The best baked broccoli cakes recipe

Broccoli cakes are a delicious way to eat your vegetables. These vegetable patties are baked, not fried, to make them an even healthier choice. They are approved by even the pickiest eaters.

Broccoli patties are perfect for tucking into lunch boxes or meal prepping for the week. This recipe makes a dozen, but it can be easily doubled and I often make a double recipe because they disappear so quickly!

I’ll give you variations and substitutions where I can, plus helpful tips and tricks for success. Read on for this info as well as the recipe. If you’d like to skip straight to the recipe, use the jump to recipe button at the top of the post.

You may also be interested in my original veggie cakes recipe and my potato broccoli cakes recipes. For ease of browsing, you can find all of my veggie cake recipes in one place.

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Why you should make this recipe

• Quick & Easy – This recipe is done, from start to finish, in just over 30 minutes.
• Make ahead – You can make them a day ahead and bake them later.
• Nutritious – These little patties clock in with 5 grams of protein each and only 73 calories. They are loaded with nutrient-dense ingredients and just a sprinkle of Parmesan makes them extra delicious.

Broccoli Cakes

I love making little cakes or fritters out of vegetables. These are made from broccoli, which can be a little tricky for picky eaters.

Broccoli isn’t one of those vegetables that everyone loves, but combine it with a few ingredients (like cheese!), bake it in the oven and make it look like something store-bought; now those picky eaters are interested.

Ingredients

• Broccoli – The food processor makes quick work of grating broccoli.
• Eggs – Provide structure and moisture.
• Garlic – Gives a ton of flavor. You can mellow the flavor by sautéing it before you add it to the mixture.
• Italian parsley – The most underrated herb – it has a freshness that can’t be beat.
• Scallions (green onions) – Very mild onion flavor, it’s a great choice for those who don’t love onions.
• Parmesan cheese – The broccoli cakes have just a bit of cheese to make them extra tasty.
• Flour – Provides structure to the veggie patties.
• Breadcrumbs – I used panko, the crunchy Japanese breadcrumbs for these patties.
• Baking powder – Look for aluminum-free baking powder.
• Salt – I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
• Black pepper – Just a few turns of the grinder.
• Cooking spray for the pan – this helps the broccoli cakes to brown and also keeps them from sticking to the pan.

How to make

If this is your first time making any type of vegetable fritter or veggie cake, check out my how to make veggie cakes post. In that post, I walk you through the entire process, from start to finish.

1. The first step in making broccoli cakes is shredding or grating the broccoli. A food processor makes this quick and easy.
2. After the broccoli is shredded, everything gets tossed together in a large mixing bowl.
3. Once the mixture is uniform, it’s time to make the cakes. I always use a scoop to make them, so they are all the same size.
4. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Coat the paper with cooking spray – this will help them crisp in the oven. Set the ring mold on the parchment paper to form your cakes.
5. Drop a portion of the mixture into the ring mold and press it down to flatten. Then, slide them into the oven and bake.

I used a 3 inch ring mold to form my patties so they would be uniform in shape and size. You can absolutely freeform yours, if you prefer. Pack them with your hands, like you are making a meatball, then flatten them into a disk.

Because they are baked in the oven, I wanted them to be the same size and shape so they would bake evenly. If some are bigger than others, they won’t all cook in the same amount of time. Another plus for using a scoop and a ring mold. No guessing.

Broccoli Cakes FAQ’s

We ate these for dinner a few nights ago and as soon as the first bite was taken, we agreed these would be fantastic with a sunny side up egg on top for breakfast as well.

Variations and substitutions

• If you prefer to cook these on the stovetop, you can. Scoop the mixture and drop it into a heavy pan (like a cast iron skillet) with enough oil in it to cover the bottom. Cook for 5 minutes on each side, over medium /medium high heat. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.
• Swap out half of the broccoli with cauliflower to make a variation of my cauliflower fritters.

Serving suggestions

We love these with a fried egg on top for breakfast. If you are serving for dinner, or even as a snack, try them with my buttermilk herb dip.

Getting more vegetables into your diet isn’t difficult, especially when they taste like this.

Helpful tools and equipment

• rimmed baking sheets
• food processor
• scoop
• parchment paper sheets

Still looking for more? You can find additional recipes in my veggie cake e-book!

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