Crispy on the outside, soft and creamy on the inside – that’s how I like croquettes best. Unlike traditional croquettes, these croquettes are not made of potatoes but they are filled with a creamy vegan low-fat béchamel sauce made of plant-based milk and spinach. You do not need to deep fry them in much oil, you can simply fry them crispy with a little bit of oil in a pan or skillet. This recipe is easy to make and you can also choose the gluten-free option. These vegan croquettes are incredibly delicious and perfect for dinner or as a snack for a party.
Vegan croquettes with a creamy filling wrapped in a crispy crust
Croquettes have been one of my favorite snacks since my childhood. Especially, I always liked the Spanish croquettes. When we were on vacation, these treats always landed first on my plate. (Besides my beloved empanadas, of course). Compared to the traditional German croquettes, which are made from potatoes, the Spanish croquettes are much creamier. And I love everything that is creamy! The secret behind it, is just the preparation. In Spain croquettes are namely filled with a creamy béchamel sauce. They are called “croquetas” and are usually served as a warm appetizer (tapas), by the way. Unfortunately, these croquetas are usually not vegan as they contain eggs and usually ham.
So now I have created a vegan version with a simple filling of healthy spinach and a creamy low-fat vegan béchamel sauce which is just made of plant-based milk, without any eggs. You do not even need to peel and cook potatoes for this recipe. The filling is quick to make with just a few ingredients. You can easily prepare the sauce one day before, because it should chill for a few hours (or best overnight) in the fridge before processing into croquettes.
If you are looking for a creamy vegan ‘cheese sauce’ made of potatoes, the recipe for my vegan Mac and Cheese might be perfect for you. Or maybe my vegan béchamel sauce made of white beans or my creamy vegan alfredo sauce made of cashew nuts.
Frying croquettes in a pan without using much oil!
Honestly, I do not really like frying in tons of oil. Not only because I’m too lazy to turn on the deep fryer or clean the pot, but also because I do not really like it when the food is full of fat. Also, I always find it a pity to “waste” so much oil. So I just fry these croquettes in a pan with a little olive oil or coconut oil. Of course, you can also use another kind of oil, but some oil is necessary. Fat is part of the croquettes because only then they get a nice golden-brown crispy crust. However, you should also make sure that the oil is hot enough before frying, otherwise, they will soak up too much oil. But it should not be too hot because they will darken too quickly. So best is medium heat.
Vegan dips and sauces
Since these vegan croquettes are so creamy thanks to their filling, you do not need any more dips or sauces. But because dipping is always so much fun for me and because dips are so delicious, I also like to serve them with guacamole or hummus or a vegan cashew cream cheese. Also, a spicy ajvar (red pepper dip) or a homemade BBQ sauce is a great choice. Otherwise, you can simply serve them with a flavorful store-bought organic tomato ketchup.
Vegan Croquettes with Spinach (gluten-free)
Author:Ingredients
For the filling:
For the breading:
- 1 cup (135 g) bread crumbs optional gluten-free, *see notes
- 1 cup (250 ml) plant-based milk
- coconut oil for frying
Instructions
- Thaw the spinach and squeeze out any excess liquid.
- Peel the onions and garlic and chop them finely.
- In a jar, mix 400 ml of vegetable milk with the broth.
- Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and sauté. Once they are soft, add the garlic and sauté for further 1-2 minutes.
- Then sift the flour into the saucepan and continue stirring well, otherwise, it will burn quickly. As soon as the mixture starts to turn light brown, gradually add the plant-based milk. Continue to stir until the milk and flour are well combined and form a smooth, creamy béchamel sauce without any lumps.
- Add the squeezed spinach and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Then let the béchamel sauce cool and put in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours (best overnight).
- For the coating, add 1 cup of plant-based milk into one bowl and add the breadcrumbs to another bowl. Then take about 1 teaspoon of the sauce and shape into croquettes. Roll them in the breadcrumbs first, then dip into the plant-based milk, and finally, roll again in the breadcrumbs.
- Heat the oil for frying in a pan and fry the croquettes until golden-brown over medium heat. Then remove from the pan and place on a plate (or baking tray) lined with paper towels to remove excess oil.
- Allow to cool slightly and serve.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Instead of wheat flour or spelt flour and regular breadcrumbs, you can also use gluten-free all-purpose flour and gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- The croquettes taste fresh from the pan best, but they stay nice and soft even after cooling. So you can simply store leftover croquettes in the fridge and bake them briefly in the oven until crispy before serving.
- The recipe is roughly adapted from us.kiwilimon.com but made vegan and has been updated on 06/07/18.
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Served to our family over Thanksgiving and everyone loved them. We let the sauce cool down, but we think it might be best to let them rest after breading them so the form keeps. We fried most but also experimented air frying others. Both versions were tasty, but nothing beats fried stuff – they came out crispy and gooey inside. Thanks! We featured it on our instagram story (cuarentena.vegana). Also, we added a lot more spinach 😀
Thank you so much, I am so glad that you enjoyed these croquettes for Thanksgiving and enjoyed them. 🙂
Is the recipe based on plain flour or wholewheat flour? Not sure if I have to change the amount as wholewheat flour is denser. If so, how much would you suggest?
Hello Nora!
In this recipe I am using all-purpose flour. If you want to use wholewheat flour, you should add it in portions till the texture is good. I can’t give you any more information but this is the way I would do it. Hope this will work out for you! 🙂
Wahnsinn. Ich wusste gar nicht, wie toll selbst gemachte Kroketten sind. Die kosten zwar etwas Zeit in der Küche, sind es aber wirklich wert. ♥ // Amazing. I didn’t even know how great homemade croquettes are. They take a little time in the kitchen, but are really worth it. ♥
Das freut mich sehr, liebe Lena! 🙂
Ich danke dir für dein Feedback!
LG, Bianca <3
Hi,
I was wondering if you can bake these croquettes in the oven as well? If so, what temperature and time should I use?
I tried that at 392°F but they “melted” during baking like mozzarella sticks! 😀
However, you can give it a try if you like! 🙂 Just be sure to spray them with cooking oil or they won’t get crispy.
Hi, can I replace the coconut oil? Not a big fan of coconut…
Yes, sure! Feel free to use any vegetable oil for frying, such as canola oil.
Mine were I. The fridge for 7 hours. It’s still sauce like so I’m frying sauce balls. What’s going on?
Did you measure the flour exactly? And did you cook the sauce until it was pretty thick and creamy?
Leider ist es garnicht möglich gewesen, die Bechamelsauce zu formen. Logischerweise eigentlich, denn dafür ist eine Bechamel ja garnicht fest genug und heißt nicht umsonst Sauce. Habe mich so darauf gefreut, musste es aber dann zu einer Nudelsauce umfunktionieren.
Liebe Nadja, in Spanien werden die Kroketten immer mit Bechamel zubereitet, so bin ich auch auf die Idee gekommen. Es tut mir sehr leid zu hören, dass sie dir nicht gelungen sind, aber bei mir gelingen sie immer. Die Mehlschwitze wird eigentlich relativ fest, wenn sie über Nacht im Kühlschrank stand. Hast du den Spinat auch gut genug ausgedrückt? Und war dein Kühlschrank kalt genug? Oder vielleicht hast du die Soße zu kurz gekocht?
Thanks for sharing this healthy recipe as now I can eat spinach with more interest and love 😉
Hi Sharada,
So glad that you like spinach now ?
It’s my fave vegetable! Love it so much!
Thank you!
Lots of love,
Bianca ❤️
Hi Bianca,
I was wondering how many people it serves.
Thank you! 🙂
Hi Solveig,
This recipe makes about 30 pieces. The serving size depends on what else you serve. I usually serve them as side dish for 4 serves.
Much love,
Bianca ❤️
Hi
Does the spinach HAVE to be frozen? Am I able to use fresh spinach?
Thanks
Hi Loren,
You can also use fresh spinach, of course. But then you should cook it for a short while until soft before starting with the recipe. Have fun trying. ?
xoxo,
Bianca ?❤️
Better & healthy one to cook with less preparation time.
Hi Ahaan,
So glad that you liked the recipe.
Thanks for your feedback!?
Much Love,
Bianca ❤️
This looks so good and simple to prepare. Your photo is stunning too!
Thank you so much, Vicki! ?
Have a great weekend! ❤️
Großartiges Rezept! The vegan bechamel turned out so deliciously creamy. I might add some finely chopped mushrooms and some granulated soy ‘meat’ to imitate the wee ham bits in trditional croquetas next time!
So glad that you liked it! Love the idea to add mushrooms. Have fun trying! And Thank you 🙂
Bianca! Your photos of these are remarkable and I am hungry just reading your ingredients! haha, Dee xx
Hi Dee,
So glad that you like my creations.?
Thank you for your lovely comment!?
Much Love,
Bianca ❤️