baked chickpea patties with yogurt sauce & sweet potato oven fries
These Baked Chickpea Patties with yogurt sauce and Sweet Potato Oven Fries are a great recipe for babies and grownups alike! The patties come together with ease, the sweet potato fries make it a meal, and the yogurt sauce is the perfect dip accompaniment. Make them, love them, repeat.
Well if that’s not the longest blog post title…
I can’t believe I’m sitting here writing about my experience as a mom for nine whole months. Some days feel like they never end, but overall, cliche as it may sound, the time has flown by. I swear it was just a few days ago when I was watching “Friday Night Lights” re-runs on my computer at 3 a.m. with a newborn who just would.not.go.back.to.sleep; just yesterday morning when I was sharing my favorites in baby gear and apps with you guys and snuggling a sweet six-month-old; just a blink of an eye ago when I saw my baby crawl for the first time.
And now, here we are, nine months into this adventure and I’m telling you about the solid foods my little girl is eating all on her own. Sniffle. (And also the fact that we are SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT, glory glory hallelujah.)
A Baby Update and Baby Led Weaning
Truthfully, though, it’s been so fun to see Avery grow and develop into the lovely little lady she is today. She’s still spunky and headstrong as ever — in fact, we are starting to enjoy the very early stages of protests and temper tantrums when we take her away from things that are, you know, bad for her and dangerous — but she’s also incredibly sweet, gentle, cuddly and hilarious. The girl knows how to make me laugh like no one else with her funny faces, screeches and giggles. And yes, she still loves pulling giant tufts of hair from our poor cat.
And here is where I give fair warning that this post will now include many-a-detail about baby food, nursing, weaning, etc. So if the thought of that is already putting you to sleep, scroll to the bottom for a yummy (baby but also adult-friendly!) recipe!
How We Did Baby Led Weaning
One of the most surprisingly rewarding aspects of this whole motherhood business has been transitioning Avery to solid foods. I was fortunate enough to be able to nurse her exclusively until about six months, when we decided to start introducing solids into her diet as well with her first food, avocado. Which she hated (and now loves, by the way). Our pediatrician recommended the baby-led weaning method to us for introducing solids, and I’m so glad she did. It’s been awesome for us and for Avery, too, to let her independent personality thrive through feeding herself.
In case you aren’t familiar with baby-led weaning, the idea basically is to introduce solid foods to your baby in whole, but safe and digestible form. In other words, instead of going straight to spoon-feeding soft, mushy foods and having to introduce more solid, whole foods later, you give your baby slices of soft whole foods like avocado and ripe pear, steamed sweet potato and carrot sticks, etc. right from the start so he/she can learn to feed him or herself. That way, you don’t have to worry about the transition from spoon-feeding to self-feeding. They learn it on their own.
What I also have loved about this method is that I can not only feed Avery a lot of the same foods and meals we eat, thereby saving me a ton of time and Benjamins, but I can also let my food blogger nerdy-ness come out by being creative with what I feed her. These baked chickpea patties with yogurt sauce and sweet potato oven fries are just one example. Some other foods we’ve been feeding her the last few months include:
Omelettes (egg yolks only mixed with breastmilk and sometimes cheese and/or greens)
Polenta sticks with herbs and marinara sauce
Oatmeal fingers (I mash a few tablespoons of old-fashioned oats with an equal amount of breastmilk and sometimes add berries; then, I microwave it in a shallow dish or bowl for 2 minutes and let it cool completely; then, I cut the cooled and hardened oatmeal into “fingers” or pieces)
Pasta bakes
Sliced avocado, mango, pear, banana, cantaloupe, etc.
Steamed sweet potato, squash, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, etc.
Roasted red and green peppers (skins and seeds removed)
Small sticks of cheese
Toast with mashed avocado or melted cheese on top
Sardines in water
Baked salmon
Chicken breast slices
And I’m also nerding out about future plans to make bebe baby pancakes (!), sandwiches, etc.
So far, Avery has eaten just about everything with gusto except for eggs. She hates them and actively pushes them off of her tray, which is kind of hilarious. She took a while to warm up to broccoli and avocado, but now those are among the foods she enjoys, too. And the girl loves sardines — though I don’t feed those to her very often because, HELLO mess and fishy smell for dayz. Oy.
Spoon Feeding vs Baby Led Weaning
As time has gone on, we’ve introduced some spoon feeding in addition to baby-led weaning so she can practice eating with a spoon — or, at times when it’s more convenient to feed her that way (because letting a baby feed herself is a huge mess, FYI, and not always appropriate/possible in a public setting). But it’s clear that she prefers to feed herself, even if it’s just for fun and practice right now. In a month or so I may begin the switch to feeding her solids before nursing to start the weaning process, but since she ingests so little solid food at this time (much of it gets chewed, but then spit out), most of her nutrition still needs to come from breastmilk.
All of that to say, it’s been such a joy watching Avery enjoy food. Her little legs bounce whenever we put her in her highchair and get her ready to eat, and she smiles at us whenever she takes a bite of her beloved mango or cheese stick. I feel so rewarded, too, when I make something for her like these chickpea patties and she eats them eagerly. The girl loves food like her mom. The fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree, it seems.
I am obviously not at all an expert on baby-led weaning or solid food feeding in general, so I’m not saying this method is the best way to go or that it works for everyone. I just wanted to share my experience so far. That being said, I’m happy to answer any questions you have about it! I’m becoming a big fan, so I’d love to know if there are any other moms out there who have done baby-led weaning successfully for their child.
ALSO, I am not planning to make baby food recipes a regular thing on this blog, so don’t worry about that. I just thought it would be fun to share a peek into what kind of food I’ve been making on the side for the babe.
Baked Chickpea Patties and Sweet Potato Oven Fries
And now for the recipe! I made these baked chickpea patties with babies in mind, obviously, so there is very little salt content and no egg whites, milk, honey, etc. And yet, they are delicious. And even better with the baked curry sweet potato fries on the side. I don’t give Avery the yogurt sauce yet because she’s not old enough to understand the whole food + dip thing (we have tried, with much disaster), so I reserve that part for the adults at the table. But one thing is for sure — when we sit down to eat this simple, healthy, whole and hearty meal together, everyone is happy (tummies included).
And now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to deny the fact that I’ll be writing a ONE YEAR update post in less than three months. Hold me.
Baked Chickpea Patties with Yogurt Sauce and Sweet Potato Oven Fries
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 mins
- Yield: 12 patties + 1 small batch fries 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Description
Delicious and simple baked chickpea patties with sweet potato fries and a creamy yogurt sauce. Perfect for everyone in the fam!
Ingredients
For the chickpea patties:
- Olive oil
- 1 slice whole wheat bread, toasted
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 2 teaspoons dried dill weed
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons mashed cooked peas
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- Pinch of salt and pepper
For the yogurt sauce:
- 1 (6 oz) container plain Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- Pinch red pepper flakes
For the sweet potato oven fries:
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into small 1/2-inch wide sticks
- Olive oil and curry powder
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400°F. Lightly brush a baking sheet with olive oil.
- In a food processor, pulse toasted wheat bread to a fine crumb. Measure out 2 tablespoons into a small bowl; discard remaining breadcrumbs or save for another use.
- Add 3/4 cup chickpeas and green onions to food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Add to small bowl with breadcrumbs along with dill weed and lemon juice; stir to combine.
- Add remaining chickpeas, mashed peas, cumin and a pinch of salt and pepper to food processor; process until smooth (add a splash of olive oil if needed to make sure mixture is smooth and not dry). Add to small bowl with chickpea-onion mixture and stir until well combined.
- Form mixture into 12 small patties, each about 1/2-inch thick. Place on prepared baking sheet. Lightly brush tops of patties with olive oil. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, flipping patties halfway through until golden brown and baked through.
- Meanwhile, make the yogurt sauce: In a small bowl, combine yogurt, garlic, curry powder and red pepper flakes. Serve with patties.
- To make the sweet potato oven fries: Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Toss sweet potato sticks with a little olive oil and a dash or two of curry powder; spread in one layer on a baking sheet. Bake on a rack in lower third of oven 20 minutes, then transfer sheet to a rack in upper third of oven for 7 to 10 minutes, until fries are baked through and crisp on the outside.
Notes
The patties also freeze really well in an airtight container for up to 2 months, so feel free to double or triple the recipe to keep some on hand.
Keywords: freezer friendly falafel, baby led weaning, curry sweet potato fries
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
She is the going to be a clever and Strong little cookie! With all these healthy foods your feeding her, Avery will one day help you in kitchen.
I love this post so much! I have done baby led weaning with both of my boys and it’s always gone really well. I’m getting ready to wean Jacob from nursing (he’s 15 months and eats more solids than adults at some meals lol) and it’s so bittersweet. Love this post.
Liz — Haha, I have a feeling once Avery gets the hang of eating she’ll be devouring her plates and both of ours, too! 😉 Thanks, friend!
ahhhhhhhhhh such a cutie! I love the recipe and the tips too–I’ll be pinning this to my baby board 😛
Love this! We’ve been doing BLW with our 9 month old too. She loves avocado but I can’t convince her to eat eggs, either! The other night she had her first strawberry and ohmyword- now she’s obsessed. It’s so fun to watch them explore new tastes and textures!
This recipe sounds awesome- I’m saving it for after our Whole30 when we can eat chickpeas again!
This post is so great! Very helpful for those terrified parents-to-be like myself 🙂 p.s. I just want to squeeze those cute little cheeks!!
She’s absolutely precious, Stephanie! It’s great that she is eating solid foods and loving them. And that she’s getting gourmet meals from her mom! She’ll be on MasterChef Junior in no time 🙂
My little girl is 9 months, too, and we LOVE baby led weaning! We went the old baby food route with our first and BLW is so much easier! And our baby girl eats like a champ. She loves eggs but can’t stand bananas. Other than that she eats almost anything. 🙂
Wah wah wah waaaaait – these chickpea patties are baby food? I was envisioning myself layering them with guacamole and stacking them like a big chickpea mac! I’d eat these things foooooo sho!
You’re such a doting mother and I just love it! I’ll be consulting you for all the baby food and parenting advice when I eventually decide to pop out a mini me. 😀 Also, I’d say a baby food series could be awesome (especially since your baby food thus far is food I’d totally eat!, so I say bring.it.on!
Avery is too cute and this whole meal is just pure heaven!!
Audrey — Avery went bonkers over strawberries, too! And mangoes, and pretty much anything super-sweet — typical. 😉
Amber — Ha, and mine loves bananas and hates eggs! We should get them together and they’d actually finish their food. 😉
Thanks for the baby update. I’m not on facebook, instagram, or twitter, (yes, I am the only hold out left in the world ; ) ), so I don’t see pics of your sweet one unless you post them here on your blog. I giggled about the sardines. I’m 52 and just started to eat them even though we had them in the house when I was growing up. Happy week to you and yours. Thanks again for the update.
I hope my future children are as adventurous eaters as little Avery, I love that you feed her the same things you guys are eating, I hope to do that as well in the future at some point. The chickpea patties look almost as scrumptious as that adorable little girl of yours. 🙂 She’s so stinkin’ cute!
Avery’s so precious! Such a beautiful baby 🙂 And this meal looks majorly delicious! She’s one lucky little girl to have you cooking for her.
Your little nugget is so cute! And it sounds like you are doing a great job as a mom. This recipe looks delicious…may have been made for your babe but I might have to make it for my husband and I!
I’m not sure which is more scrumptious, the taters or the tot! 🙂
I can’t even … those patties … that sauce … those photos. ADORABLE! Pinned!
what a sweet post 🙂 funny that she pulls eggs aside – I think that as a baby I also ate pretty much anything – yet eggs have never found their way into my heart… so funny that she loves sardines!
wish all the best for your family.
What a cutie! And this meal – yes! You had me at sweet potato fries :).
These chickpea patties look super delicious and I love the fact they’re baked too! Avery is so cute!
CakeSpy — PUNS! <3 P.S. I listened to your podcast with Joy the Baker the other day and I now officially need your book in my life like I need air.
Hooray for making it to where your baby has been outside of you longer than inside of you! You’re doing great, and Avery’s such a foodie. I love it.
I have loved introducing foods to Owen and Elsa too!
Love this soft, baby-friendly recipe!
Liz — Ha! Thank you. 🙂 The time has gone so crazy fast.
Stephanie, ah what an adorable post!! You’re kinda making me miss those days . . the great thing for you. . even though she’s getting older and it’s going by fast is this: you’ll be able to talk to her. . have conversations. . do more things together and introduce her to more new foods 🙂 and I hope you try to introduce her to eggs again. . she can’t not like eggs! 🙂 Avery is just about the cutest baby I’ve ever seen. So happy for you and how you’ve embraced and love motherhood!
That is one adorable little lady, and those are some delicious chickpea patties. Pinned.
Avery is just the cutest! Look at that grin! And so lucky! Look at the scrumptious food her momma makes for her! I didn’t get anything near to that when I was a baby (although, that was some time ago and I’m not sure baby-led weaning was a thing). Sounds like an interesting method though. I’ll have to keep it in mind for the future. Thanks for the recipe and update, Steph! Love seeing photos of your little one.
Avery is such a precious little girl! I can see why she makes you smile and laugh so much. She’s SO cute!
I don’t have children yet but I find it really interesting to learn about the baby-led weaning method. It seems much more natural then spooning them pureed food and she probably gets a wider range of nutrients because of it. Plus when baby food looks as good as these chickpea patties, you can’t go wrong!
Ahh!! I love this post! She is adorable and wow, you are so lucky to have a good eater!!
Definitely pinning this to my baby board too! Love how excited she is about trying new foods and look at that face?? She loves it all!!
No doubt that everyone would love these! And they are so healthy!
Oh my goodness she is cute!~ How did it go so fast?! I agree that once they start eating “real” food I get very very sad.These chickpea patties look wonderful. I think I need to make these for my kiddos!
OHMYGOSH Avery is the biggest cutie pie EEVVVVEEERRR!! And I love that she’s a good eater. Takes after her momma.
I’ve been looking forward to this post (and would love more baby recipes if you decide to post them)! We are going to start L on solids really soon but my doctor recommended the old method of a bit of cereal to start, etc. However, I think once we have worked through a few things I’d like to transition to baby led weaning. Hopefully I can find a happy medium:-)
PS Avery is so darn cute!!
Lauren — I think that’s a great idea! We’re doing a little bit of both and it seems to work great for us. You’ll have so much fun feeding him solids!
Such beautiful photos. I had that highchair, it was the best! So easy to clean, because like you say baby lead weaning makes so much mess! I still remember the day I introduced pasta mixed with an avocado sauce. He wolfed it down but it was everywhere! I found green mess everywhere, including the cat!
Sadly my boys still make a good old mess when they eat and they are 7 and 4! But they enjoy their food. They didn’t eat egg as babies either, but you should see them hoover up eggs now!
I will be making these patties soon, have you tried them cold? just wondering if they would work in the lunch boxes?.
Claire — I have tried them cold and they’re just as tasty! Perfect for lunch boxes. 🙂
I’d never heard of going straight to solids. Thanks for introducing it!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
She’s lovely! I’m so glad you guys are doing well.
Cassidy — Thanks, lady! It’s been so much fun. 🙂
Aaaw I love this post! Avery is absolutely gorgeous and that’s awesome that she’s such a great eater. We did BLW for both of my kiddos and they both adore a variety of foods. Your chickpea patties and sweet potato fries look delicious for the kiddos and mama 🙂 Can’t believe how fast it went. Love her smile 🙂
She is adorable!!
You are such a great Mama- I can see the spunk and life in Avery’s sweet eyes- I want to meet her so badly! Baby-led Weaning is the best! We did a combo of that and some spoon feeding, but Hugo really does prefer to feed himself! Hooray for foodie babies!
Just came across your site today and your baby girl made my day, she’s beautiful, congratulations. She made me smile!
Margaret — Oh, thank you so much! Your comment made MY day. 🙂
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Fun to make! Fun to eat! As a mom I was getting bored and in a food rut, your dish woke up my palette with the simple flavor layering and my son branched out in to new areas of delicious. It also sparked my creativity to change other family classics with unique kid friendly twists. Thank you!
★★★★★
Heather, That is so amazing. I’m so glad — thank you for sharing!
Can the chickpea balls be prepared in advance and baked the next day? Thank you
Amy, I think you could do that, yes! Just be sure to keep them covered in the fridge overnight.