A scrumptious, grill-worthy and nourishing vegan Bean and Oats Burger that is packed with all the goodness you can imagine from oats, two kinds of beans, and carrots. There are no added oils in this veggie burger patty and it's hefty and sturdy enough for your Memorial Day grill. Also a gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free recipe.
Some of your favorite veggie burgers on this blog, and mine, have long been these vegan bean and oats burgers. It's easy to see why. They are full of flavor and yet they are utterly healthy with carrots, oats and red beans and pinto beans. A veggie burger simply does not get any better than this.
This is a really easy burger to make and it's full of texture from the beans and oats, which makes it wonderful to bite into. It easily makes it to the griddle and back, and is sturdy enough to throw on a grill.
What you'll love about these bean and oats burgers
- They're delicious.
- They are made with beans and oats and carrots--all foods that are good for you.
- They're sturdy enough for the grill.
- They are free of any added fats or nuts, so they're great if you're looking for a waist-friendly option.
- They are tried and tested, over and over, by dozens of Holy Cow! readers, so you don't have to take my word for it.
Featured comment:
I just made your Oat and Bean burgers and I am delighted with them!!! They are so delicious on a sesame bun with spicy brown mustard, ketchup and dill pickles. Thank you!!!
Karla S.
Ingredients
- Onion
- Garlic
- Quick-Cooking Oats (or rolled oats, run through a food processor to break them down a bit, are fine)
- Pinto beans
- Red beans
- Carrots
- Ground cumin
- Cayenne
- Tomato ketchup
- Dijon mustard of whole-grain mustard
- Tamari (optional if soy-free)
- Salt, as needed
- Cooking spray for coating the pan or grill
Tips and steps for making these veggie burgers
- Mash the beans: Place the beans in a bowl and mash them together. You should mash them well so the burgers hold together, but it's okay if a few beans remain whole, as they will add more texture.
- Cook the veggies: You will need to cook the carrots, onions and garlic first before adding them to the rest of the ingredients. This helps get rid of any moisture that could make your burgers fall apart when you cook them, and it also gives you an opportunity to cook the veggies with the spices, helping them marry together. This is not a long-drawn process--it takes just about five minutes.
- Prep the oats: Quick-cooking oats, which are usually cut into smaller pieces than rolled oats, are great in this recipe. I don't usually have quick oats on hand so I just use rolled oats and run them through the food processor to break them down further.
- Mix in the remaining ingredients: Mix in the onion-carrot mixture, oats and seasonings and mix it all together really well.
- Form the patties: I get eight hefty burger patties from this recipe. You can make them thicker, as I did this time, or shape them thinner as you see in the photo below from the last time I shared this recipe.
- Cook the burgers: I recommend cooking these burgers on a skillet first, with a bit of cooking spray, before you throw them on the grill. That will also take care of any worries about the burgers sticking to the grill.
- Serve the burgers: These burgers are great with this whole wheat burger buns. Serve them layered with hummus, like this eggplant hummus, greens, and a vegan coleslaw.
FAQs
You can use either. I have made this burger with both and it doesn't make a difference and you really can't beat canned beans for convenience. For the burgers you see in the photos this time I used canned pinto and red beans. The 14-oz cans yielded just over a cup of beans each after they were drained.
If starting with dry beans, use half a cup of red beans and a half a cup of pinto beans, soak them overnight, then cook them in enough water until really tender.
Yes and yes. If you want to make these with only pinto beans or only kidney beans that is fine. You can also use other kinds of beans--black beans would be great here.
You can store them in the refrigerator, after cooking them, for about a week. For longer storage I'd separate the burgers with parchment and store in the freezer in freezer-safe containers. To reheat, throw on a hot griddle or grill coated with cooking spray.
More veggie burger recipes:
- Spicy Vegan Black Bean Burgers
- Black Bean and Black Rice Burger
- Quinoa and Bean Burger
- Beet Burger with Chipotle Cashew Hummus
- Sprouted Mung Bean Burger with Mint Cilantro Chutney
Vegan Bean and Oats Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 large onion (finely minced)
- 4 cloves garlic (finely minced)
- 1 medium carrot (grated)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon cayenne (use more or less based on your preference)
- 14 oz pinto beans
- 14 oz red kidney beans
- 1 ½ cups quick-cooking oats (I ran regular rolled oats in the food processor for a minute)
- 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard (or whole grain mustard)
- 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
- 2 tablespoon tamari (or soy sauce. Leave out if soy-free and use more salt)
- Salt to taste
- Cooking spray
For serving
- Whole wheat burger buns
- Baby spinach or other greens
- coleslaw
Instructions
- Heat a skillet and saute the onion and garlic with a tiny bit of salt (no oil) for a few minutes until translucent but not brown.
- Add the carrots, cayenne, and cumin and cook a couple minutes or until carrot is tender. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- Mash the beans in a large bowl. Add the carrot mixture, mustard, ketchup, tamari and oats.
- Mix well, then shape the mixture into eight patties. You can make more, smaller patties, or fewer, larger ones. For the grill shape the patties thicker.
- Heat a nonstick or cast-iron skillet and coat with cooking spray. Cook patties over medium heat for four to five minutes on each side, or until golden brown. I like mine a little charred for extra flavor or you can char them on the grill.
Andrew
Can I air fry the patties?
Vaishali
Hi, you certainly can. I haven't done it myself so don't have exact times but I would estimate about 8 minutes on either side at about 375 degrees F/190 degrees C.
Meri Schroeder
Made these as the recipe reads, and they were delicious! Super easy to make. I love that there's no real added oil except the cooking spray.
Thank you for the healthy and tasty recipe!!
Vaishali
So happy you made it Meri!
Sonya
Thank you for sharing this recipe, I'm going to try these tonight and already know they will be delicious 😋 think I'll switch up the spices a bit for a little smokey flavor, I absolutely love healthy vegan foods.
Tera
Thank you so much for this recipe! So much flavour and a little kick too. My first successful vegan burger recipe yet! Others were always so dry.
My young daughter loved eating the mix right out of the bowl. Can’t wait to check out more of your recipes!
Vaishali
Hi Tera, so happy to hear you and your daughter enjoyed the burger recipe! This is our favorite veggie burger too, and my son Jay loves it.
Kathy
Health reason have suggested vegan is necessary...I hope these are as tasty as everyone says!
Cheryl
I made them exactly as written and they were fantastic.
Vaishali
So awesome to hear--thanks for letting me know!
Anonymous
Please provide the option of NO pictures. Many of us do not want to print or save the beautiful photos, just the instructions.
Thanks!
Vaishali
Hi, when you click on print recipe you should see two checkboxes at the top--"Recipe image" and "instruction images". Uncheck both of those and it'll print without any photos!
M
Wish I could post a pic! I made these and I adore them! I actually used black beans because that’s what I had, and I loved the depth of flavor I achieved! Awesome recipe!
Vaishali
So happy you loved them, M! These are my favorite burger patties.
Debi
What a pleasant surprise. I used only mashed pintos, soy sauce and omitted carrot. Each used their own choice of condiments. No complaints whatsoever! Will make again!
Vaishali
So great to hear!
Ami
Hi. I tried making it today. Oven baked. Came out yummy with salad sandwiches.
Vaishali
So great to hear, Ami!
Dani
All I have in my kitchen currently are precooked lentils in my freezer. Can I use lentils instead of both the beans???
Vaishali
Yes!
Dara
Can you sub steel cut oats for the quick cooking oats? Thank you.
David
Do I need to soak and cook canned beans first? Or can I just miss this step?
Vaishali
No need to soak cooked or canned beans. Drain them before using!
Vaishali
That won't work as steel cut oats have a much longer cook time.
Karen
I am wondering if you can sub canned beans, thoroughly rinsed? Looking forward to trying these! Thanks.
Sara
Yes I did ? it can actually make things go quicker and be done faster with canned beans rinsed ?
Lisa
Whats the ratio with canned beans - is it still half a cup.
Lilly
I think 1/2 cup dry beans makes about 1.5 cups beans once cooked so I would say 1 - 1.5 cups of each bean but I haven't tried it yet; about to tonight
Robin
I'm eating this burger now. It's really good. Thank you.
Vaishali
So happy to hear!
Zissel Black
They came out amazing!!!
We all loved them. Great surprise.