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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These are SO awesome!!! The day I made it, I served with lettuce, tomato, grilled onion and ranch on Dave’s Killer Bread: https://www.facebook.com/Pebblesk9/posts/1487456468213099
And THEN, I did this with the leftovers: https://www.facebook.com/Pebblesk9/posts/1488910654734347
Thank you so much!!!! XOXO, Pebbles
Oh wow! Looks so amazing!! Thank you so much for making them and I’m so thrilled you loved them so much!! Thank you very much for the feedback! xx
I have to keep a log for my physician and where I can find the nutritional content?
Hi! I will try to get it added today to the recipe but you can always use caloriecount.com as well to log in the stuff fairly quickly. I do know this burger is extremely healthy and lowfat. I’ll get it up in a little bit 🙂
Hey Brandi! This is a wonderful recipe, thank you so much for sharing! I can’t wait to see what you come up with next 🙂
Aww thanks so much Elisa! I’m so glad you loved it!
These burgers are really flavorful. Hubby really enjoyed them. I do think I will try Japanese sweet potatoes next time because I had a little hard time keeping them together and i think it’s because my regular sweet potatoes were so moist. Another excellent recipe Brandi!
I’m so glad you and hubby loved them, thank you for the feedback! Yes, that or you could always add a bit more cornmeal or just chill the batter longer. Than you Estee!
I absolutely LOVED the BBQ sauce and have since made another DOUBLE batch! thanks again
Awesome Estee! Isn’t it the best?! I seriously cannot get enough of it either…I borderline just eat it with a spoon, haha!
Any idea how well these will reheat in the microwave? I’d love to take leftovers to work!
Hi Alexis! I haven’t tried reheating these in the microwave. I usually reheat my burgers in the toaster oven, but I honestly can’t imagine why it wouldn’t work…hopefully they will stay together just fine.
Oh WOW! I made these last night. I almost didn’t even get to the burgers because I was so wowed by the barbecue sauce!! YUMMY! And the burgers were really good as well! I had them for leftovers tonight. SO good. Thanks for another winner!
Awesome Julie! I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback!
these are my new favorite. Can’t wait to make them again. And the sauce was soooo good.
Yay! SO happy to hear that Sewezi, thank you so much for the feedback!!
Girl, you know a good veggie burger is my weakness!! These look delish. Love how you put them on cute little bread pieces. Perfect for a party! Or better yet, just make them all like you’re going to a party and just eat them all yourself. That’s what I’d do. LOLOL!!! I could literally live off of veggie burgers so two thumbs up from me!!
Thank you so much Sophia! Yes, I cut up a big ciabatta loaf into little squares and thought they would look pretty for the photos that way, haha!
These sound so good! I like how you used sweet potato and cornmeal too, along with plenty of liquids to keep them moist. 😉 And BBQ sauce, that’ll be a nice change to the usual tahini and chickpea combo. I look forward to trying these out!
Thank you so much! Yes, the cornmeal is my trick to help bind them and give them texture whereas most burgers call for flour! Let me know if you try them!
Hey Brandi! I made your delectable burgers inclusive your tasty BBQ sauce! What a fabulous combination too! xxx
These are the best vegan burgers I have earn in a while & that sauce is amazing! xxx
Your drool worthy photos made me want to lick the screen,…really! xxxx
Aww you are so sweet Sophie! Thank you for the compliment on my photos and soooo thrilled these are best burgers you’ve made, that makes me happy. Thank you so much for making them!!
Thanks for a great recipe. Made these last night and the family LOVED them!! Didn’t use your bbq sauce recipe as I’d just made some last week to keep on hand. But will definitely give yours a try when I run out.
Sue that is wonderful!! So glad your family loved these so much! Thank you so much for the feedback!
Love these burgers and the bbq sauce sounds delicious!! I love a fast smoky sauce I can slather on everything. Delicious!
No way! Did we seriously just post sweet potato chickpea burgers on the same week? I have to say, I love your take on this burger. And I am totally with you on how much I hate a dry burger! I love that you used BBQ sauce to keep it juicy. Great flavor pairing ;p Mmmmm…now I’m hungry! Great post.
I made these yesterday and even with bottled barbecue sauce (because I don’t have liquid smoke) they were delicious. They came together really easily and quickly, firmed up nicely and I enjoyed them with baby potatoes and a steamed corn on the cob. I’ll definitely make these again.
Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback! I’m so glad you enjoyed these! Thank you for making them!
Oh my word!! These are beautiful! Sheer perfection!! I absolutely adore this recipe and LOVE that you added avocado!! SO fun! …you may be salivating over BBQ sauce, but I’m salivating over this whole meal right here!! YUM YUM YUM! Thanks for sharing and I hope that you have a great week!! 🙂
Awww thank you so much Cailee! That is sooo sweet of you to say that! Perfection?! Wow, you made my day! The avocado on a burger with smoky barbecue is kind of a must, right?! 😉
Sweet potatoes and chickpeas are just the best combo! I love the sound of the barbecue flavours too, perfect for summer! These burgers sound heavenly – nothing beats a good veggie burger!! I really need to get my hands on some liquid smoke.
Thank you so much Harriet! Liquid smoke and a good amount is a key ingredient in this bbq sauce…I love the stuff! And I really wanted a smoky burger!
I love chickpeas, but I agree that they can cook up dry. My chickpea burger isn’t dry at all, it depends on what you put in it, like sweet potatoes. That’s such a great combo Brandi! These look great. I also agree that homemade BBQ sauce is so much better than store bought.
Thanks so much Linda! I’ll have to check yours out! So far, every single one I’ve tried has been so dry it’s miserable to eat, no thanks!! These are definitely moist and so delicious!
These burgers are wonderful! The whole kitchen smelled like Worcester sauce as they cooked. My one downfall for me on these always seems to be the “first flip”. Despite following the directions to a T, they still seem to fall apart a bit. Nothing that a little remolding doesn’t fix though. Keep up the killer recipes Brandi! BTW, the BBQ sauce rocks!
Yay! Thank you so much Lori for the feedback, so glad you enjoyed them so much! And yes, at the first flip, they are pretty delicate so you really have to slide with a thin spatula underneath, but mine definitely did not fall part at all…so if yours are too delicate, then they made just need a couple more minutes cooking before flipping and hold the top with your other hand and flip and it should flip well. Also, make sure your chickpeas are fully mashed in the mix too and that really helps them stay together and they firm up a lot in the last 10 minutes and cooling.
So glad you love the bbq sauce too..I can’t get enough of it, haha!
Hi! Help us find a substitute for liquid smoke that is all natural & does not contain toxic caramel color because I’m dying to try this! Thanks! 😀
Hi Crystal, I’m not aware of any that doesn’t contain caramel color. You can certainly try using smoked paprika and it will give some smoky flavor but not the equivalent of the liquid smoke. I would start out with 1 teaspoon and taste and adjust as needed.
Brandi, Crystal – Trader Joes sells a smoked sea salt that may work for you as a sub for the liquid smoke. It’s what I like to use instead of liquid smoke. Cheers!
Thank you so much for sharing Maggie!
Why would anyone want to use store bought sauce when they can make yours!?!?! Silly people, ;). These look delicious!! I admit I can handle the dry stuff, but burgers are much better when held together with a great sauce. That bread too..oh man this is the perfect summer food.
Rightttt?! Seriously, this BBQ sauce is my new favorite…..will only be making this going forward! SO GOOD. Thank you!
Not familiar with ‘liquid smoke’ – do you think using smokey paprika would work?
Love your site! I’m new to it and enjoying it a lot.
Hi Jane! Liquid smoke can be found at any grocery store in the condiment section usually near the soy sauce, bbq sauces, etc. It’s a small skinny bottle and cheap. It really does give that signature flavor differently than smoked paprika, so that would be best! However, if you want to do smoked paprika, start out with 1 teaspoon and taste and add more if you like, but get the liquid smoke if you can, it’s worth it. Let me know after you try them 🙂
Hi Brandi. Thanks for your quick reply! I forgot to say I am in Australia! So often things than are just normal run of the mill grocery items for you are ‘specialty’ items for us! Particularly if they are associated with Mexican cooking I have found. Canned smoked chillies is another example! Anyway, i found a website that specialises in USA foods but they want $6 for the bottle of smoke, $20 minimum order and $9 for postage!! . So I think I might have to try the smokey paprika at least for now! But you never know, one day I may find it? Thanks again!
Brandi, wow these look delicious! I’m a big sweet potato and chickpea fan so these burgers are pretty amazing to me! Your pictures I have no words, so beautiful just make me hungry! The flavors of the barbecue sauce are outstanding! Do I need say more? This is just a win-win combination!
Aww thanks Florian so much for the compliment on my photos! So sweet! And yes, these burgers were so moist and delicious, even the picky hubby who HATES chickpeas gobbled them up and called them a “winner”. 🙂
Ahhh gotcha, sorry to hear so many things are hard to find, but I understand! Smoky paprika will still give a nice smoky flavor. Let me know when you make them! Thank you! 🙂
Coles has these products
I live in Brisbane Qld and have found the elusive Liquid Smoke in Green Edge vegan cafe and store. Hope this helps.
Wow Woman! You’re becoming quite the ‘Burger Queen’ lately. Those look spectacular…particularly since I’m doing a Raw diet this month. Mouth watering indeed!!!!!
Burger Queen….I like the sound of that, thank you so much Angela!!
I was just thinking “Oh its Saturday, let’s go see what new recipe goodness Brandi is up to!” These little burgers look like they might explode with flavor. For real!
Awww Natalie, that made me smile, thank you so much for catching on to my Saturday posts! I was actually thinking of switching them to Fridays instead since people seem to be so darn busy on Saturdays! Oh, and yes, tons of flavor! I needed to mask the chickpeas as much as I could…I just don’t like their flavor too much, but they are yummy when seasoned right and at first I was just using chickpeas and barbecue sauce and then I thought, NO, this needs sweet potato….it solved the moisture issue AND complimented the bbq flavor 🙂
Don’t throw away the chickpea liquid from the can! You can whip it like egg whites to make mousse. Google aquafab meringue or vegan meringue or chickpea liquid whip
Hi Car! Oh yes, I’m very familiar with that, I’ve seen it everywhere on the web but I’m thoroughly grossed out by the chickpea smell and especially the liquid so I’m not quite brave enough (yet) to try it, lol! Maybe one day. 🙂
I totally saved my juice to try it! Can’t wait!
OK – I’m heading to the store to get sweet potatoes because I’m so excited to try this!
Awesome, let me know how they turn out please, yay! Thanks Valerie!
I stumbled upon this blog while on pinterest, and normally I don’t really pick up interest on the blogs since I’m on a manhunt to find that delicious recipe!
However, The fact that you have so many Gluten Free AND Vegan recipes makes my heart and stomach sing! I’ll be looking at this blog more often!
I made these today. YUM! ” Winner winner chickpea dinner” lol