Homemade White Bean Burgers

Looking for a tasty and healthy veggie burger? Then try these easy homemade white bean burgers. They’re made with simple ingredients such as white beans, oats and herbs but with an Italian twist. These vegan burgers are a great source of plant-based protein and fibre, making them a satisfying, delicious and nutritious meal choice.

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Dive Right In

• Why Make Your Own Bean Burgers?
• Homemade White Bean Burgers
• White Bean Burger Ingredients
• How To Make Italian White Bean Burgers
• Can You Freeze White Bean Burgers?
• How To Make Bean Burgers Stick Together?
• Other Veggie Burger Recipes You Might Like
• Keep In Touch
• The Recipe

Why Make Your Own Bean Burgers?

Bean burgers are such a well loved veggie stalwart. Why not make homemade ones a part of your regular meal prep? They’re quite easy to prepare, relatively cheap and usually a lot tastier and more nutritious than commercial ones. You can make them in advance and they freeze well.

Here are a few more reasons why you might want to make your own bean burgers.

1. Budget Friendly – Buying ready-made bean burgers can be expensive. However, homemade is generally more cost-effective. As well as choosing your own budget friendly ingredients, you can make a large batch and freeze them for later. Both of these can save you money in the long run.
2. Customisation – Making your own bean burgers allows you to adapt the recipe to suit your own preferences. You can add more spices, adjust the texture and choose the type of beans and other ingredients you want to include.
3. Environmental Impact – Beans are a more sustainable source of protein compared to meat. By making your own bean burgers, you can reduce your carbon footprint and contribute to a more sustainable food system. (Ref: World Resources Institute)
4. Healthier Ingredients – When you make your own bean burgers, you can control what goes into them and make sure you’re using healthy, whole-food ingredients. They’re a good source of vegetable proteins, fibre, vitamins and minerals. Many commercial bean burgers contain added preservatives, artificial flavours and unhealthy oils.
5. Midweek Meal – If you use jarred or tinned beans, these white bean burgers take just a few minutes to prepare and about ten minutes to cook. This makes them perfect for weeknight dinners, when time is of the essence or your energy is low.
6. Taste and Texture – Many people find that homemade bean burgers taste better than shop-bought options. I’m one of those. You can experiment with different ingredients to create a burger that has the taste and texture you prefer.

Homemade White Bean Burgers

Homemade bean burgers are a lot simpler to make than you might think. You really only need a bowl and a fork to prepare them and a pan to shallow fry them in. These Italian inspired white bean burgers have a lovely texture. They stick together well and are not at all dry.

Not only are they easy to make, but they taste pretty good too. What’s more, they’re also vegan. However, non-vegans don’t need to know. They’ll just be happy wolfing them down.

Enjoy them in a burger bun with all the trimmings or on a plate with a sauce or dressing along with vegetables or salad. Either way, these rosemary chips make a great accompaniment. If you’re eating them in a bun, why not try making your own soft wholemeal burger buns?

Whilst you’e at it, these carrot pickles are one of my favourite additions. And then there’s coleslaw. I have three to choose from. Take your pick: kohlrabi carrot slaw, spring slaw, Brussels sprout slaw.

In spring, these veggie burgers go particularly well with a green salad and my creamy wild garlic dressing. But a lemony yoghurt dressing is good at other times of the year as is some sort of warm and spicy tomato sauce.

White Bean Burger Ingredients

You only need five simple ingredients to make these homemade white bean burgers. And it’s likely you’ll have most, if not all of them, in your store cupboard.

Cooked White Beans

If I’m not cooking my own, I prefer jarred beans to those in a tin. They’re more expensive, but they taste heaps better. You don’t need to rinse them first either. In fact you need some of the liquid to help the beans stick together.

If, like me, you don’t like the taste of tinned bean water (aquafaba), you may need to use a ‘chia egg’ to help hold the bean mixture together. See the section on How To Make Bean Burgers Stick Together.

I used cannellini beans for these homemade burgers as I had Italian flavours very much in mind. However any white bean will work.

Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Sun-dried tomatoes pack a punch. They’re the flavour bombs in these white bean burgers and they give a blast of Mediterranean sunshine.

Make sure you use sun-dried tomatoes preserved in olive oil for the best taste.

Italian Seasoning

If you’re wondering what Italian seasoning is, it’s a blend of dried herbs. These are usually a mix of basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme and garlic. Some blends may also contain marjoram, parsley, sage and sometimes even chilli flakes.

I finished my jar of Italian seasoning some time ago, but I have plenty of herbes de Provence. These are quite similar, so I use them with a pinch of chilli flakes thrown in for good measure.

Oats

Oats provide a little extra bulk, but also soak up any excess moisture. They add some oaty goodness and flavour to the mix too.

You can use old fashioned rolled oats or jumbo oats. But beware oatmeal (steel cut oat groats); they’re not suitable for this recipe.

Garlic

Garlic gives, flavour, pungency and added nutritional benefits. I actually didn’t use it in this particular batch as I slathered my burgers with creamy wild garlic dressing. More garlic, I reckoned, would just be overkill.

*Chia Seeds

How To Make Italian White Bean Burgers

These Italian white bean burgers are a cinch to make. A small food processor is useful, but a bowl and fork is really all you need. You don’t even have to mould the patties by hand, just dollop them straight into the pan.

Step 1. Mash Ingredients

You can combine the beans with the other ingredients in one of two ways. Use a food processor or just a fork. A potato masher works well too.

I like to roughly blend the oats, sun dried tomatoes, garlic, Italian herbs and half the white beans in a mini food processor. I then roughly mash the remaining beans with a fork and mix the two together.

Whiz half the beans and remaining ingredients in a food processor until combined, but not completely smooth. This gives a bit more of an interesting texture.

Alternatively, ditch the food processor and roughly mash the lot with a fork. You can also blend everything together. It just depends on your preference.

Top Tips

Salt is entirely optional in this recipe. It really depends on your other ingredients. The sun dried tomatoes I used are packed with flavour and the jarred white beans already contain salt. So I added no additional salt. However, if you’re using unsalted tinned beans, you’ll probably need some.

If the mixture seems at all dry, just add one to three tablespoons of the bean water (aquafaba) to the mix. Alternatively use a ‘chia egg’ (see section on how to make bean burgers stick together). If you’ve used a jar, this shouldn’t be a problem. It’s actually quite difficult to drain jarred beans as the liquid is more of a gel. I just try to get more beans than liquid, but don’t worry about it too much. It helps to bind the burgers and gives a really nice texture.

Step 2. Fry Patties

The patties need to be cooked in a pan as the mixture is quite soft, so don’t try them on a barbecue.

Set your pan over a medium heat and add the oil. As soon as the oil is hot, fry your patties. Keep them well apart so you have space to flip them over. How many you get in will depend on the size of your pan. I get four in my twenty five centimetre (ten inch) cast iron pan*.

The mixture is quite soft, so you’ll need to spoon it into the pan, rather than shape it with your hands. Or better still, use an ice cream scoop with trigger* if you have one. This will give you evenly sized burgers with a rounder shape. Just flatten them with the back of the scoop once they’re in the pan.

A standard sized ice cream scoop will give you six patties. Otherwise, just divide the mixture into six, dollop it into the pan and shape them into flat rounds with a spatula.

Fry for about five minutes, then flip them over with a spatula and fry for a further five minutes. They should be cooked through and hot as well as golden and crisp on the outside.

Transfer to a plate and keep warm in a low oven until you’ve cooked any remaining patties. Repeat the process with the remaining burger mixture.

Can You Freeze White Bean Burgers?

Bean burgers freeze really well and these white bean burgers are no exception. Cook them first as per the recipe at the bottom of this post. Allow them to cool, then freeze on an open tray for a couple of hours. Once solid, transfer into a freezer proof container or bag.

Reheat from frozen at 180℃ (350℉) in an air fryer or oven at 200℃ (180℃ fan, 400℉, Gas 6) for fifteen to twenty minutes until they’re crispy on the outside and hot all the way through.

How To Make Bean Burgers Stick Together?

If your bean burger mixture isn’t sticking together, a ‘chai egg’ is your friend. Place one tablespoon of chia seeds in a bowl and cover with three tablespoons of water. Leave it for five minutes, by which time the seeds will have soaked up the water and produced a sticky gel.

Stir this into your bean burger mix and it should help hold your burgers together.

Alternatively add one to three tablespoons of aquafaba – the water beans are cooked in. They too have a slight gel like consistency.

Other Veggie Burger Recipes You Might Like

• Chickpea & quinoa burgers (vegan)
• Chocolate bean burgers
• Sweet potato tofu patties (vegan)
• Wild garlic tofu patties (vegan)

Keep in Touch

Thank you for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make these easy white bean burgers, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Do you have any recommendations or advice for making veggie burgers?

I’d very much appreciate it if you could rate the recipe. If you post pictures of your creations on social media, please use the hashtag #tinandthyme so I can see them.

For more delicious and nutritious recipes follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard or Pinterest. And don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to my weekly newsletter. Or why not join the conversation in our Healthy Vegetarian Whole Food Recipes Facebook Group?

If you’d like more vegan recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious and nutritious, of course.

Choclette x

Homemade White Bean Burgers. PIN IT.

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4.93 from 13 votes

Homemade White Bean Burgers

Quick and easy homemade white bean burgers. They're made with simple ingredients but with an Italian twist. These vegan burgers are a great source of plant-based protein and fibre, making them a satisfying, delicious and nutritious meal choice. Perfect for weekend lunches or weeknight dinners.

Cook ModeToggle to keep screen awake

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time20 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: bean burger, burgers, cannellini beans, easy, quick, veggie burger

Servings: 6 burgers

Calories: 142kcal

Author: Choclette @ Tin and Thyme

Equipment

• cast iron skillet (25 cm, 10″) (affiliate link) optional
• ice cream scoop with trigger (affiliate link) optional

Ingredients

• 250 g cooked white beans drained weight equivalent to a 400g (15oz) tin
• 50 g rolled oats (porridge oats)
• 4 sun dried tomatoes in oil finely chopped
• 2 clove garlic minced
• 1 tsp dried Italian herbs (Italian seasoning)
• ¼ tsp sea salt (optional) see note*
• 1 tbsp olive oil for frying
• 1 chia egg (optional) see note**

Metric – US Customary

Instructions

• Drain the beans and rinse in a sieve or colander if they come from a tin**. Don't rinse jarred or homecooked ones***.
  250 g cooked white beans
• You can combine the beans with the other ingredients in one of two ways.
• Place half the beans in a mini food processor along with the oats, sun dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning and salt, if using. Pulse until they’re roughly combined, but not smooth. Mash the remaining beans in a bowl with a fork so they’re broken slightly but still chunky. Then stir the two mixtures together.
  50 g rolled oats (porridge oats), 4 sun dried tomatoes in oil, 2 clove garlic, 1 tsp dried Italian herbs (Italian seasoning), ¼ tsp sea salt
• Just place everything in a bowl and mash together with a fork or potato masher.
• Place a nonstick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the oil and as soon as it’s hot dollop large spoonfuls of the burger mixture into the pan. Use an ice cream scoop, if you have one, for a more even size and shape. Otherwise shape the burgers into flat rounds with a spatula once they’re in the pan. You should get six to eight patties in total.
  1 tbsp olive oil
• Fry for five minutes on one side, then flip them over and fry for a further five minutes on the other side. They should be golden and crisp on the outside and thoroughly cooked through.
• Repeat the process with any remaining mixture. If you have a large pan you should be able to do them all in one go. I get four in my 25 cm (10") cast iron pan. If eating straight away, keep the first batch warm in a low oven whilst you finish the rest.

Notes

*Whether you use salt or not will depend on how well seasoned your other ingredients are and if you’ve used salted beans.

**If you’ve used tinned beans and you’re mixture isn’t sticking together, use a ‘chia egg’. Mix 1 tbsp chia seeds with 3 tbsp water and leave it for five minutes. By then it will have soaked up the water and produced a gel. Just mash this into the bean mixture.

***It’s actually quite difficult to drain jarred beans as the liquid is more of a gel. It’s good stuff too, so you don’t want to throw it away. I just try to get more beans than liquid, but it’s the liquid that helps the beans stick together.

These bean burgers freeze well once cooked. Freeze on an open tray for a couple of hours, then transfer into a freezer proof container. They’ll keep well for a month. Reheat at 180℃ (350℉) in an air fryer or oven at 200℃ (180℃ fan, 400℉, Gas 6) for fifteen to twenty minutes until they’re crispy on the outside and hot all the way through.

You’ll find additional tips and info about this recipe in the main body of the post.

Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They’re approximate and will depend on serving size and exact ingredients used. Please refer to my nutrition disclaimer for further information.

Nutrition Estimate

Serving: 1g | Calories: 142kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 107mg | Potassium: 402mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 31IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 3mg

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below letting us know how you got on and do share a photo on Instagram. Tag @choclette8 or use hashtag #tinandthyme.

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