These Black Bean & Corn Patties are simple to put together, hold up incredibly well, and the Spicy Ranch Cashew Cream is on fire! Not only does it taste so bomb I had to create a patty to go with it, but it’s also on fire literally, spiiiiicy! Yum!

I first made this cream sauce when I was experimenting last week. I immediately fell in love with it and have made it twice since. I’d planned another recipe for this week’s post, but at the last minute, I decided I needed to create something to put this cashew cream on so I could share the recipe with you.

The recipe for the Spicy Ranch Cashew Cream is very similar to my Spicy Ranch Dressing, which I plan to one day have on the blog. I wanted it thick so I could use it not as a salad dressing, but to top other foods with. This is why I used the cashews.

So long as you don’t forget to soak your cashews, this cream sauce is pretty easy. Put everything in your high-speed blender on high until smooth. If you do forget to soak your cashews, you can do a trick I sometimes use and boil your water before placing the cashews in it. The hot water speeds the process, and they should be good after about an hour.

Now I just needed to create a patty. I the spicy ranch flavors make me think Southwestern, which is how I came up with these. I knew black beans and corn were a must. Then everything else just fell into place.

So many gluten-free recipes call for oats or oat flour. You see them a lot in deserts, bread, and patties like these. Unfortunately, my husband, who has the gluten allergy, cannot eat oats even if they’re gluten-free. His body reacts just as it would when he eats gluten. That means this household is pretty much oat free. I’ll make overnight oats for myself sometimes, also my daughter and I love granola, but dinner time you’ll never see them.

You’re probably wondering by now why I’ve been rambling on about oats. As I said, many recipes for gluten-free veggie patties call for oats or oat flour. A few months back I discovered quinoa flakes. I’ve learned they make a good substitute for those recipes, and I’ve included them in this one here. Plus, who doesn’t want to add some more quinoa to their diet? Protein-rich, and with almost twice as much fiber as other grains, definitely an ingredient to add to all of our diets!

The patties have a few more steps than the cashew cream but are still fairly simple to make. First, you’ll need to sauté your onion and bell pepper in a little oil. I used orange bell pepper, but a yellow or red would also work nicely. Once soft, those get set aside, and you can start on your beans.

You’ll want to add two-thirds of the beans to your food processor, along with the quinoa flakes, garlic, and all the spices. Blend until completely smooth. From the looks of it, I was worried it’d be too dry, but once I got my hands in there, I realized that wasn’t the case. The smashed beans work perfectly for forming patties.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, however, before forming the patties; you have a few more ingredients to add. First, the processed bean mixture is removed and placed into a large bowl. Now you can add the rest of the beans, which have been kept whole for texture, your corn, and your onions and bell pepper. You could try a mixing spoon, but I found it easiest to get my hands in there to combine everything.

Okay, now it’s time to form your patties.  I was delighted with how well these held. Sometimes making veggies burgers the “dough” will either be too dry or too moist, but these were just right. I made six patties, each about a quarter pound in weight.

Over medium heat, you want to cook these about 6 minutes on each side with a little bit of oil. They browned nicely, and I was happy to discover they also flipped over well! There’s nothing sadder than having your meal fall apart when flipping it over to the other side.

Now to prepare, I had mine as you see above, with some mixed greens, tomato, and avocado. I guess you could say, “Salad Style.” Oh, and let’s not forget to top it with that delicious Spicy Ranch Cashew Cream! Yum!

For my son, who doesn’t have any gluten issues, I made a patty on a toasted hamburger bun. Both sides of the bun I spread with the Spicy Ranch Cashew Cream, and then added lettuce, tomato, and avocado.

I’m really excited about what I’m going to do with these next time I make them! Do you remember my BBQ Fried Quinoa with Veggies from last week’s post? I think these would go perfectly on top of that! Mmm… and maybe mix some of the cashew cream into the quinoa as well. I don’t know if I’ve ever told you this before, but I am definitely saucy!

Let me know what you do with your patties. Take a picture and tag me on Instagram! @veggiesattiffanis