These Vegan Pumpkin Quinoa Burgers are crispy on the outside, soft and creamy on the inside, and are simply delicious! It’s a healthy veggie burger patties recipe that can be made gluten-free, nut-free, and paleo, too! Serve between burger buns or as a side dish with your favorite dip!

Pumpkin Veggie Burgers with Quinoa and Chickpeas
With a lot of ready-made vegan burger options in the supermarket, you might think twice about making your own at home. But, nothing beats home-style burgers made with fresh ingredients that are oozing with nutrition and flavors!

This Pumpkin Burger recipe is a variation of my yummy Beet Burger made with chickpeas, quinoa and pumpkin instead of beans and beets! They are so easy to make, you can have them ready in just 15 minutes when you prep the pumpkin purée and quinoa in advance!
They are hearty, perfectly textured, and warmly flavored with a punch of cozy fall flavors. The pumpkin not only adds a delicious flavor, it also gives the burger an beautiful and wholly appetizing orange color.

How to serve
You can serve the patties as a side dish with your favorite dip and some flatbread, vegan Naan, or a fresh salad! Or you can make a burger sandwich using my vegan burger buns and stack it up with your favorite veggies for a great lunch or dinner meal. Serve some crispy low-fat French Fries on the side, and you got yourself a burger meal that is undoubtedly healthier than any fast food can offer!

Ingredients for pumpkin quinoa burgers
- Pumpkin: You can make homemade pumpkin purée according to this recipe or use canned one to keep things easier.
- Quinoa: This recipe also works without quinoa but I like to add it for more nutrition and texture. You can leave it out or use bulgur, rice or couscous instead.
- Chickpeas: you could also use kidney, black, pinto or cannelini beans instead.
- Oats: these will help bind the ingredients together and keep them compact while cooking. You can use a gluten-free brand if needed.
- Walnuts: adds nuttiness and texture to the burger patty. Feel free to use other nuts or seeds, such as pecans, toasted pine nuts, pumpkin, or sunflower seeds
- Aromatics: red onion, garlic and fresh parsley are perfect here!
- Tomato paste: adds richness and a hint of tomato taste to the burger.
- Spices: cumin, pumpkin spice or cinnamon and dried herbs. You can use an Italian herb mixture of basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary.
- Salt and cayenne pepper: to taste.
- Oil: for frying.
To serve (optional)
- Burger Buns: You can use whatever you have or try my recipe for homemade vegan burger buns.
- Spread: I love them with hummus and some dairy-free Greek yogurt or vegan mayonnaise or sour cream. However, you can also add some vegan cheese, vegan mozzarella, guacamole, cashew ricotta, chipotle sauce or other sauces of your choice.
- Veggies: I use lettuce, mushrooms, red onion, and pomegranate seeds. Though you can also add cucumber, tomatoes, cress, avocado or whatever you prefer!


How to make Vegan Pumpkin Burger Patties
As always, I recommend checking out this step-by-step instruction and the recipe video first. Then you’ll find the full recipe with exact measurements in the recipe card below!
Step 1: Cook quinoa and prep pumpkin purée
First prepare the pumpkin purée or use canned one. Also, cook your quinoa according to the directions on the package in vegetable broth or water. Then allow to cool.
*Tip: You can make this ahead and refrigerate until you’re ready to make burgers.
Step 2: Prep aromatics, oats and chickpeas
First, sauté the onion and garlic and set aside. Next, place the oats in a food processor and grind coarsely, then set aside. Now add the chickpeas, walnuts and parsley into the food processor and pulse until roughly mashed.
*Tip: You can also use a potato masher for mashing the chickpeas.

Step 3: Make burger patties
Transfer the chickpea mixture to a large bowl. Add pumpkin purée, quinoa, tomato paste, herbs, spices and ground oats and stir to combine. Divide the pumpkin quinoa burger mixture into 6 equal parts (or more *see tip) and form into patties.
*Tip: If you want these burgers to be crispier, I recommend shaping smaller and flatter patties.
Step 4: Cook Burgers
Now heat some oil in a large pan or skillet and cook the burgers for about 5-6 minutes on each side, depending on size (smaller patties are done sooner), until the crust is golden and the center is warm. Done!
*Tip: Read suggestion above for oven method!

Tips when making Pumpkin Burger
- If you want to make pumpkin purée at home, make sure that it is not too watery or you’ll need more oats for the burger mixture. I recommend using Hokkaido pumpkin (also know as “red kuri squash”) but you can also try another type of pumpkin or squash.
- The mixture of pumpkin, quinoa, chickpeas, walnuts and oats should have a similar consistency to uncooked meat burgers: moist but not soggy. If the mixture is too sticky to form properly, add more oats. On the other hand, if it is too dry, add a small amount of water. Shaping the burgers is easier with slightly moistened hands.
- Make sure the patties are crispy from the bottom side before carefully flipping them to the other side to prevent any tearing.
- If you don’t want the veggie burgers to be so soft and creamy, you can also bake them in the oven at 356 °F (180 °C) for about 30-40 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Before baking, be sure to brush them with a bit of oil to ensure they become crispy on the outside.

Storing and Make Ahead
These Pumpkin Quinoa Burgers are great for making ahead! You can double this recipe and keep whatever is not used in the fridge for up to 5 days. However, you can also store them in the freezer for 2 months. To store properly, wrap them individually in cling film or place parchment paper in between each burger. Then place in an airtight container or freezer bag.

These Vegan Pumpkin Burgers are:
- Protein-rich
- Nutrient-dense
- Easy to make
- Perfectly textured
- Gluten-free possible
- Paleo possible
- Nut-free possible
- Cooked until crispy
- Soft and juicy
- So delicious!

More Vegan Burger Recipes to try
- Pulled Jackfruit Burger
- The Best Vegan Burger
- Vegan Burger Buns
- Veggie Beet Burger
- Broccoli Burger
- Zucchini Corn Fritters
- Sweet Potato Falafel
- Vegan Mozzarella Mushroom Burger
If you try this vegan pumpkin quinoa burger recipe, feel free to leave me a comment and a star rating! And if you’d like to share a photo of your delicious veggie burger patties and share it on Instagram, please tag me @biancazapatka and use the hashtag #biancazapatka because I love seeing your remakes! Happy cooking! 🙂

Veggie Burgers with Pumpkin
Author:Ingredients
- 1 cup (225 g) pumpkin purée homemade or canned
- ¼ cup (50 g) dry quinoa yields ¾ cup cooked quinoa (5oz/140 g) optional
- 1 tsp canola oil + more for frying
- 1 onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup (90 g) rolled oats
- 1x14 oz can (400 g) chickpeas or cannelini beans (8.5oz/240g rinsed and drained)
- ½ cup (45 g) walnuts or other nuts or sub sunflower or pumpkin or hemp seeds, if nut-free
- ½ bunch of parsley finely chopped
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp dried herbs e.g. a mixture of basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp salt or to taste
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper or black pepper
- ½ tsp pumpkin spice or cinnamon (optional)
Burger Toppings (optional)
- 6 burger buns use your favorite
- ½ recipe homemade hummus
- 2 cups lettuce
- 6-8 tbsp dairy-free Greek yogurt or vegan mayonnaise or sour cream
- 7 oz (200 g) mushrooms sliced
- 1 tbsp Tamari or soy sauce
- 1 red onion finely sliced
- ½ pomegranate
Instructions
*Note: Check out the recipe video, step-by-step photos and tips in the blog post above.
- First prepare the pumpkin purée according to this recipe (or use canned one). Also, cook your quinoa according to the directions on the package in vegetable broth (or water). Then allow to cool.
- Heat a pan with a teaspoon of oil and sauté the onion for 2-3 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic and sauté for another minute, until fragrant. Set aside.
- Place the oats in a food processor and grind coarsely. Set aside.
- Now add the chickpeas, walnuts and parsley into the food processor and pulse until roughly mashed (or use a potato masher).
- Then transfer the chickpea mixture to a large bowl. Add pumpkin purée, quinoa, tomato paste, herbs, spices and ground oats and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
- Divide the pumpkin quinoa burger mixture into 6 equal parts (or more to make smaller fritters) and form into patties.
- Heat some oil in a large pan or skillet to medium-high heat, and cook the burgers for about 5-6 minutes on each side, depending on size, until the crust is golden and the center is warm (smaller patties are done sooner).
- Meanwhile, sauté the mushrooms in another pan with a little oil until golden brown. Then deglaze with tamari or soy sauce to give them flavor.
- Serve on top of burger buns with hummus, lettuce, yogurt or vegan mayo, mushrooms, red onions and pomegranate. Or enjoy as a side dish with flatbread, vegan Naan, French fries and your favorite dip!
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Size: The burgers are crispy on the outside but soft and creamy on the inside. If you want them to be crispier, I recommend making smaller and flatter patties.
- Quinoa: This recipe also works without quinoa but I like to add it for more texture. You can leave it out or use bulgur, rice or couscous instead.
- Chickpeas: You can also use kidney, black, pinto or cannellini beans instead.
- Walnuts: Feel free to use other nuts or seeds, such as pecans, toasted pine nuts, pumpkin, sunflower or hemp seeds.
- Oven method: You can also bake the burgers in the oven at 356 °F (180 °C) for about 30-40 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Before baking, be sure to brush them with a little oil to ensure they become crispy on the outside.
- Make ahead, Storing & Freezing: You can make the patties up to 5 days ahead of time and place them on a covered plate or wrap individually and refrigerate to cook them later. Or freeze in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to two months.
- Please read the blog post above for more information on the recipe!
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Hi Bianca, I love your recipes and I look forward to make this! but I have a question, the chickpeas are cooked or just soaked overnight?
Glad you like my recipes! 🙂 The chickpeas are cooked.
Dieses Rezept hat den Weg zu mir über eine Kochzeitschrift gefunden 🙂 Ich habe “nur” die Patties gemacht, und diese auf selbstgemachtem Hummus serviert. Dazu gab es einen großen Salat. Kein Rezept, wenn man es ganz, ganz eilig hat und das Kürbispüree gerne selber machen möchte (so wie ich), aber die Mühe lohnt sich auf jeden Fall. Statt der Walnüsse habe ich Cashews, und statt der Pfanne die Zubereitungsvariante im Backofen gewählt. Dann kann man wunderbar schon mal einen Apero mit dem Besuch genießen, während die Patties im Ofen garen! 🙂 Gerne mehr Kürbisrezepte, liebe Bianca. Ich liebe sie!
Wie schön! 🙂 Das freut mich sehr! Vielen Dank für dein Feedback ♡
made these today and they were delicious. a hit with everyone! Thank you.
That’s awesome! I’m very glad you liked it! Thanks for your feedback! 🙂