These apple burgers with butternut squash are a unique twist on a classic meal. Seven simple ingredients make the ultimate flavor bomb!
Fall flavors in a burger is something you wouldn't expect, but the result is unreal! There is little prep needed, the oven does most of the work.
This post was originally published on July 2, 201.
Burgers are a great meal for the family, but can get boring. Switching them up with flavors helps keep them exciting. We love this butternut squash apple burger topped with caramelized onion aioli!
Ingredients
I usually keep my burgers pretty simple, just roast some veggies or cook rice if needed, pulse in a food processor, shape, and cook! The patties all freeze well or can be kept in the fridge so you can prep them before for a fast and easy dinner.
These butternut squash burgers are no different! Here's is what you need to make the patties:
- Cooked rice
- Butternut squash
- Shallots
- Granny smith apples
- Sea salt
- Fresh thyme
- Pumpkin seeds
How to Make Apple Burgers with Butternut Squash
Although there is some cooking time involved here, the active prep part doesn't take long.
- Roast the veggies and cook the rice.
- Pulse the veggies and then the rice in the food processor.
- Mix together using your hands and shape into patties.
- Cook and top with all the things!
NOTE: You can print the FULL recipe with all ingredients & detailed instructions below!
Topping suggestions
This butternut squash burger is customizable and so flavorful on it's own, you don't even need much. You can eat it in a bun, or even with a lettuce wrap or on a salad.
However you enjoy them, load these apple burgers up with all kinds of toppings like:
- Caramelized Onion Sage Aioli
- Vegan Ranch Dressing
- Caramelized onions
- Lettuce or arugula
- Tomato
- Avocado
- Zucchini
What to Serve with Butternut Squash Burgers
Pair these burgers with any of the following sides for a whole well rounded meal!
Meal Prep and Storage Tips
- To prepare ahead of time:
- Roast the veggies and fruit
- Make the rice and sauces.
- You can also make the patties and store in the fridge until the next day.
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
- You can also freeze the patties by sealing them in an airtight freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
More Vegan Burger Recipes
Once you're finished enjoying these apple burgers with butternut squash, try out these recipes:
Apple Burgers with Butternut Squash
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked rice (I use brown or a wild blend) , about 1 cup dry (cook according to package directions)
- 1 ½ cups diced butternut squash , about half of one small sized squash
- ½ cup chopped shallots
- 1 cup diced granny smith apples , about one small apple
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt , divided
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds , unsalted or adjust salt
Serving suggestions:
- Caramelized Onion Sage Aioli
- Vegan Ranch Dressing
- Caramelized onions
- lettuce or arugula
- burger buns , I used pretzel rolls
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F/ 205 C.
- Place diced squash on a parchment lined cookie sheet, sprinkle with ⅛ teaspoon salt and bake for 15 minutes.
- At the 15 minute mark, add apples and shallots to the cookie sheet and sprinkle with the other ⅛ teaspoon salt. Bake another 30 minutes. Set aside to cool while you assemble everything else.
- Put the veggie mix in a food processor with the thyme and pulse until chunky. Do not puree into a mush or paste. Add to a large bowl.
- Next add the cooked rice and pumpkin seeds to the food processor and pulse until chopped a bit but still chunky. Add to the bowl.
- Mix everything well. Add more salt if preferred.
- Shape into 4 patties, then cook on stove top in a pan over medium heat for 7-9 minutes on each side or until browned. Keep pan covered to help the burger cook throughout and not dry out. If you're mixture was on the wetter side, then leave uncovered. Let sit for a few minutes after cooking to help the burger get more stable before eating.
- Serve with toppings of choice!
Notes
- You can use any rice you prefer, just make sure it's hearty and not too mushy.
- If you want to roast the squash/apples/shallots with a drizzle of oil you can, however I did not and it turned out great.
- I like these with both the aioli or the ranch with caramelized onions on top. Mix it up however you choose!
- If your mixture seems dry, you make not have cooked the rice enough. If it is too wet, you probably overcooked the rice or used too much water to cook it.
- Roast the veggies/fruit, make the rice and/or sauces ahead of time. You can also make the patties and store in the fridge until the next day.
- Form these into small nugget sized pieces or even balls. Serve ranch as a dip.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
Sandy
Did you us any oil in the pan? My burgers stuck real bad. Thanks!
veggiesdontbite
Hi Sandy! Sorry your burgers stuck. I don't use oil when cooking on my own pan because it isn't needed with mine. I make sure to keep the pan covered like I say in the directions and don't flip until brown. If I find that they are hard to flip I let them keep cooking. When they are done they should come up fairly easy. That being said, all pans are different. You can most definitely use a little oil to make it easier. It won't hurt the taste of the burger. Hope it works better next time!! Let me know.
Sandy
Thanks for the quick reply! I ended up using a non-stick pan at the low setting. I did keep them covered. I'm going to try to bake them next time.
The kids liked them and that's the best part!
veggiesdontbite
SO glad to hear the kids liked them! Isn't that the best?? So, they stuck even in a non stick pan?? That's ironic, lol! Yes, try baking them. I bake my burgers sometimes and they turn out pretty good. Put them on parchment if you don't use oil, and try baking at 350 for 20 minutes on one side and another 10-15 on the other. Just keep checking them to make sure they don't burn. Let me know how it works!
Sandy
Will do and thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes!
veggiesdontbite
You're welcome!
Bev
I made these in the oven . They were nice and firm but the taste was not very good. I only had frozen butternut squash and didn't have pumpkin seeds ! I will try again with fresh!!! It worked fine in oven on parchment paper! Kinda tasteless!
veggiesdontbite
Hi Bev! I'm not sure why yours were tasteless if you followed all the directions. Was your frozen butternut already cooked? Roasting the veggies is key with flavor as it gives them an amazing taste as they roast. I'd definitely recommend fresh butternut squash and maybe a tad more salt? They have lots of flavor and have been made by readers with success.
Cheryl
This recipe looks absolutely amazing! I am a huge fan of vegan burgers and I am always trying different ways to make them. The pictures are amazing!
veggiesdontbite
Thanks so much Cheryl! It's a great burger. The flavors are truly unique for a burger so a nice alternative to the norm. We enjoy these every fall with all the fresh butternut squash and apples we find. Hope you like it!
Jenn
Dang, this looks so good! I love butternut squash and apples together. I have a soup with these flavors I'm planning to make soon. I definitely am going to try this burger and I just happen to have a squash on my counter right now! 🙂
veggiesdontbite
Thanks so much Jenn! The flavors are so good in it! I make them into sliders for fall parties too. Let me know if you try it!
Kristin
These look great and I can't wait to try them!
I have a pumpkin seed allergy. Can you suggest a substitution for the pumpkin seeds? Do you think sunflower seeds would work?
veggiesdontbite
Thank you so much Kristin! Yes, sunflower seeds would work just fine! It just adds an extra layer of texture so any seed that would do that will work. Let me know how they turn out! I love hearing follower feedback!
foodandflying
This just looks incredible!! Can't wait to start adding recipes like this to my blog!
veggiesdontbite
Thank you!!
amallia
wow this burger looks amazing. Very creative:-)
veggiesdontbite
Thank you so much!
scottmcnamara
Going to make these tonight!!!!
veggiesdontbite
Awesome!! Let me know how it turns out!
Kyra
Yum! Love the addition of granny smith apples! And the caramelized onion aioli - my mouth is watering already! Thanks for an awesome burger recipe 🙂
veggiesdontbite
Thank you so much! Yes, I love the flavor combo. Different than your average burger but a nice change. And very fall tasting! Thanks for following!
Thalia @ butter and brioche
These burgers are just perfect for me to recreate for my vegetarian household. Thanks for the great recipe, they are delicious!
veggiesdontbite
Thank you Thalia! They are a new burger favorite for us!
hipfoodiemom
I love that you made a veggie patty with butternut squash and apples!! love it that you are using the goodness of fall! Pinned and can't wait to try this!!
veggiesdontbite
Thank you!! Yes, I really try and use fresh local organic produce for my recipes. And fall is just so delicious! I've got a great fall soup and sandwich coming in the next few weeks and currently working on a baked pasta dish with some fall touches. Thanks for following!
fitnessmomwinecountry
That's it .. I am off to the market to get some ingredients...This is a must have
veggiesdontbite
Lol! You won't regret it. We love this one! Thanks for following!
angelica
Perhaps I'm over thinking a bit. As I'm about to add the rice to the food processor...is it 2 cups of cooked rice or 2 cups uncooked rice? Can't wait to try them... Thanks!
veggiesdontbite
Hi Angelica! Uncooked! I should change that just in case someone else has the same question. Thanks!
angelica
They turned out great! I did cook 2 cups of a brown rice/bean mix I had on hand, using 5 cups stock... when it was done it seemed like a lot to me so only used 2 cups of the cooked rice to mix with the squash. It made 7 patties and the flavors were perfect. Looking forward to making these several times this season... Thanks again!
veggiesdontbite
So glad to hear Angelica!! We will be making them several times as well! Thanks for sharing your outcome!
Aarika
Thank you! That was helpful ?
veggiesdontbite
You're welcome!
Hello, Scarlett Blog
Love this post!
<3
Emory
helloscarlettblog.com
veggiesdontbite
Thank you Emory!!
Natalie Tamara
Yum! These are going on my to-try list... I almost wish I hadn't just used up the last of the apples from my garden though, this would have been perfect for them 🙂
veggiesdontbite
Thank you! Yes, I created these using some amazing apples from our apple picking trip. Hope you enjoy! And as always, thanks for following.
goodfoodmarsh
These butternut squash burgers look absolutely glorious! Your food photography is gorgeous. I've just bought myself another butternut squash - so your recipe is definitely next on the list! Cannot wait to try this. If you have a minute, I'd love your thoughts on my butternut squash curry! 🙂 http://goodfoodmarsh.wordpress.com/2014/09/29/butternut-squash-curry/
veggiesdontbite
Thank you so much for your kind words! It's a great burger with a fall feel. I'll definitely take a look at your recipe! Thanks for following!