This was my first recipe ever on this blog. I had the day off for MLK day in January 2011 and was making these quinoa cakes and realized that I should put the recipe online. I opened a blogger account that day and haven’t stopped since. One of the frustrating things about blogging is that, in the quest to constantly cook new and different recipes, you forget about your old standbys, the recipes that are your favorites. I spent years cooking and developing this recipe. I originally tried these at the prepared counter at Whole Foods. I loved the idea but found them too sweet and didn’t like the addition of dried cranberries. So I set out to make my own, doing it slightly differently every time.
As you can see, I’ve continued to tweak this since that first post. Word of caution: these are incredibly filling! I love this recipe because it’s healthy, filling, and really easy to make. This big batch will last for multiple meals and can be easily frozen. I’ve been getting some questions recently about freezing easy servings of various meals. This recipe freezes really well. Just wrap each individual cake in aluminum foil and store in a freezer bag. That way you can defrost and eat one at a time if you like.
Oh… Did I mention EACH CAKE HAS ONLY 164 CALORIES!!!
Serving Suggestions:
- With hot sauce, ketchup or mustard
- On top of a healthy spinach salad drizzled with balsamic vinegar
- In a pita with some greek yogurt and cucumber salad ala falaffel
- As a vegetarian burger – top with cheese, lettuce and tomato
- Topped with sliced tomatoes and avocado
Quinoa Sweet Potato Cakes
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: Dara
Serves: 6+
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 stalks of celery, finely diced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1¾ cups quinoa
- 3 cups of water
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1″ chunks
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- ½ cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp paprika
- salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400
- In a saucepan, saute onion, garlic, celery, and carrots in olive oil 3-4 minutes
- Add quinoa, water and paprika
- Cover, bring to a boil and then reduce to med-low
- Simmer for 10 minutes until liquid is absorbed
- Microwave sweet potato chunks for 4-6 minutes, until softened
- Mash sweet potatoes
- Add cooked quinoa mixture to the sweet potato and mix together
- Add lightly beaten eggs and breadcrumbs
- Stir mixture until thoroughly combined
- Allow to cool for 15 minutes, until cool enough to handle
- Form mixture into hockey puck sized patties by hand
- Place each patty on a greased cookie sheet
- Bake for 20-25 minutes and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes after baking
- Serve warm or cold!
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 cake Calories: 164 Fat: 3.2g Fiber: 5.6g Protein: 6g
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i love this post! i love your story of how you started blogging (such a casual beginning!) i think these look super delicious and perfect for fall, and i love the ideas you gave for serving them!
I can completely relate to forgetting about your old stand-bys! I can see how this would be one of yours, too – so delish and healthy. Gorgeous photos, too!
164 calories??? Amazing! I love this. The perfect flavorings and so filling yet healthy too.
It’s nice to know how it all started
and quinoa cakes are not new to me. I’ve made myself quite a few versions and I am always looking for new ideas, as it’s so healthy 
I really enjoy quinoa and I love sweet potatoes. The lack of calories is just a plus for me because for me it’s all about taste. Yum.
Gorgeous and healthy. Love you!
I love sweet potatoes as well as quinoa, and I m sure the combination will be great!! Nice recipe
Meriem
These quinoa cakes look wholesome and irresistible!
That’s my husband’s complaint about blogging….I don’t make his favorite chocolate chip cookies nearly often enough b/c I can’t blog about them! I’m glad you repeated these quinoa cakes…they look fantastic!
These sound awfully good Dara!
(pinned)
LL
What delicious looking healthy savoury cakes my friend
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I love healthy and filling recipes, glad that you have done it again. They look gorgeous. I have yet to try cooking with red quinoa.
I love how you started blogging! And I’m with you on the forgetting to cook your old favorites – I need to delve back into my old recipes too
Your quinoa cakes look delicious too! I love sweet potato anything – and made into little cakes w/the grains sound great!
Squash and now sweet potatoes! You must know I love these…
Quinoa and sweet potatoes, what a nice combination! Only 164 calories? I should be eating this everyday… 
Is it cooked or uncooked quinoa that you start with?
Hi Mary! You start with dry quinoa and cook it according to the recipe directions. Thanks for the question and for stopping by!
hi there – are the breadcrumbs a necessity? my mom has a gluten intolerance
sounds awesome – can’t wait to make
Judith, I think you can totally try without. Let me know how it goes!
thanks so much. will do – on both counts
For a vegan version, any idea how you might get around using the eggs?
Hi Deidre! Since the egg is for binding, you can substitute a flax egg or a commercial egg substitute like Bob’s Red Mill. That will probably work fine.
Made these this morning and they are sooo delicious. Thanks for an awesome recipe!
I’m looking forward to making these tonight to eat this week! Do you cook all of the cakes and then freeze the leftovers, or freeze before you cook them to cook later? Thanks!
Hi Maureen! I cook them all and then freeze. I haven’t tried the other method but it may work as well. I recommend baking them, letting them cool, and then wrapping individually in tin foil and storing in a ziplock bag.
Just an FYI for anyone that’s interested…. You can saute in water and eliminate the oil to reduce calories and eliminate fat content. I hardly ever saute in oil anymore. It’s just not necessary.