Easy Toddler Meal: Chickpea Patties

Chickpea Patties Recipe

Whenever we share ideas for easy toddler meals, the posts are quite popular with our readers—because if you can find quick, nutritious foods that toddlers will eat, we’re golden, right? But, chickpea patties?

Here’s the thing about feeding the under four set: they’re typically a tough crowd. One day they like something, the next they don’t. Picky palates start making a regular dinnertime appearance, and getting them to sit at the table for longer than three minutes can sometime seem impossible. It’s not easy trying to guess what menu items are going to be well received, but in my experience, finger foods are always a popular option.

So, for those who like to eat with their hands, these chickpea patties are an excellent option. They can be tucked into a pita and topped with tzatziki for the adults or older children in the house. They are a protein-dense alternative for the meat-haters in the family, and they come together in less time than it would take to order a pizza. Feel free to use regular sweet onion in place of the green, and swap the spice with cumin or paprika if rosemary is not to your taste.

Chickpea Patties Recipe

You’ll Need

  • 1 can chickpeas (19 oz), drained and rinsed
  • ½ cup green onions, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ tsp minced rosemary leaves
  • ¾ tsp sea salt
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup breadcrumbs
  • Canola oil for shallow frying

Prep and Cook

  • In a food processor, combine the chickpeas, green onion, garlic, rosemary, sea salt, lemon zest, lemon juice and egg. Pulse a few times to chop the green onions and garlic. Add the flour and breadcrumbs and mix well.
  • Using damp hands shape the wet mixture into 14 small round patties (about 2-3 inches in diameter) and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Chill in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes to help them firm up for frying.
  • Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a skillet until hot and cook the chickpea patties (you may need to do this in batches) over medium heat until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to remove the excess oil and serve warm.

Nutritional Information Per Serving

  • (per patty) 74 Calories
  • 3.3 g Total Fat
  • 2.5 g Saturated Fat
  • 0.9 g Fibre
  • 8.8 g Carbohydrates
  • 2 g Protein
  • 70 mg Sodium

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10 Comments

  1. Jenn on July 18, 2016 at 12:00 am

    Do these freeze well after they have been fried? Any tips for defrosting/reheating? Thanks!

  2. Rebecca on July 20, 2016 at 3:02 pm

    I have all the ingredients ready and am excited to try. My toddler is not into chickpeas even when I baked the honey cinnamon recipe . Anyhow, what is the best way to freeze these and then the best way to defrost . Do I need to fry them again? Or microwave defrost? Or maybe they don’t freeze well because fried? Thanks so much

    • Michelle Reddick on July 20, 2016 at 3:55 pm

      These freeze beautifully! For best results layer them between layers of parchment paper before freezing so they don’t stick together, and warm them gently in the oven. There is no need to fry them again. Warming them in the oven ensures they maintain their shape and crispiness. They can be thawed and warmed in the microwave, but some of the crispiness is lost.
      We also write about this great recipe here: http://www.savvymom.ca/article/easy-toddler-meals-chickpea-patties/

  3. Elena on August 21, 2016 at 8:23 pm

    Mine came out very dense and chewy… Not sure what I did wrong. What size can of chickpeas did you use?

    • Michelle Reddick on August 24, 2016 at 2:03 pm

      Hi Elena, good question. We use 19 oz cans in this recipe. I’ve updated the recipe to reflect that.

  4. Kristen on February 16, 2017 at 10:37 pm

    These are great! Made them for my 10 month old and they are the perfect consistency and allow for a lot of flavors!

  5. Sharon R. on April 26, 2017 at 3:43 am

    Can these chickpea patties be baked instead of shallow-fried? Any other suggested alternatives to bread crumbs, ie: can crushed Corn Flakes be used? Thanks!

    • Michelle Reddick on April 26, 2017 at 1:55 pm

      Hi Sharon, they could be baked but we must caution that the frying is important for keeping the patty together. When baked they may crumble. We have never tried these with crushed corn flakes (all our recipes are tested by our Food Editor until perfect) but we would love to know how they turn out if you do try it!

  6. Kari on February 24, 2020 at 11:03 am

    Can you add vegetables to these? I like to try and get them in where I can because my 1 year old still sometimes has trouble with the consistency of some veggies.

  7. Sarah on April 29, 2021 at 11:16 pm

    These were so good!! I didn’t have green onion, so I just minced a small white onion instead. My 9 month old couldn’t get enough of these! I enjoyed mine with some spicy mayo on top, yum! Definitely making these again!

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