(updated August 17, 2022) // by Phoebe Lapine // 11 comments
4.34 from 3 votes
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These gluten-free veggie nuggets are brought to you in partnership with my friends Little Northern Bakehouse. As always opinions are 100 percent my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this site and my vegan nuggets recipes possible!
Back in college, I was a connoisseur of frozen vegan nuggets.
A true tween of the late 90’s, I was fully on the soy train and rode that baby all the way from Starbucks to the Whole Foods freezer aisle, where I would load up my own mini fridge with faux meat burgers and soy crusted nuggets.
I had fallen for that age old myth that somehow a hyper processed oval shaped bite was healthier than a whole food simply because it had a few dietary labels slapped on the front.
Much to my dismay, I was not alone. As soon as I moved off campus into a house with 6 other girls, my precious freezer nuggets began mysteriously disappearing. Usually they would go missing around 1am once the bars got out. The only evidence, an empty box, respectfully placed back in the freezer, and a few crumbs in the microwave. Obviously, there wouldn’t be any plates in the sink, because I lived with animals.
It took many years to realize that those drunk thieves were actually doing me a favor. I’ve since gotten soy almost entirely out of my diet, and when I do buy anything from the freezer aisle, it has to be made up of whole food ingredients.
When I can though I try to make my own freezer veggie nuggets and burgers. These kale and sweet potato veggie nuggets were a recent experiment for back to school season as I prepare to log some serious time at my desk finishing the SIBO Made Simple book – not unlike those late nights at the library that kept me from bar crawls and late night nugget binges.
These cuties are made up of frozen kale (a great time saver), sweet potato and gluten-free vegan breadcrumbs, thanks to this Seeds and Grains bread. They are one of the few brands at the market that make gluten-free bread that is also egg-free. Their products are sourced from non-GMO and whole-food ingredients, and feature fiber-rich seeds and grains for a boost in nutrition. Many are also 100% plant-based and vegan, appealing to a wide-variety of diets and food preferences. Most importantly, they are certified as Glyphosate Residue Free by third-party testing so consumers don’t have to worry about this cancer-causing substance.
If you’re more a traditional gluten-free veggie burger lover, you will also want to try my Faux Falafel Gluten-Free Veggie Burgers and this Gluten-Free Red Lentil Burger Recipe, both of which can be low FODMAP in one serving.
You’ll be amazed by how quickly these veggie nuggets come together with a little semi-homemade help from the store. You can enjoy them with any sauce of your choosing and freeze them for any future last minute lunch or study break. Read on for the recipe!
With health and hedonism,
Phoebe
Kale and Sweet Potato Veggie Nuggets
4.34 from 3 votes
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These healthy gluten-free veggie nuggets are a great alternative to what's in your frozen foods aisle. They come together with just a few ingredients and will keep your lunchbox the envy of the whole class.
Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
Servings 8
Author Phoebe Lapine
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes about 1 3/4 pounds, sliced in half lengthwise
- Olive oil
- 2 cups frozen kale
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons flax seed meal
- 2 cups gluten-free breadcrumbs from 3 slices Little Northern Bakehouse Seeds & Grains bread
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Lightly brush the cut sides of the sweet potatoes with olive oil and arrange cut-side down on the baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and cook until quite soft, about 35 minutes. Remove the pan and set aside. When the potatoes are cool enough to touch, scoop out the flesh and measure out a total of approx. 2 cups. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl and mash with a fork.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium nonstick skillet. Add the kale, chili powder and smoked paprika. Sauté until the kale is fully wilted, the liquid has evaporated, and the spices are fragrant, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a mixing bowl with sweet potatoes.
In a separate small mixing bowl, combine the flax seed meal with 2 tablespoons water. Mix until thoroughly incorporated and set aside for 5 minutes. Once gelatinous, transfer to a mixing bowl with the kale and sweet potatoes. Fold in the breadcrumbs and salt until the dry ingredients are well combined with the veggies.
Line a second sheet pan with parchment paper and lightly with oil. Using a melon baller or rounded tablespoon, portion the batter into 32 mounds, 16 on each tray. With your hands, shape the balls into oblong nuggets, and pat smooth. Arrange an inch or so apart on the parchment-paper lined baking sheets. Transfer to the oven and bake until the nuggets have dried out and formed a nice brown crust on the bottom, 30 minutes. Flip the bites and return to the oven for 10 more minutes, until firm.
Serve immediately alongside your preferred dipping sauce, or freeze for later.
If you make this, tag @phoebelapine and #feedmephoebe – I’d love to see it!
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Comments
Ena Wong says what temperature do you bake it at?
Reply
- Elizabeth says
Can you use fresh kale? If so, do you need to add liquid when cooking?
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- Noelle says
I second this question- how would you portion out/ proceed with fresh kale?
Reply
- Jenny says
Can you make these ahead of time? Would you refrigerate or freeze if it’s only a few days before serving? And could you use regular stale bread if you’re not gluten-intolerant?
Reply
- Phoebe Lapine says
definitely! You can always rebake them to recrisp. They will keep in the fridge if it’s only a few days. And any bread is fine!
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