This easy-to-make, wholesome, hearty Vegan Meatloaf is loaded with plant-based protein and fiber!
It’s made with whole-food ingredients you likely have on hand, like chickpeas, walnuts, and veggies, and pairs so wonderfully with vegan mashed potatoes!
And, in case you need another reason to make this recipe, it’s vegan and gluten-free.
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What is meatloaf?
Traditionally, meatloaf is a popular dish typically served during the holidays, made of ground beef mixed with other ingredients like vegetables, herbs, eggs, and breadcrumbs, which is then formed into a loaf shape, and baked or smoked.
It’s then sliced like a loaf of bread for individual servings, and topped with some sort of sauce, usually either ketchup, brown gravy, or BBQ sauce. We got a little more creative with this recipe, and topped ours with a cranberry sauce!
Is meatloaf vegan?
No, because meatloaf is usually made with meat and eggs, it’s not vegan!
However, vegan and vegetarian adaptations of meatloaf are popular nowadays, and usually use either imitation meats, like Impossible Meat or Beyond Beef, or legumes, like lentils or chickpeas!
Is this vegan meatloaf gluten-free?
This vegan meatloaf can easily be made gluten-free by using gluten-free Panko breadcrumbs rather than regular breadcrumbs!
Is vegan meatloaf easy to make?
Yes, this recipe is super simple to make!
It basically consists of sautéing all the vegetables, pulsing them in a food processor (optional), transferring the mixture into a loaf tin, and baking it. That’s it!
For the sauce, the recipe consists of adding everything to a saucepan, and cooking the mixture until it thickens. Simple!
The part of the recipe that takes the longest is chopping all the veggies for the meatloaf at the beginning to get all your mise en place, and of course, the time it spends baking in the oven.
How to make vegan meatloaf
To make this vegan meatloaf, we replaced…
- Ground beef with a combination of chickpeas, mushrooms, and walnuts. Legumes like lentils, beans and chickpeas make excellent meat substitutes! Plus, they’re high in protein. Mushrooms make great meat substitutes because they have a meaty texture, and walnuts also add a crumbly, meat-like texture.
- Eggs with flax eggs and breadcrumbs. Flax eggs yield a gelatinous, gluey texture, which helps bind ingredients together in vegan baking. They also contain some fat, like egg yolks do. Breadcrumbs are also good binders, and add a bit of texture to the recipe!
What is vegan meatloaf made of?
This meatloaf is made of:
- Chickpeas
- Sweet potato
- Walnuts
- Olive oil
- Portobello mushrooms
- Garlic
- Onion
- Red pepper
- Sage
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Cayenne pepper
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Dijon mustard
- Gluten-free Panko breadcrumbs
- Lemon zest
- Flax egg
The sauce is made with:
- Cranberries
- Red wine
- Orange
- Celery
- Coconut sugar (or monk fruit sweetener for sugar-free)
- Ginger
- Cinnamon
- Cardamom
Tips for the best vegan meatloaf
To ensure that your meatloaf will slice nicely, rather than fall apart, a binder is necessary! We used a combination of flax eggs and bread crumbs in this recipe. If you don’t want to use flax eggs, you could use a commercial egg replacer. If you don’t want to use breadcrumbs, you could try using oats, but results might vary!
When you pulse the vegetables in the food processor, make sure not to overdo it! You want the meatloaf to have some texture, not become mushy. Pulse them only until the ingredients are well-combined and are all around the same size.
You can substitute coconut sugar with monk fruit sweetener to make the cranberry sauce sugar-free.
Feel free to substitute Panko breadcrumbs with gluten-free Panko breadcrumbs to make the meatloaf gluten-free.
FAQ
What to serve with vegan meatloaf
We recommend serving vegan meatloaf with mashed potatoes, gravy, and some cranberry sauce for a truly delicious vegan feast!
How to store vegan meatloaf
We recommend storing any leftovers of this vegan meatloaf in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, covered.
Can you freeze vegan meatloaf?
Yes! Vegan meatloaf can be frozen.
To freeze it, just transfer any leftovers to a freezer-safe container. It can freeze for up to 6 months.
Can you make vegan meatloaf ahead of time?
We don’t recommend baking the entire loaf ahead of time, as it may dry out when you reheat it.
If you want to save time the day you’re serving this dish, you can cook the components ahead of time (steps 3-6 in the recipe) and store them in the fridge until you’re ready to actually assemble and bake the meatloaf.
How long does vegan meatloaf last?
This meatloaf lasts up to 3 days, covered, in the refrigerator.
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag your photos with @healthiir on Instagram!
Vegan Meatloaf
9
servings50
minutes40
minutesIngredients
- Vegan Meatloaf
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 large Portobello mushrooms, chopped
1/4 onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 red bell pepper, chopped small
2 tsp dried sage
2 tsp dried rosemary
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
1 cup sweet potato, diced into cubes
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs (or gluten-free)
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 can chickpeas
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
Lemon zest, from 1 lemon
2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp flax-meal whisked together with 5 Tbsp water)
- Cranberry Sauce
1 lb cranberries
1 1/2 cup wine
1 orange
1 cup celery, very finely diced
2 tsp coconut sugar, or monk fruit for sugar-free
1 Tbsp ginger, finely chopped
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom
Directions
- Vegan Meatloaf
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Line a loaf tin with wax paper, and set aside.
- Heat a large saucepan over medium heat, and add the olive oil and mushrooms, and sauté them for about 8 minutes, or until the mushrooms are a little golden.
- Add the onion, garlic, red bell pepper, sage, rosemary, thyme, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper to the saucepan, and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the sweet potato, and sauté for a few minutes before adding the breadcrumbs, walnuts, chickpeas, mustard, lemon zest, and flax eggs, and stir until the ingredients are combined.
- If necessary, transfer the mixture to a food processor, and pulse them only until the ingredients are well-combined and are all around the same size.
- Transfer the mixture into the loaf tin, and press until it’s compact. Bake for about 40 minutes. Once it’s ready, remove it from the oven and set aside while you make the cranberry sauce.
- Cranberry Sauce
- Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sauce begins to thicken and the cranberries have softened.
- Remove the meatloaf from the loaf tin, slice it, and serve with the cranberry sauce.