All I can say is thank goodness I banked a few recipe posts earlier this summer because my inspiration has been pretty dismal during this kitchen reno. Combine that with the dreaded 3rd tri “preggo brain”, and my recipe mojo just isn’t flowing like it normally does. Then there was that disaster of a crock pot recipe I made on the weekend for Eric’s birthday. The pot is still soaking in the laundry tub because when you mess up a slow cooker recipe, you pay the price. I might have to chisel it out. Thankfully, I’ve been sitting on this recipe gem since June. I don’t know how I waited that long to share it because it’s a great one! When I first made these crispy quinoa cakes they disappeared at a record pace. I think I recall eating 5 of them straight from the pan. [Then I made you wait for the recipe for 2 1/2 months! Pure evil.] The next two batches were also quickly enjoyed and made easy meals for us without much fuss. We served them as part of a weekend brunch with home fries and avocado toast, for lunch on top of a salad, and for dinner tossed into a wrap or served with roasted veggies. Oh, and I also love them for a snack, straight from the fridge (yes, cold!) slathered in hummus. So unbelievably satisfying.
For those of you who can’t tolerate beans you will be happy to know these veggie cakes don’t have a bean in sight. In fact, I think this might be the only bean-free veggie patty on my entire blog! The quinoa provides a complete protein source and gives them a wonderful chewy texture at the same time. The oven bakes them up golden and crispy – no frying required. I also made the recipe gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free so almost anyone can enjoy these delightful crispy cakes. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch, snack time, or dinner, they make a great addition to any meal. Just don’t be surprised if your favourite way to enjoy them is straight from the baking sheet…
Featuring all new, protein-packed salads, hearty toppers, flavour boosters, and dressings you'll want to drink, my new cookbook will transform the way you think about salads. Oh, and be sure to flip to the back for a surprise dessert chapter!
Crispy Quinoa Cakes
Yield
1 dozen cakes
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Crispy quinoa cakes packed with vegetables like kale, sweet potato, sun-dried tomatoes, and more! Enjoy these as part of breakfast, lunch, or dinner. They are great with roasted home fries and avocado toast, on top of a salad, in a wrap, or enjoyed all of their own. It's important to make sure the vegetables are finely chopped for this recipe. If the pieces are too large, the patties won't stick together as well. Recipe inspired by Vegetarian Times .
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
- 2 tablespoons ground flax + 6 tablespoons water
- 1 cup destemmed and finely chopped kale
- 1/2 cup rolled oats, ground into a flour (use certified gluten-free if necessary)
- 1/2 cup finely grated sweet potato
- 1/4 cup finely chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons finely diced onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon runny tahini paste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons red or white wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, or to taste
- 3 tablespoons gluten-free all-purpose flour (I used King Arthur) or regular all-purpose flour
- red pepper flakes, to taste
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix the ground flax and water in a small bowl and set aside for 5 minutes or so to thicken.
- Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl, including the flax mixture and the 1.5 cups cooked quinoa. Stir well until the mixture comes together. Don't forget the flour because it helps bind the patties.
- Shape mixture into 1/4-cup patties with wet hands. Pack tightly so they hold together better. Place on baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then carefully flip cakes, and bake for another 8-10 minutes until golden and firm.
- Cool for 5 minutes on the sheet and then enjoy!
- Store leftovers in a container in the fridge for up to 5-6 days. To reheat, preheat a skillet over medium heat, add a bit of oil, and cook patties for about 3 minutes per side, or until heated through.
Tip:
Tips: 1) To cook quinoa, rinse 1 cup uncooked quinoa in a fine mesh strainer. Place quinoa in a medium pot and cover with 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a low boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and then cover with a tight fitting lid. Simmer covered for 14-17 minutes until most of the water is absorbed and the quinoa is light and fluffy. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and then place lid back on to steam for another 4-5 minutes. Note that this makes almost 3 cups of cooked quinoa and you only need 1 1/2 cups for this recipe, so you will have leftover quinoa (which is never a bad thing if you ask me!).
2) To make oat flour, add the oats into a high speed blender and blend on the highest speed until a fine flour forms. You can also use store-bought oat flour if desired.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
These looked and smelled amazing. The taste was just okay. I made the suggested sides and the meal was good, but I don’t think I’ll repeat the cakes. They reminded me of a homemade veggie burger, but not quite as good. Still, even if it doesn’t become part of my rotation, I was happy to put something new on the table.
I made these tonight for myself and my boys (2.5 and 4.5 years). They were a huge hit! Definitely kid approved. Gobbled them up in a flash and requested another one. Great recipe!
I just made this recipe and it taste WONDERFUL!!! Thank you so much Angela, I am so glad you share this with us!!!!
Many many blessings for you and everyone!!
xo,
Alessandra
Thank you so much for the recipe. I tried this recipe without tahini and vinegar.
In addition to quinoa I also used boiled millets. I took 2 tablespoon olive oil heated and seasoned with mustard seeds, cumin seeds and dried powdered curry leaves and added red chilli powder to the oil and mixed with all the ingredients . Also I added finely chopped fresh cranberries as I didn’t have dried tomatoes. I also added cabbage, aspharagus instead of onions. I had to heat my oven to 425 F . The cakes tasted super. All my friends liked very much.
These sound awesome! I have everything but the sweet potatoes…I have some pureed, though. Would they be too mushy if I used a bit of puree instead of grated sweet potatoes?
I think the puree could make the patties too moist, but not sure!
Wow these are so good. I really miss “crispy” going GF but this satisfies. I also substituted an entire jar of black olive tapenade for the tomatoes and this is great for olive lovers.
Hi Angela!
I love this recipe! Perfect for my food allergies! Only I was wondering what would be a good substitute for the tomatoes? I can’t have tomatoes.
Just made these tonight and wow, yum!!! I didn’t read thoroughly enough because I was multitasking (making your spiced lentil soup, which I love dearly) and I added all of that quinoa….oopsies!! But they still taste great and held together quite well despite double quinoa. I realized when the first batch was in the oven, so I added a bit more flax egg to the second half just to be safe.
I had to really stop myself after scarfing down two because it’s late and I want to freeze a bunch. They taste great with ketchup!!
Loved these crispy cakes! Made a bunch, froze them on a cookie sheet, then when they were solid, packed them into a freezer bag. I thaw them and heat in oven.
Great recipe thanks – A good meal the night before a big training run or race.
These are wonderful! I’ve just made a double batch, because I want extra for the freezer (if they last that long).
This time around I was out of sunflower seeds, and too lazy to go to the store. Instead I used cashews whirled in the food processor and got great results. I also threw in an extra 1/2 cup of sweet potato, and it didn’t hurt the end result a bit!
I serve them with potatoes “creamed” with almond milk and chives, and onion gravy.
Next time, I’m going to try throwing everything in the food processor, and making larger sized patties for veggie burgers!
Made these for our family Christmas dinner and they were great!! Used sunflower butter instead of tahini and it worked out nicely :D Will be making again soon
These look super yummy! Is the flax mixture to replace an egg? Can I just use an egg? Thanks!
Hi! The side dish in the photos looks fabulous…are those sweet potatoes?
These burger/cakes were a hit with my family. I had to substitute the nuts for walnuts and I pulsed the kale in my food processor into pretty small shredded pieces. We loved the crunch! Thanks for another wonderful recipe!!
absolutely love these ! they taste great with hummus and guacamole
i read all the comments and i jotted down all the different options for flour and vegetables and using chia seeds! i stumbled across your recipes and i am so excited to try em all. keep up the great experiments for us all to reep the benifits.
I’m sorry, but these were terrible
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I’m trying to make the switch to vegetarian because as a dancer I’m supposed to have a mostly plant-protein based diet. I’m already a quinoa and kale lover so I think it’ll be perfect for me! Any tips on making the transition from meat lover to vegetarian?
Side Note: What’s the difference between runny tahini paste and normal tahini paste? I’m putting together my shopping list and I can’t seem to find “runny tahini paste.”
Hi Eden,
I just mean, sometimes when you get to the bottom of the jar and it can be thick and hard to scoop. When I say runny, I mean the normal consistency you would see when you open a new jar and mix the oil that is often on top throughout.
I made these and loved them. Going to make them again but the only thing I dread is the chopping and grating…has anyone had success just throwing everything to be chopped into a food processor??