Who doesn’t love chicken nuggets? Well possibly those of us who don’t eat meat or want to eat healthier. Besides who knows what’s really in those things anyway? Also if you have kids who want nuggets for every meal, I feel you. You feel guilty if you give them greasy nuggets too often, but even worse if you deny them their favorite food. So how about considering baked chickpea nuggets? They are completely vegan too.

Healthy Veggie Chickpea Nuggets

These baked chickpea nuggets are the ideal finger food for little eaters, big eaters and game day snackers. Better yet they are loaded with vegetables, are low in calories (30 calories per nugget) and high in protein. That’s vegetarian protein. Did I mention they are easy to make and utterly delicious too?

I love these veggie nuggets because you don’t need a fork to eat them and you can dip them in any sauce you like. What a fun way to get your daily serving of vegetables in! I also appreciate they are baked and not fried. My kids love them so they are a win-win in my house.

What to Serve with Baked Chickpea Nuggets

• Ketchup (I’m digging Trader Joe’s Truffle Ketchup these days)
• Ranch dressing
• BBQ sauce
• Honey mustard sauce
• Garlic aioli
• Applesauce
• Homemade pesto
• Baked Sweet Potato Fries
• Mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower
• Mac & cheese
• Roasted broccoli
• Cauliflower “potato” salad

Veggie Loaded Chickpea Nuggets (Gluten Free)

Yields: 30 nuggets
Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 24 minutes | Total: 34 minutes

Ingredients:

• 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

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. Pulse to combine.
4. Using a measuring tablespoon, scoop out the mixture and roll it into a ball before flattening and shaping it into nuggets.
5. Place nuggets into preheated oven and bake for 24-27 minutes, flipping halfway through to lightly brown both sides.
6. Allow nuggets to cool for 5 minutes before serving with your favorite dipping sauces (see above for suggestions).

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.

You might also like to make these healthy snacks: Crispy Garlic Baked Kale Chips: How to Make Them In The Oven and These Yummy Keto Bacon Jalapeño Poppers Are A Game Day Hit.

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