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…
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)
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Delicious!!! Just made this for dinner as well as the roasted red pepper hummus, and they taste lovely together. I also made the bean dip… I had a complete Oh She Glows cooking day and it was fabulous :)
Angela what do you sprinkle on those avocado slices? Looks delicious!
Hah, I am 37 weeks and trying to write my dissertation with a “preggo brain”! Some days I think I’ve been lobotomized! I am making a list of freezer friendly foods to whip up this weekend!
Made these last night and loved them! Looking forward to having the leftovers later! Easy to make and very versatile.
I was looking for something good to put in the kids school lunches and this looked like the ticket. I made these last Saturday and they lasted only a couple hours. My oldest said they tasted like lasagna. I made a double batch on Monday and they are quickly disappearing as well. So easy to make and absolutely delicious. Keep up the good work Angela.
I made these last night, they were very tasty. However, my mixture was too sticky to make into patties. I ended up flattening it out in a tray a making more of a loaf. What should I have done? Added more flour? Or in future add the flax mixture in a bit at a time? I appreciate any advice. Oh and the cookbook is ace! I particularly love the african stew.
Yes, I would add a bit more flour if your batter was sticky :) Each brand of flour will work a bit differently – no worries! Glad you enjoyed them anyway!
Just made these and they’re so fab! I used an extra huge clove of garlic which gave them great flavor. And don’t skip the red pepper flakes! I just ate three out of the oven smothered in hummus, obviously :)
4 stars because they were time-consuming and came out flat and dry – 5 stars for excellent taste! Subbed: 2 T tomato paste for sun-dried toms, and 1/4 c. chopped garlic chives in place of fresh basil. Next time will cook for shorter period of time and form the patties rounder to reduce the over-crispy factor. Will definitely make again.
I made these last week. Instead of sweet potato, I grated up some pumpkin, because that is what I had on hand. These quinoa cakes have a great crunch and texture. I made a vegan cucumber taziki sauce to serve with them. I ate a couple right when they came out of the oven and then froze the rest. I have been adding them to my salads for lunch or putting them in a pita with lettuce and tomato and eating it as a wrap. Freezing them was very convenient for our busy schedules.
Delicious-turned out great!
I am eating these right now (even though it is 10pm and it is tomorrow’s dinner)
They are great! Nice flavours and held together well!
Thanks Angela
I made these today, popped one in my mouth off the tray and BAM! So delish.
Angela, subbed a few ingredients with what I had in the house (ACV instead of red/white, quinoa flour instead of all purpose, and fresh parsley/coriander with dried basil) and they still sung – you are awesome.
Will be making a double batch soon to freeze. Excellent on a salad or would be amazing as a vege burger pattie. Oh and I had a cold one from the fridge a few minutes ago with garlic cashew cream as a dip – divine!
Only tip is to make sure your hands are wet when you mould them and I greased my baking sheet with coconut oil instead of using baking paper and it worked a treat.
I was in a bind for dins and saw this recipe so i made it right there and then. I replaced kale with spinach though and it still turned out delish. Just ate it on a bed of spinach and topped it with a dollop of veganaise and it was good to go! Two suppers and two lunches I got
Out of these…what a breeze. Also, these smell amazing while they are baking. :) Making these again when school starts, either for a sandwhich, wrap, salad…what a neat snack. Thanks!
I love the concept of these. But I would add, the prep time is definitely over 25 minutes, more around 45 . I also was unable to keep the cakes in one piece. I’m not sure what I did wrong. Perhaps they need to cook a lot longer. I hope to get it right. I love your recipes!
Made these and my husband and I both love them! A little effort in the preparation, but so worth it. A great lunch item to take to work. Love your blog!
I made these last night for company and they were delicious, though they didn’t become golden brown like yours are in the picture. I’m going to try them agains today (because we ate all of them last night), and correct my one mistake – to finely finely chop slice the kale. My I thought I finely sliced it but it was tough to get the patties to stick together. Super delicious though!
Made this recipe for dinner last night. It’s definitely not as good as the perfect veggie burger on your site, but then those are unbelievably amazing! These are pretty good for a change, or to have as a snack.
These are some of the best veggie patties ever! I’ve tried so many recipes that didn’t stick, didn’t get crisp, or were lacking in flavor, but these were perfect, and simple to make =) I’ve enjoyed experimenting with different veggies following the layout. Subbing carrots for sweet potatoes, a chopped thai chile for chile flakes, and beet greens for kale have all been successful =) Made this twice in the past three days, and having it again for dinner tonight!
I made these tonight for dinner and served them on top of an arugula and avocado salad. The cakes were tasty, but I recommend cooking the onions first as they were a bit overpowering.
I just made these! Yum! Any idea about the protein content?
My daughter is allergic to potato and has some reaction to squash…would canned pumpkin work, or will it be too wet?
Not overly impressed with these. I was expecting more flavor.
Can I use gluten-free steel cut oats instead? That’s all they had at the store..
I LOVED these! I made a batch of these on Sunday night to eat for lunch throughout the week. These cakes taste like no other “veg burger” I have tried- flavor packed!! I served mine with half a sweet potato and it turned out to be a great lunch! I’m not sure I would make these on a weeknight only bc their are quite a few ingredients, prep time, etc. But once you make them, you will be happy to have them on hand in the fridge or freezer!
OOPS! “there” not “their”
Loved it.
Thanks for sharing the recipe! I’m so excited about a patty that doesn’t use legumes! I am enjoying my first one right now and it’s delish! Going to have it with spaghetti squash with some roasted tomato-garlic compote!
Great recipe! I served the patties with the shredded kale salad. It was delicious! Thanks, Angela :)
Angela,
I just made this ! It was awesome. It was my first time making quinoa cakes,and they came out fantastic.I had to swap some ingredients because I dint have everything at hand.
-To swap the sweet potato I used the same amount of shredded butternut squash.
-Instead of using flaxseed I changed it for the same amount of quinoa and upped the water to 8 tablespoons.
-I used 1/5 cup of gluten free oat flour (I didn’t want to grind the oats..we use the grinder only for coffee and I didn’t want my cakes to taste like coffee,lol)
-I also used sundried tomatoes,reconstituted in warm water while the quinoa was cooking.
-I added some tarragon,marjoram,oregano and sage (a tiny pinch of each)
They came out super good! My omnivore husband looooved them and ate them like burgers (men never change lol)
As a side I did a mix of roasted white potatoes and butternut squash,sliced aguacate and boston lettuce salad.
I recently bought your book and I wanted to let you know that all of the recipes I have made so far came out amazing,and it really helps me with my transition to a plant based diet.
Keep up the beautiful work you are doing and thank you for your inspiring blog!!!
Nath
For the flaxseed I used the same amount of chia,sorry…lol my blood is going to my stomach right now….ahahahah
Have made these twice already and loving them! Super easy, and very versatile. Great for meals, and make a great snack when I need something quick!
These are amazing! A friend and fellow follower of yours made them and gave me 2 to try. I wished there were 40 more. Because I would have eaten them all. I’m going to make a huge batch as soon as I can. For others asking if you can skip the sundried tomatoes, I don’t recommend it… They add soooo much flavor!!
Finally a recipe for quinoa burgers that really sticks. :-D All the others I’ve found wouldn’t really hold and were so hard to form the patties. Your patties also smell delish coming from the oven. So thank you, Angela! :-)
I made these and they were pretty good. They held together and were crispy. I think I liked them even better, though, after freezing and then microwaving. I tend to use a tiny bit of BBQ sauce to add a little more flavor.
We are trying to eliminate meat from our diets and I found your blog while searching for recipes. It’s a challenge because my 6’6” carnivorous husband is very meat-dependent and, though this elective change is going to require flexibility and open-mindedness on his part, everyone deserves to feel satisfied after eating a meal. Well…I made these last night and Oh My Goodness – they are fantastic. We both LOVED them. I adapted it only to suit what ingredients I had on hand (an egg instead of flax, lamb quarters instead of kale, dried spices instead of fresh, red potato instead of sweet) and I like that the recipe is flexible enough to work with the pantry.
We ate them for dinner topped with two pinches of shredded mozzerella and a generous drizzle of chunky tomato sauce, and paired it with a salad dressed with EVOO and sea salt. FANTASTIC. …And I’m picturing the leftovers sliced up in a wrap with shredded cabbage or mixed greens and sliced avocado. Hellooo lunch! :) I know this will be a regular meal in this house, and I’ll be frequenting your blog daily! Thanks for sharing your great ideas!
I made these tonight and they were very good. My problem is that when I flipped them they fell apart. They stuck together fine when I formed them into patties. Any idea what I could of done wrong? I didn’t make any substitutions. Thanks :)
I made these last week and they were great! Even my husband liked them and he usually shies away from my healthy food!
I made these the day they were posted, and I am back again to make them for another couples days of lunches! They were amazing, and absolutely perfect with hummus. It was a great option to take to work, and they kept me full for a good while (which is no easy task) I didn’t have any sweet potato on hand, but lots of carrots, so I subbed those in.
Thank you for this amazing recipe, I think it should go in cookbook #2!
Loved these! Easy to make a bunch and freeze. The recipe is also pretty versatile so you can sub spinach for kale or even leave it out. And my one-year-old loved them!
Angela, could I use EnerG Egg Replacer instead of the flax seeds? If so, how much (equivalent to how many eggs?). Thank you! I LOVE your site and your cookbook. Thank you for creating both and sharing your talent and happiness with us!
I tried making these with the EnerG Egg Replacer instead of flax seeds, and it worked out well. De-lish! Everyone loved them and went back for seconds. I served them on a bed of arugula tossed with your Lightened Lemon-Tahini dressing….they complimented each other well!
Made these today and they were amazing. We had tons of carrots from our CSA so I subbed those for the sweet potato and it was great. The sun-dried tomatoes and greens really take these beyond other quinoa cakes that I’ve made. The chopping and grating took more time than I had anticipated, so I think that next time I’ll make a double or triple recipe and freeze some to enjoy later without the work!
I waited with much anticipation for these adorable little cakes to bake up because I REALLY wanted them to taste amazing after I saw how much nutrition was packed into each one! I wasn’t disappointed! I preferred them “with” something (a bite of this or that with a bite of the quinoa cake) but still pretty delicious on their own.
I liked them even better the next day for breakfast (crisped up and reheated in a small skillet with coconut oil) served with a fried egg.
I can’t wait for lunch so I can crisp up a couple more served with slices of avocado.
I made these tonight and they were a big hit with myself and my boyfriend! I wish I could say there were leftovers for tomorrow haha. I used white quinoa and substituted the kale for baby spinach because I had it on hand. Absolutely delicious. They browned and crisped up very nicely in the oven and I served them with a side of roasted vegetables. Thank you!
These are Amazing! Being a fan of your fav veggie burger, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about the but I love them! The kale adds a beautiful crunch ;) Served both yesterday for the labor day holiday and all the family was blown away! Another success!
I made these tonight in an attempt to get my 12 month old some green leafs and quinoa that he could pick up himself… He’s not keen on me feeding him with a spoon and when I give him a spoon it’s a hot mess! Anyway he crushed two patties! Loved every bite. The best part was that my husband also loved them! Thanks for the great recipes and for inspiring heathy eating :)
Made these yesterday evening, not the best time to do a new recipe as I messed up the quantities a few times but got there in the end! I also substituted the Kale for Spinach as I prefer it. Overall the taste was good but I think I’d add in more sweet potato. I had a couple this morning with some slow roasted cherry tomatoes and it was a pretty delicious breakfast with a nice green smoothie.
My husband and I enjoyed these very much!
I really cannot wait to try these! Usually when I make things like this, they crumble apart… so I am crossing my fingers that I can manage LOL
Thx for sharing. xx Bianca
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These look so delicious, and would be fantastic to also take to school as leftovers.
I have a mildly annoying question – I am actually allergic to quinoa (Tragic – I know!!) – do you think millet would be an okay replacement? Or any other grain you can recommend?
thank you so much! Can’t wait to try this on the weekend
Millet will impact the flavour, so you might need to adjust other ingredients to taste, but I’d imagine it would work as a binder quite nicely. Let me know if you try it out!
Hey Angela – I just wanted to let you know that I tried them with millet and they were AMAZING. Even my non-veg friends were asking for the recipe!
I didn’t adjust for any flavourings – except maybe adding in a bit more salt (and cayenne because I like a kick). The flavour of millet was extremely mild once mixed in with everything, so didn’t seem to matter too much – although I imagine quinoa would have a nuttier flavour.
Thanks for a great recipe!
Love these!! Thinking I need to make another batch very soon! I baked them, let them cool and individually wrapped them to freeze. I was able to reheat the frozen ones and they were just as great!
I used Southern style quinoa, and the cakes ended up tasting kind of Italian. Yum!!!