Connect with your plant side and cook up the BEST Vegan Burger recipe you’ll ever try! Made with black beans, protein-rich ingredients, and warm spices, they’re every bit as satisfying as they are scrumptious.
Lightly crisp outside, tender (not mushy!) inside, and boasting an intense savoriness that you wouldn’t expect in a vegetarian burger recipe, these are hands-down not only the best vegan burgers—they are one of the best burgers, period—I have ever tasted.
(For another flavor-pack vegan recipe, try these Vegan Stuffed Peppers next.)
- Made with “superfood” ingredients like black beans, almonds, flaxseeds, and more, these patties of smoky satisfaction come together in a single bowl.
- They are HIGH PROTEIN. Each packs a whopping 12 grams of protein per burger!
- These burgers have won rave reviews from table of carnivores.
Why Make Vegan Burgers from Scratch
Vegan burgers are quite the hot item on the market right now, from Burger King to McDonald’s vegan burger.
Plant-based and soy patties are a hot commodity.
The problem? Most vegan burgers (and Vegan Protein Bars) you buy (and why vegan burgers can be unhealthy) can be are highly processed.
This homemade vegan burger recipe? It is nothing but the good stuff (same goes for these Vegan Enchiladas).
5 Star Review
These are so good! I just keep coming back to these when I need a veggie burger recipe. My meat-eating family loves them as well!
— Giovonne —
How to Make The Best Vegan Burger
Although I’m a long-time fan of well-made veggie burgers for their simple ingredients and health benefits (see this Portobello Mushroom Burger and my crowd-favorite Quinoa Burgers), I do have one major, er, beef with standard veggie burger recipes.
Most don’t contain enough tummy-satisfying protein to keep me full for more than an hour or so.
Not so with these high-protein vegan burgers!
Thanks to their protein-rich, and high-fiber ingredients, they can sustain you for hours.
Keep reading to learn what makes this power-packed vegan burger patty recipe so super.
Another Veggie Burger Favorite
Don’t miss the veggie burger in my cookbook. They are my other favorite plant-based burger recipe!
The Ingredients
- Black Beans. Not just for vegan Mexican Salad and Bean Tostadas, black beans are a prime base for vegan burger patties thanks to their ample fiber, protein, and mineral content.
- Ground Flaxseed Meal. Rich in immune and brain-boosting omega-3s, antioxidants, and fiber.
- Almonds + Pepitas. Nuts and seeds are a creative vegan burger idea that you’ll come back to again and again. They add the umami that is often missing from other meatless burger recipes.
- Red Pepper + Red Onion. For a pop of color, added nutrition benefits, texture, zippy taste, and slight sweetness.
- Rolled Oats. More fiber! These vegan burgers are here to keep you full.
- Hemp Seed Hearts. Just three tablespoons contain a whopping 10 grams of complete protein. Hemp seeds are also low-carb, making them a good choice for those following a paleo diet or who need to be carb conscious. Hello, SUPER FOOD.
- Spices. Smoked paprika, cumin, and chili powder give these burgers a smokiness you’d typically only expect from the grill. No bland burgers for us!
- Avocado. Or Homemade Guacamole. My #1 vegan burger topping of choice. Avocado provides the richness and creaminess that you’d typically get from cheese, while keeping the burgers dairy free.
What is the BEST Vegan Burger Topping Combination?
The best vegan burger toppings are the ones you enjoy most! Need ideas? Here are some of my favorite vegan and plant-based burger toppings:
- Olive tapenade or spicy giardinara
- Vegan cheese slices or a spoonful of Vegan Queso
- Homemade Roasted Red Peppers or Roasted Tomatoes
- Pickled Onions, regular pickles, lettuce, kale, spinach, sliced tomatoes
- Grilled Portobello Mushrooms or Sautéed Mushrooms
- Barbecue Sauce, ketchup, mustard, or vegan mayo
The Directions
- Pulse the red pepper and onion in a food processor. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
- Blend the almonds, seeds, flaxseed meal, garlic, and spices in the food processor.
- Pulse until finely ground, then add to the bowl with the vegetables.
- Puree the black beans, oats, and water in the food processor.
- Stir them into the bowl with the other ingredients.
- Shape the mixture into burger patties, then lay them on a baking sheet. Bake vegan burgers for 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees F, flipping after 20 minutes. Add toppings and ENJOY!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Keep vegan burgers in the fridge in an airtight storage container for up to 5 days.
- To Reheat. Rewarm leftovers on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees F or in the microwave.
- To Freeze. Freeze burgers in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Meal Plan Tip
Prepare the burgers as directed until baking. Individually wrap each burger, then refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Leftover Ideas
Pack extra protein into a salad (like this Mexican Pasta Salad) by adding a diced-up vegan burger. Or, use them to make Vegetarian Tacos.
What to Serve with Vegan Burgers
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Food Processor. This is the one I own and love!
- Baking Sheet. Perfect for baking these vegan burgers.
- Non-Slip Cutting Board. This cutting board stays secure while you’re chopping.
The Best Food Processor
Easy to use and great for a variety of different ingredient prep methods.
Super foods, super flavors, super satisfaction.
I can feel the good vibes emitting from our kitchens already!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. While there are no ingredients in this recipe that would make these vegan burger patties unsafe to eat if undercooked (e.g., eggs, meat, etc.), it is still possible to undercook the patties. Undercooked vegan burgers will be mushy inside due to their high water content.
Vegan burger recipes will use a variety of tricks to bind the patties together. This recipe, for example, uses ground oats and flaxseed meal, which become tacky when they’re ground and come in contact with moisture. Other vegan burgers (that are not gluten free) may opt for breadcrumbs too. Do not omit these key ingredients from the recipe or your vegan burgers will likely fall apart.
Healthy can be a subjective term depending on your personal diet and nutritional goals. With that said, when made from scratch with minimally processed ingredients, vegan black bean burgers like this one are a healthy option for those looking for a protein-rich, low-sugar, plant-based meal idea.
This one! If you’re looking for a vegan burger without tofu or soybeans, look no further.
Vegan Burger Video
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Vegan Burger
Ingredients
FOR THE BURGERS:
- 1 large red pepper cored and roughly chopped
- 1/2 small red onion roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup raw almonds
- 1/4 cup pepitas pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup hemp seed hearts
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal chia seeds, or additional hemp seed hearts
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/4 teaspoons cumin
- 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 can black beans, (15 ounces) rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats gluten free if needed
- Whole grain buns for serving
TOPPING IDEAS:
- Sliced tomatoes, avocado, arugula, sliced red onions, avocado, plain yogurt (dairy-free if needed), mustard
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat.
- Place the red pepper and onion in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse until minced. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.
- To the food processor, add the almonds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, flaxseed meal, garlic, salt, cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika.
- Blend until it has combined into a coarse grainy mixture. Scrape into the mixing bowl with the onion and red pepper.
- Place the black beans, oats, and 2 tablespoons water in the food processor.
- Puree until the beans are mostly smooth with a few small pieces remaining.
- Transfer to the mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- Scoop the burger mixture in 1/3 cup portions into your hands. Shape into palm-sized patties that are about 1 inch thick.
- Arrange on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, then flip and bake 5-10 additional minutes, until heated through and the outsides are lightly crisp. Serve on buns with any desired toppings.
Video
Notes
- TO STORE: Leftover baked burgers can be stored in the refrigerator for five days.
- TO REHEAT: Reheat gently in the microwave until heated through.
- TO FREEZE: Individually wrapped unbaked patties can be refrigerated for 2 days or frozen for 2 months.
Nutrition
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Made these tonight and they were fabulous! Thrilled with how much protein they have and how easily they come together. We topped them with chimmichuri, avocado, tomato, and red onions, but I think you could go a lot of directions dressing these up and be happy with the outcome!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe, Nita! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
These burgers are amazing. They were so easy to make and delicious. I will definitely make them again.
Hi Benni! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
My family doesn’t quite buy into a fully meatless meal yet so I like to mix these with a pound of ground turkey to double the recipe! Delish and blends well together :) still a great way to reduce meat consumption!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe, Sofie! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Hi Erin,
This recipe is fabulous! Even my husband, who is a die hard beef hamburger fan, loved the vegan burger and said he would like to have this dish again! I prepare at least 2 of your recipes every week! Thank you!
Hi Catherine! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This is my absolute favourite veggie burger recipe!! I always make a double batch to freeze for later!! Tks for this! Any other recipes I’ve tried have turned out super dry. These are the best!
Hi Gineen! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Really delicious and satisfying! Mine turned out a little mushy inside. Is that to be expected? Do you have a sauce recipe that could be used on these yummy sandwiches? Thanks! Love your recipes! MarAnn
Hi MaryAnn! They should not be mushy inside. I’d probably cook them for just a little longer. For sauces you could use anything you like that you would normally place on a burger! Glad you enjoyed them!
This recipe is amazing. I have cooked this twice now and it’s delicious.
Hi John! So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for this kind review!
Hi, Erin I followed your recipe exactly and was wondering why my burger mix came out mushie? I added a cup of breadcrumbs to thicken it and it turned out very good.
Thoughts on what I did wrong? Lmk thanks
I’m sorry to hear that you had trouble with the recipe, Rodney. The recipe has worked well for myself (and others) but I know how frustrating it can be to try a new recipe and not have it work out, so I really wish you would’ve enjoyed it! It’s really hard for me to know what went wrong without being in the kitchen with you. Maybe try cooking it a little longer? Hope this helps!
Are there any alternatives for leaving out the oats? Has any tried the recipes without?
Hi Jillian! I’ve only tested the recipe as is, so I am unsure of what could be used instead of oats. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes!
Thank you for making the recipe, I added grated beets to mine, dellicious add in. Everything else I left the same, very easy to make!
Hi Amber! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review and feedback on using the beets!
This recipe is delicious! I needed to cook it a little longer because it was a little mushy in the middle. This burger is filling and so yummy!! Will definitely make it again!
Hi Lyndsay! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Erin, My son has a nut allergy. Would quinoa work in place of almonds? I know the texture is different but hoping to substitue with protein. Thanks! Lynn
Hi Lynn! I’ve only tested the recipe as is, so I am unsure if adding the quinoa would work for this recipe, even though it works in my quinoa burger recipe. https://www.wellplated.com/quinoa-burgers/ If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it turns out!
I like burger with with its meat, but this vegan burger made out of groundnuts, especially kidney beans. I would definitely like to try it out. try it out
Hi Maaran! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This is the best vegan burger recipe I’ve tried – so tasty, but most importantly they held together really well in the bun. Great how protein-packed they are, too, as this keeps the omnis happy. Thank you so much!
Hi Claire! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Hi! I just made these for the first time and froze the patties for later. Any tips on cooking from frozen? Should I thaw them in the fridge first or can they go right into the oven from the freezer?
Can’t wait to try them! Thank you!
Hi Laura! I would probably try and just cook them from frozen. Let me know how it goes if you decide to experiment with it!
I made these for a friend and they loved them! They said that not only were they the best vegan but the best burger that they had ever eaten and they are a meat eater which I am not. I don’t like black beans so I am going to try chickpeas, or kidney beans, or cauliflower. I went to a site that listed substitutions for black beans.
I am making the portobello burger tonight – I made it before and it was soooo good.
Hi Pam! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
These turned out AMAZING!! probably the best veggie burger I’ve ever had! I froze a bunch of them for quick meals!
Hi Gineen! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
A question about your 12 g of protein Vegan Burger recipe. I don’t have food processor. Can I make this recipe using a blender instead? Thanks. They look delicious.
Hi Eileen! That will all depend on the type of blender you have. I’ve only tested it out in a food processor so not sure how the blender would work. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes!