These vegan and gluten-free crispy quinoa-cauliflower cakes with herbed brazil nut cream are the perfect light lunch or appetizer. They’re served with a dollop of herbed brazil nut cream that takes the flavors to soaring new heights.

Golden.

Baked.

Crunchy on the outside.

Light and fluffy on the inside.

Slather-worthy.

To make the cakes, you’ll combine cooked quinoa, grated cauliflower, oat flour, a chia egg, chives, lime juice, olive oil, sesame oil, garlic, and chili flakes. You’ll scoop the mixture by the quarter cup, form into patties, place on a pan, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. The cakes come out of the oven crispy and golden on the outside and light and tender on the inside.

While the cakes are baking, you’ll make the herbed brazil nut cream by adding soaked brazil nuts, water, chives, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, and sea salt to a blender. The mixture takes a bit of scraping and several minutes to come together, but the result is a creamy, zesty, and tangy sauce that draws out the flavors in the quinoa-cauliflower cakes. Plus, brazil nuts are one of the few alkaline nuts, and they’re packed with vitamin e, selenium, and thiamin.

I like to serve the cakes with a pretty smear of the herbed brazil nut cream and a lime wedge to spritz over top just before eating. They can also be served over a bed of greens or even on mini buns with the sauce spooned on top to make the perfect sliders.