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Whole Food Plant-based Burger Recipe | Vegan + High Protein

April 15, 2021 //  by Nicole Stevens//  16 Comments

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4.77 from 13 votes. Leave your review!

This recipe for whole food plant-based burgers is packed with flavor and nutritious ingredients. It’s simple to make, can be customized to your taste preferences and offers plenty of plant-based protein and fiber to keep you feeling full!

You’ll need to bake these patties because of their softer starting texture, but once ready to eat, they hold up quite well. This plant-based hamburger recipe is super versatile; there’s endless ways to serve it!

Skill: Intermediate | Time: 1 hr 10 min | Servings: 8 burger patties

Front view of a double-stacked plant-based burger assembled in a fluffy whole wheat bun with white sauce, lettuce, tomato and red onion, A second, single-stacked black bean burger sits on the light wood board behind the first burger with a light brown towel wrapping behind the burgers. White-grey marble background.

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Are Plant-based Burgers Vegan?

While many people use the term “plant-based” to refer to vegan food (or veganism), it doesn’t have a specific definition. Sometimes, “plant-based” recipes could contain animal derived ingredients so it’s always best to be on the lookout!

If purchasing burgers or any “plant-based” product, read the label because it’s a popular marketing term and plant-based products may not always be vegan.

Luckily, this burger recipe is completely vegan and made from nutritious, whole food ingredients plus plenty of spices for a delicious patty!

Top view of two assembled plant-based burgers resting in a loaf pan lined with a light brown towel. The top burger has two patties and the lower burger has one; both have white sauce, lettuce, tomato and red onion. White-grey marble background.

Ingredients to Make Whole Food Plant-based Burgers

This recipe uses simple ingredients to create a satisfying and versatile burger patty. You can use these patties in many unique ways and change the spices for endless customizations! For this recipe, you’ll need:

  • Cooked brown rice: As one of the base ingredients, pre-cooked brown rice offers a subtle flavor and plenty of tasty carbohydrates with fiber. Its starch helps holds the burgers together! This recipe assumes you have cooked rice on hand and it’s a great way to use leftovers.
  • Cooked sweet potato: For a boost of color, nutrition and mildly sweet flavor, some pre-cooked (steamed) sweet potato is a tasty addition to these plant-based burgers.
  • Black beans: To boost the plant-based protein in these burgers and provide a darker color that better replicates “traditional” burgers, black beans are a great choice. I drain and rinse canned beans but you can use home-cooked beans too.
  • Tofu: While not technically a “whole food” ingredient, tofu is packed with nutrition and boosts the plant-based protein, healthy fats and calcium content in these burgers. If you aren’t a fan of tofu, you can replace them with an additional cup of mushrooms (however, that creates a softer burger patty). A firm tofu helps create firmer burger patties.
  • Mushrooms: This vegetable has a great flavor and is often used in meat alternatives for that earthy flavor.
  • Onions: Onion is an essential ingredient that provides a great boost of flavor. Use any variety you like!
  • Chickpea flour: This key ingredient creates a firmer plant-based burger texture. Chickpea flour absorbs liquid from other ingredients and makes for a burger patty that holds together when eating. Just let the burgers cool somewhat before serving since this time allows the chickpea flour to work its magic!
  • Spices: I use nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. This combo of spices creates a tasty burger that still has a neutral flavor, making it extremely versatile. You can use any spice combos you like!
Black bean burger patty on leaf lettuce at the front edge of a long narrow board. A row of tomatoes and red onion are behind the patty, with a row of additional patties and small jar of ketchup are on the board to the back. White-grey marble background.

How to Make Plant-based Hamburgers: Instructions and Video Tutorial

This recipe is quite easy to make with a food processor! If you’d like to watch me make it in my vegan kitchen then click play on the below video, otherwise follow these simple step-by-step instructions.

Step 1: Prep Ingredients

This recipe is easiest to make with leftover cooked rice and sweet potato. The preparation time assumes these two ingredients are cooked.

Start cooking brown rice and steam sweet potato if not done already. A half cup of dry rice should yield the 1 C cooked rice needed for this recipe. You’ll also need 1 C peeled and cubed sweet potato.

I use canned beans for this recipe, so they need to be drained and rinsed. You could also use home-cooked black beans if you have some on hand.

Roughly chop ½ C onion and 1 C mushroom.

Lastly, you’ll need to crumble tofu. The recipe requires 1 C crumbled tofu which is about half of a 350 g block. The extra firm tofu I buy doesn’t need to be pressed (no liquid is released if it’s pressed). If your tofu releases liquid when pressed, press it before using in the burgers.

I love the texture the tofu adds, but if you don’t want to use tofu, replace it with an additional 1 C roughly chopped mushrooms. If you do this, the burgers will have a softer texture and lower protein content.

Step 2: Prepare Burgers

Next, use a food processor to combine all these ingredients. I typically do this in two parts.

First, I process the rice, sweet potato and tofu. Pulse until everything is well-combined and there are small flecks of rice, sweet potato and tofu. Don’t blend into a full puree since this creates softer burgers; some texture is makes for a better burger consistency.

Transfer these processed ingredients into a large mixing bowl then add black beans, mushroom and onion to the food processor. Pulse until well combined, with only small flecks of ingredients left. Scrape this mixture into your mixing bowl.

Add the remaining ingredients (chickpea flour and spices) to your mixing bowl and stir until everything is evenly combined.

Prepare a baking tray lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, then form 8 burger patties. I use a ½ C measuring cup to scoop out evenly sized patties.

Flatten the burgers to about ½ inch (1.5 cm) thickness.

Step 3: Bake, Cool and Serve

Place the burgers into a 350 °F preheated oven and cook for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through. The burgers will still be soft when flipping, so flip carefully.

Once you’ve finished baking the whole food plant-based burgers, let sit on the baking tray for a few minutes. Then, transfer them to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool for at least 10-15 minutes.

This cool time is essential for the burgers to become firm and hold together well!

Serve with all your favorite vegan hamburger toppings! Tomato, onion, leaf lettuce and pickles are a must for me!

There are also endless ways to serve these plant-based burger patties. A bun or wrap is a delicious choice, but I also love crumbling these burgers over a large garden salad! Along with some honey mustard dressing, you have a tasty meal.

Hand holding up black bean burger with bite taken out of it; burger has one patty, lettuce, tomato, red onion and red sauce on fluffy whole grain bun. A second burger and jars of ketchup and mustard blurred in background.

Plant-based Burger Patties: Tips, Substitutions and Variations

The biggest challenge with whole food plant-based burgers is a soft texture that leads to burgers falling apart when eating. Allowing the burgers to cool after baking is essential for them to firm fully.

It’s also helpful to use leftover brown rice and sweet potato that is fully cooled before creating the patties. When these ingredients are hot and freshly cooked, the heat tends to create extra moisture.

If using mushrooms in place of tofu, the burgers will be softer due to its water content. I prefer adding tofu for a firmer burger.

The best part about this recipe is how versatile it is. Get creative with the spices you use to create any type of plant-based burger you like! You can also switch the black beans for pretty much any other type of bean. Chickpeas come to mind as a delicious base ingredient for plant-based burgers!

Top view of a small light wood board with an assembled burger to the back and a bun less burger patty at the front, resting on top of lettuce, tomato and red onion. Light brown towel wraps behind the wood board with two small mason jars of ketchup and mustard to the right.

How to Store Leftovers: Refrigerating and Freezing this Recipe

Let leftover burgers cool completely before refrigerating in an airtight container. They should keep well for up to a week in the fridge.

You can also freeze cooked burgers in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.

An assembled plant-based burger on whole grain bun with tomato, red onion, lettuce and white sauce, sits on light wood board with a bun less burger patty in the back. Behind the board sits a light brown towel with a small mason jar of ketchup and one of mustard to the back right.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you make it, please rate and comment below so others benefit from your experience.

More Vegan Recipes with Plant-based Protein

Three burrito halves stacked on wooden board with full burrito in back along with blurred bowl of salad greens, black pan filled with tofu scramble and two avocado halves.

Vegan Breakfast Burrito

Two bowls and one plate of vegan hamburger helper, served and ready to eat. A small glass jar of green onion is sitting in the middle and could be used to garnish.

Vegan Hamburger Helper

One glass mason jar of powder-free, high protein apple cinnamon smoothie with some of its ingredients around the jar, including two cinnamon sticks, half an avocado and spinach leaves

Green Apple Cinnamon Smoothie

Square cropped image of Front view of a double-stacked plant-based burger assembled in a fluffy whole wheat bun with white sauce, lettuce, tomato and red onion, A second, single-stacked black bean burger sits on the light wood board behind the first burger with a light brown towel wrapping behind the burgers. White-grey marble background.

Whole Food Plant-based Burgers

Looking for the best whole food plant-based burger recipe? These vegan burgers are packed with flavor and nutritious ingredients like black beans, sweet potato and brown rice. Note that prep time assumes potatoes, rice and beans are already cooked.
4.77 from 13 votes. Leave your review!
Prevent your screen from going dark
Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 55 mins
Servings 8 Burger Patties
Calories 195 kcal
Cuisine American-inspired, Vegan

Equipment

  • Food processor
  • Cutting board
  • Knife
  • Baking tray
  • Silicone baking mat
  • Large bowl

Ingredients
  

  • 1 C sweet potato , cubed and steamed
  • 1 C brown rice , cooked
  • 2 C black beans , cooked (or drained and rinsed from can)
  • ½ C onion , chopped
  • 1 C mushrooms , chopped (button or cremini; about 4 large)
  • 1 C extra firm tofu , crumbled (half a 350 g block; or additional 1 C chopped mushroom)
  • ½ C chickpea flour
  • 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • ¼ – ½ tsp black pepper
  • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
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Instructions

Prep Ingredients

  • If needed, cook and cool brown rice. Cooked rice tends to double in size from dry, so cook ½ C of dry rice for a standard 8 burger yield. Leftover rice is perfect if you have some around.
    1 C brown rice
  • If needed, peel, cube and steam the sweet potato. Leftover cooked sweet potato works well too!
    1 C sweet potato
  • Measure some black beans. If using canned beans, drain and rinse them.
    2 C black beans
  • Chop onion.
    ½ C onion
  • Roughly chop mushrooms.
    1 C mushrooms
  • Crumble extra firm tofu. The tofu I use doesn’t need to be pressed but if your tofu releases liquid when pressed, press if before using. You can use an extra mushrooms in place of tofu if you prefer.
    1 C extra firm tofu

Prepare Burgers

  • In a food processor, add cooked brown rice, cooked sweet potato and crumbled tofu. Pulse until the rice and sweet potato are ground into a fine texture. There should be small flecks of rice, potato and tofu but it’ll be mostly blended.
    1 C sweet potato, 1 C brown rice, 1 C extra firm tofu
  • Remove the rice, potato and tofu into a mixing bowl. Then, add black beans, mushroom and onion to the food processor. Pulse until the mixture reaches a similar consistency to the rice and potato (well mixed with some small flecks of ingredients).
    2 C black beans, 1 C mushrooms, ½ C onion
  • Add the bean mixture to the mixing bowl with the rice and sweet potato.
  • Stir the remaining ingredients into the mixing bowl: chickpea flour, salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika, chili powder, black pepper and nutritional yeast. Stir until everything is well combined.
    ½ C chickpea flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp chili powder, ¼ – ½ tsp black pepper, 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • Prep a baking tray with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
  • This recipe makes 8 burgers, about ½ C in size. Use a ½ C measuring cup to form them, then transfer to your hands and shape them into flat, round patties.
  • Place formed burgers on baking tray.

Bake, Cool and Serve

  • Bake the burgers in a preheated oven set to 350 °F for 25-30 minutes, flipping once halfway through cooking. The burgers will be soft at the halfway point so flip carefully.
  • Once out of the oven, allow to cool for a few minutes on the tray. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and let the burgers sit for another 10-15 minutes before serving. This rest time is essential to allow the burgers to firm and hold together nicely!
  • Serve on your favorite vegan hamburger bun, in a wrap or crumbled into a salad!

Video

Notes

Nutrition analysis only factors in the recipe (burger patty) and does not account for your bun or additional toppings.
Accuracy of nutrition information cannot be guaranteed (certain ingredients may not have all nutrients listed in the database); amounts may vary (and will vary depending on brands of ingredients used); all nutrition fact values rounded to the nearest whole number.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 Burger (1/8 of recipe)Calories: 195 kcalCarbohydrates: 31 gProtein: 12 gFat: 3 gSaturated Fat: 1 gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2 gMonounsaturated Fat: 1 gSodium: 483 mgPotassium: 501 mgFiber: 8 gSugar: 4 gVitamin A: 5453 IUVitamin C: 6 mgCalcium: 168 mgIron: 3 mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Filed Under: Featured Popular Recipes, Vegan and Gluten Free Recipes, Vegan Dinner Recipes, Vegan Lunch Recipes, Vegan Recipes Tagged With: Black beans, Black pepper, Brown rice, Chickpea flour, Chili powder, Dinner, Garlic powder, Gluten free, Intermediate, Legumes, Lunch, Mushrooms, Nut free, Nutritional yeast, Onion, Paprika, Plant-based protein, Rice, Sweet potato, Tofu, Whole grains

About Nicole Stevens

Nicole is a vegan Registered Dietitian (RD) and founder of Lettuce Veg Out. She provides vegans with balanced meals and easy-to-understand nutrition science.

Having attained a Masters degree and passing a national registration exam, Nicole is a trusted source of nutrition information. She uses this knowledge to educate others about vegan diets and how to thrive as a vegan.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Amanda W

    October 2, 2021 at 4:28 am

    These were absolutely amazing!

    I added jalapeños because spice is life.

    They held together beautifully. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Nicole Stevens

      October 2, 2021 at 9:38 am

      Hi Amanda! So happy you enjoyed and adding jalapenos sounds delicious – my husband would love it!!

      Reply
  2. Robert Brorsen

    May 29, 2021 at 1:50 pm

    Hi Nicole: So my sister Niki and I share this WFPB lifestyle and I for one am never going back to eating my fellow creatures. It’s not healthy anyway. Niki follows recipes and consistently finds colorfully delicious good ones. Weekends she makes things for me to grill in the backyard. Sent her this burger recipe despite its non grill ability. …Bob

    Reply
    • Nicole Stevens

      May 30, 2021 at 11:01 am

      Awesome! Hope you enjoy the burgers; even without grilling I think they’re delicious. We’re cooking some for dinner tonight to use up leftover rice!

      Reply
  3. Kathy Richards

    July 17, 2020 at 9:10 pm

    Delicious! I do not have a food processor. I chopped the veggies pretty fine and squished squished squished! I got 8 1/2 cup burgers and they were delicious ! My carnivore hubby loved them. I did add about 1/2 smoked chipotle powder, because I’m a bit obsessed with it right now. We had Oil free sweet Potato fries, corn on the cob and watermelon. Supper fit for a queen.

    Reply
    • Nicole Stevens

      July 20, 2020 at 7:11 am

      Hi Kathy, I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe! Sounds like a delicious meal 🙂

      Reply
  4. Zoie Z

    March 25, 2020 at 1:50 pm

    I love this recipe and make it regularly. So tasty!

    Reply
    • Nicole Stevens

      March 25, 2020 at 1:59 pm

      Thank you so much! Glad you like it – it’s one of my favorites too 🙂

      Reply
  5. Kathy Perkins

    June 8, 2019 at 1:37 pm

    Have you tried freezing these? Just finished baking the batch. Look and smell great. I will come back with a review later.

    Reply
    • Nicole Stevens

      June 10, 2019 at 11:35 am

      Yes you can freeze them for up to 3 months! Any longer and they might get freezer burn. To reheat just bake in the oven from frozen until hot in the middle.

      Reply
    • Linda

      February 22, 2020 at 6:32 am

      Hi they sound great! Do you have to use nutritional yeast? I’ve never heard of it before and wouldn’t know where to find it? On amazon it’s pretty pricey.

      Reply
      • Nicole Stevens

        February 24, 2020 at 6:57 am

        I’m not sure where you live but nutritional yeast is delicious if you can find some! It’s often less expensive at bulk food stores if there’s any around to check out. You can definitely make these burgers without it but it does add a nice flavour (and nutrition boost).

        Reply
  6. Kris

    May 13, 2019 at 1:14 pm

    Wondering if there’s a way to make this without a food dehydrator?

    Reply
    • Nicole Stevens

      May 13, 2019 at 1:37 pm

      Hi Kris! Thanks for the comment. I’m guessing you meant without a food processor? You could chop the onion and mushroom really fine (as if it had been processed) and mash that together with the rice and sweet potato. I’ve never done this so can’t guarantee it will work; you may find the texture is more coarse and the patties may not stick together as well. The next time I make this recipe I’ll give this a try because lot’s of people don’t have a food processor and it would be nice to have that as an option if it works! If you give this a try I’d love to hear how it turns out.

      Reply
  7. Alicia Dobbs

    December 3, 2018 at 10:38 am

    These are amazing! I substituted tofu for the mushrooms since I am not a mushroom fan and it worked perfectly. Even my meat loving boyfriend loved these, he asks me to make them all the time!

    Reply
    • Nicole Stevens

      December 13, 2018 at 7:04 am

      Awesome! So glad to hear you both enjoyed. And that sounds like a great substitution; I might try it myself sometime 🙂

      Reply

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