Kale Pesto Burgers with Maple Dijon Spread (Gluten Free, Vegan)

GFGluten Free

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These Kale Pesto Burgers with Maple Dijon Spread are easy to make, packed with flavor, and ready to serve in less than 30 minutes.

I asked you all what recipe you would like to see from me, and a surprising amount of you voted for a Kale Burger! I guess this beloved leafy green can still be trendy after all, even though it’s no longer 2016.

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Don’t worry though – these patties aren’t only made from Kale! First of all, that would be a very mushy mess. Second, that probably wouldn’t taste too great. I’ve always loved the flavors of Pesto (See: my Pesto Pasta Bake) and haven’t seen too many Pesto flavored burgers out there, so I thought, what the heck! Let’s roll with it.

Loaded with Kale, Basil, Garlic, and every Vegan’s favorite condiment, Nutritional Yeast, these burgers are sure to be a crowd-pleaser. And let’s not forget about the creamy 3-Ingredient Maple Dijon Spread we get to top them with either! An added bonus: everything is Gluten and Nut Free as well, so everyone can enjoy. Talk about an epic sandwich.

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Speaking of epic sandwiches, this recipe is part of my monthly collaboration with Jasmine and Chris of Sweet Simple Vegan! My favorite vegan power couple decided to make Vegan Eggplant Meatball Subs with Caramelized Onions, and there’s even a recipe for some homemade dairy-free Parmesan Cheese up in there too! Be sure to check their recipe out after you’re done feasting on some Kale 😉

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Oh, by the way, did you notice that I styled these burgers with Pretzel Buns? Because if I were you, I definitely would have. The good news is they’re HOMEMADE Pretzel Buns, and I just posted the recipe for them here. I would highly recommend you make them because, well…what isn’t automatically 20 times better in a soft pretzel bun?!

So soft. So fluffy. So…..yum.

Okay, things are starting to get weird here. Let’s get on to the recipe! One final thought: If you end up making this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram @frommybowl + #frommybowl so I can see your delicious creation!

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Kale Pesto Burgers with Maple Dijon Spread (Gluten Free, Vegan)

These Kale Pesto Burgers with Maple Dijon Spread are easy to make, packed with flavor, and ready to serve in less than 30 minutes.

  • Yield: 5 Burgers 1x

Ingredients

Scale

For the Kale Pesto Burgers:

  • 2 cup Chopped Curly Kale, Packed
  • 1 cup Fresh Basil Leaves, Packed
  • 23 cloves Garlic
  • 2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
  • Juice of 1 Lemon
  • 1 cup Cannellini Beans, Rinsed and Drained
  • 1/2 cup Quick Cooking or Instant Oatmeal
  • 3 tbsp Brown Rice Flour
  • Salt, to taste

For the Maple Dijon Spread

  • 3 tbsp Dijon Mustard
  • 2 tbsp Tahini
  • 1 tsp Maple Syrup
  • 1 tbsp Water (Optional, depends how thick you like your spread)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 375F. Rinse and chop all of your veggies, as needed.
  2. Add the Kale, Basil, Garlic, Nutritional Yeast, and Lemon Juice to a food processor and blend until finely chopped. 
  3. Add in the Cannellini Beans and a pinch of salt, plus more to taste. Pulse in the blender until just combined (If you would like your burgers to have more/less texture to them, pulse more/less accordingly)
  4. Transfer the Kale and Bean mixture to a medium bowl and combine with the Quick Oats and Flour, stirring well.
  5. Use your hands to form 5 even patties (it helps to have them wet for this), then place each patty on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. 
  6. Bake for 15-20 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the Maple Dijon Spread by mixing all ingredients together in a small bowl.
  7. Once the burgers have finished cooking, serve as desired, with a hearty dollop of the Spread on top of each one. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week, or the freezer for up to one month. 

Notes

Brown Rice Flour may be substituted with any other flour of choice, just be sure that it is a Gluten Free flour if you have sensitivities or allergies.

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us — we can't wait to see what you've made!

Watch the Video for these Epic Kale Burgers + Homemade Pretzel Buns Here:

And finally, don’t forget to pin that ‘ish on Pinterest!

Kale_Pesto_Burger_Maple_Dijon_FromMyBowl_Vegan

About the Author

Hey there, I’m Caitlin! I make easy-to-follow, wholesome, and budget-friendly vegan recipes that are mostly gluten-free and refined sugar-free. I’m also an avid yogi, love the great outdoors, am chocolate-obsessed, and enjoy eating almond butter straight off of the spoon.

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Comments

  1. I can never find cannellini beans anywhere. Would I be able to replace it with a different type of bean and still achieve the same flavor?

    1. You might see them labeled as white kidney beans. If you can’t find them then you could try Great Northern beans.

  2. The burgers and spread were so good, probably the best meal I’ve had in my life. I served the burgers with a side of coleslaw (with your mayo recipe) and your oven baked fries. You come up with the best recipes!!!

  3. It seems sooo strange to add the oats to this recipe, but im going to try it anyway because all of your recipes are delishhh

  4. Hi Caitlin, do you think the dijon sauce would work with 1 medjool date instead of the syrup? Perhaps by adding all the ingredients to the food processor with a date instead of syrup and adding additional water?

  5. College Student here! I’m usually pressed on time, so when I saw this recipe I was excited to try it out, particularly since I had a nice bunch of curly kale in my fridge that needed to be used up. Overall, me I took a bit more time than stated in the recipe, about 45 minutes, since I’m a newb to the kitchen, but it was soooo worth it. These burgers are extremely flavorful, and as someone who is lactose-intolerant, the burgers had a cheesy taste but without the pain that comes along with normally eating cheese. However, if you make this recipe, PLEASE make the sauce/dressing with it! It is a must, and it really complements the burger, giving it a whole new depth of flavor.

    You’ve hit it out of the park again Caitlin! Thank you so much for another amazing recipe!

    1. No, I do not calculate nutrition information. There are plenty of free online calculators that you can use to figure it out if you’d like though!

  6. 5 stars
    What a great simple recipe. will try it tonight.

    Please, make a chutney soon with your food collaborators. A sweet chutney with sirachi or something that bites.

  7. 5 stars
    Looks delicious ????. I wanna try it but How much flour should I use ? It don’t say on the recipe nor you say it on the vid

      1. Thanks ..I’m trying to make right now ……..I see you used a lot flour tho. I mean for the bread

      2. 5 stars
        I just made it. I think it turned out ok but I could only make 4 buns ???? (you make 8 buns)
        I really liked it tho, everything was really tasty
        I’ll tag you on Instagram so you can see.
        Thanks , you’re the best ❤️

  8. 5 stars
    Thanks for the recipe! I didn’t have nutritional yeast or rice flour, but I added a bit of flaxmeal and protein powder instead. They are so delicious and have excellent texture, plus the maple mustard spread makes them perfection! I plan to make the buns tommorrow.

  9. 5 stars
    I made these today for lunch, including the pretzel bun. I am still in a state of yummy food euphoria. These were amazing – complete comfort food! Thank you so much for for the recipes and making my lazy Sunday food dreams come true.

  10. 5 stars
    Thank you Caitlin for another great vegan recipe!! I just made these for lunch, with the pretzel buns- the maple Dijon spread pairs perfectly with the kale burger! It’s fair to say that your simple approach to plant based cooking has inspired me to get back in the kitchen ?

  11. I may not be vegan but I’m going to make these for dinner. I’m trying to eat more healthy than I normally do. 🙂

  12. 5 stars
    I made only the kale burger portion of this recipe and it is seriously delicious! I included a little chopped red onion as well (since I have a habit of adding onion to just about everything) and it came out incredibly delicious. I, like another commenter stated, also love that the patties don’t fall apart! This is definitely a new go-to recipe for me!

    1. I’m sorry Jenny, I don’t think this recipe would work without beans. I’ll try to work on a veggie burger recipe without them for the future!

  13. 5 stars
    These burgers were delicious! Satisfying, healthy, and easy to make as well. I love that they don’t fall apart either, which I know can be a struggle when making vegan burgers. Thanks for the recipe!

  14. 5 stars
    The whole thing looks so yummy kale burger and pretzel bun! ( love your channel by the way 🙂 )