I recently rekindled my love of black bean burgers. Once you try this recipe you’ll understand how it happened.
I began making black bean burgers a few years ago when I discovered Sarah B.’s black bean beauty burgers on My New Roots. I must have made that recipe 100 times before giving them up for more complicated burger pursuits (like my beet burgers). Almost a year passed without me making them once, when one day, armed with a bag of brazil nuts and hemp seeds, I was hit with a craving. I made a couple of variations to Sarah B.’s original flawless recipe to give it my own yummy touch, and voila! Now I can’t get enough of these vegan patties.
They’re perfect for lunch, dinner, snack, even breakfast. They’re also a perfect travel companion that will pack up easily and keep you full for hours, thanks to all that protein, fiber, and super nutritiousness. These bad boys also happen to be really easy to make, as long as you have a food processor. Serve them with bread, in a leaf, or on their own.
Before we move onto the recipe, let’s talk a bit about the amazingly healthy ingredients!
First up, hemp seeds. Don’t let their petite size fool you. These guys are packed with protein, fiber, minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids. I often sprinkle them onto my DIY chocolate, salads, and raw bars. For this recipe I use hulled seeds. Hemp seeds still in the shell are also great, but I prefer to save them for snacking.
I’m also really into brazil nuts these days. I first discovered this unique huge nut while working at Peacefood Cafe in 2010. At Peacefood they make the most divine brazil nut milk chai, so if you’re ever in NYC, make sure you order one. Brazil nut milk is also fantastic, and can be made at home the same way you would make almond milk.
And what about the health benefits? Brazil nuts are perhaps the world’s most abundant source of dietary selenium. Selenium is a trace mineral that has been studied for its role in decreasing risk of breast and prostate cancer. It also plays a role in regulating thyroid function, and acts as an antioxidant.
Pumpkin seeds and I are pretty tight. I add them to almost every salad I make, every snack I eat, and certainly every pesto I whip up. There are several varieties of pumpkin seeds each from a different kind of pumpkin. The ones pictured above seem to be the most common in the US. They’re certainly delicious in every form.
Pepitas (another name for pumpkin seeds) are also very mineral-dense. They are most well known for their zinc content, and are also great sources of manganese, copper, vitamin E, magnesium, and iron. Zinc isn’t readily available in many plant-based foods, but eating pumpkin seeds regularly (especially with the whole shell) is helpful….and chewy.
Black Bean Hemp Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 red pepper roughly chopped
- ½ red onion roughly chopped
- ½ cup brazil nuts
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup hemp seeds
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 14- oz can black beans
- 1 cup cilantro chopped
- ½ cup quick cooking oats or oat bran
- 6 slices of toasted ciabatta bread or your vessel of choice
- 2 cups arugula mixed greens, or butter lettuce
- 1 avocado sliced
- 1/2 cucumber sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° and line a baking dish with parchment paper. Also grab a large mixing bowl, and your food processor.
- Add the red pepper and onion to the food processor, and pulse until minced. Pour into the large mixing bowl.
- Add the brazil nuts, seeds, garlic cloves, chili powder, cumin, and sea salt to the food processor, and blend until it has combined into a grainy mixture. Pour into the mixing bowl with the onion and pepper.
- Add the beans and cilantro to the processor, and blend until almost smooth (a few chunks of bean is okay). Pour into the mixing bowl.
- Pour your oats into the mixing bowl with the other ingredients, and stir well to combine. The oats will expand and help hold the burgers together.
- Form into tight palm-sized patties, and place each onto the baking sheet.
- Bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and use a spatula to flip each burger. Continue baking for another 10 minutes.
- Serve with ciabatta, avocado, cucumber, and arugula.
sayingout / January 16, 2018 at 8:35 am /
Lovely burger. I am such a fan of hemp it has such a nutty taste and all those nutrients.
Zann Brown / January 27, 2017 at 11:02 pm /
Love, love love the Black Bean Hemp burgers. Love the spiciness, the texture, basically everything about them. Keep up the great work
Maddie / August 31, 2016 at 6:22 pm /
This recipe looks wonderful but I dont have a working oven! How do you think I should go about cooking them on a stovetop?
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / August 31, 2016 at 11:05 pm /
Thanks Maddie! You can cook it in a nonstick skillet or grill 🙂
C.T. / April 11, 2016 at 6:04 pm /
First, let me say that I enjoy your site. Also, I am not a vegan, but I like to incorporate two or three days of no meat. With that, I have tried a few of the recipes and loved them. This past Saturday, I tried the sweet potato falafels, spicy cucumber salad and black bean burgers. They were great, however, my burgers were drrrry. I am not if I cooked them too long or, added too many oats. Any suggestions on how I can make them moist? Now, I have these dry burgers and don’t know what to do with them. Additionally, My family is getting together in June and my brother in law is vegan and I would like to have some options for him, but I refuse to serve him dry black bean burgers. Please help.
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / April 13, 2016 at 6:26 pm /
Hi! Wow, I’m sorry they were dry. Sounds like too many oats. Sometimes if your beans are very dry too you’ll need less oats. Try it again and cut the oats in half. If I were you, I would crumble the burgers up and serve them over salads. The sweet potato burger recipe is really great too. No risk of being dry.
Lena / September 29, 2015 at 5:52 pm /
I’ve made these burgers a few times before. But since I recently made falafel waffles I thought I’d try to cook these in a waffle maker. It didn’t work out but I ended up using the crumbles in a wrap/taco 🙂
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / September 29, 2015 at 11:38 pm /
Oh wow, yum!! I’m totally making falafel waffles. And I love your use of the crumbles 🙂
Natalie / September 1, 2015 at 4:26 pm /
I love these burgers. So easy and delicious!
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / September 1, 2015 at 4:31 pm /
Thanks so much Natalie!!
Sofia De Castro / August 31, 2015 at 11:07 am /
Loved this Blog!
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / September 1, 2015 at 12:35 am /
Thank you so much Sofia!!! Much love right back at ya 🙂 xoxo
Jennifer Grant Zaruba / July 30, 2015 at 1:14 am /
This recipe sounds fantastic, but I am afraid a whole cup of nuts would be too heavy for me. Would It work if I reduce the amount to 1/2 cup, and sub something else, like maybe mushrooms?
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / August 6, 2015 at 3:21 am /
Absolutely, you can try subbing seeds for the nuts to retain the texture. Or take them out. I think any other veggie would do find, as long as it isn’t very wet.
Dawn Marie Pendola / July 4, 2015 at 8:56 pm /
These are the best Black bean burgers! They have cravabilty!
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / July 7, 2015 at 5:36 pm /
Yay! Thanks so much 🙂
Lauren / May 23, 2015 at 1:07 pm /
Omg these look so good! Assuming they’d turn out well w/walnuts instead of brazilnuts?
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / May 25, 2015 at 4:08 am /
Thanks Lauren! Yes, I think walnuts would work too. I add them to my beet burgers all the time 🙂
Daisy / April 7, 2015 at 10:36 pm /
Any gluten free sub for the oats?
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / April 8, 2015 at 3:01 am /
Sure. If you can’t do gf oats either, you can use quinoa flakes, or cooked brown rice. If you do the rice you should blend it along with the beans though to create a nice binder 🙂
Lilu / March 20, 2015 at 2:55 pm /
Dear Jenne,
I love your blog, I think is awesome!
I have prepared those burgers….just incredibly tasty and good,,, love them..
Thanks for sharing your recipes.
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / March 20, 2015 at 9:10 pm /
Hi Lilu! I’m so happy you enjoyed them. Thanks for letting me know 🙂 Have a great weekend!!! xo
Nina Roshaun / January 6, 2015 at 1:40 am /
I made the Black Bean Hemp burgers yesterday for myself and the family…OMG!!! They were so good. The family loved them, I was surprised. This one is now part of my meal planning. Thanks Jenne.
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / January 11, 2015 at 4:00 pm /
Yay! I’m so happy you all liked them!! Maybe I’ll make them tonight 🙂
Lynette / September 22, 2014 at 3:30 pm /
I’m making a double amount tonight, can’t wait to try them, but tell me do I freeze them already cooked or just the mix?
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / September 23, 2014 at 2:24 pm /
Hi Lynette! I hope they were awesome! I cook, then freeze mine 🙂
Katye / September 14, 2014 at 12:19 pm /
I just tried this recipe. It is seriously awesome. My favorite burger and it’s worth the price.
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / September 14, 2014 at 2:57 pm /
Yay!! Girl, you’ve got me doing my happy dance 🙂
Phil / September 13, 2014 at 11:03 am /
Excellent. I followed the recipe exactly. I served with a kale salad and tahini dressing and ancient grain bread. A wonderful meal in all. Thank you.
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / September 13, 2014 at 2:08 pm /
Oooooh, thank you for sharing Phillip!
Montina Portis / September 12, 2014 at 2:33 pm /
That video was fantastic! You made it look so easy and it looks like it taste so good. I am looking forward to making this black bean burger.
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / September 12, 2014 at 3:08 pm /
Thanks so much Montina!! Let me know how you like them 🙂 Have a great weekend!
Melissa Collins / September 12, 2014 at 11:24 am /
Hi Jenné, just wondered if you’ve tried this recipe with other nut combinations such as cashews or macadamias? Aside from expensive, I wonder what the flavor might be? I’m not a fan of Brazils to be honest, but after reading what you have to say, I might have to become one. Does cooking them mellow the bitter hit you get with them? That’s the main thing putting me off here :/ Otherwise they sure look delicious! I never knew it was ok to eat pumpkin seeds with their shells – my daughter does that. I just figured it might be too rough on digestion. Do you have any thoughts on that?
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / September 12, 2014 at 3:09 pm /
Hey Melissa! I’ve only done it with almonds. I think it would work fine with any nuts though. I don’t think the Brazil nut flavor stands out too much. I’ll have to make them again and let you know 😉
Zoermoos / February 2, 2015 at 6:28 am /
Eating more than two Brazil nuts a day causes selenium toxicity, or selenosis. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/1003.html
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / February 2, 2015 at 4:34 pm /
Just don’t eat too many or too often 🙂 From the other NIH website it looks like you’ll have to eat between 5-6 to get to 400 mcg. This recipe only calls for 1/2 cup, and since brazil nuts are huge, and the recipe makes many burgers, that’s not too much at all. I wouldn’t take a selenium supplement, but I wouldn’t worry about eating brazil nuts in moderation and added to recipes like this one. Thanks for reading 🙂