Vegan Buffalo Chickpea Taquitos

These buffalo chickpea vegan taquitos are the perfect game day snack! They’re easy to make, cheesy, perfectly spiced and naturally gluten free.

I’ve been a bit taquito obsessed since I was young, so it was about time a recipe made it to the blog!

These vegan taquitos are the PERFECT game day appetizer and even though they’re made from chickpeas, they’re a total crowd pleaser.

They aren’t the prettiest thing in the world, but they are so good that it doesn’t even matter. The filling is mashed chickpeas in a pale orange buffalo sauce.. so definitely not cute, but if you close your eyes and take a bit you won’t be bothered.

Plus, there super easy to make and perfect with my homemade cashew queso as a dip! If you aren’t vegan, try my buffalo chicken taquitos or buffalo mac and cheese!

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Easy and crispy
• Vegan
• Gluten Free
• Air fryer friendly

How to make vegan taquitos

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. If you haven’t already, prep the cashew queso. You only need 1 cup for the taquitos, but make the full batch since it’s the perfect sauce to dip the taquitos in!

Finely dice the onion and add to a large skillet with the olive oil. Saute until it starts to brown slightly.

Add the drained and rinsed chickpeas to a food processor and pulse to break up. You can also mash by hand or use a blender. You don’t want them fully pureed, but well mashed.

Add the mashed chickpeas, buffalo sauce, 1 cup of cashew queso to the pan with the onion. Let cook for a couple of minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Taste and add more buffalo sauce as desired.

The queso and buffalo sauce are already salted, but if you want more salt, feel free to add that now. The mixture is going to look really ugly, but I promise it’s so good!

Take 4 tortillas at a time and microwave for 25 seconds on a microwave safe plate.

Take about 2 tablespoons of the chickpea filling and add to one end of the tortilla. Drizzle on a bit more queso if desired. Roll toward the open end, tucking in the filling as you go. Place rolled side down on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Repeat until all filling has been used, microwaving the tortillas 4 at a time.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Serve with cilantro, pico de gallo and the remaining cashew queso. Enjoy!

How to prevent tortillas from ripping

It’s *so* annoying trying to roll up a taquito or eat a taco, burrito or anything else and dealing with a fragile tortilla. It’s especially common with gluten free tortillas, I used corn for these vegan taquitos, but with a simple trick they’ll stay intact the whole time!

All you need to do is microwave 4 tortillas at a time for 20-30 seconds on high, covered.

I found 23 seconds was perfect for my particular tortillas and my microwave, but anywhere in the 20-30 second range will be good. This will help soften them up and ensure there is zero ripping while rolling!

When they’re covered, the steam is trapped so it helps to soften them even further. I just use a paper towel, but a thin kitchen towel will also work.

Note: Even if you use flour tortillas, I recommend this method for best results!

How to store and freeze

These vegan taquitos store and freeze really well! Once baked, they will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer until warm through the enter.

To freeze, allow the taquitos to cool completely, then transfer to a freezer safe bag. Freeze for up to 2 months and reheat in the oven until warm through the center.

Try these next!

• Buffalo Chickpea Salad
• Baked Buffalo Cauliflower
• BBQ Cauliflower Wings
• Sweet Potato Quesadillas

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