Mini Prune Nut Sliders

A crowd-pleasing recipe for vegetarian sliders, these burgers are also super healthy, packed with beans, rice, and nuts. Helping to bind them together and add color is a combination of prunes, egg, and panko breadcrumbs.

Plant-based “meats” are made by layering plant-based fats, binders, fruit- and vegetable-based colors and flavors together to yield protein that can be turned into burgers, meatballs, nuggets, and even seafood. According to some sources, 30% of the meat market today will change over to plant-based foods. Yet crafting products that taste great without meat means overcoming the following problems:

  • off-flavors from soy- or pea-derived proteins
  • lack of color and flavor
  • avoiding artificial ingredients
  • issues with binding and moisture
  • overly high sodium levels
  • keeping results hypoallergenic

How Sunsweet Ingredients can help

High in antioxidants, sorbitol, fiber, and desirable acids, and made from the D’Agen prune plum, Sunsweet Ingredients are key assets in the plant-based formulator’s toolbox. The natural bright acidity of prunes can also draw out flavors, enabling better flavor with less added sodium and other seasonings. Adding as little as 1-3% of one of the following ingredients to a recipe can solve multiple problems.

Dried Plum Powder

  • adds natural caramel color
  • adds fiber
  • helps with binding

Prune Juice Concentrate

  • retains moisture
  • adds natural caramel color
  • helps mask off flavors
  • boost caramelization/Maillard reaction (for grill marks, etc.)
  • helps reduce added sodium and seasonings

Fresh Plum Concentrate

  • retains moisture
  • helps mask off flavors
  • boost caramelization/Maillard reaction (for grill marks, etc.)
  • helps reduce added sodium and seasonings

Dried Plum Puree

  • retains moisture
  • helps with binding
  • adds natural caramel color
  • helps mask off flavors
  • boost caramelization/Maillard reaction (for grill marks, etc.)
  • helps reduce added sodium and seasonings

Prune Bits / Prune Paste

  • retains moisture
  • adds fiber
  • helps with binding
  • adds natural caramel color
  • helps mask off flavors
  • helps reduce added sodium and seasonings

For more on our ingredients, see: