Baked Chickpea Burgers with Oats

These baked chickpea burgers with oats have a similar taste and texture to falafels, but are served up burger-style with a creamy tahini yogurt sauce! A great vegetarian option that’s so easy, satisfying, and delicious! {Gluten-free & vegetarian}

A chickpea burger on a wooden serving board with sweet potato chips.

Healthy Chickpea Oat Burgers

Say hello to your new favorite homemade veggie burger! These chickpea burgers with oats are loaded with flavor, especially when you top them up with the creamy tahini yogurt sauce and all of your favorite toppings.

Not to mention, they are super easy to whip together. The chickpea patties resemble the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavor of falafels but they’re less work to prepare since you don’t have to form them into small patties. You can slap six of these burgers together in no time! They’re a great plant-based and gluten-free option for your summer burgers!

For more meatless options, be sure to try my Vegan Spicy Black Bean Burger Recipe and Vegan Falafel Wrap too!

Overhead shot of the veggie burger with the top bun resting to one side.

Why We Love This Recipe

Quick: These vegan chickpea burgers only take about 10 minutes to assemble before they get baked in the oven. They’re seriously quick!

Healthy: These veggie burgers make a great meatless option and are packed full of fiber and protein! With the addition of the shredded carrot, they’re a great way to sneak some extra veggies and vitamin A into your day!

Make ahead: You can make the patties ahead of time for a quick and easy meal. They’re freezer-friendly too, so you might want to make a double batch!

Ingredient Notes

Chickpeas: For ease, use canned chickpeas with no salt added. Just drain and rinse them well before using. You can also cook dried chickpeas, if you prefer.
Tahini: Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds, and it helps give each chickpea burger patty that unmistakeable falafel flavor. It also helps to bind the burgers together since no eggs are used in this recipe.
Rolled oats: To bind the ingredients together and absorb extra moisture. You can also use almond flour if you want a lower carb option. I don’t recommend instant oats.
Vegetables: Onion, garlic and carrot add some extra flavor and nutrients to these burgers. To switch up the veggies, try adding shredded zucchini, finely diced pepper or red onion.
Fresh parsley: Parsley adds a great fresh herby flavor. You could also use fresh cilantro.
Lemon: We use both lemon juice and zest for a bright and zingy note. Fresh is best, but you can use bottled juice as well.
Tamari: Contributes lots of flavor to the burgers and also helps give the patties a golden brown color when baked. You could also sub in low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos if preferred.

For the tahini sauce:

Greek yogurt: I used 2% plain Greek yogurt; however, you could also substitute dairy-free yogurt if you wanted to make these burgers totally vegan.
Spices: Adjust the amount of paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper according to personal taste.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place all of the ingredients for the chickpea burgers in a food processor other than the olive oil.

The burger ingredients in a food processor.

Pulse several times until ingredients have broken down, but still some chunkiness remains. You don’t want the mixture to turn into a smooth paste. You may need to use a spatula to fold the ingredients from the bottom of the food processor in with those at the top.

Pick up some of the patty mixture with your hands. It should be sticky enough to form into burgers, but not so sticky that it still feels wet. If the mixture feels too wet, fold in some additional oats. If it feels too dry, add one tablespoon of water at a time until it binds together.

Using your hands, form the chickpea mixture into 6 evenly sized patties and place them spaced apart on the parchment paper. Lightly brush the surface of the veggie patties with olive oil.

Overhead shot of a pan of chickpea veggie burgers

Bake in the oven for approximately 35-40 minutes, or until firm and lightly browned, flipping carefully after about 30 minutes.

Close up of the baked patties on a baking sheet.

In the meantime, if you plan to make the tahini yogurt sauce, combine all the ingredients for the spread in a small bowl.

Serve burgers on a lettuce wrap, bun, pita or in a salad topped with the yogurt spread and desired toppings.

A chickpea burger with the top bun placed to one side.

Scroll to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!

Recipe Notes:

You may need to play around with the consistency of the mixture after pulsing the ingredients in the food processor. If it feels too wet, add more oats. If it feels too dry, add one tablespoon of water at a time until the mixture sticks together.

If you don’t have a food processor, you can also mash the chickpeas in a large bowl with a potato masher or blitz the chickpeas with an immersion blender and then add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix thoroughly. You may need to add some water to help the mixture stick together if it’s not binding.

I like to bake the patties for convenience, but you can also cook them on the stove top in a large frying pan if preferred. To do so, add some oil to the pan and cook them over medium heat for about four minutes on the first side and 3-4 minutes on the other side.

When flipping the patties, do so very carefully as they can be fragile.

You can also form the mixture into small patties if desired. They taste great served like falafels and the mini patties are especially great for little ones!

How to Store

These burger patties are a great make-ahead recipe. You can make them a day or two ahead and keep them covered in the fridge until you are ready to cook them.

The cooked burgers can be stored in an airtight container or covered with saran wrap in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat them in the oven at 350F or in the microwave until heated through.

Can you freeze chickpea burgers?

Yes, cooked or uncooked chickpea burgers freeze really well! You can store them in the freezer in a freezer safe container or bag for up to 3 months. If stacking, place parchment paper in between to prevent them from sticking together.

To defrost: Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat to your liking in a skillet over the stove, oven or in the microwave. If uncooked, cook according to recipe instructions.

Recipe FAQs

Can I make these burgers on the grill?

I haven’t personally tried it so I’m not sure how well the burgers would hold together. If you do try it, make sure that you grease the grill well and flip the patties very carefully to prevent them from falling apart. You could also try freezing the burgers before placing them on the grill to help them stay together.

What can you substitute for tahini?

If you don’t like tahini or just don’t have any on hand, you can try using natural peanut butter or cashew butter instead. It will change the flavor slightly, but it’s important for the texture and moisture level.

Why put oats in burgers?

In addition to absorbing moisture, old fashioned oats will also help bind the burger patties together and give them the perfect texture. They are also whole grains, adding extra fiber to fill you up. They are a common ingredient in veggie burger recipes, and can be the difference between an okay vegan burger and a great one.

Topping Suggestions

These burgers are delicious topped with the following:

Lettuce
Arugula
Pickles
Avocado
Red onion
Tomato
Yogurt tahini spread

If you want to switch up the flavors, you could also skip the yogurt tahini spread and serve these burgers with a sriracha mayo or use store-bought or homemade hummus (like this sweet potato hummus or spicy garlic hummus) or healthy tzatziki sauce instead!

Serving Suggestions

These veggie burgers are great to serve on toasted buns, in lettuce wraps, in a pita, on a salad or just by themselves. Serve them up with your favorite sides for a tasty and balanced meal.

Try them with:

Recipe Variations

Make lettuce wraps: For a totally gluten-free meal, serve these chickpea burgers on crunchy Romaine lettuce leaves or add them to your next salad.
Spice things up. For a spicier burger, add some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to the burger patty mixture. You can also add a few splashes of your favorite hot sauce!
Cook them on the stove: If you only need to cook 1 or 2 burgers, consider pan frying them in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. They only need about 3-4 minutes on each side. Be careful flipping them to keep them from falling apart.
Make mini patties: My kids love sliders or eating mini patties like nuggets. To do this, try forming 1-2 tablespoons of the garbanzo bean mixture into a patty. Be sure to reduce the baking time to avoid drying them out too much.

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A hand holding a chickpea burger with oats.

Course Main Course