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)
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!