A large stack of vegetarian flautas on a plate.

These Cheesy Vegetarian Flautas are a go-to, easy weeknight dinner in our family! They’re where comfort food meets healthy…and best of all, my kids will eat them! But get this – they’re filled with sweet potatoes, spinach, and cilantro and my kids don’t seem to notice. 

I asked my husband to guess what was in these flautas when I first made them years ago, and all he could identify were beans and cheese. My two kids (aged 5 and 2) can be picky eaters, but they love these!

I’ve made this recipe soooo many times for my family, for my new mama friends, for friends who have been sick, and even when entertaining. They don’t disappoint! I love that they’re a healthier version of a classic Mexican dish and that the whole family can enjoy them!

I love pairing these Sweet Potato Flautas with this Dairy-Free Coleslaw With Chia Seeds and this Salsa Verde Recipe!

This post was originally published on August 18, 2021 and updated on January 9, 2024.

What you’ll love about this recipe:

  • Great for Meal Prep – These crispy flautas can be made in advance and frozen for a great way to make dinner very easy and quick to prepare on a future night!
  • Easy to Prepare – All of the ingredients (except for the cheese) blend in a food processor to help make this an easy and delicious meal for busy weeknights.
  • Ready in 25 Minutes – The veggie flautas only bake for 10-15 minutes in the oven, creating a total recipe time of just about 25 minutes or so.
A side view of baked flautas on a plate with sour cream and tomatoes on top.

Vegetarian Flautas Recipe Ingredients

You’ll need the following ingredients to make these yummy Baked Flautas:

  • Flour tortillas: I like to use whole wheat flour tortillas, however, I’ve found that good-tasting whole wheat tortillas are difficult to find. Feel free to use regular flour tortillas or whatever type of tortillas work for your family!
  • Sweet potato
  • Refried beans: I love using refried black beans (which I get from Trader Joe’s) for this recipe, but you can use regular refried beans as well. 
  • Spinach
  • Cilantro
  • Coconut oil: If needed, you can swap this for any kind of oil, like avocado oil or olive oil.
  • Salt
  • Lime juice: You can swap the lime juice for lemon juice if needed.
  • Shredded cheese: I typically use sharp cheddar cheese, but you can use other cheeses such as pepper jack, cotija cheese, Mexican blend, Monterey Jack cheese, etc. If you need to make these vegan flautas, you can use vegan cheese or omit the cheese altogether.
Overhead view of taquitos on a plate with lime slices and shredded lettuce.

How to make Vegetarian Flautas: STEP BY STEP

For the full recipe with the exact ingredients, scroll down to the printable recipe card below!

STEP 1: Cook sweet potatoes 

Place diced sweet potato in a microwave-safe dish. Cover the sweet potatoes with water and heat for 4-5 minutes until sweet potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork. Carefully, strain the water.

STEP 2: Blend bean mixture 

In a food processor or high-speed blender, blend cooked sweet potato, refried beans, spinach, cilantro, coconut oil, salt, and lime juice until smooth.

STEP 3: Assemble flautas

Using a spoon, spread 2-3 small scoops of the bean mixture onto the center of the tortilla, forming a line down the center. Next, sprinkle cheese on top of the bean mixture.

Roll tortilla up as tight as you can and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet, seam side facing down. Repeat with the remaining bean mixture and tortillas, placing them in a single layer on the sheet pan.

STEP 4: Bake

Bake in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes or until tortillas are firm and golden brown and the cheese is melted. I like flipping mine after 10 minutes and baking for another 5 minutes, but you don’t have to flip them!


Recipe Tips & Tricks

  • If you have a very picky eater who can’t stand the sight of even little speckles of spinach in their meal, I would suggest omitting the spinach and serving another vegetable on the side instead. 
  • If you spread the bean mixture right up to the ends of each side of the tortillas, they will spill out when baking. I actually love this effect with the melty cheese and beans coming out of the flautas (I eat it up with a spoon when it comes out of the oven ;)). If you want a “cleaner” looking flauta, then be sure to leave a little bit of empty space on each end of the tortillas before rolling them up.
A plate of flautas with a small bowl of salsa.


Storage and Reheating

  • Storage: Store leftover flautas in an air-tight storage container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
  • Freeze: After cooking the flautas, allow them to cool fully, then place them flat in a Ziploc bag or air-tight freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
  • Reheat: When you’re ready to reheat the frozen taquitos, microwave them for about 2 minutes or until cooked through. To get them crispy again, you can reheat them in the oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes or until heated through instead of microwaving them.


Flautas Additions and Substitutions

Additions:

  • Garnish: Top taquitos with your favorite toppings! We love topping ours with any (or all!) of these: pico de gallo, sour cream (we like to use plain yogurt instead of sour cream!), salsa verde or your favorite salsa, finely chopped red onion, or an avocado cream sauce (or just regular guacamole!).
  • Serve With: Mexican rice and dairy-free chia seed coleslaw.
  • Meat Eaters: Turn these into chicken flautas by adding shredded chicken to them! My kids and husband eat meat, so sometimes they have some Rotisserie chicken on the side of these flautas.

Substitutions:

  • Tortillas: You can use any preferred tortilla, though it’s easier to use larger tortillas! If the tortillas are hard to roll up without breaking, warm them in the microwave for about 20 seconds first.
  • Cheese:​ I use sharp cheddar, but so many different cheeses will work here depending on your personal preference. 
  • Beans: ​You can use refried pinto beans or refried black beans for this recipe. 
  • Coconut Oil: Swap for an alternate oil if coconut oil doesn’t work for you. I would recommend avocado oil or olive oil. 


Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to flip the taquitos over halfway when baking?

You can, but you don’t have to! They get crispy on both sides, even when you don’t flip them. I like to flip them after about 10 minutes and then bake an additional 5 minutes.

What’s the difference between flautas vs. taquitos?

Flautas are typically cooked using flour tortillas (though they can be cooked with corn tortillas as well) and taquitos are typically cooked using corn tortillas. Flautas also use larger tortillas than taquitos. I’ve actually been calling this recipe vegetarian taquitos for years when referencing it since it’s a more familiar term. However, I don’t use corn tortillas because I find them too difficult to roll without breaking!

Can I make these flautas vegan?

Absolutely! You can do this in two different ways. 1) Omit the cheese, or 2) use a shredded vegan cheese.

Can I make these gluten-free?

Of course! Simply use gluten-free tortillas. You can use corn tortillas (I would recommend warming them in the microwave before rolling them to help prevent them from breaking when rolling) or use a preferred gluten-free tortilla. 

A side view of a stack of flautas.

TOOLS TO MAKE VEGETARIAN FLAUTAS:

More Quick Dinner Recipes

Sheet Pan Gnocchi With Roasted Zucchini and Chickpeas

Healthy Mac and Cheese for Kids

Kid-Friendly Refried Bean and Mushroom Tostadas

Tuscan White Bean and Kale Soup With Lentils

I hope you love these Vegetarian Flautas! If you make them, be sure to leave a rating below so I know how you liked them! Enjoy!

A side view of a stack of flautas.
5 stars (3 ratings)

Cheesy Vegetarian Flautas With Beans and Sweet Potato

Yield: 12 flautas
These Vegetarian Flautas are filled with refried beans, cheese, and veggies (that you can't taste)! They're meal prep and freezer-friendly, too!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Leave a Review

Ingredients
 

  • 12 flour tortillas, (I like to use whole wheat flour tortillas if possible, but feel free to use any preferred tortilla)
  • 1 cup sweet potato, peeled and diced (about 1 small to medium sweet potato)
  • 1 (16-ounce) can refried beans, (refried pinto or refried black beans work!)
  • 1 cup spinach
  • ¼ cup cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted (or sub avocado/olive oil)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 2 cups shredded cheese, (I use sharp cheddar)

Equipment

Food processor
Baking sheet

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Place diced sweet potato in a medium sized microwave-safe bowl. Cover the sweet potatoes with water and heat for 4-5 minutes until sweet potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork. Carefully, strain the water.
  • In a food processor or high-speed blender, blend cooked sweet potato, refried beans, spinach, cilantro, coconut oil, salt, and lime juice until smooth.
  • Using a spoon, spread 2-3 small scoops of the bean mixture onto the center of the tortilla, forming a line down the center.
  • Next, sprinkle cheese on top of the bean mixture.
  • Roll tortilla up as tight as you can and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet, seam side facing down. Repeat with the remaining bean mixture and tortillas, placing them in a single layer on the sheet pan.
  • Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until tortillas are firm and golden brown and the cheese is melted. I like flipping mine after 10 minutes and baking for another 5 minutes, but you don’t have to flip them!

Notes

Garnish: top taquitos with pico de gallo, sour cream (we like to use plain yogurt instead of sour cream!), salsa verde or your favorite salsa, finely chopped red onion, or an avocado cream sauce (or just regular guacamole!).
Serve With: Mexican rice and dairy-free chia seed coleslaw.
Make Them Vegan: Simply omit the cheese or use a plant-based cheese!
Make Them Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free tortillas or corn tortillas (you’ll need to heat these in the microwave first to help prevent them from breaking when you roll them up).
Storage: Store leftover flautas in an air-tight storage container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Freeze: After cooking the flautas, allow them to cool fully, then place them flat in a Ziploc bag or air-tight freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
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