Delicious plant-based Vegan Sweet Potato Chickpea Burgers with smoky barbecue sauce! Made with wholesome ingredients, are oil-free, gluten-free and loaded with flavor!
VEGAN SWEET POTATO CHICKPEA BURGERS
There is nothing that makes me salivate more than barbecue sauce. I’m so not even kidding, I literally start salivating at the first smell and sign of it. Maybe it’s because I grew up on barbecue, I’m not sure, but it remains my favorite flavor component of a meal to this day. When you add it to vegan sweet potato chickpea burgers, it becomes insane.
THESE SWEET POTATO CHICKPEA BURGERS ARE:
- vegan
- gluten-free
- low-fat
- oil-free
- full of flavor
- easy
- healthy
- crispy exterior
- smoky
- satisfying
- moist
- simple and quick to make
- baked
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
You only need 6 main ingredients for these oil-free sweet potato burgers!
- Chickpeas
- Sweet potatoes
- Barbecue sauce: I provide a really simple 5 minute barbecue sauce below that I used for these burgers. You can also use a store-bought or my most popular, Texas BBQ Sauce.
- Chili powder
- Smoked paprika
- Medium grind coarse cornmeal: This specific type of cornmeal is more gritty than regular and is exactly what helps to give a great texture to these burgers.
- Optional veggie add-ins of green onions, corn and parsley
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN SWEET POTATO CHICKPEA BURGERS
Step 1: Make the barbecue sauce first.
Step 2: Add the drained and patted dry chickpeas to a large bowl and mash with a fork.
Step 3: Add the cooked and cooled sweet potato to the chickpeas.
Step 4: Add the remaining ingredients and combine until thoroughly mixed.
Step 5: Chill chickpea burger mixture in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Step 6: Form 5 even patties using a 1/2 measuring cup and packing it in.
Step 7: Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes on the first side and 10-15 minutes on the 2nd side.
EASY BARBECUE SAUCE
The 5 minute barbecue sauce below is really simple and quick to make, also fat-free. But I create a lot of barbecue sauce recipes, so if you are a fan of them, check these out and feel free to try any of them:
- Spicy Molasses BBQ Sauce (for use in my vegan lentil loaf recipe)
- Texas BBQ Sauce (my fave!)
- Smoky Apple Barbecue Sauce
STORING THESE BURGERS
I have not tried freezing these, but I think that would work okay. Make sure to wrap them up tightly and seal them inside a sealed container after wrapping them. I would thaw them first and then reheat them on low in the oven at 300°F for about 10-15 minutes until hot.
MORE VEGAN BURGERS AND BURRITOS
Readers love these Fat-Free Baked Mexican Black Bean Burgers that also use potatoes and cornmeal.
Looking for more healthy oil-free baked veggie and/or bean burgers? Check out this amazing Black Bean Burger!
Cajun lovers, check out these Cajun burgers.
And for another delicious recipe using both sweet potatoes and chickpeas, check out these Sweet Potato Chickpea BBQ Wraps!
You have to make these vegan chickpea burgers. They take just minimal prep, no food appliance needed to blend, no oil and they are super healthy and baked, not fried.
Vegan Sweet Potato Chickpea Burgers
Ingredients
- one 15 oz can low-sodium chickpeas, drained and rinsed well (or 1 1/2 cups cooked, 255g)
- 1 cup (230g) cooked mashed sweet potato (either roasted whole or microwaved, don't steam)
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (150g) smoky barbecue sauce (either your favorite store-bought or my recipe below is recommended!)
- 1/4 cup coarse medium-grind cornmeal (it must be medium-grind or the burgers will be too mushy, I use Bob's Red Mill)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Optional veggie add-ins: corn, green onions, chopped parsley
5 MINUTE SMOKY BBQ SAUCE
- 1 cup tomato puree/sauce
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- If making my barbecue sauce (recommended!!) then simply combine the "5 minute smoky barbecue sauce" ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Now, try not to eat it all with a spoon. It tastes even better after sitting in the fridge overnight, so make it the day before the burgers if possible. You will only need 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons of the sauce for the burgers, reserve the rest for topping the burgers with.
- Next, cook your sweet potato whole (with skin on) either by roasting it at 400 degrees (fahrenheit, 205 degrees celsius) until super soft or cook it in the microwave. Steaming or boiling is not recommended, as too much water will get in the potatoes. Let it cool some before peeling off the skin and mash it completely with a fork. Measure out 1 cup fully filled (no gaps) mashed sweet potato.
- Drain and rinse your chickpeas and pat dry. Add them to a large bowl and mash completely with a fork to where no visible whole chickpeas remain.
- Add the cooled potato to the chickpeas.
- Add the barbecue sauce (only 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons), cornmeal, chili powder, smoked paprika and salt to the mix and stir until combined and thick. Taste and add any more salt if needed or spice. Note: the batter will be moist and soft, not stiff like you might expect, but they will be completely firm by the end of baking.
- Place in the fridge for at least 20 minutes to firm up some.
- Preheat an oven to 375°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Form the mixture into patties using a 1/2 cup measuring cup by packing it in and flattening the top. You will get 5 burgers this way. If you want them more slider size, use a 1/4 cup. The mixture should be fairly easy to form into patties with your hands. Flatten them to about 3/4 inch.
- Bake for 30 minutes on the first side. It will take this long to cook before you will be able to flip them. Remove and you must flip them carefully using a metal spatula. Using a spatula should make it fairly easy to slide it underneath the burgers. They should have started to form a cooked bottom. It they are sticking too much, cook them a few minutes longer until they come up better. After flipped, cook 10-15 more minutes until they have a nice golden brown top. The longer you cook them, the crispier the exterior will be. Let them cool 10 minutes to firm up some before eating.
- Layer your burgers with avocado,tomatoes, extra barbecue sauce, lettuce or any toppings you desire!
Notes
STORING THESE BURGERS
I have not tried freezing these, but I think that would work okay. Make sure to wrap them up tightly and seal them inside a sealed container after wrapping them. I would thaw them first and then reheat them on low in the oven at 300°F for about 10-15 minutes until hot.Nutrition
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This recipe makes a great burger!
I also made a variation to use as my base for tacos. I substituted the BBQ sauce and spices for traditional taco spices. I made the patties a little thinner to get a little crisper. When finished baking, I crumbled the burger patty into taco meat. Came out so good. Thank you.
Delicious burger! The burger has a very good smoky taste, and the barbeque sauce was also very good. I made baked beans with the sauce. Although I followed the recipe exactly and cooked in the oven about 5 minutes longer per side, the inside of the burger was still a little mushy. Not sure how to fix that. Maybe I’ll use this recipe and then add some veggies that may create a firmer texture. Maybe that is not possible? Thank you for this burger and all the other great recipes on this web site.
I made these last night but substituted a can of black beans for the chickpeas, and I added some rolled oats because my mixture came out quite wet. These burgers are smoky and delicious, and I’ll make then again and again! Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
So glad you enjoyed them! Yes, black beans are a lot more moist than chickpeas. Chickpeas are quite thick and dry, so that is why your mixture was so wet. Glad you made it work though!
This recipe sounds delicious. What can I use in place of the cornmeal?
The cornmeal is what helps the texture so much, so they aren’t mushy. I’m not really sure! I’ve not tested it with anything else.
I cannot recommend this recipe highly enough. I make this recipe as often as I can, particularly for special occasions. We had it for our Christmas Eve meal and in Germany, that´s THE celebration. I´ll post a photo on your social media, Brandi.
The burgers and sauces are so delicious and satisfying, but I never put on weight with them. I freeze the uncooked patties we don´t eat immediately. When we try a (vegan, of course) burger in a restaurant, your sweet potato chickpea burger wins, without fail.
I made these burgers tonight and they were so yummy. I made as per the recipe but had no cornmeal, so I used chia seeds instead. Next time I will use cornmeal though as they were very soft in texture, but still delicious. Thank you for a great recipe
I’m considering making these for meal prep. How well do they store in the refrigerator once cooked? I love your recipes!
I made the sauce two days ago and made these burgers last evening. They were delicious and I will definitely make them again. I added a little chopped green onion tops and fresh Italian parsley. So good. Thank you for this great recipe.
SO happy you loved them Erica!!