bit bland and I could think of a million other foods I’d rather eat.
However, I soon realized that not all onion rings are created equal.
Years later, everything changed when I tried Fresh restaurant’s quinoa-battered onion rings. Their onion rings have been celebrated as some of Toronto’s best and I quickly agreed, being the onion ring connoisseur that I was…not.
But I do know good food when I taste it. You too?
Deep-fried, crispy, thick, and flavourful…they made me an instant onion ring fan for life.
Not long after, I was in the kitchen trying to make my own onion rings, only these would be baked instead of fried, more of an “everyday” onion ring, if you will.
My first few trials were decent, but still a far cry from what I hoped they’d taste like.
The problem? Too many breadcrumbs and not enough other goodies!
One of my first trials, heavy on the breadcrumbs:
I experimented with a few different coatings and batter mixtures until I found a combo that I loved. My first winning combo involves breadcrumbs, cornmeal, nutritional yeast, dried herbs, and black sesame seeds. Don’t fret if you don’t have one of these ingredients because they can be adapted very easily.
Oh boy, I. could. not. stop. eating. them.
The photographic evidence…
I thought I could sneak an onion ring before the timer ended and the camera fired, but I guess I wasn’t quick enough. The camera sees all!
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Crispy Baked Onion Rings
By
Crispy, flavourful, and good-for-you, these onion rings make a great snack or addition to any meal. I could also see a big batch of these being made for a party served with a homemade dip. To make these gluten-free, use gluten-free bread crumbs and gluten-free flour (and of course, double check the rest of your ingredients). Also, keep in mind, you’ll have coating leftover that isn’t used up.
Inspired by Fresh and my Crispy Tofu Strips.
Yield
15-22 onion rings
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Ingredients:
- 1 large sweet onion
- 2/3 cup flour of choice
- 2/3 cup + 1 tbsp vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp cornstarch (or arrowroot flour)
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional, but recommended)
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1-2 tbsp black sesame seeds (optional)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp dried herbs (I used 1tsp each basil & oregano)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with cooking oil. Slice onion into rings, 3/4 inch in width (larger than shown in pictures as I made mine too thin), and reserve about 15-22 or so, wrapping up the leftovers for another use.
- In a shallow dish, whisk together the batter ingredients (flour, broth, cornstarch).
- In another shallow dish, whisk together the coating ingredients (cornmeal, breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, salt, sesame seeds, garlic powder, and herbs).
- With a fork, dip an onion ring into the batter, coating all sides. Now transfer it to the coating mixture and toss it around a bit. Use a clean & dry hand to scoop up coating and sprinkle it all over the ring. If at any time your hands get sticky or coated, simply rinse and dry before starting again. Place onion rings on prepared baking sheets and repeat for the rest. Don’t worry if things get messy or they don’t coat “perfectly”…just consider them rustic and call it a day! You will have coating leftover that isn’t used up.
- 5. Bake for about 18 minutes at 425F, flipping once after 10 minutes. You can broil them for a minute or two at the end to brown. Serve with your favourite dip or ketchup. These are best served immediately.
You’ll want to create a workstation with everything set up before you begin. Also, note that I sliced my onion rings too thin and they were much better at thicker widths of about 3/4 of an inch. The thicker you slice them, the juicier and heartier they will be!
Workstation order: Onion rings, batter, coating, pan…also use shallow dishes if possible. A narrow bowl was awkward.
I tried out all kinds of batter/coating methods because the process can be a bit tricky to get right.
My favourite method was using a fork to dip the ring into the batter and transferring it to the coating mixture.
Then I used my dry hand to grab the mixture and sprinkle it over the ring, over and over. Once it was coated, I’d flip it and repeat on the other side. If my fingers got wet and covered, I would stop and rinse them off and quickly pat dry before starting up again.
Above all, don’t worry if things get messy or they don’t coat “perfectly”…just consider them rustic and call it a day! They will taste good regardless.
I loved the look of them with the black seeds.
Once I filled my pan, I cooked them in two batches since I only have 1 large baking sheet. Of course, you can use two baking sheets and cook them at the same time, rotating the pans once half way through baking.
After about 18 minutes of baking, I broiled them for a couple minutes to brown them up.
Ding, ding, ding…we have a winner!
I devoured the entire batch..all while telling myself I should “save some for Eric”.
Oops.
But everyone knows onion rings are best served immediately anyways, right?
I’m pretty pumped to experiment with different flavours and coatings for these bad boys. I have several flavour ideas up my sleeve, including beer batter, pizza, and nut butter coatings!
Or maybe I should just re-create a Bloomin Onion a la Outback Steakhouse?
Link Love
+ Did you know that it’s National Eating Disorder Awareness Week in the US? I recently had the pleasure of connecting with Blisstree for an interview on my past struggles with disordered eating and road to recovery. You can check out the interview here.
+ The Homies 2012 blog nominations are going down over at The Kitchn. Nominate and vote for your favourite blogs (including your own!) until March 1st.
Have a great Tuesday!
Let's get social! Follow Angela on Instagram @ohsheglows, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Snapchat, and Google+
{ 204 comments… read them below or add one }
OMG I love, love, LOVE onion rings. In my eating disorder I wouldn’t let myself have them but they are so delicious. Recovery tastes amazing with onion rings. Funny because I just wrote a comment over at HTP about french fries….Delicious.
Wow, these sound awesome Ange! I too have never really been turned on by onion rings, but I think it’s because as a kid, the only ones I was ever exposed to were from Dairy Queen. No thank you!! The ones from Fresh, however, are delicious!! I bet yours are as well, and I can’t wait to see what other flavour combos you come up with! Do I hear a salt and vinegar perhaps?! ;)
Salt and vinegar…genius!!!
lol, I think the first ones I tried were probably from DQ too. or fast food anyways.
When I saw the first picture, I immediately thought, “Oh no she didn’t!” Healthy, non-deep-fried onion rings? Yes!! I was also late on the onion ring train, but once I tried them, I fell in love. I can’t remember the last time I had onion rings, though, so I am really excited for a healthy recipe. These look and sound absolutely delicious. Thanks for such a fun recipe, and for explaining your techniques – that’s always so helpful and much appreciated. Quick question – do you think you could use homemade bread crumbs by pulsing a piece of slightly stale bread in the food processor? Or would you recommend store-bought breadcrumbs?
PS Love the picture with your hand sneaking in :)
Glad you are excited about them Stephanie! I can’t see why homemade breadcrumbs wouldn’t work. Please let me know if you try it :)
I am so excited to try this! I’ve tried making rings in the past, but I was never very successful in getting the batter to stick.
This coating would probably make some awesome eggplant crisps or zucchini fries too. So many possibilities!
Definitely :)
And maybe mushrooms too….swoon.
This recipe is the most exciting one EVER! I’ve been on a huge onion ring kick, and I tried to make them once for myself but it came out so disgusting. I’ve been resorting to Burger King for my onion ring fix, but I’m so excited for a healthier, homemade version!
Im glad you are excited- Let me know what you think of them, if you end up making them.
Now we’re talking!!! I love me some onion rings!!!! In fact, I shamelessly ate a whole plate of Chili’s onion straws when the bf and I went out to dinner the other night.
Onion rings, here I come.
P.S. I made those gluten free seed crackers the other day. They’re perfect for shoveling large quantities of hummus into my mouth. Between the hummus and extra-seedy crackers, my breath has been kickin’ for days. ;-)
haha glad you enjoyed the crackers! I think my batch lasted 0.5 days ;)
I finally made them too…LOVED them! :)
Glad to hear that!
Seriously, I can’t wait to try these. I have such a hard time finding a GOOD onion ring we both like. These look like contenders for sure!
Will be trying these FOR SURE! I did try something like this with zucchini speers on the weekend and will write about it in an upcoming post.
thanks for mentioning the NEDA week! there’s lots going on here in Durham! NEDA can use all the support even your promoting gives it Angela!
mmmmm these look phenomenal. I love onion rings, but had when they are too heavily fried or drenched in breadcrumbs. These seem absolutely perfect. Thanks for sharing!
Ange, you come up with the best recipes! Thank you!
I’m not the biggest onion ring fan either but I have to say these look pretty darn delicious! And hahaha – I love the picture of you sneaking an onion ring! That’s phenomenal :)
I vote for recreating the bloomin onion- a childhood fave!!
I think there are recipes online, so hopefully it wouldn’t be too hard. Although Im not sure how baking it would turn out…I think they fry theirs right?
at most restaurants it has the highest amount of calories/fat out of all the dishes lol!!
These look amazing! The best part? I have everything to give them a go! Hello lunch!!
I’ve never been able to get baked onion rings right- my batter always ends up falling off. I want to make these tonight to see if you’ve found the secret to perfect onion rings!
Oh yummo!!!! You MUST make a blooming onion!!! You must!! Or onion bhajia…
I can’t wait to try these! They look great. I used to love onion rings, but they always disappoint me because, you’re right, the coating is often bland.
These look so crisp and yummy…I’m a believer!
I am new to your site and can’t wait to try the onion ring recipe! I am just wondering if you have the nutritional info-calories? carbs? etc. for it. I’m trying to combine healthy and weight management together! thanks.
Hi Katrina, I had a lot of coating leftover so I wasn’t sure to to factor that in. Maybe next time I make them, I can measure that out or something!
Ooh, I love your combination of different ingredients for the coating. I’ve always had a problem getting everything to stick- but that’s probably because every attempt at onion-ring-assembly has been rushed and careless on my part! I immediately thought of cornmeal when I saw your first photo- because a cornmeal crust makes everything awesome.
And I hadn’t seen the post before that you linked to above- all of the food in that meal looks amazing- especially the wraps!!
I JUST ate the onions rings at Fresh on Sunday and was thinking of how amazing they were! These look fantastic. Thanks again for another delicious recipe! :)
Yum! I’ve been loving baked onion rings lately – I just tried them a couple weeks ago. The ones I make are pretty plain so I love the nutritional yeast, and herbs in yours. Will have to try that next time!
mmm those look yummy! I love that they are baked too – even more reason to indulge :D
I’m totally aware of NEDA week! I made a post about it on the bloggie as it’s pretty important to me. I was actually wondering if you have an email that we can contact you at? Have a question that I’d rather not put on here! Thanks :D
yup, It’s press[at]ohsheglows[dot]com :)
I love, love, love onion rings and I’m so happy you posted this ‘healthified’ recipe. Your interview brought me to tears; you’re such an inspiration for those of us who are in recovery. I hope you realize how much your work touches others :-)
Thank you Heather, I’m so happy to hear that!
I love how I could eat these and convince myself that they’re healthy. I too would not be able to resist eating almost all of them while trying to photograph them. how addicting!
Blooming onion, please!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-)
Polenta nuggets would be great to use up leftover coating (and leftover polenta cooled in a rectangular dish). Mmm, nuggets and onion rings.
All of your recipes are looking/sounding soooo delicious these days (not that they ever don’t). I am starting a running list of everything I NEED to make:
-onion rings
-millet mushroom gravy bowls
-tropical kale salad…..
Thank you for always supplying me with delicious recipes/food inspiration!
Much to my husband’s chagrin I could eat onion all day long. I love any kind of onion, especially crispy coated onion rings. I have yet to find a vegan recipe that I love but these look very crunchy!! And lucky me, I have all ingredients on hand at the moment. Looks like homemade onion rings are in my near future!!
I don’t even like onions! And I just have a craving for these. Nooch in the dry rub? LOVE IT! I’ve seen some battered asparagus spears lately on blogs that are a similar batter…makes me want to make something like this. And any time I can go crazy on the ketchup dipper, I am all about that too :) Love ketchup.
I’m not a big fan of onion rings, but these do look delicious!! Great pictures, per usual :D
Ah! I remember seeing those quinoa onion rings a while back, but could not remember where I saw them! I even google searched them and was horribly disappointed, but happy to see a variation here as well. How was the chipotle avocado sauce, worth replicating? Or perhaps there was another dipping delicacy that you used? Either way, looks delicious, and thanks for quenching my memory with the recipe and letting me know that I’m not delirious.
Shannon
the sauce was incredible…def worth making. I’d probably puree some avocado, garlic, spices/salt, oil/water, etc together.
I love baked onion rings! One of my favorite “junk” foods, and they are so much better than fried since they aren’t oily and are so crispy.
Owwwww. I’ll just HAVE to try these. I was also a big fan of Fresh’ onion rings when I used to live in Ontario… *sigh*
Sometimes I feel like you read my mind. I was just thinking about veganizing a blooming onion last night. Love love love onions!
These look awesome! I love onion rings, but have never tried baking them myself!
Now this is what I am talking about! I have not had real onion rings in ages I feel like and I would love to try these from home. The fact that they are baked is what I love. :)
We eat the onion chips all the time on another note, not really great for you. But now these…the real deal!
Thanks!!
You are a powerhouse, transforming what might be an occasional treat into something with nutrition?! Thank you!
I still have those vouchers for Fresh in Toronto that I NEED to use. I think onion rings might be on that list of things to order…along with smoothies and desserts…duh!!
amazing!!! I could so eat those right now! Haha :)
AMAZING!!!! These look amazing and I am such an onion ring lover :) I can’t start or I wont stop eating them!
YUM!
xxoo
These sound so good! I’m a huge fan of onion rings – huge – but I virtually *never* eat them because A. they’re usually so unhealthy, and B. it’s hard to find good ones. So many restaurants either over/under batter them, or the onion turns to mush, or they’re way too salty… such a shame! This is going on my list of must-make-recipes, for sure. Thanks for sharing, as always!
Haha I love that shot where you’re trying to sneak one before the timer went off lol! Can I ask what lens you use? I was just curious :).
I usually shoot with a Canon 1.4 50mm lens :)
Eek these look awesome! Finally, a use for my large bag of black sesame seeds!
I normally wouldn’t go through this bother for onion rings, as I’ve never been a huge fan. But, armed w/your super detailed directions, I may just cave. Ange – Though I am fairly experienced in the kitchen, I still appreciate that you take such pains to provide super detailed directions to ensure we succeed in replicating your recipes at home – e.g.: warning us when to cut carefully to avoid losing a digit ;)
I’m glad you find the directions helpful :) Enjoy them if you make them!
So funny that you posted this today… As I mentioned the other day, I am heading to Fresh today, and have been anticipating their onion rings…though deep fired, I think I still must try them. The quinoa batter intrigues me. I have read their recipe in the latest Fresh cookbook, but have not made them myself.
I love onion rings but dont like the calories that come when you fry them, this recipe is a winner, I will give it a try!
Ah! I absolutely love Fresh. In fact, I’m heading there tonight and now I know their onion rings will be ordered!
Confession: I have never had an onion ring! But I have always wanted to try my hand at making homemade ones! It just seems so time consuming!! But this recipe actually seems relatively easy! Can’t wait to experiment!
angela, these look incredible! i love all of your healthy alternatives to sometimes indulgent recipes.
I’ve been on a “fry” kick recently. Eggplant, asparagus, squash…must do these next :)
Hi Ange
Can one substitute normal sesame seeds for the black sesame seeds? Do they taste different?
It really looks delicious!!
Melinda
Yup you can use any kind you prefer! I didnt notice much of a taste difference, although I wasnt really paying close attention. :)
Sounds DELICIOUS! Already Pinned this to my cooking inspiration board! Any thoughts on cutting back on cornmeal, flour or breadcrumbs to make it a little bit less calories/carbs? Where do you think you could be the most flexible and still get a great, crispy onion ring? Trying to lose weight need to cut back a bit, and knowing me, I’d eat half the batch! :)
Hey Beylah, Keep in mind that there is quite a bit of coating leftover (this is needed because you need a thick base to dip and coat), so you technically aren’t eating all of the dry mix. As for reducing it, you could probably get away with reducing the cornmeal and breadcrumbs and increasing the nutritional yeast (I think nooch is less calories per tablespoon). Let me know what you try out!
Definitely making these! Thanks!
These look delicious, I shall definitely be making these soon!
These look amazing!!! I’m totally going to try this with another veggie – cooked onions are murder on my stomach. But I can’t let this recipe go to waste!
Oh these sound amazing and I have been eating a ton of onions lately. You could put all kinds of stuff in that batter.
These look so good! I absolutely love onion rings but haven’t had any in years since I went gfree.
These look great to me! I’m normally not a big onion ring fan, but it’s mainly due to the grease.
This will win huge brownie points with my kids. I am so making these! Do you think alternative flours will work( oat or brown rice)?? Looks yumm!
Yes I would think that most flours would be fine. Let me know what you use and how it turns out!
Oh there is just nothing like a well done onion ring! You’re killing me with these right now! A pregnant lady doesn’t need to be seeing this sort of lovely stuff.
Hi Angela,
I just wanted to say that I discovered your blog through pinterest a few months ago and ever since I check it regularly. Not only does your food inspire me to cook but you inspire me to embrace my body and be happy with who I am. Your story and your success is quite beautiful and I can resonate with it on some degree. Thank you for your amazing recipes, your genuine, bright, cheerful and honest personality, your strength and your willingness to share your life with us.
Much love,
Alyssa
Thank you Alyssa, that is so nice of you to say! :) Thanks for reading!
Gahhh, I love onion rings! Unfortunately, the ones that are usually served at restaurants are so unhealthy and fried. I love the idea of baking them. Totally gets rid of all the grease but not the taste. Once again, thank you for an awesome recipe! I can’t wait to give these a try tonight along with some of your best-ever veggie burgers. I’m excited just thinking about those!
I just read your interview…it was wonderful! My comment is on what you quoted:
“Beauty is how you feel inside and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical.” ~Sophia Loren
Your beauty is absolutely seen in your eyes, along with your smile & your sense of humor! Congratulations on your constant recovery. I hope I can some day get to that point.
Thank you Kelly :) I can “feel” your beauty just through your comment. I wish you all the best!
Very intriguing idea. I should try it. I haven’t had onion rings for more than 20 years, since I got sick once and associated them with the illness. Funny how you can hang on to something like that for so long!
Hi Angela!
Your recipes always look so yummy! Do you ever submit them to findingvegan.com?
I have a great Chipotle Ranch recipe that would go with your “Outback” Blooming Onion!! Well actually it’s a recipe from “Vegan Family Meals” cookbook. Blend 3/4 cup veganaise, 4 oz silken tofu, 1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk (or any vegan milk. I used a tiny bit more because I like it more runny like the ranch in a bottle) lemon juice, 1/3 cup onion, 2 teaspoons chipotle in adobe (I use 2 Tablespoons because I like it SPIC-AY!), 1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, S&P, chives, and 2 teaspoons dijon mustard. It’s so yummy! My husband and I keep this in the fridge for dips and salad dressings.
Thanks for all of the great recipes!
Ashley
Definitely try beer batter onion rings as they are amazing. I could eat them all day but my jeans would prefer it if I didn’t!
i have tried baked onion rings SO MNAY TIMES before, and heres my issue: my coating slides RIGHT off, and im left with a pile of smushy looking onions sitting on top of breadrumbs..what am i doing wring here?
hmm What ingredients did you use for your batter?
well it was back in my “low calorie but not actually real food” time, so it was eggbeaters for the batter and dipped in ground bran cereal…i remember losing all patience. maybe it was just the eggbeaters?
YES! Onion rings were always my biggest weakness growing up. There’s something just so satisfying about the crunchy exterior and the sweet mushy interior. Thanks for this recipe! :D
I’ve never heard of that type of batter! I’ve had horrible luck with many vegan batters. I will have to give this one a try. Good call on the sesame seeds!
Yum yum yum! Nothing screams summer more than a handful of onion rings, a burger, and some sort of cool beverage (right now I’m picturing a chocolate shake). Thanks for sharing!!
Love this recipe. I have been working on a few onion rings recipes and I would have never thought of this tasty way. Will most def try and very soon! :-)
Thanks for mentioning NEDA week! I almost forgot this year. And these rings look stupendous.
I loooove the quinoa onion rings at Fresh restaurant! I will totally be making these :D
I used to HATE onion rings. In fact, I hated anything that had onions in it! But now? They’re a part of nearly every single dinner I make, and I can’t get enough. These are on the to-do list!
I used to hate onions too!
If I weren’t allergic to onions I’d so be trying this right now! looks so appetizing
Makes me drool! Definitely trying it sometime this week! :D Great option for pescetarians and vegetarians too ;)
Delightful!!
Now who dare say ‘that’s bad for you’ ????
Those look amazing! I love how they look with black sesame seeds, and I imagine the panko / nutritional yeast / sesame flavour is incredible. Thanks!
Delicious! One of my the most favorite things ever!
Onion rings are one of a few foods I always WISHED that I liked…and once I tried them baked, I really DID like them! Same with fries!
These look amazing and so easy! Typically, when we have veggie burgers, we make sweet potato fries but I am definitely going to try these out!
Yum! These look good! I love homemade onion rings, there the best! I make mine with ground up Fiber One Cereal.
Wow – I’m sitting at my desk at work, eating an amazing salad for lunch, checking your blog, and I see these onion rings – how I wish I had them right now instead! haha
That being said, I can’t wait to try making them this weekend! Thanks for sharing all your great recipes with us :)
I noticed your “question” at the end. Should you try re-creating the Outback Bloomin’ Onion? Oh please, please, please, please do!! And their dipping sauce. That was such a treat for me when I was younger – but I would never eat one now, knowing how unhealthy it is!
My sister makes baked onion rings all the time, and she knows by now to just plop them down right in front of me. I’ve been known to polish off an entire tray. ;)
That being said, having a recipe at my disposal is extremely dangerous. DELICIOUSLY dangerous. :D
Hi
I am new to your site and so far I like what I see (or should i say eat?)…these onion rings are soooo delicious! Just made them for an afternoon snack. Working up the nerve to try your green monster next. Keep up the good work!
glad you enjoyed them Meghan!
Well, I have to admit I’ve never been an onion ring fan… but maybe these will make me reconsider…
I don’t really like onion rings, but these look so healthy and delish…so creative!
Just made these- delish even without the black sesame seeds
You might have just made me an onion ring fan out of me
The black sesame seeds are lovely.
Next time I will def make them with the black seeds
Just added you to my Blogroll :)
Great interview over at blisstree – well-timed and honest, thank you! And these look phenomenal! I’m thinking a similar breading/cooking method could make for some delish faux nugs!!!
I adore anything that’s coated with breadcrumbs, sesame, and garlic, especially when that something is an onion! This looks amazing!
I tried to read the whole post, but I died and went to heaven after the first picture ;)
My daughter, Jasmine who is 8 years old, and I are working on a pancake cookbook. We have been working on the ideas for awhile and are just trying to get started. We would like to know what type of camera you use to take your pictures and if you have any tips for getting a cookbook started.
We would really appreciate it if you could give us any advice at all. Thanks for all the great recipes over the last year or so that I have been following you – we love them all!
Laura and Jasmine
Hi Laura,
Congrats on your cookbook journey! How exciting. I use a Canon DSLR camera with a macro lens (1.4 50 mm). As for my tips on getting started, what I’ve done is compile all of my favourite recipes that I’ve already made and also ones that I want to change up. That gave me a good base to make me feel like I was getting somewhere! Good luck, Angela
I think a BBQ flavor would be amazing!
Yes! I was just craving onion rings! These look so much better than greasy fried restaurant ones. Making these ASAP!
Onion rings used to be my kryptonite. I suppose they still could be if not for the small detail of my gluten allergy and the rarity of finding onion rings from a dedicated fryer. But this, THIS, opens up so many possibilities. Though my waistline may not thank you, I will wholeheartedly Thank you for sharing, Angela. Have a wonderful week!
Did you use brown onion or white onion?
I used a sweet vidalia onion
Love the new header! Wow! Gorgeous!
I made these for my 3 and 16mt old and I and everyone loved them. I made them with the Tofu Strips. The kids couldn’t get enough and each had 2 helpings.
These look awesome!!
These are awesome! And I just happen to have all the ingredients at home! Perfect snack to watch The Winnipeg Jets play tonight!
Great post!
P.S LOVE the new banner, love the incorporation of the snow….and blood orange :)
LOOOOOOVE THE NEW BANNER!!! LOOKS AWESOME! WINTER BUT STILL SO COLOURFUL!
Thanks so much Misty!
i cannot tell you how excited i am about these – going to make them for date night tomorrow! thanks angela, all your recipes are great!
YUM! I have always loved onion rings, but sometimes when you get them in restaurants they are soggy from all the oil, burnt, or super greasy!
I love onion rings! Unfortunately, I’m pregnant right now and the smell of onions is turning my stomach. Six more months and I will be cooking up some of these!
Love the new cover picture!
Wow you can make everything! I love the diversity of your recipes, makes me want to try things i thought I’d never like.
LOVELOVELOVE the new header!
Wow, really nice new header!! Love it.
Great onion rings recipe ;)
Just voted for you on the Homies!
xox
Ella
thanks Ella!
I loooove the new header :)
I’m going to give these a shot tonight for dinner with burgers unless I run out of time and end up grabbing some pre-made food at the store… Anyhow, look great! I also love the new “banner” photo. I’ve been hoping a new one would appear.
Report: success! I managed to end up with a whole lot of batter + coating left over…and I accidentally discovered that by combining them together I could make a great dough that turned into delicious crackers when baked for a bit. Woot! My first home-made crackers. They’re a lot like bagel chips.
i didn’t even recognize your blog! (I’ve been away for a month) Love the new heading
xo
Just wanted to let you know I made a batch of these last night and they were AMAZING! Wonderfully crispy and delicious, and the best part was that the batter stuck perfectly; no “slimy onion pulling out of the batter leaving you with a mouthful of naked onion and three-quarters of empty batter” syndrome here!
yay :) Glad to hear that!
What’s the easiest way to make the rings out of the onion? Just cut off the ends of the onion?
Angela – these look DELICIOUS!!!
Any GLUTEN FREE options/suggestions for the “breadcrumbs”?
ps: I also recently made the vegan crackers… then promptly died and went to heaven! Thankyou, Thankyou! :)
I have seen some on health food stores, but im sorry i dont know the name brand off hand.
Thank you – I’ll keep my eye out next time I’m at the natural foods market! :)
Help! I am in the process of making them right now…but it doesn’t seem to be working? 2/3 C. flour + 2 Tbs. of cornstarch, and 2/3 cup of broth is making a VERY thick paste, not a liquid to dip the rings in…any ideas what happened?
Hey Eve, Sorry for the late reply I just saw this today. I think the type of flour used can impact how much liquid it absorbs. What kind of flour did you end up using? I’ll have to play around with the recipe some more.
You nailed these Ange! I made them and they were delicious but mine were a bit bitter. I think because I used whole wheat panko and whole wheat flour. Any ideas? Everything else was the same except I used Arrowroot powder, wasn’t sure if there was a big difference so I only used 1 Tbsp. Otherwise they were awesome!!!
yum those look great!! now im majorly craving onion rings haha mm
Oh wow, these look so good! I have always loved onion rings, but rarely get them since they’re usually so greasy. These, however, look perfect. I’m off to read you interview for ED week now! You played a pivotal role for me learning a lot about myself, so I can’t wait to read what you have to say.
I never really cared for onion rings until I got pregnant and then I ate them straight for the first three months. Can’t wait to try this recipe :)
Like the new header!
Another amazing recipe. My sister is a recent vegan, so I love getting recipe tips from your blog.
Although onion rings aren’t something I generally eat or even have a desire to eat these look delicious and i may need to find an excuse or event for which to make them – inspirational as always!
Love the updated banner/header on the website – it looks so fresh, colorful and healthy.
Also really liked your interview on the NEDA website – I admire your ability to speak so openly about your past and your triumph over DE
I already commented, but just wanted to tell you that I just read your interview and absolutely LOVED it. Congrats on getting to a place where you can discuss your eating history in such a down-to-earth, inspiring way.
Love the new look of your blog!! So colorful and fitting.
I’ve never had luck with vegan baked onion rings, but your recipes always work out for me, so I’m planning to try these ones. I LOVE your bright, beautiful winter fruits and veggies masthead/banner!!
Lovely new header! I love it!
I made this yesterday with asparagus, mushrooms and red bell peppers, and it was delicious! But as you have mentioned, there is a lot of batter and coating leftover. I am not worried about the coating, but I put the batter in the fridge, do you think I have to use it up fast? How long should it last?
Thank you!
…and I love your blog, by the way, it has been very helpful since I turned vegan a few weeks ago (I was a vegetarian for 6 years), you are so creative and your recipes are inspiring!
I would imagine it would last a few days or so. :)
I’ve never been a fan of onion rings and have had them only a handful of times, and during all those times, I ate the fried batter around it instead!
Now this is guilt free AND tastes good!
Wow! These were amazing! We made them the day you posted them and I am now in the process of making them again. My boyfriend is making them at the firehall tomorrow night for the guys and when I asked what else he was serving with them he said he didn’t need anything else just endless pans of your onion rings! We made extra the first time and so I took a few leftovers for night shift as I crave crunchy, salty ect. on nights and they were STILL crunchy 5 hours later! SO good! Thanks so much:)
Wow! These look amazing, Angela!! I love onions, I really do.
Hope all is well! :D
-gliding calm
Oh wow, these look so tasty. I’m just doing some menu planning and trying out some new recipes and I can’t wait to try these! I linked to this recipe on my blog today, too.
I tried these last night and had a bit of a culinary disaster right from the start. I think cornmeal must be different in the US to the UK (despite wikipedia stating it is the same as cornflour) because my first attempt at batter turned into a dough. I then ended up with a gloopy dough when trying to coat the onion rings in the dry mix.
Would this work without the cornflour/cornmeal?
Sounds like you just needed more liquid in your batter to thin it out. Like any flour, the amount of liquid you need to add is highly variable based on weather conditions, age of the product, and a gazillion other conditions. You probably could have almost doubled the liquid; don’t be afraid to modify the recipe- it’s very forgiving! :)
Hey Donna, I’m not sure about making substitutions as I havent tried it. But yes it can be a messy process and takes a bit of getting used to. I agree that more liquid might be needed if your dough is too thick. Goodluck if you try it again!
Made these on the weekend along with your crunchy baked tofu from a few days back.
AMAZING!
Thanks :)
I’ve had this recipe bookmarked for a while and decided to try it tonight. Result: they were fantastic!!! So crispy, and they tasted both healthy and delicious. I recommend only making half the necessary crumb coating – and I didn’t even use all of the halved recipe. For the batter, I did follow the full recipe and used nearly all of it. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I really love your blog!! I also made the salt & vinegar roasted chickpeas tonight and they’re also excellent.
Thank you for your tips, I will be sure to try that next time I make them!
Nice looking onion rings!
oh wow! i looooove onion rings. Have you ever tried using a cereal based ingredient? I found one here and looks goooood. http://www.thebakingbeauties.com/2012/03/recipes-using-kelloggs-gluten-free-rice-krispies-brown-rice-cereal.html
Omg, I made these last night (with a few changes based on what I had in the house) and they were INCREDIBLE!!! Made a double batch for the 2 of us & we still could have eaten a lot more of them! After dipping them individually for a while (used chopsticks to dip them in batter & crumbs), I decided to drop the whole lot of ’em into the batter, then pick them out & drop them into the pan of crumb mixture & shake ’em around. MUUUUCH faster if you’re making a bunch of them, although you waste a bit more topping this way. That said, the little chunks of breading that ended up on the pan were FABULOUS… I called them “crispy bits” & will make more of them next time! THANK YOU for this healthy alternative to traditional onion rings, these ROCK!! :)
Glad to hear that, great idea too!
Angela….HELP!! My batter looks nothing like yours does in the picture. Are the measurements listed correct or am I doing something really wrong? 2/3 cup flour, 2/3 cup + 1 Tbsp broth, and 2 tbsp corn starch? I kept having to add more broth to it and it still didn’t look anything like your photo. Any suggestions? Thanks so much; I LOVE your website!
Hey Susan, Sorry to hear that! I wonder if the type of flour used impacts the consistency of the batter? What kind of flour did you use?
I used coconut flour…so now I’m wondering if I should just have used white flour. I had used sweet Vidalia onions so I was thinking a little extra sweetness from the coconut flour would be good. Perhaps not! I’ll have to try it again with a regular flour! Thanks!
This is a fantastic recipe!:)
(Only change I made was to use slightly lower-carb flours/coating materials because I’m on a low-carb diet)
Made these twice now and they were terrific, will be making them again soon
Well over four months later and I had to revisit this post to say I have a huge soft spot for these onion ring
They were the first OhSheGlow recipe I ever tried–they’re how I found this blog:)–and they came out delicious
Have happily made them many times since
[Though I have made the avocado chocolate torte even more times hahaha]
Ohhhh I LOVE Fresh’s quinoa battered onion rings!! Theirs are exactly what I was thinking of when I decided to look up a recipe and because I saw you mentioned Fresh, it was the first recipe I clicked on. Unfortunately, we have no such restaurant here in Bermuda, so I will be trying to make my own very soon. Maybe start a local trend, since I cannot make it to TO very often. MMM!!!
I’ll try them soon
I was compelled to comment here because I was so happy with how these turned out! Even my 91 year old grandma couldn’t get enough of them!
The flavour combo was just awesome, you really nailed it with this recipe.
So simple and was such a breeze to whip up because I had all these ingredients handy in the pantry.
Keep up the awesome work Angela, love what you do!
Aw I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for sharing. :)
These are fabulous! I was worried about flipping them and the coating coming off but I had no problems! This would be a great recipe to “revive” before Canada Day/Forth of July! Paired with black bean burgers and a tangy salad possibly?
Great flavor! Put this same recipe over green beans and the kids will eat their veggies! Even my husband loved them, but ha no one got the Onion Rings but me! So don’t feel bad.
These look YUM and I’m definitely whipping up a batch, do you know if they freeze well?
I tried this recipe out the other night, it ended up turning out great but I had to make a few changes. I am gluten free so I used white rice flour, the batter turned out very thick and the first batch of onion rings into the oven didn’t cook through the batter so I had to water it down significantly (1 cup to 1.5 cups). Making the batter more liquid really helped, the onion rings turned out great after that and they were a real hit at the party. I used a spicy chipotle dip made with vegan mayo! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi! Do you think almond or coconut flour would work ok?
These came out beautifully. We sandwiched them in onion buns with black bean/TVP burgers and guac… Amazing!
Yum in my tum! I have yet to try an oh she glows recipe that wasn’t terrific. So, when I craved onion rings and Googled vegan onion rings..this was the only one I bothered to click and tried it right away. Thanks for another winner!
Any tips on prepping an onion to get the “heat” out of it? Soak them in lemon? I’ve made these twice and while the outside is DELICIOUS, we find the onion is still a bit harsh (something deep frying takes care of).
Crispy and delightfully tasty! I hate deep-frying because the grease lingers in my kitchen, but these are so pleasant to walk into the kitchen to.
My parents compared them to A&W’s in terms of texture. I found them “bready,” but I think I coated them too heavily with batter because I was afraid the crumbs wouldn’t stick. Less is more!
I also added chili flakes, and I would add ½ tsp each of the herbs and garlic
Hey Corinne, So happy you enjoyed these…I need to make them again soon as it’s been too long! And yes the batter/crumb ratio can be a bit tricky for sure just due to the nature how the prep I suppose. I love the chili flakes addition too…I think my 10-spice mix would also be FAB!!!
Absolutely loved this. Much better than oily onion rings, and they are even good cold. This is going to be a keeper in my vegan,oil free recipe library.
Thank you so much Robin! So happy you love them so much. :)
Hi Angela! I love your cookbook and it is one of my favorites! I have already made five recipes from your book and they were all big hits. They are: Out The Door Chia Power Doughnuts, Lightened Up Crispy Baked Fries, Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes with easy Mushroom Gravy, Fall Harvest Butternut Squash with Almond- Pecan Parmesan, and Oil Free Chocolate- Zucchini Muffins. And I have so many more recipes I have marked off to make. I came across your onion ring recipe this evening in a google search. I am making a vegan green bean casserole recipe and I wanted to fine a healthy baked onion rings for the recipe. So I am planning to make it tomorrow. Do you think this recipe will work for what I want to use them for?
Hey Teri, I’m soooo happy you are loving the cookbook so far! :) Thank you so much for your support.
As for the onion rings, I can’t see why you wouldn’t be able to put these on top of the casserole. What a great idea. Please let me know if you try it!
Thanks for creating such an amazing recipe! Worked very well as a topping for my green bean casserole on Thanksgiving! Everyone loved it!
These onion rings have become one of my favorite snacks. I recently had my birthday party at home and they were an instant hit amongst my friends and family. And the best part is they are healthy as well since it does not require deep frying.
I also have a question. I got an air fryer as a birthday gift. Will they come out as crispy in an air fryer rather than being baked?