Very excited about today’s recipe because it’s one of my favorites so far. I LOVE buffalo sauce so I will take any excuse to eat it, especially when it’s with a vegan recipe that’s packed full of protein and so delicious. I ended up eating these bites for several days because we made so many and they’re an awesome “make ahead” snack because you can quickly reheat and serve. I highly recommend the ranch dressing we made and the homemade buffalo sauce (though store bought is fine too -just check the ingredients some are loaded with junk). Perfect vegan snack for football Sunday and great if you’re having guests. You can also lightly fry these in a pan before baking in the oven but we skipped this step and just cooked them until they were crispy. In case you missed it, check out my interview with my friend and vegan chef, Krista for her tips on going vegan and eating clean. We cooked up some super yummy vegan recipes yesterday that I’ll be sharing next week so stay tuned.
Buffalo Sauce
INGREDIENTS
3 Tablespoons vegan butter or coconut oil “buttery flavor”
1/2 cup hot sauce (we used Frank’s)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
DIRECTIONS
Combine ingredients to in a small saucepan & heat on low, continuously stir and set side.
Ranch Dressing
INGREDIENTS
1.5 cups raw cashews
8 tablespoons non0dairy milk (we used almond)
2.5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1/2 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dill
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
pink himalayan salt & pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Soak cashews in water overnight or boil for 8 minutes (we boiled for this recipe)
Blend cashews in food processor & mix until smooth (add water as needed to create creamy, smooth consistency)
Combine all ingredients in a bowl until well blended.
Quinoa Bites
INGREDIENTS
1.5 cooked quinoa, cooled
1 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
1 flax or chia egg (1 Tablespoon flaxseed or chia seeds + 3 Tablespoons water), let sit for at least 10 minutes
4 Tablespoons buffalo sauce (from recipe above)
1/2 cup gluten free breadcrumbs
1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
pinch of pink himalayan salt
coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375°F
Cook quinoa according to package instructions. Set aside and cool. You can save time here by transferring quinoa to a bowl & placing it in the freezer while you prep the sauces.
Add beans to food processor & mix until smooth (you may need to add a little water to get it smooth).
In a large bowl combine the bean mixture, flax egg & 4 tablespoons of buffalo sauce. Add cooled quinoa, breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder & salt.
Form mixture into 2 inch balls.
Coat baking sheet with olive oil and place bites on sheet. Cook for 30 minutes, turning over halfway through
Drizzle bites with buffalo sauce
Serve warm with ranch dressing and buffalo sauce and enjoy!
This recipe is positively brilliant! I make quinoa pizza bites but these look WAY more delicious. Thank you for sharing!