I am excited to be updating these Toasty Pumpkin Chickpea Fritters today with some shiny new photos and commentary. This is one of my most popular recipes - first published back in 2011. I'm happy to be re-sharing them with you today!
Today, I hopped in the kitchen and made these. Truth be told, it's been a few years since I have made these and I had definitely forgotten how delicious and easy this recipe is! Emphasis on the delicious!! Oh my gosh these are divine for fall..
The Flavors.
Pumpkin and chickpeas with a hint of maple and garlic and pumpkin seeds (or hemp!). Tender inside and a crispy EVOO skillet-toasted Panko crumb on the outside.
toasty pumpkin chickpea fritters
These fritters have a gorgeous golden pumpkin color to them. Browned crispy edges from those panko breadcrumbs and the most delicate and nutty, moist yet solid centers. Please not that these fritters are delicate, but they absolutely stay together once pan-fried. I also use Panko crumbs in my famous Sweet Potato Burgers!
How to Prepare them?
Three options..
- pan-fry only
- pan-fry, then finish in the oven for a 5-7 minute bake at 350 degrees
- just bake in the oven
- My directions are for the pan-fry option, but the other two options are available to you. Note: If you do the 'just bake' option, just be sure to spray or lightly brush your fritters in EVOO so that they do not dry out. those Panko crumbs need moisture to taste good!
For the best flavor and texture, pan-fry these babies. Now when I say "fry" we are not talking dunking them in a pot of oil, this is just a light fry to the coating of the fritters. The fritters will cook through in a few minutes.
Pumpkin Seeds or Hemp Seeds?
My original recipe called for hemp seeds, but today I tried out pumpkin seeds - finely chopped - and they worked really well.
These easy, Toasty Pumpkin Chickpea Fritters are tender and moist on the inside - toasty on the outside. A light, crisp layer of panko breadcrumbs coat a cozy fall-inspired filling of mashed chickpeas, rich golden pumpkin, nutty hemp seeds, garlic, a hint of maple and a splash of bright cider vinegar.
Sage Cream Sauce
This is the original side sauce for this recipe... (optional)
I blend up 4 fresh sage leaves with 1 cup silken tofu, 2 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 heaping spoonful of vegan mayo and a pinch of fresh parsley. For a spicy sage sauce I add in either cayenne or a tablespoon of chopped jalapeno.
Egg Replacers?
Back in 2011 when I developed this recipe, the "vegan egg" options were a bit sparse. These days, you could absolutely use a Vegan "Egg" product to give these fritters a firmer hold. I have not tested this recipe using anything like that yet, but I suspect it would be delicious!
How to Serve these Vegan Fritters
These lovable little pumpkin fritters are delicious served on their own in bite-sized morsels - or even as a festive fall patty for a veggie burger. I like to serve them as an appetizer or alongside a big salad for dinner.
Wait, what is a fritter?
Hmm, as I tried to name these tasty little cakes, I couldn't decide on naming them fritters, croquettes or just cakes. Well I settled on fritters since "fritter" seems the most flexible for a fried cake of filling with some sort of coating as the surface. Croquettes (one of my fave words ever) seem to be slightly the same thing, except they are usually shaped into round-rectangle shapes - almost like extra large dates. Cakes would have worked too, but I just love the word fritters 🙂 Vegan fritters it is!
Substitutions - Can you swap out the pumpkin + bean?
If you'd like you can change up the pumpkin for butternut or acorn squash. Even sweet potato will work for a slightly different flavor. You can also change up the bean. Cannellini of even nutty lentils will work nicely.
Toasty Pumpkin Chickpea Fritters
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups chickpeas
- ½ cup pumpkin puree, unsweetened
- ¼ cup hemp seeds, or finely chopped pumpkin seeds
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2-3 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon flour, any variety
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder, granules
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
Coating
- 3-5 tablespoon olive oil, extra virgin
Instructions
- Add the chickpeas, pumpkin, hemp or pumpkin seeds, vinegar, maple syrup, flour, garlic and salt and pepper to a mixing bowl. Using a potato masher or a sturdy fork, mash the chickpeas down until you get a chunky puree in texture. Like a chunky hummus.
- Warm a skillet over high heat. Add two tablespoons of olive oil
- Pour the Panko into a small bowl and set aside.
- When the oil is hot, turn heat to low.
- Grab a golf ball-sized bit of the pumpkin mixture and for it into a patty. Dunk the patty into the bread crumbs to coat aon all sides. Then gently place the patty into the hot oil - be careful for any splatters. Repeat with as many patties as you can fit in your skillet (three is usually standard for a medium skillet). When the patties are in the pan, turn heat back up to medium.
- After about three minutes, carefully flip - the patties will be delicate. You can mold the sides back into place with the use of your spatula. Cook again for three minutes. If oil starts to smoke, turn heat to low.
- Remove the cooked patties from the pan and place them on a paper towel on a platter. Let them rest for at least five minutes before serving. Repeat with all of your pumpkin mixture. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan with each new batch of patties.
- Store in the fridge and reheat in the oven if desired. You can freeze as well. However, these fritters are best hot off the skillet!
Equipment
- skillet
Notes
nutrition estimate | per serving
A few more of my fave chickpea recipes can be found here. And if you are looking for all things pumpkin, check out this page here on the blog!
original publish date: Oct 31, 2011 | post updated:
vanessa watson says
Delicious!!! I added some ground sage and used 1/4 cup of sesame seeds and sunflower seeds coz that’s all I had.
Tania says
Hi Kathy,
Sorry, but what pumpkin puree is? Do you buy it in-store or make it beforehand?
Emily says
Just made these and they are so tasty! I didn't have the ingredients for the sage cream sauce but I added some Italian spices and nutritional yeast to the bread crumbs. I also used a flax egg after reading some comments which I think helped. Definitely making these again, maybe putting in a wrap with greens and a creamy sauce.
Annabelle says
So I just made these, adding a flax meal egg as suggested by some other commenters, and I must say they are very tasty. Main problem is how they just dissolve in the frying oil. They really had trouble holding up together. I'm trying a batch in the oven to compare, so far so good. Also subbed the garlic granules for garlic powder : the taste is a little strong, but nothing disastrous. Just overtaking the taste of the hemp. Nice pumpkin flavor though 🙂
Taylor Latsha says
I've made this a few times before, but the batch I just finished was the most I've deviated from this perfect recipe. I didn't have a full can of chickpeas so I replaced them with a half can of black beans! I also added a tiny bit of wildflower honey to the "batter". Then when I used the panko I threw in a few teaspoons of chia seeds. Soooo good, I might use the black bean substitute more in the future!
Erin says
Just made these tonight, they were brilliant! We subbed some sesame seeds because we didn't have enough hemp, but it worked out alright. Also served with sage & garlic butter. Nice and crispy! Next time will make with egg replacer to help with binding since they were a tad crumbly.
Julia Ralston says
I made these this past weekend, and they were brilliant! Who knew chickpea and pumpkin went so well together!? Super easy to make, and yummie to eat. We had homemade Indian food Saturday and I made these, used pumpkin seed instead of hemp, didn't have any hemp; they were devoured. The balance between the chickpea and pumpkin are so lovely. Thank you for this wonderful creation. We will be using again.
Kathy Patalsky says
glad you liked them Julia!
Paul Bourdon says
Thanks Kathy, I wasn't sure what might be in those cans of pumpkin goo that might be necessary. I'm learning to cook with the stuff I grow, if you couldn't tell. :^)
Paul Bourdon says
What if I'm starting from actual sugar pumpkins? Can I just cut up and puree?
Kathy Patalsky says
sure, this can easily be subbed with fresh pumpkin ingredients.
Jen Havard says
Interested in this idea, as I have a daughter who is now eating gf foods. So, you used the uncooked polenta? Just the dry grains?
Judy says
Kinnikinnick makes Gluten Free panko bread crumbs. They are a Canadian company. You can order on line if you can't find in a super market. I think I found them at Hannaford's Markets. Also, with GF flour add xanthan gum to help them stick together
Katie @ Produce on Parade says
Yum! These look fantastic! So original 🙂 Thanks for sharing, Kathy!
Suzitastik says
Really really lovely. As soon as I saw this I HAD to make them straight away!
I substituted the hemp seeds with an Indian mix of mustard, cumin, coriander, fennel, and caraway seeds, served up on fresh rolls with avocado and baby spinach.
Thanks so much for sharing the recipe. So simple yet so delicious =]
Bee says
These were delish!! I added a bit of vital wheat gluten to the mixture, I think it helped to bind things up a bit. The sage cream sauce was soooo good on top of them, too. ¡Gracias!
Rachel Dallen says
I found this recipe yesterday afternoon and *had* to try it last night. I'm wheat free so I made these using polenta instead of breadcrumbs. Ate them on top of a bed of rocket, carrots, courgette and balsamic dressing. Brilliant!
Kathy Patalsky says
Probably.. Crunchier though
Sent from my iPad
afaceinthecrowd says
these look great! can i use chia seed instead of hemp? i already have them... thanks!
stacey says
I bake these for 30 minutes without the breadcrumbs. They taste great! I think I'll ad some flour next time since they have a hard time binding together
Daniel Azulay says
i used pine nuts. turned out great.didn't have safflower oil either so i didn't use oil at all and still very Yammy!
Thanks Kathy for this lovely and easy recipe 🙂
Nic@diningwithastud says
What a great recipe! I need to find hemp seeds, they sound great!
Kathy Patalsky says
Super to hear! Thanks 🙂
Shannon says
I baked them four days ago then lightly panfried two for lunch today. They came out great!
Shannon says
These are fabulous! I baked them with whole wheat bread crumbs, no added flour, then put them in the refrigerator to use during the week. To reheat, I sprayed my cast iron with a coating of coconut oil, then lightly panfried them. They kept their shape and developed a nice crunch this way. I put two on a bed of arugula and topped with a greek lemon garlic dressing. Best lunch I've had in a while!! Can't wait to try the sage cream sauce, it looks amazing.
Eruff52 says
This recipe sounds absolutely delicious!
Making them for dinner and extra one's for lunch this week! I will add this recipe to my vegi burger lists for summer BBQ' s.
Stacy says
Can you substitute the hemp seeds? Not sure if I can find them here.
AllieFinch says
Great idea. We baked them, & it took more like 20 minutes per side. Quite tasty though. We paired it with a tzatziki-type sauce in romaine lettuce wraps.
Simone Anne says
Just made these for lunch. So yummy and easy. Thank you!
Emma says
I made these with sweet potato instead of squash (devilishly hard to find here in Germany!). They turned out dense, slightly sweet, and as the perfect salad topping (I did mango with them). Thanks for the great recipe!