Learn how to make this easy, baked veggie nuggets recipe for the picky toddler (or picky adult too) in your house. These tasty bites have protein dense lentils and tons of vegetables like zucchini, carrots and peas. Bonus, they are vegan, dairy free and perfect for dipping in ketchup, homemade mayo, or tahini!
Kids love dipping, and I find it’s one of the easiest ways to get a toddler to try new things. If you’re looking for lentil recipes for kids, this is definitely one to try.
They don’t even need to know that these nuggets are completely wholesome and protein packed. They won’t see any lentils in this recipe. I gave my toddler some ketchup and he devoured 3 of these bad boys in no time!
Bonus, these nuggets are dairy free and plant based, making them suitable for anyone with lactose intolerance or on a vegan or vegetarian diet.
BIGGER BONUS – they’re oil free, and baked, NOT fried, making them low in fat and heart healthy too.
To prepare your veggie nuggets
Put your lentils to soak in boiling hot water first. Let them sit for about 30 minutes before draining them.
In the meantime, start prepping your veggies and breadcrumbs. Place your bread slices in your food processor and process until a breadcrumb consistency is achieved. Then transfer to a large bowl.
Next, add the carrot and zucchini to your food processor with all the seasoning, and your drained lentils. Process until broken down, finely chopped and well combined. Then add the mixture to your bowl of breadcrumbs and add the corn and peas too.
Mix everything with a spatula before shaping your nuggets. Using your hands, roll the mixture into balls, roughly the size of golf balls and place on your prepared baking sheet. You should get about 20-24 balls.
Once you’ve rolled up all your batter, flatten each ball gently using your hands or a spoon, into a disc shape.
Use caution to avoid breaking them, and reshape if necessary.
Bake in your preheated oven for 15 minutes before carefully flipping your nuggets. Return to the oven for an additional 15 minutes and let rest at room temperature for at least 5 minutes to allow your veggie nuggets to firm up.
As the nuggets are baking, prepare any dipping sauces you’d like to pair with these. My kids love ketchup, but I prefer these with my nut free homemade mayo.
These vegan nuggets will please the entire family, from picky toddlers to picky spouses. Enjoy!
Tips
- Do not sub for another lentil. This recipe works best with SPLIT red lentils. Regular lentils take longer to cook and are not as sticky, which is needed for this batter to hold well.
- Make sure your mixture is very finely processed before adding the peas and corn. You want your lentils, zucchini and carrots to be chopped up very finely so your batter will hold nicely.
- Roll the mixture into balls first, and then gently press them down on your baking sheet. If any break while doing so, re-shape them into a nugget shape. If they’re not holding before baking, they won’t hold together after baking.
- Do not add more peas or corn then the recipe calls for. Too many larger chunks will make the batter a little more difficult to hold into a nugget shape.
More healthy picky eater friendly recipes
- Healthy Broccoli Potato Soup
- Baked Chickpea Nuggets [Allergen Free]
- Cauliflower Buffalo Wings – Air Fryer Option
- Lentil Shepherd’s Pie [Vegan + GF + Oil Free]
- Baked Zucchini Tater Tots [V+GF]
- Cheesy Vegan Broccoli Rice Casserole
If you tried this recipe, please let me know about it in the comments below. I always love hearing from you! Don’t forget to Subscribe to This Healthy Kitchen to be among the first to get my new recipes! You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter to see more delicious food and get all the latest updates.
Buon appetito,
Rosa
📖 Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup split red lentils soaked in boiling hot water for 30 minutes
- 1 medium zucchini grated
- 1 large carrot grated
- 2 slices whole grain sliced bread untoasted, gluten free if needed
- ¼ cup frozen peas
- ¼ cup frozen corn
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
- Add your bread slices to a food processor and process until a breadcrumb consistency is achieved. Then transfer your bread crumbs into a large bowl, add the frozen corn and peas to the same bowl and set aside.
- Drain your lentils and add them to the food processor along with your grated carrot, zucchini and all the seasonings. Process until broken down and well combined. Then transfer to the bowl with the breadcrumbs, and mix to combine.
- Form 1-1.5" balls using your hands, and place them on your baking tray. Then press each one down gently, without breaking them, to form your nuggets.
- Bake for 30 minutes, carefully flipping them at the 15 minute mark. Let your nuggets cool at room temperature for at least 5 minutes to help them firm up. Then serve with ketchup, homemade mayo, or tahini.
Cari
Thinner is better. So yummy and crunchy without any oil! I added 1/4-1/2 cup crispy onions to batter for extra flavor. Really good
Rosa
Thanks Cari, glad you enjoyed. Crispy onions sound like a great addition.
Annie
Thanks for this tasty, family friendly recipe Rosa! I made these for the third time yesterday and finally leaving a comment. We love them! My girls dip them in vegan mayo and my husband and I use a little hot sauce. Delicious!
Rosa
Thrilled you’re enjoying these Annie, thank you for the feedback!
Mary Mancini
Just made these delicious 😋
Now to get the grandkids to try them!!
Rosa
Wonderful to hear! Thanks so much for the review Mary.
Greg
Do you bring the water to a boil and then remove from heat and put the lentils in, or do you boil the lentils for the full 30 minutes?
Thank you!
Rosa
Hi Greg, just bring some water to a boil, on stove top or in a kettle is fine. Then pour the hot water over your lentils, (or add the lentils to the pot of water) soak for 30 minutes and then drain. Hope that helps, enjoy!
Claire
I had some confusion regarding the lentils. After 30 minutes they’re still somewhat hard…so I microwaved them to getting the temp up but now that I’ve combined everything they’re rather mushy/wet. My question is of the lentils are supposed to still be hard ish.
Rosa
Hi Claire, the are you using SPLIT red lentils? Once soaked, they get quite soft, unless a different lentil was used.
June
Delish!! My 15-year-old helped and said she could make them on her own when I return to work and have dinner waiting for me 😻. She and I are vegan and this is such a simple and tasty entrée! Thanks for sharing!!
Rosa
That’s wonderful June. What a great helper you have! So glad you both enjoyed.
Star
My 2 year old (and me) love these! Just made them for the first time, doubled the peas as we didn’t have any corn and put in gloves of garlic instead of powder. I also needed to add an egg because it the mixture was a bit too crumbly when rolling. They’re delicious, my daughter gobbled them up! 😊 I made an avocado and Greek yoghurt dip to serve them with 😋👌
Rosa
Thanks very much for the review Star. Thrilled you both enjoyed these. 🙂
Julie
My 15 month old loved them!!! Thanks for the great recipe Rosa!
Rosa
My pleasure Julie. Thanks for the review! 🙂
Amielle
Can you freeze them? If yes, how much time can you keep it in the freezer?
Rosa
Hi Amielle, yes you may freeze leftovers for up to 2 months. Enjoy 🙂
Krista
Made a bunch of finger foods tonight for some friends and these were the first to finish. We all loved these, thanks for the recipe.
rosa
Glad to hear everyone enjoyed Krista! Thanks very much for the review.
Beth
I almost didn’t make them thinking my picky eaters would turn their nose up but I’m so glad I decided to try them anyway! They were a hit with my family, thanks so much for the recipe. Will make again.
rosa
Thrilled everyone enjoyed Beth. I appreciate the feedback. 🙂
Janet
These were terrible. I made them exactly as directed – my kids notes they smelled bad while cooking. One child was brave enough to try one and then very politely told me she didn’t like it. Frankly, neither did I. Frustrated that bought a bag of lentils, other organic ingredients, spent an hour on a weeknight for it all to end up in the trash.
Joni
I hate when that happens! I’m trying to decide if I should try these. Are the ingredients things your family would normally enjoy, or were you experimenting with new flavors? Could they have been “saved” by a dipping sauce (my go to solution)? Thanks for your feedback.
Vilma
I don’t typically comment on these things but I tried these and my whole family loved them.
Joni if you look at Janet’s comment above, it seems like these are not ingredients her family typically uses since she specifically went to buy a bag of lentils to make these. If these are not ingredients you typically enjoy, it’s unfair (as is her rude comment) to assume you’d like them mashed together into a nugget form. I say try them Joni (if you like lentils and the veggies called for). Just my 2 cents!
Joni
Haha. I don’t usually comment either but the comment/review was so strong, I thought I would ask for clarification.Thanks for your reply. As chance would have it, I made them yesterday for dinner, and just now ate the few leftover ones for lunch. My husband and I thought they were great and will definitely be adding them to the rotation. Add me to the list of five star reviewers.