These quinoa cakes with hummus come together with bright veggies to form a protein-packed appetizer, side or vegetarian main.

What happens when you mix quinoa with veggies and use hummus to bind everything into precious little patties? Magic, my friends– delicious, vegetarian, protein-packed magic. Of course, you could very easily eat the mixture as-is but once the quinoa hits the pan heated with a little olive oil and starts to crisp up, the entire kitchen begins to smell like heaven.

We eat a lot of hummus in our house – my 13 month old can’t get enough of it. We love it with veggies, spread on pita or as a dipper for grilled meat. Store-bought is perfectly fine but if you’ve never made your own, I highly urge you to give it a try. Click here for a video of me demonstrating just how easy it is to make!
Your fork is waiting.
Frequently asked questions:
Will these quinoa cakes fall apart while cooking?
Possibly. If the quinoa cakes fall apart while cooking, simply use a spoon or spatula to re-shape and press together. If you’re looking to bind them better you would need to use something like some grated cheddar cheese.
Are these freezer-friendly?
I would not recommend freezing these.

Quinoa Cakes With Hummus
Ingredients
- 1 c cooked quinoa
- ½ c hummus (homemade or store bought)
- ½ c red bell pepper (minced)
- 2 celery stalks (minced)
- 2 scallions (chopped)
- ½ tbs extra virgin olive oil
- tomato and extra hummus (optional garnish)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine quinoa with hummus, red pepper, celery and scallions. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium high heat and add olive oil once heated.
- Form quinoa mixture into palm-sized patties and brown in pan, working in batches, about 3-4 minutes per side. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan.
- Serve with additional hummus and tomato slices.
Are the red peppers that you used red bell peppers or the spicy red peppers?
Hi Alison. They are red bell peppers!
Quinoa Sweet Potato Chai Fritters
Created with what was in fridge and what Malda bought for our 3 day sojourn
at our pad on the 15th floor at the Artique Apartments Gold Coast July 2015.
1 Sweet Potato Grated
2 fresh Sweet corn kernels
100 g fresh green beans cut fine
Cook 5 minutes in
2 cups weak CHAI TEA (Caffeine & sugar free) with 1 teaspoon vegemite added
strain keep liquid and add
1 1/2 cups Quinoa simmer 15 minutes
strain well and add to vegetables
Add 1/2 cup Hummus
1 egg
1 tblspn flour mix altogether
Cook tablespoons in butter/oil till browned in frypan
makes 2 dozen small fritters serves 4-6
serve with lemon wedges, yoghurt and potato wedges YUM!
Ok this sounds amazing!!
Such a delicious recipe–I’m a hummus enthusiast. As for the cakes falling apart, have you tried possibly adding an egg to the mix?
I haven’t but that’s a great idea!! Let me know if you have any success with that!
These were a hit at my dinner table! I added a small amount of freshly grated Cabot sharp cheddar to help bind them. Worked like a charm they did not fall apart at all. I didn’t try to flip them until I knew they had a good crust. Thank you for a great recipe.
LOVE the cheese addition!! Such a great idea!!! I may steal that next time. :)
These were excellent ! I served them over baby Kale, baby Spinach, Heirloom Tomatoes & Avocado. Then topped it with Tahini dressing & Sriracha .
Ooo love the sriracha addition!! So glad you enjoyed them! Let me know if you try any other recipes!
Two quick questions: Was the quinoa cooked in chicken broth or water? And, does this recipe freeze well? Thanks!
Hi Cynthia – I usually cook the quinoa in chicken broth but you can cook it any way you wish – water, veggie stock, chicken broth, etc. And unfortunately this dish does not freeze very well. If you are looking for freezer friendly meals I am happy to point you in the right direction!!
I found your recipe by searching for quinoa and hummus this morning, and I’m so glad I did!
We also eat a lot of hummus, being a vegetarian and a vegan, and I love quinoa .
I made the quinoa with a roasted red pepper spice, and I didn’t put in the celery. I imagine there would have been a little more crunch, but I didn’t have any on hand. Didn’t matter though – we put it with a tomato fresh off the plant, and it was yummy! And it didn’t fall apart!
Oh I’m so glad you enjoyed these!! Love that you used roasted red pepper spice – such a great idea!!
Thanks for posting this recipe and I like the idea to make patty using hummus as a binding agent! In fact, we bought two boxes of hummus from Costco at a road show and I did not know how to finish it. I will definitely try this and let you know. I have incorporated quinoa a lot in my diet now a days, made kidney bean burger too, but I have never tried with hummus as a base.. It sounds very interesting though. Thanks
Neela
I’m so glad Neela – enjoy!
Hi Liz,
I made these last night. I used hummus with caramelized onions (that I bought from costco). I slightly changed the recipe a bit by adding some (in addition to whatever was there) grated baby carrots, chopped cilantro and I added a pinch of ancho chillie powder, which gave it some heat, color and the smoky flavor. The whole house was filled with a very nice aroma; smelled like heaven!
It was extremely difficult to flip them and they do fall apart easily. Have you tried adding bread crumbs, (regular or even panko works), or even corn starch? This makes it retain its shape and makes the patty crispier as well.
It tasted good. Thanks for this recipe and you helped me add one more to my collection :)
Neela
This are delicious, especially using a hummus with a flavor. I used a spicy hummus and it was really good! My cakes did not turn out to look anything like cakes though! They were really crumbly, but my guests loved them anyway.
Oooo I love that you used spicy hummus! As I mentioned in the recipe, my cakes definitely fell apart a little but but I was able to “re-shape” them throughout the cooking process. They weren’t pretty but they were delicious. :) One thing that I think could have made a difference is that I used homemade hummus which might have been a different texture than store-bought. Either way – I’m glad your guests loved them regardless!!!
These were delicious! However, mine completely fell apart, even after browned. In fact after attempting the first two patties, I just dumped the rest in to brown a bit and ate as a hot dish.
Still, delicious!
Oh no – I’m so sorry they didn’t hold together for you. A few things that worked for me: when they were cooking, I didn’t move them around or mess with them – I wanted them to form a nice crust to help hold the shape. Also, I used homemade hummus which might have a different texture than storebought. That being said, I definitely had to “re-shape” them while cooking a few times so you certainly aren’t alone. I’m sorry if the recipe disappointed you but they were too delicious not to share!!
These were so good! I made them tonight and even though they fell apart a little, they were so tasty and satisfying.
I’m so glad you liked them!! They do fall apart a bit (like I said, they aren’t the prettiest) but they are tasty!! :)
I’m planning on making this recipe and am just wondering if you mean 1 cup of cooked quinoa (after cooking) or 1 cup of uncooked quinoa. Thank you!
Sorry for the confusion- one cup cooked! I will edit the recipe to make it more clear. :-) Let me know how they turn out!
Thanks! I really appreciate your taking the time to clarify that.
For the 1 cup cooked quinoa, what is the amount measured before cooking? Thank you!
It’s 1/2 cup. :)
These look great! I am definitely trying these this week! You already know how much I love your home made hummus. :-)
Wow – congrats on that! I may sign up and use it for my recipes as well. So many readers keep emailing and asking me post this info as well. P.S. I really like your site :)