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)
These are delicious! My son (21mo) and husband loved them and they aren’t easy to impress. I fried them in a bit of butter to reheat and they were amazing.
These are so delicious! Mine did not stick together as well as I had hoped but I think I messed up my flax egg. Regardless they are absolutely delicious and make a tasty and quick lunch throughout the week. I would throw one on top of lettuce and be good to go :)
In general, I love OSG recipes but I must say that this one was a flop. As other reviewers have mentioned, the raw onion/garlic flavor completely overpowers the dish, which is otherwise fairly bland and dry despite the many great ingredients. At least it’s a nutritional powerhouse.
I served them with the roasted red pepper and almond sauce from the original recipe and found that it was the thing that saved the dish.
I made this last week after my daughter ran out of her veggie burgers for lunch. This was a great change for her. It came out just the way I expected. My daughter gave me thumbs up. Thank you!
These were sooooo good I actually wake up in the middle of the night thinking of them. And no, I’m not pregnant! I particular enjoyed them right from the fridge with fresh greens, avocado and quinoa. Will be making more very soon.
Hi. I love the taste of the vegan burgers my daughters have shared with me from Oh She Glows: tasty satisfying, filling. My question: as a woman with insulin dependent diabetes (for 50 years!) it is essential for me to know the carb count of everything that I eat. Is there a Nutrition facts list for any of these wonderful recipes? Any info would be terrific. I want to be more vegetarian, but cannot consume more than 20-30 carbs per meal. Thank you so much!
Harriet
These were great. I froze some, but I’m yet to try them from the freezer. I’m sure though they will be fine. I added chickpea flour instead of GF all purpose….by mistake, I was in a hurry and quickly grabbed the bag, not realizing until I was putting the bag back. It worked and it tasted good.
Can you explain more about “runny” tahini? Is that just using to oil?
Hi Emily,
The tahini just shouldn’t be too thick. It should be quite thin.
These are so good and so worth the time to make. Yes, I ate them cold out of the fridge for breakfast and they were still yummy! Thank you! I am saving this recipe!
I made these this evening and they went over well with everyone (including picky 3 yr old eater). I substituted sunflower seed butter for the tahini since my kiddo is allergic to sesame, and they were great. Thought I’d post just in case there are others wondering what to use in place of tahini.
These are drop-dead delicious. I made these Tuesday night, I “tested” about 5 of them straight from the oven, I just ate the last of the batch for lunch today. So good. Next time I make these, I need to make sure I eat dinner BEFORE I make a double batch of these bad boys so I can make them last!
These are amazing. At first I thought …. too many ingredients, too much work, low reward, but I was thankfully wrong. .Did it anyway and they were so worth it They even tasted better reheated after the flavors has blended more.. I made fresh tzaziki (I’m a backslider when it comes to organic Greek yogurt, with cucumbers, onions, garlic and dill. I’d heat it in the in microwave at work and people were trying to steal my lunch at work. This is a keeper and it leaves so much room for experimentation. Thanks so much for the pictures. Lovely pictures of healthy food inspire me and make me want to make really great vegan meals,
This is the first recipe I’ve ever tried from your website. You have a new return reader! Delicious- the sun dried tomatoes really make it. Thanks so much!
I love quinoa . minus the flour this is perfect for diabetic
Tried these tonight and they were really good! Topped with fresh roasted tomato and garlic coulis…would be nice as a slider with some grilled onions too!
Both my 16 year old daughter and I love these, but we are both allergic to potatoes. I use squash instead.
When I made them, I thought they were a lot of work but these are utterly delicious. They taste even better reheated the next day. People were coming up to my desk at work to ask what smelled so good. The second time I made them I cooked the quinoa in vegetable broth and they were even more flavorful. They also combine well with lot of different flavors.
I currently have these in the oven and the house smells divine!!! I am sure they will taste incredible!! thank you so much for sharing :) xxx
My husband hate Quinoa (I don’t know why! He is crazy). What can I use in place of Quinoa in this recipe?
Thank you for your time.
Hi Andria, Millet might be a good sub, but I haven’t tried it yet. Let me know if you try anything!
I love your recipes!!!! I have recently started cooking vegetarian because of my boyfriend who was recently diagnosed with colon cancer at 43 and he has basically gone vegan but I am not there yet. ;) I love your site, it has been an inspiration to me to eat better. I can’t wait to try these quinoa cakes. I have tried many of your dessert recipes and have not yet been disappointed. Keep up the good work!!
Just tried this recipe out for brunch-totally delicious and my husband (a lifelong carnivore) LOVED them. While I know this wasn’t the original recipe’s purpose we’ll be serving this as a stuffing with Christmas dinner this year. It is so light and perfect for lunches, roast or otherwise! Thanks Angela :)
So you don’t have to cook the sweet potato ahead of time? I didn’t see any comments about it so I am assuming you don’t..
Hi Ellen,
No you don’t.
4 stars because it was yummy. We put them in a wrap for dinner and on top of a salad for lunch. Not 5 stars because there is a ton of ingredients it was a PITA.
I just made these for my roommates and they LOVED them! Such a wonderful combination of flavours!
These were awesome! My husband and I both really liked these. I used dried garlic, onion, and basil because I was lazy and forgot the kale (which was okay because I served it on a bed of greens with kidney beans anyway). Next time I will try to stick to the recipe exactly (except I will still use dried basil because my husband doesn’t like fresh). Thank you!
I loved the texture of these but, I would like a different flavor theme. I am not a huge Italian fan. Mexican? Hint hint :) I will play around with it though. Thanks for posting!
I changed my mind. I reheated these today and thought they were phenomenal! Yum!
I CAN’T WAIT to make these! Great post :)
These are amazing. I love the taste!
But I do have one problem when cooking them (tried 3 times). I’m having a hard time when flipping them after 15 min in oven. They are stuck to the baking sheet and half the batch break. Last time I tried to grease the baking sheet with olive oil before placing the cakes, but that didn’t help. Any idea what to do?
I line the baking sheet with parchment paper (not wax paper) – no issues with sticking!
I meant parchment paper where I wrote baking sheet. Sorry, English is not my language.. The cakes get stuck to the parchment paper.
Hi Angela,
I just tried these quinoa cakes and even after checking the ingredient list 5 times before mixing everything together and cooking them I forgot the oat flour. The oat flour which I had to make with a stick blender. Maybe I forgot it because I was thinking about how good the breakfast cookies were which I had also just made. The good news is that the quinoa cakes can be made without the oat flour.
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??