If you’re looking for a delicious, nutritious, high-protein and meat-free burger, then friends look no further than these Butternut Squash and Black Bean Burgers.
These burgers feature butternut squash, black beans, rolled oats, almond meal, a touch of garlic and red onion and a plethora of delicious seasonings to give you the most delicious vegetarian burger you’ve ever tasted! Top it off with fresh spinach, pepper jack cheese, and homemade Chipotle Honey Mustard all sandwiched between two whole wheat buns and you’ve got yourself a full meal deal.
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Step 1: Prepare the Butternut Squash
The very first thing we want to do when making these burgers is to prepare the butternut squash. I’ll assume you’re starting with a fresh squash and not the peeled, seeded, and pre-cut squash cubes.
Begin by cutting the ends off the squash. Cut the squash in half horizontally, making two smaller sections. Then cut each half in half again vertically, exposing the seeds. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
Then place one quarter of the squash cut side down so the squash lies flat on the cutting board. First cut 1” thick slices. Then cut each slice into about 1” cubes. Repeat these steps for the remaining 3 squash quarters until all of the squash is cubed.
We only need one cup of squash for this recipe, so put 1 cup of squash to the side and place the remaining squash cubes in a freezer baggie and freeze for future use, like for Butternut Squash Ravioli or Creamy Butternut Squash Risotto.
Now we’re going to quickly pan roast the squash. Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a small frying pan on medium-high heat. Then add the squash and roast about 5 to 7 minutes, or until squash begins to soften.
Transfer the squash to a blender and blend until the squash forms a puree. Transfer the pureed squash to a large mixing bowl.
Step 2: Prepare the Black Beans
Next we are going to prepare the black beans. Drain the beans and rinse in a colander. Transfer to a small bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher until the beans form a loose paste. It’s okay if there are some whole beans in there, I actually prefer a mix of squash and semi-whole beans for my burgers.
Transfer 1-1/3 cups smashed beans to the same bowl as the pureed squash.
Step 3: Prepare the Almond Meal (Optional)
If you’re like me and prefer to make your own fresh almond meal, now is the time to do it!
Just a quick word on why I prefer to make my own almond meal. First, it’s easy to make. All it takes is skin-on almonds (I prefer roasted, unsalted, but you can use raw or roasted and salted as well), a blender, and 10 seconds of your time.
Second, it’s cheaper than buying pre-package almond meal or even bulk bin almond meal.
And thirdly, it is the freshest almond meal you’ll ever get because you’ll have made it just that day! Whereas pre-packaged almond meal might have sat open in your pantry for months, and who knows how old the bulk-bin meal is.
So do yourself a favor and make it fresh!
Simply add the skin-on roasted, unsalted almonds to a blender and pulse until they form a loose crumb. It takes about 10 seconds to do. Just make sure to stop before you start making almond butter!
Transfer ½ cup of almond meal to the same bowl as the squash and beans.
Step 4: Combine the Burger Ingredients and Form the Burgers
Add 1 cup of rolled oats, 1/3 cup finely diced red onion, 3 diced garlic cloves, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and ground black pepper to the bowl with the squash, beans, and almond meal. Mix well to combine.
Form five patties from the mixture. The patties should be fairly thick and should be wide enough to meet the edges of the burger bun. I’d say they are about as wide as an over-sized coffee mug, if that helps.
Make sure the patties are sized similarly so that they cook at roughly the same rate.
Place the patties on a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about 15 to 30 minutes before cooking to let them set.
Step 5: Make the Chipotle Honey Mustard
While the burgers set, make the Chipotle Honey Mustard. Combine ¼ cup of light mayo, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar, ¼ teaspoon ground chipotle pepper seasoning, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and a pinch of black pepper (I usually give my grinder 2 to 3 good twists) in a small mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you’re ready to dress the burgers.
Just to note, I’ve tried many a low-fat mayo—everything from olive oil mayo, to reduced fat or light mayo, to miracle whip—so trust me when I say that the best mayo for any recipe is Hellman’s Light Mayo. It has the same mayo taste with way less fat. Worth the splurge.
Step 6: Cook the Burgers
Finally, it’s time to cook the burgers. Lightly mist a large frying pan or stovetop griddle with non-stick spray. Heat to medium-high heat. Evenly space the 5 patties on the griddle.
Let the burgers cook on one side 5 to 7 minutes, or until they begin to get a golden brown crust. Then flip the burgers over and cook on the other side another 5 to 7 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a plate.
Step 6: Dress the Burgers
Lastly, let’s dress the burgers. Place a handful of washed spinach on the bottom whole wheat bun. Place the burger on top of the spinach and top with a slice of pepper jack cheese. Spread the Chipotle Honey Mustard on the top burger bun and place on top of the burger. Then enjoy!
I also like to add crisp red onions, caramelized onions, or pickled onions to my burger. I’ll also swap out spinach with kale or arugula. Or sometimes I’ll add brown butter mushrooms. It’s entirely up to you how to dress up your burger! With these Butternut Squash and Black Bean Burgers, the possibilities are endless. 🙂
We hope you love this recipe for Butternut Squash and Black Bean Burgers! Please leave a comment below. Make sure to share your creations and be sure to tag us on Instagram @sticksscratchkitchen.
Butternut Squash Black Bean Burgers
Ingredients
Butternut Squash and Black Bean Burgers
- 1⅓ c black beans, mashed
- 1 c butternut squash, pureed
- ⅓ c red onion, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 egg (swap flax seed egg for vegan/vegetarian option)
- 1 c rolled oats
- ½ c almond meal
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 5 whole wheat burger buns
- 5 slices pepper-jack cheese (optional)
- 1½ c spinach, divided
Chipotle Honey Mustard
- ¼ c light mayo (or vegan mayo)
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 tsp distilled white vinegar
- ¼ tsp dried ground chipotle pepper
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the squash by cutting the ends off the squash. Cut the squash in half horizontally, making two smaller sections. Then cut each half in half again vertically, exposing the seeds. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Place one quarter of the squash cut side down so the squash lies flat on the cutting board. First cut 1” thick slices. Then cut each slice into about 1” cubes. Repeat these steps for the remaining 3 squash quarters until all of the squash is cubed. Reserve 1 cup of squash and place remaining squash in a freezer baggie and freeze for future use.
- Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a small frying pan on medium-high heat. Add the squash and roast about 5 to 7 minutes, or until squash begins to soften. Transfer the squash to a blender and blend until the squash forms a puree. Add the pureed squash to a large mixing bowl.
- Drain the beans and rinse in a colander. Transfer to a small bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher until the beans form a loose paste. Add 1-1/3 cups smashed beans to the same bowl as the pureed squash.
- To make almond meal, add the skin-on roasted, unsalted almonds to a blender and pulse until they form a loose crumb. Transfer ½ cup of almond meal to the same bowl as the squash and beans.
- Add rolled oats, red onion, garlic cloves, egg, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and ground black pepper to the bowl with the squash, beans, and almond meal. Mix well to combine.
- Form five patties from the mixture. Make sure the patties are sized similarly so that they cook at roughly the same rate. Place the patties on a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about 15 to 30 minutes before cooking to let them set.
- Combine light mayo, Dijon mustard, honey, distilled white vinegar, ground chipotle pepper seasoning, cayenne pepper, and a pinch of black pepper (I usually give my grinder 2 to 3 good twists) in a small mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth. Set aside.
- Lightly mist a large frying pan or stove top griddle with non-stick spray. Heat to medium-high heat. Evenly space the 5 patties on the griddle. Let the burgers cook on one side 5 to 7 minutes, or until they begin to get a golden brown crust. Then flip the burgers over and cook on the other side another 5 to 7 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a plate.
- Place a handful of washed spinach on the bottom whole wheat bun. Place the burger on top of the spinach and top with a slice of pepper jack cheese. Spread the Chipotle Honey Mustard on the top burger bun and place on top of the burger. Then enjoy!
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