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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My local grocery store didn’t have corn meal only corn flour, so I bought that & I had read that Panko crumbs could be used as a cornmeal replacement so I bought that too. – which would I be better off using?
Hi Kany! Corn flour is not going to help give them the texture needed, so I guess I would go with the panko crumbs, although I’ve never used them. The cornmeal is gritty, which helps with the texture. Panko crumbs are a bit lighter too I believe, so you may need more. Just add enough to where you are able to form the patties and they are sticky. Just keep in mind that the burger texture will be different without the cornmeal but the flavor should still be good.
Hi Kany! Corn flour is not going to help give them the texture needed, so I guess I would go with the panko crumbs, although I’ve never used them. The cornmeal is gritty, which helps with the texture. Panko crumbs are a bit lighter too I believe, so you may need more. Just add enough to where you are able to form the patties and they are sticky. Just keep in mind that the burger texture will be different without the cornmeal but the flavor should still be good.
By far my favorite recipe!! I have made them and love them. My husband loves them. They are currently cooking right now because my grandsons are on their way to devour them! Thank you!!
I’m so happy to hear that Tanya! Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback, I really appreciate it!!
I LOVE LOVE LOVEEEEEEE THIS BURGER!
This is by far the most successful veggie I have ever made from someones plant based blog! THANK YOU THANK YOU for this amazing recipe! I will be making these often and I can’t wait to try your other burgers!! YUM!(((:
Thank you so much Kaleigh for the awesome feedback! I’m so happy this is the best veggie burger you’ve ever had, thank you!
I am so going to take the plunge and make this I love chickpeas!! Brandi, can you please tell me what brand of liquid smoke you use and where I can find it? I currently have one I found at whole foods but it has “caramel color” and natural flavors. Have you found one that has better ingredients? I am not expecting it to be perfect, but I would love to know what you use and where to find it! Thanks!
“
Hi Marinna! This is the one I use now, no added color! http://amzn.to/1QnvEi6
Only ingredients are water and natural hickory smoke flavor.
Do these freeze well? I find myself making them all the time and would be nice to make a double batch and freeze some.
Hi Linda! I haven’t tried freezing them personally, but I think other readers have. I would think as long as you bake them first and then seal them tightly and just reheat in the oven around 300, they should be fine.
Will leftovers keep well in the fridge? Thanks!!
Yes! I would just reheat them at 300 in the oven to crisp them back up 🙂
Making these for supper tonight. The BBQ sauce is AMAZING and it hasn’t even sat more than 5 minutes. The burgers before being cooked are wicked good. Can’t wait to pop them in the oven tonight! Yum!
I just made these tonight and the flavor was delicious!!!, but the med grind cornmeal made them really gritty and hard to chew….I am not sure what happened! 🙁 Maybe I should less next time because I feel like I may be the only one having this problem!?
Hi Kelly! Wow, that’s very odd, the cornmeal should hardly even be detectable, are you sure you didn’t use too much of it? I make these almost weekly and we never have an issue and this is the first time a reader has said this. Did you use the Bob’s Red mill? Maybe you got a really coarse cornmeal, is all I can think of. Regardless, I’m so glad you loved the flavor, so thank you for that feedback!
This recipe is awesome! I doubled it and froze them to pack for my husband and I to take to work for lunches. They are just as good thawed and my husband loves them!
I’m so happy to hear that Kelsey! Thank you so much for leaving feedback and so glad they are such a hit!
These are great! We think they make a good BBQ Chicken sandwich replacement. My only complaint is that they take quite a bit longer than the total time posted (doesn’t include time for letting them set and cool at the end, plus one has to cook the sweet potatoes). Not a big deal (totally worth the time and it’s not like it’s hands on time) but I planned starting to make them an hour before dinner and I should have planned for at least an hour and a half.
Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback Emily! I’m so happy to hear these were a hit! Sorry about the prep time, I just realized I forgot to include the chill time for these, correcting it now! Sorry about that! Thank you for making them!
No worries at all. It’s just helpful information. I’m going to go search your blog for more recipes now! Thanks for having such a great blog. We are easing our way into the vegan lifestyle and having easy and yummy recipes is making it a lot easier.
I make these all the time as part of my food rotation…makes a great loaf BTW!
I double the BBQ sauce recipe , to have on hand in the fridge.
Hubby hates sweet potatoes, loves these..HMMMMMM Am I wrong to be deceptive? LOL.
Thanks Brandi
Thank you so much Susan for the wonderful feedback! And wow, so awesome to hear this makes a loaf too, thank you so much for letting me know. I really appreciate you taking the time to leave feedback!
Oh and p.s. my hubby hates sweet potatoes too but LOVES these, so funny! I think it’s the BBQ sauce that helps win them over 😉
This recipe is amazing! I have been trying to get my partner to cut back on meat and i thought i would give this a go. He was pretty unsure at first but after a couple of bites he was very impressed. Especially as he hates chickpeas. Said we can have this every week!! Thanks so much from the other side of the globe 😀
Yay! So so happy to hear that Stephanie! Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback, I really appreciate it!
Are these freezable? I was thinking about making them ahead for this week…
Hi Shaan! I haven’t froze them before, but I would think they’d be just fine. Just make sure to cook them first and wrap tightly in plastic wrap and inside another container and then I’d reheat them low in the oven around 300 degrees. Let me know what you think of them!
Hi. I love the look of this recipe. I have a sensitivity to corn. Do you have any suggestions for a substitution? Maybe rolled oats or sorghum flour? Thanks.
I made these tonight for our Labor Day dinner. I doubled the recipe, but otherwise made it exactly as you posted it, and they were amazing!!! I generally don’t like veggie burgers because they’re mushy, and I was skeptical that these would bake up crispy and firm, but they did, and they were so tasty! I didn’t make my own BBQ sauce–I used Organicville Tangy BBQ Sauce, and it was great in these.
I’m so grateful to people like you who post delicious vegan recipes like this one!
Thank you so much for such kind feedback AB! I’m so happy to hear you loved these so much and enjoyed them. Thank you very much for making them and leaving feedback!
I wanted to cook my friends a meal, and as one of them is a vegan, I wanted a meal that he could eat too. So unbelievably happy I found this recipe, they went down an absolute storm! Needless to say I will be making them again, and have passed it on to several people now.
Thank you! 🙂
Found this recipe while hunting for something for a veggie friend coming over. Made enough of these for all of us and we weren’t disappointed. Great recipe, thank you.
I’m so glad to hear these were a hit! Thank you so much for the feedback!
Just want to clarify before I make them…sweet potato or yam? I suppose either would work? My kiddos love anything BBQ so I am hoping this is their new favorite meatless burger! (Just found your site the other day! Your recipes are so easy and my kids love picking out what we will make next. They have a running list!)
Awww I’m so happy to hear that they are loving the recipes, thank you! I think sweet potatoes or yams would both work…they taste the same if I’m not mistaken?? I don’t think it would make much of a difference. I always buy labeled sweet potatoes, but I think either would work. Let me know how they turn out! 🙂
This was delicious. Made a couple of tweaks – date paste instead of the syrup, smoked paprika instead of the liquid smoke. Added the parsley and chili powder and chopped green onions. Simply delicious. Put this one in my keeper file. Found out the hard way that a small sweet potato only equals about 1/2 a cup. These held together beautifully. Looking forward to leftovers. Thanks so much.
Wonderful Susan!! I’m so glad you loved these so much! I always add the chili powder too and so glad you added the options I mentioned and enjoyed them! So glad to hear date paste worked instead of syrup too! Thank you so much for the feedback!
As a sweet potato lover I knew I’d make these sooner or later! So last weekend my dad made beef burgers and I made these, guess which ones were a bigger hit??! 😉 Not sure if it was the delish burgers or the fantastic sauce or the combination of both but it was so DELICIOUS! Next time I’ll make these even better – by making a double amount haha!! Thank you for sharing the recipe ♥
Haha!! Awesome! I love it when the VEGAN burger outshines the regular burger!! Yes, it’s definitely the combo of both, that’s why I wanted to combine both barbecue sauce and the sweet potatoes, because I knew they would both compliment each other so well! Thank you so much for the feedback, so glad these were a hit!
These are officially my favorite bean burger! This batch I took your tip snd added corn to the mix. I can’t believe how good this recipe tastes! Thank you for coming up with it!
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that Valerie! I’m so glad these are your favorite, thank you so much!