Vegan Quesadillas

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Gooey vegan cheese, crispy tortillas, and a spicy mix of hearty veggies make these easy vegan quesadillas the BEST you’ll ever eat! Ready in just 30 minutes, these are super satisfying, healthy, and absolutely delicious!

Are you a fan of quesadillas? When we’re in the mood for something quick, simple, and healthy, we always resort to veggie quesadillas. Loaded with nutrient-dense ingredients, this easy recipe is definitely worth trying and will probably become one of your favorite meatless quesadilla recipes!

Made with sweet butternut squash and hearty, tender kale, our vegan quesadillas are a healthy vegetarian Mexican recipe that’s ready in just 30 minutes!

The great thing about this recipe that it’s very customizable – you can adapt it however you like. It’s also great for “cleaning out the fridge” since you can basically add anything as a filling and it will still taste good.

I like to use a variety of my favorite veggies, mix up the spices for different flavors, and try different filling ingredients for this veggie quesadilla recipe every time I make it. I start with butternut squash and kale and then add in leafy greens, an assortment of beans, bright sweet potatoes, and so much more!

These vegan cheesy quesadillas are an elevated version of comfort food and take meal to the next level. They are perfect for lunchbox lunches, meal prep, or for an easy family dinner!

👩🏽‍🍳 Why You’ll Love Vegan Quesadillas

• Healthy: These delicious vegan quesadillas are healthy because they are loaded with bright and flavorful veggies and plant protein! Packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber, this is a dish you can feel good about eating.
• Easy To Make: This recipe is perfect for busy nights because it’s so simple to prepare! Just a few simple steps and you’ve got lunch or dinner ready in minutes.
• Versatile: These vegan butternut squash quesadillas are super versatile because you can switch up the ingredients, filling and tortillas any way you like! Pack them full of your favorite fresh herbs, vegetables, beans, and so much more!
• Kid-Friendly: These plant based quesadillas are also a great way to sneak in a bunch of extra veggies into your child’s diet. Quesadillas are perfect for kids meals because they are quick, yummy, and kids will love the small finger food pieces of their favorite quesadillas.

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🥘 Ingredients

You may already have these basic ingredients, but if not, you can easily find them at your local grocery store! Here’s what you need to make this easy vegan quesadilla recipe:

• Onion & Garlic: We used one diced red onion and freshly minced garlic for its pungent flavor.
• Butternut Squash: We used frozen butternut squash cubes to cut down on the prep time, but feel free to use fresh butternut squash.
• Kale: We also used frozen kale for these meatless quesadillas, but you can easily use fresh kale.
• Seasoning and Spices: You will need a variety of seasonings, such as salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, coriander, and crushed red pepper. Feel free to add garlic powder too! To save time, you can also use a taco seasoning or your own seasoning blend.
• Whole Wheat Tortillas: We used whole grain tortillas because they are filled with complex carbohydrates, making them a healthy carb. But you can use whichever type of large tortilla you like!
• Dairy-Free Cheese: The perfect addition to these quesadillas, you can use your choice of favorite vegan cheese! In our opinion, the best vegan cheese for quesadillas is any type of dairy-free cheddar cheese, or you can make your own homemade cashew cheese with raw cashews. For store brands, we like Field Roast, Follow Your Heart, Kite Hill, or Violife cheeses – these are the best for dairy-free quesadillas.

🔪 How To Make Vegan Quesadillas

Here’s how to make this easy veggie-loaded quesadillas recipe. For more detailed instructions and nutrition facts, see the recipe card below.

Follow these step-by-step photos to make the best vegan quesadillas every time!

Sauté The Veggies: First, heat a large skillet or nonstick pan over medium heat with some olive oil. Sauté the garlic and onion until translucent.

Add The Veggies And Spices: Add the veggies and saute for 3-5 minutes. Once the veggies have defrosted, add the salt, black pepper, chili powder, cumin, ground coriander, and crushed red pepper (if you want).

Assemble The Quesadilla: Take one tortilla and sprinkle the vegan cheese over half of the tortilla. Top with the quesadilla filling (butternut squash and kale mixture) and more vegan cheese if using it.

Cook: Next, fold the traditional quesadilla into a half-moon shape. Spray the large skillet with cooking spray and turn the heat to medium to medium-high heat. Cook the quesadilla until golden brown, then flip and cook on the second side until you have a golden brown and slightly crispy tortilla. Repeat with the second tortilla.

Cool Down: Remove the quesadilla from the pan and turn off the heat. Allow the quesadilla to cool before slicing and serving. Enjoy!

💭 Expert Tips

• Use Frozen Veggies: For ease and convenience, use frozen vegetables to make these vegetable quesadillas. You can use fresh kale in place of frozen if you like, but if you use fresh squash, you will have to adjust the cooking time!
• Adjust Spices: If you like things spicy, add cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or your favorite spicy taco seasoning.
• Don’t Slice Right Away: To make sure all of the filling and cheese doesn’t ooze out of these quesadillas, make sure to let them cool for about 5 minutes before slicing them. Cut these quesadillas with a pizza cutter or a very sharp knife for clean cuts.
• Be Patient When Cooking: Don’t turn up the heat too high, because otherwise your tortillas will burn before the cheese has melted! Be patient, cook on medium-low heat, and change to low heat if needed to prevent overcooking the tortillas.

📖 Variations

There are lots of ways to make this vegetarian quesadilla recipe in your own signature style.

• Vegan Black Bean Quesadillas: Make these vegan quesadillas with black beans for an extra protein boost! You can also use pinto beans, my refried beans with no lard, or even white beans for this recipe.
• Cheese-less Quesadillas: You can easily make a vegan quesadilla without cheese, you’ll just need to substitute in a binding ingredient to help these quesadillas hold together! Instead of cheese, try hummus or guacamole for an amazing no-cheese quesadilla.
• Different Veggies: Use up any veggies you have in your fridge for this recipe! You can make sweet potato quesadillas by substituting roasted sweet potato instead of butternut squash, try baby spinach instead of kale, or add in bell peppers, sweet corn, zucchini, and anything else you like!

🍽 Serving Suggestions

Serve this delicious meal all on its own or alongside a number of other dishes! Here are some of our favorite ways to serve these vegan quesadillas:

• Soups: These quesadillas are great with creamy garbanzo bean soup, my quick tomato soup recipe with canned tomatoes, or Mexican bean soup. 
• Salads: Try pairing this vegan quesadillas recipe with a tomato avocado cucumber salad, roasted cauliflower salad, or a simple spinach and arugula salad.
• Toppings And Sides: Any of your favorite toppings will work well with these quesadillas. Try fresh cilantro, a dollop of vegan sour cream, nutritional yeast, hot sauce, lime juice, or pico de gallo, guacamole, and salsa. You can serve these quesadillas as your main Mexican dish with sides such as vegan refried beans, nachos, rice, vegan cheese sauce with chips, and so much more.

🙌 Dietary Adaptations

Gluten-Free Option: Just swap in gluten-free tortillas for an easy modification to make these quesadillas suitable for a gluten-free diet.

🫙 Storage Directions

• To Refrigerate: Allow the quesadillas to cool down, then store them in an airtight container. Place in the refrigerator for up to four days.
• To Freeze: Once the leftover quesadillas have cooled completely down, then transfer them to a freezer-safe storage container or bag. Label the bag with the date and contents and store it for three to four months!
• To Reheat: When ready to reheat these vegan quesadillas, transfer them to the refrigerator and thaw them overnight. Reheat the quesadillas in a skillet on the stovetop. You can also reheat in the oven at 350 degrees. Transfer the quesadillas to a prepared baking sheet with parchment paper and place in the oven for 5 minutes or until warmed through.

❓ Recipe FAQs

🍲 More Mexican And Vegan Recipes!

• Black Bean Tostadas
• Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes
• BBQ Jackfruit Burrito Bowl
• Sweet Potato Tacos
• Guacamole Without Avocado
• Vegan Recipes For Beginners

📋 Recipe Card

Anjali Shah