If you or your kids love chicken nuggets, then you need to make my vegan version of Crispy Chickpea Nuggets! They are easy to make, 100% plant-based, gluten-free optional, oil-free optional, and so satisfying! I love to make these in the air-fryer but the oven works great too. If you love chicken nuggets but want a healthier, less processed vegan version, you will love these along with my Vegan Air-Fried Tofu Nuggets. Pair these nuggets with Crispy Baked French Fries for the perfect meal! Or make my full Healthy Happy Meal! If you love chickpeas, make my Classic Chickpea Tuna Salad next!
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Notes on Ingredients
- Chickpeas: Drain and rinse chickpeas before using to help prevent gas and bloat.
- Aquafaba: Liquid from the chickpea can is called “aquafaba” and makes these nuggets fluffy and chewy like a traditional chicken nugget. When you drain the chickpeas, save the liquid!
- Breadcrumbs: Use gluten-free breadcrumbs to make these nuggets gluten-free friendly.
Please take note that this is important information about the ingredients used in this recipe and the FULL recipe with measurements and details can be found DOWN BELOW (scroll to it) in the recipe card.
How do you make Crispy Chickpea Nuggets?
- Drain chickpeas the chickpeas and save some of the liquid. Add chickpeas into the food processor with spices and tofu.
- Pulse together then add in oat flour and chickpea liquid (aquafaba). Pulse until combined.
- Make a prep station with a bowl of the breadcrumbs, a bowl of the remaining chickpea liquid and an empty plate.
- Form the batter into nugget shapes, then dip each one in the chickpea liquid first then breadcrumbs and place on the plate.
- Bake in the oven or air-fryer.
- Serve fresh with ketchup or BBQ sauce and enjoy!
- Step 1: First, drain the chickpeas and save the liquid.
- Step 2: Then, add the chickpeas, tofu, and spices to the food processor and blend. Add in oat flour and some aquafaba and blend again until smooth.
- Step 3: Form batter into nugget shapes.
- Step 4: Next, dip each nugget into the remaining aquafaba liquid.
- Step 5: Then, dip each nugget into the breadcrumbs and coat evenly.
- Step 6: Lastly, bake in the oven at 400F for 30 or in the air-fryer at 375F for 15-20 minutes.
Commonly Asked Questions
Store the nuggets in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. I recommend reheating them in the air fryer, oven, or even on a pan for a couple minutes to re-crisp the breading.
I recommend the Ian’s Gluten-Free Original Breadcrumbs as they are the cleanest store-bought vegan version. You can also easily make your own by blending bread in a food processor.
I love to have a big green salad with nuggets on the side for the perfect meal. Or you can serve them with the classic Crispy Baked French Fries or Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle Aioli.
You can use a blender, but a high-speed food processor will work best.
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Extra Helpful Tips
- Save the liquid from the chickpea can-it’s the aquafaba!
- Serve these nuggets with your favorite dipping sauces including: vegan ranch, ketchup, or BBQ sauce.
- Use gluten-free breadcrumbs to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Use high-protein or extra-firm tofu to make sure the texture is dry enough for the nuggets.
- Use a high-speed food processor to blend the chickpea nugget “dough”.
How to Store
Store the nuggets in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. I recommend reheating them in the air fryer, oven, or even on a pan for a couple minutes to re-crisp the breading.
If you tried these Crispy Chickpea Nuggets or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 5-star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Crispy Chickpea Nuggets (vegan & gluten-free!)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz can of chickpeas drained and rinsed
- ⅓ block tofu extra firm
- ½ cup oat flour
- aquafaba save the chickpea liquid from the can
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- sprinkle of smoked paprika
- 1 cup breadcrumbs use GF breadcrumbs if GF
Instructions
- Drain the chickpeas with a bowl under and save the chickpea liquid or "aquafaba". Add chickpeas into the food processor with spices and tofu. Pulse together.
- To the food processor, add in the oat flour and 2 tablespoons of aquafaba. Pulse until combined. Do not over blend – it should have texture.
- Make a prep station with a bowl of the breadcrumbs, a bowl with the remaining chickpea liquid, and a plate.
- Form the mixture into nugget shapes. Dip each one in the chickpea liquid first, then the breadcrumbs, and then place them all on the plate. You should get 10-12 nuggets.
- Air-fryer method: bake for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees F flipping halfway through or until completely golden brown.
- Oven method: Bake on a baking sheet with parchment paper for about 30 minutes at 450 degrees F flipping halfway through or until golden brown.
- Serve fresh with ketchup or BBQ sauce and enjoy!
Starletta says
Looks great but how many does it make?
Danielle Keith says
10-12!
Nicky says
What pack size of tofu are you using? Thanks
Susan says
What temperature do you cook them in the air fryer? Would it also be 450?
Danielle Keith says
400!
Peter says
Hi Danielle, thanks for this recipe. I am a coeliac and have to adhere to a strict gluten free diet. I would like to try the crispy chickpea nuggets but what is the best substitute for the oat flour ingredient as oats contain the gluten protein and I cannot tolerate them without serious illness.
Thanks in advance.
Peter
Danielle Keith says
Get gluten-free oats! They have certified gluten-free oats. If you can’t find that, use chickpea flour.
Laurie says
My daughter has severe celiac disease & there are gluten free oats available. Our favorite is bobs red mill. Just toss in your blender or food processor.
Nancy Sue says
What a wonderful recipe! These were very crispy in my air-fryer.
Danielle Keith says
I am so glad Nancy Sue! You are so sweet.
Ash.irvine says
So incredibly easy! I’ll need a double batch for my brood in future but these are amazing! Thanks! I’m loving your recipes!
Lori B says
These were terrific! Super easy to make too. I baked in the oven because I’m the last person on the planet who doesn’t have an air fryer. Next time I think I’ll toss them in buffalo sauce for a real treat. We love plant-based eating, there are so many wonderful recipes! Thank you!
Mariana Ferreira da Silva e Sousa says
I can say that I have tried at least 2 recipes of plant-based nuggets and none were so good and so easy to do like this one.
I made them in the oven and I was a bit afraid of them to be too dry, but no! They were crispy and very tasty! I will definitely do this one more frequent!
Thank you so much!
Kathleen says
These are a keeper! My two girls love them! Thank you for an awesome vegan nugget recipe!
Danielle says
These were so yummy and easy to make! My husband and 2 toddlers enjoyed them. Thanks for the recipe!
C. says
This was really good! Thanks for the recipe. I used Special K cereal for the breading…whizzed in the food processor. It was very crispy! I have a convection oven. I did 400 degrees for 20 minutes, turned them and did 10 more. I baked them on a rack with a cookie pan underneath. That way I did not have to turn them.
C. says
This was really good! Thanks for the recipe. I used Special K cereal for the breading…whizzed in the food processor. It was very crispy! I have a convection oven. I did 400 degrees for 20 minutes, turned them and did 10 more. I baked them on a rack with a cookie pan underneath. That way I did not have to turn them. I hope people give these a try!
C. says
Whoops! Meant I did not have to flip them!
Charli says
These were delicious!
Hiss says
The dregrees in which we are going to bake them are in Fahrenheit or Celcius? ☺️
Danielle Keith says
Farenheit!
Dara says
I am allergic to oats 🙁 would almond or gluten free flour work instead ?
Danielle Keith says
yes!
Julie says
Oh! These are so good! I made them with 1 3/4 c chickpeas I soaked and cooked myself (in case anyone is wondering about the 15oz can equivalent), and breaded them with tortilla chips (bc I had a stupid number of partial tortilla chip bags in my pantry that I ground in the food processor and use for breading now). So delicious and stupid easy to make. A go to recipe for me now.
Cher says
What a great idea for useless tiny broken tortilla chips. Do they stay fresh long?
Jordan Stacy says
Hi Cher! Jordan from the HealthyGirl team here. These Crispy Chickpea Nuggets will stay fresh in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can reheat them in the oven for a couple minutes, air-fryer, or microwave.
Naomi says
WOW! Amazing recipe. We all love them including my toddler. 🙂
Deanna Guerrero says
I love these so much and my husband seriously thought they were chicken😛
Do you have nutritional info on these?
Jodi Erhardt says
These look awesome! Can’t wait to try them with my kiddo! Is there a way to increase the protein level?
Danielle Keith says
They’re already packed with protein! Try out my tofu tenders for more protein though.
Eli G says
literally so delicious! i was so skeptical of them but when i tasted them I was in awe. I did add other spices like paprika and chili powder. i also just sprayed them slightly with olive oil. This recipe is definitely a keeper!!! I ended up forming 16 nuggets. AMAZING RECIPE! *chefs kiss* *muah*
Annie says
Wonder if I could do this with dry (soaked) chickpeas!
Denise says
Can I do these without the tofu?
Sunshine says
We are trying to go plant based and I was shocked my picky kids who refuse to try hummus or chickpeas actually loved these! Next time I will use a little more salt and spices. I think adding the spices to the breadcrumbs will be good too! I airfried mine at 370 for 15 min.
Birt says
I should have done as you suggested. 400 degrees was too much in our air fryer.
Amber says
Hello, would I be able to substitute the breadcrumbs with arrowroot powder?
Taylor From HealthyGirl Kitchen says
The breadcrumbs give it a crispy outer layer.
Jenn says
These look amazing! I can’t have soy, so I make my own red lentil tofu. How much is 1/3 of a regular tofu block?
Taylor From HealthyGirl Kitchen says
Some stores now carry a soy free tofu or even a chickpea tofu!
Julie Larson says
I didn’t see a reference to the tofu in your step by step instructions at the beginning. Did you press the tofu prior?
Taylor From HealthyGirl Kitchen says
Pressing it will help make it crispier because you are taking the liquid out of it.
JG says
Hi these look really great and healthy too. Have made my own gluten free breadcrumbs ready to coat them when I make them tomorrow! . Am making them in the UK and tofu pks size vary a bit, what weight is a third of the pkts you use? Thank you. I wont to get them just perfect.
Jordan Stacy says
Hi JG! Jordan from the HealthyGirl team here. One package of tofu in the US is 16 oz or 464 grams. So for this recipe you would need about 5.5 oz or 155 grams of extra firm tofu.
Barbara Ernst says
Any substitution for tofu? Or can it be omitted? Thanks
Danielle Brown says
Add more chickpeas!
jasmine Pender says
What can I use besides tofu
Taylor From HealthyGirl Kitchen says
The tofu is what helps keep the nuggets firm
Kiera says
These are so good and easy to make! I used the air fryer and did add some oregano and black pepper to the seasoning mix while omitting the garlic powder and it didn’t disappoint. The texture and crunchiness and flavor profile is spot on and my toddlers loved every bite! Definitely adding to my lunch list.
Mj says
Danielle, this recipe sounds amazing. I’m wondering though, the dialog says soy free and makes no mention of tofu, however the written recipe says to add 1/3 block of tofu. Which is correct? Thanks, I can not wait to make these and stop buying the expensive, processed fake chicken nuggets.
Danielle Brown says
Hi MJ! Great catch! This recipe was updated and tofu was added.
Wendy says
How big is each nugget?
Taylor From HealthyGirl Kitchen says
The same size as a standard nugget. I would say about 2in long.
Summer says
My family is a mix of plant-based and meat eaters. Since I found this recipe, I’ve been making it in batches, and I always have to make more because everyone loves it. Even my youngest sister, who is a very picky eater and usually doesn’t like plant-based foods, keeps asking me to make more. I’m really happy to have a healthy alternative that everyone in the family can enjoy. Thank you!
Steph says
Could I use silken tofu?
Jordan Stacy says
Hi Steph! Jordan from the HealthyGirl team. This recipe calls for extra-firm or high-protein tofu. Silken tofu likely won’t work because there’s too much liquid.
Jenn says
Hi! I’d like to make these but it’s not clear — should we cook them if we’re going to keep them in the fridge or freezer? Or should we just shape them without cooking?
Taylor From HealthyGirl Kitchen says
You can cook them and then reheat them by baking or air frying.
Jordan Stacy says
This chickpea nugget recipe is SO good! They’re easily made gluten-free and taste so delicious!
Suzanne says
Easy and delicious! This recipe is a keeper.
Lindsey Trebilcock says
Can you freeze them?
Jordan Stacy says
Hi Lindsey! Jordan from the HealthyGirl team. Yes, you can freeze them for up to 2 months and reheat in the oven or air-fryer.