These chickpea butternut squash patties give you an easy, veggie-packed meal with crisp golden edges, a tender center, and plenty of satisfying flavor.
If you love easy ways to cook with chickpeas, try our chickpea fritters, chickpea cucumber salad, or Greek chickpea soup next.
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Why you’ll love our Chickpea Butternut Squash Patties!
These chickpea butternut squash patties are golden and crisp outside, tender in the middle, and packed with simple, wholesome ingredients. 🧡 They’re an easy way to turn chickpeas and seasonal squash into a satisfying meal everyone can enjoy.
Chickpeas bring plant-based protein and fiber, while butternut squash adds natural sweetness and plenty of vegetable goodness. Parmesan, oregano, smoked paprika, garlic, and red onion make every bite savory and flavorful without needing a long ingredient list. 🌱
Louise and I love these patties for a quick lunch or easy weeknight dinner, especially with a creamy yogurt dip, tzatziki, or a simple salad on the side. You can pan-fry them until beautifully golden or use the oven or air fryer for an easy alternative.
Best of all, they’re nutritious, affordable, and meal-prep friendly. Make a batch ahead, keep them in the fridge, and you’ve got a wholesome veggie-packed option ready to go. 🥗
P.S: For more veggie-packed favorites, try our lentil patties, zucchini fritters, or chickpea sweet potato patties.
Ingredients
Full ingredients and substitutions are in the recipe box below.
- Chickpeas: use canned for convenience, or cook your own from dried. Black beans also work well for these vegetable patties.
- Butternut squash: adds sweetness, moisture, and a creamy texture. Substitute sweet potato, pumpkin, or another winter squash.
- All-purpose flour: helps bind the mixture. Substitute whole wheat flour, oat flour, or a gluten-free flour blend.
- Parmesan: adds savory flavor and helps the patties brown. Substitute Pecorino Romano, Grana Padano, or nutritional yeast.
- Egg: binds the patties together. Substitute 3 more tablespoons of flour if needed.
- Red onion: adds sweetness and a little bite. Substitute yellow onion, shallots, or scallions.
- Garlic: adds savory depth. If you’re garlic intolerant, simply omit it or add extra herbs for flavor.
- Dried oregano: gives the patties a Mediterranean flavor. Substitute dried thyme, rosemary, or Italian seasoning.
- Smoked paprika: adds warm, smoky notes. Substitute cumin, taco seasoning, or regular paprika for milder butternut squash fritters.
- Salt and black pepper: season the mixture to taste.
- Olive oil: helps create crisp, golden edges. Substitute avocado oil or another neutral cooking oil.
How to Make Chickpea Butternut Squash Patties
Step 1. Cook and mash the squash
Peel and dice the butternut squash, then add it to a microwave-safe bowl.
Microwave for about 7 minutes, or until very soft. Mash with a fork or potato masher until mostly smooth.
Step 2. Mash with the chickpeas
Add the drained and rinsed chickpeas to the bowl with the squash.
Mash everything together, leaving some chickpeas slightly chunky for texture. This gives the patties a tender center without making them too soft.
Step 3. Add the binders and seasonings
Add the flour, grated Parmesan, egg, finely chopped red onion, grated garlic, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper.
Mix until the mixture holds together.
Step 4. Shape and cook
Shape the mixture into small patties using about 2 to 3 tablespoons for each one. Lightly oil your hands if needed. If it feels too wet or sticky, add a little more flour.
Heat a little olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat and cook for about 4 minutes per side, until golden and crisp.
You can also bake them at 400°F (200°C) for 20 to 25 minutes, or air fry at 375°F (190°C) for about 10 minutes.
Serve warm with your favorite dip.
Serving Suggestions
- Make it a protein-packed meal: Serve the patties with Greek yogurt or tzatziki, a grain like quinoa, and a simple chopped salad.
- Build a grain bowl: Add them to brown rice, farro, or quinoa with greens, avocado, tomatoes, and a creamy tahini or yogurt sauce.
- Stuff them into pita: Tuck the patties into warm pita with lettuce, tomatoes, pickled red onions, and tzatziki for an easy lunch.
- Serve as an appetizer: Make smaller patties and serve them with toothpicks and a dipping sauce. Great for potlucks, game day, or holiday gatherings.
- Turn them into veggie burgers: Shape the mixture into larger patties and serve on burger buns with lettuce, tomato, onion, and your favorite sauce.
- Meal prep for lunch: Make the patties ahead and refrigerate them. Pair with a salad, roasted vegetables, or grains for quick lunches throughout the week.
- Add extra protein: Serve alongside eggs, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, or a hearty bean salad for a more substantial meal.
Tips
- Microwave the squash until very soft: It should mash easily with a fork so it blends with the chickpeas and helps hold the patties together.
- Drain the chickpeas well: Extra water can make the mixture too wet and sticky.
- Keep some chickpeas chunky: Don’t mash everything into a smooth paste. A little texture makes the patties more satisfying and keeps the centers from feeling pasty.
- Make small, fairly thin patties: They’re easier to flip and develop more golden, crisp surface than large, thick ones.
- Oil your hands: A light coating of olive oil makes a sticky mixture much easier to shape.
- Heat the pan before adding the patties: A properly heated skillet helps them start browning right away instead of absorbing oil.
- Don’t overcrowd the skillet: Leave space between the patties and cook in batches so they brown rather than steam.
- Wait before flipping: Give the first side about 4 minutes to develop a good crust. Flipping too early is one of the easiest ways to break them.
- Adjust the heat as you cook: Keep it around medium, lowering it slightly if the outside browns before the center is heated through.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Shape the patties and refrigerate them, covered, until you’re ready to cook. You can also cook them ahead and reheat when needed.
The mixture may be too wet or the patties may have been flipped too soon. Add a little more flour if needed, and let the first side develop a golden crust before turning.
Yes. Replace the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend or oat flour. This makes them an easy option for gluten-free patties.
Yes. You can replace Parmesan with nutritional yeast for a dairy-free option, although the flavor and texture will be slightly different.
Let them cool completely, then refrigerate in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet, oven, or air fryer to bring back some crispness. You can also freeze the cooked patties for up to 3 months.
Easy chickpea meals
- Greek yogurt marry me chickpeas
- Chickpea Shakshuka
- Dense chickpeas sweet potato salad
- Turmeric cauliflower and chickpeas
- Chickpea curry
- Chickpea shawarma bowl
- Chickpea noodle soup
- Chickpea stew
If you try this Chickpea Butternut Squash Patties Recipe please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it turned out in the comments—we love hearing from you.
Chickpea Butternut Squash Patties (Quick and Easy)
Ingredients
- 2 cans chickpeas 15 oz / 400 g each can — drained and rinsed
- 2 cups butternut squash diced – about 11 oz / 300 g
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour sub gluten-free flour
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan
- 1 large egg
- ½ red onion finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic grated
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano sub dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika sub taco seasoning or cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt + black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil for cooking the fritters
Instructions
- Cook the squash: Peel and dice 2 cups butternut squash. Place in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for about 7 minutes, or until very soft. Mash with a fork or potato masher.
- Mash with the chickpeas: Add 2 cans chickpeas (drained and rinsed). Mash together, leaving some chickpeas chunky for texture.
- Mix everything together: Add 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup grated parmesan, 1 large egg, ½ red onion (finely chopped), 1 clove garlic (grated), 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Mix until the mixture holds together. If it feels too wet or sticky, add a little more flour.
- Shape and cook: Shape 2 to 3 tablespoons of mixture into each patty. Lightly oil your hands if the mixture sticks.Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the patties for about 4 minutes per side, or until golden and crisp.Alternatively, bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20 to 25 minutes, or air fry at 375°F (190°C) for about 10 minutes. Serve warm with your favorite dip.
Notes
- Chickpeas → Black beans.
- Butternut squash → Sweet potato, pumpkin, or another winter squash.
- All-purpose flour → Whole wheat flour, oat flour, or gluten-free flour blend.
- Parmesan → Pecorino Romano, Grana Padano, or nutritional yeast.
- Egg → 3 additional tablespoons of flour.
- Red onion → Yellow onion, shallots, or scallions.
- Garlic → Omit or add extra herbs.
- Dried oregano → Dried thyme, rosemary, or Italian seasoning.
- Smoked paprika → Cumin, taco seasoning, or regular paprika.
- Olive oil → Avocado oil or another neutral cooking oil.
- Cook the squash until very soft: It should mash easily with a fork.
- Drain chickpeas well: Extra water makes the mixture sticky.
- Keep some texture: Leave a few chickpeas chunky rather than mashing everything smooth.
- Make small, thin patties: They’re easier to flip and get crispier.
- Oil your hands: It makes sticky patties much easier to shape.
- Preheat the skillet: A hot pan helps the patties brown instead of absorbing oil.
- Don’t overcrowd: Cook in batches so the patties brown rather than steam.
- Don’t flip too early: Give them about 4 minutes to form a golden crust.
- Watch the heat: Lower it if the patties brown too quickly.
- Storage: Refrigerate cooked patties in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
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