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Are you looking for a gluten-free recipe that everyone in the family will love? These Veggie Loaded Chickpea Nuggets are the BEST. Since this recipe makes 30 veggie nuggets, there is more than plenty to go around. Plus, it’s the perfect way to load up the kids with extra veggies, too! 

We crave new and fun foods in our house. Maybe we’re a family of foodies, or maybe we just like to try new and exciting things. I really like this easy nugget recipe because the main ingredient is chickpeas and the kids literally have no idea.

It’s not that I’m trying to trick them, but let’s be honest. Getting the kids to eat more food with veggies is probably a daily struggle for most of us. Thankfully there are recipes like this Chickpea Nuggets that make this one less battle to have to fight.

Once the kids gobble them all down, it’s up to you to tell them that they’re just ate simple gluten-free chickpea nuggets. I say some things are just better left unsaid! Make sure to check out my Gluten-free Thanksgiving Recipes for even more yummy options.

How do you get rid of excess water from the shredded zucchini?

You’ll be amazed at how much water zucchini holds! Once you shred the zucchini, you need to get rid of as much of the water as possible. For this baking hack, I typically placed shredded zucchini in a paper towel give it a good squeeze and drain it out, which gets rid of a lot of it quickly.

What dipping sauces go well with chickpea nuggets?

This is all up to you and your dipping preferences! If you want a dip, get that sauce. Just be sure that whatever dip you’re using is gluten-free as well.

Some dips that people use include:

• ketchup
• ranch
• hot mustard
• salsa
• honey mustard

And those are just a few. You can even make a combination dip of all your favorite flavors or eat it without a dip and enjoy them as is.

Tips for Making these Chickpea Nuggets

Even though this recipe is pretty simple to do, there is one tip to keep in mind as you’re making it.

The mixture is going to be wet and sticky, so be sure to wet your hands down if it’s sticking to your hands while you’re forming them. This will make it less sticky and easier to handle.

Gluten-Free Veggie Nuggets

I think that you’ll find that once you make this simple nugget recipe, you’re going to put it on your meal planning radar asap to have it again.

Ingredients

To make nuggets at home, you’ll need to gather up the short list of ingredients to get started.

• 1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained
• ½ cup shredded zucchini
• ½ cup shredded carrot
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon dried parsley
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• ½ cup panko or breadcrumbs (use gluten-free if necessary)
• 2 large eggs

Additional optional spices include black paper or Italian seasoning.

Veggie Loaded Chickpea Nuggets

• Author: Thena Reading-Franssen

Print Recipe

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Description

This simple recipe for chickpea nuggets is the best! Fast, easy, and gluten-free!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained
• ½ cup shredded zucchini
• ½ cup shredded carrot
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon dried parsley
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• ½ cup bread crumbs (use gluten free if necessary)
• 2 large eggs

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place a piece of parchment paper on a large baking sheet and set aside.
2. Place shredded zucchini in a paper towel or clean dish towel and squeeze over a bowl to remove as much liquid as possible. 
3. Place zucchini and all remaining ingredients in a food processor or blender. Pulse to combine until the texture forms a dough. 
4. Using a measuring tablespoon, scoop out your chickpea mixture and roll it into a ball before flattening and shaping it into nuggets. Place nuggets into preheated oven and bake for 24-27 minutes, flipping halfway through to lightly brown both sides.
5. Once golden brown, allow nuggets to cool for 5 minutes before serving with your favorite dipping sauce.

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Notes

The mixture is wet and sticky, so be sure to wet your hands if it is sticking to them too much while forming the nuggets.

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Directions to make Gluten-Free Veggie Chickpea Nuggets

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place a piece of parchment paper on a large baking sheet and set aside.

Place shredded zucchini in a paper towel or clean dish towel and squeeze over a bowl to remove as much liquid as possible. 

Place zucchini and all remaining ingredients in a food processor or blender.

Pulse to combine. Blend until the texture forms a dough. 

Using a measuring tablespoon, scoop out the mixture and roll it into a ball before flattening and shaping your chickpea mixture into nuggets. Place nuggets into the preheated oven and bake for 24-27 minutes, flipping halfway through to lightly brown both sides.

Once the outside of the nuggets are golden-brown, allow nuggets to cool for 5 minutes before serving with your favorite dipping sauces.

Can I freeze Veggie Chickpea Nuggets?

It’s very easy to prep this recipe ahead and freeze any leftover vegan chicken nuggets. Simply store in an airtight freezer bag.

When you are ready to eat, recook the nuggets on a baking tray in the oven as you did before – 400 degrees, 24 to 27 minutes. You also can place your frozen vegan nuggets in the microwave. Arrange spread out as far as possible on a microwave safe plate. Heat 2 to 3 minutes depending on how many nuggets you have on a plate.

What do I serve with Chickpea Nuggets?

Diced potatoes, French fries or fitters are all great sides for nuggets. Using left over zucchini, you could even make these easy veggie fritters and get loads of veggie goodness in your kids. They will never know how healthy their lunch/dinner is!

Our Pinterest community and I would love to see how this worked out for you. Share your final recipe.  Leave a comment on Pinterest or share a photo on Instagram.

Save this recipe for later. Print your recipe and add it to your recipe box or recipe binder! This is my favorite Recipe Binder – I get tired of printing the same recipe over and over. A binder keeps me organized and gives me a place to store my recipes.

Make sure to check out my Simple Lunch Ideas for Kids as well. Pin to Pinterest for later.

Don’t miss out on these Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks. Pin to Pinterest for later.

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