Make your own vegetarian alternative to chicken nuggets with PUMPKIN! These vegan Pumpkin Nuggets are crispy on the outside and soft & creamy on the inside.Dip them in ranch sauce, have them with salad, in a wrap, or in a fall-inspired buddha bowl.
Fall is my favorite season. Spending more time at home, slowly transitioning from iced latte to tea, matching yellow rain coats with my dog, Brussels sprouts, and pumpkins!
These vegan Pumpkin Nuggets are little pumpkin bites coated in crispy panko flakes. Absolutely delicious!
What I love about these pumpkin nuggets is that
they are soft and creamy on the inside and crispy on the outside
they are easy to make: boil, coat, pan-fry, done.
they are versatile. Combine them with salad, rice, potatoes, tacos, wraps, it will all taste good!
they taste like junk food but are veggie-based!
And I have to warn you, these are quite addictive, I had a few days where I only ate these in different meals – with salad, rice or wedges, in pitas, in wraps or plain… there are just so many possibilities to integrate them into meals!
How to make Vegan Pumpkin Nuggets
The Ingredients
You will need:
a hokkaido pumpkin
flour
panko flakes (you can sub panko flakes for fine breadcrumbs and vice versa, but a combination of both is giving a better texture and is making sure they are nicely coated)
fine breadcrumbs
spices: salt, paprika powder, dried rosemary
olive oil
For the seasoning, I used pretty much my go-to seasoning: salt, paprika, and dried rosemary. Because pumpkin and rosemary is such a good combo!
Uses for these vegan Pumpkin Nuggets are versatile. I’ve had them on a plate with white rice, salad, and pita bread, snacked them as they were or dipped in sauces, with wedges and Brussels sprouts, and stuffed them in pitas. They are so good for all kinds of meals!
Serve them with…
Pan-Roasted Brussels Sprouts in Soy Sauce
Potato Wedges with Za’atar
Vegan Pumpkin Nugget Tacos
Thick Fluffy Tortillas from scratch
More savory vegan pumpkin recipes
10+ Vegan Pumpkin Recipes to Try This Fall!
Pumpkin Goulash with Bread Dumplings
Vegan Pumpkin Basil Pinwheels
Roasted Pumpkin Hummus
Love it? Rate it!
I hope you enjoy these vegan Pumpkin Nuggets as much as I do! Let me know if you give them a try!
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Cheers, Bianca
Vegan Pumpkin Nuggets
Elephantastic Vegan
Recipe for vegan Pumpkin Nuggets. Crispy on the outside, soft and creamy on the inside. These little pumpkin bites are perfect for wraps, pitas or to snack them as they are.
Cut the pumpkin in half. Spoon out the seeds. Cut them into rings. Peel them using a veggie peeler. Then cut them into chunks.
Boil the pumpkin in a pot with water until they get softer (approx. 10 minutes), they shouldn't be too mushy, though.
Strain and drain the boiled pumpkin bites. Let them cool off.
Mix the ingredients for the batter in one bowl.
In another bowl, mix the ingredients for the breading.
Dip them into the batter first, then toss them in the breadcrumbs until they are evenly coated.
Heat a pan with olive oil, and pan-fry the pumpkin pieces over medium to high heat on each side until they are nicely golden brown. Let them cool off a bit before serving because they are HOT. :)
Notes
*you can sub panko flakes for fine breadcrumbs and vice versa, but a combination of both is giving a better texture and is making sure they are nicely coated
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By this definition, yes—Beyond Fried Chicken is vegan.
Well, the issue lies not in the nuggets' ingredients, but in how the nuggets are prepared. In its press release, KFC notes that the plant-based nuggets may be fried in the same fryers as meat-based products.
If you aren't familiar with the nuggets themselves, they're made from a nutritious (and delicious) combination of soy and plant proteins. To make them "dirty," though, Burger King tops them with smoky BBQ sauce and crispy onions, making for a delectable savory and crunchy meal.
The ingredients that go into a vegan nugget can vary, but for the most part, brands use soy or pea protein, both of which have a meaty texture when processed. Quorn, which has won awards for its realistic-tasting vegan chicken products, makes its nuggets out of mycoprotein, a type of fermented fungi.
Unfortunately for vegan American McDonald's fans, the fries there aren't plant-based. This is because one of the ingredients is “natural beef flavoring,” which contains milk. “When our suppliers partially fry our cut potatoes, they use an oil blend that contains beef flavoring,” the McDonald's website states.
The new Beyond Burger significantly improves that health profile. It has 10 percent of the recommended intake of saturated fat and 14 percent of the recommended intake of sodium. A single patty has 230 calories, which is the same as the outgoing burger. For comparison, a Kroger-brand 80/20 beef patty has 290 calories.
Is Beyond Fried Chicken® vegan or vegetarian? It is NOT vegetarian, vegan, or Certified Vegan. It is 100% plant-based, but fried in the same fryers as our chicken, which may not be acceptable to certain types of vegetarian or vegan diets.
Tyson brand chicken was born from the Great Depression's forced innovation circa 1935. With plant-based consumption on the rise and chicken production slowly decreasing, Tyson has tossed new plant-based nuggets into the vegan chicken market.
This item contains soy, wheat, celery, gluten and sulphur dioxide, may contain mustard and sesame, and may be cooked on same equipment as milk. Modifications are not represented in this list. Adults need around 2000 kcal a day.
Vegans can still eat junk food, if by junk, we're talking highly fatty and calorific food. Otherwise known as being a dirty vegan, as long as your ingredients are not animal-based, including your cooking oils (as opposed to butter or lard), then that's veganised junk food.
2. Beer and Wine. Isinglass, a gelatin-based substance derived from fish, is used as a clarifying agent in some beer and wine. Other non-vegan ingredients sometimes used are casein (from milk) and egg whites.
Yes, generally tomato ketchup is suitable for vegans. Its core ingredients are usually tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, salt, herbs and spices, all of which are vegan friendly. But the ingredients list isn't the only thing we need to look at in order to get to the bottom of this question.
McPlant Nuggets — made from peas, corn and wheat with a tempura batter — are the second product McDonald's has co-developed with Beyond Meat, an El Segundo, California-based maker of plant-based proteins. McDonald's has been selling a McPlant burger since 2021, although its popularity has wavered.
Does Chick-fil-A offer vegan chicken? While some of Chick-fil-A's competitors now offer vegan meat options (looking at you, Burger King and Carl's Jr), the fast-food chain has not added any plant-based chicken to its menu, yet.
Imitation meats or meat substitutes - such as vegan nuggets, sausages, and burgers or fake chicken pieces and ready meals - are sometimes classified as ultra-processed foods4. These are convenience foods that contain additives like sweeteners, salt and artificial flavours but contain few nutrients.
Here's what our associate nutrition editor, Jessica Ball, M.S. RD, has to say: "While the McPlant is a good option for those trying to cut down on animal proteins, it is important to remember that it is still a highly processed food. It can be a good choice on occasion, but shouldn't be eaten regularly.
The McPlant burger uses a patty made from peas, rice and potatoes that mimics the taste and texture of beef. Toppings include mayonnaise and American cheese. Customers in the two test markets will be able to buy the burger for a limited time, while supplies last.
McPlant Nuggets — made from peas, corn and wheat with a tempura batter — are the second product McDonald's has co-developed with Beyond Meat, an El Segundo, California-based maker of plant-based proteins. McDonald's has been selling a McPlant burger since 2021, although its popularity has wavered.
Introduction: My name is Lidia Grady, I am a thankful, fine, glamorous, lucky, lively, pleasant, shiny person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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