The Best Vegan Meatloaf
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A classic tasting Vegan Meatloaf made with a base of chickpeas that is SO simple to make. This is NOT another mushy vegan loaf. It’s beautiful, savory, hearty and extremely comforting alongside some mashed potatoes and green beans.
*This recipe was originally posted 10/12/17. Updated 9/24/18 with more appetizing photos and slightly updated instructions.
Ah, the Vegan Meatloaf. Have you tried making one yet? You can find many different versions all over the internet, from lentil loaf to tofu loaf, and probably many more.
Some I’ve tried have been quite good, but often even if they taste good, they don’t look very appetizing. I wanted to come up with a Vegan Meatloaf recipe that had more “classic” meatloaf flavors and would also look beautiful. Chickpeas to the rescue!
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The one thing you never want is a super mushy loaf. And it’s pretty hard to avoid, actually. But through some trial and error, I have come up with a non-mushy, flavorful and beautiful loaf that would be just perfect as the main dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas or any other holiday.
I remember one Thanksgiving several years ago that I was super excited to make a popular blogger’s lentil loaf recipe. I wanted to impress our guests with how good vegan cooking can be! Well, the loaf sunk in the middle and was just a complete mushy mess. Ugh. So frustrating.
HOW DO YOU MAKE VEGAN MEATLOAF?
This Vegan Meatloaf is easy to make, and most of the time spent is hands off.
First, saute the vegetables in either water or olive oil for a few minutes, until the onion is translucent. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Mash the drained/rinsed chickpeas in a large bowl (I always use a potato masher, works great!).
Then simply add the cooked vegetables and all the remaining ingredients. Stir very well!
Press the mixture into a loaf pan evenly, cover with foil and cook for 30 minutes. Remove foil, add the ketchup- Worcestershire topping and put back in the oven for 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven, let cool a few minutes, slice and serve.
I hope you all enjoy this vegan meatloaf! It’s:
Hearty
Smoky
Fiber-rich
Beautiful
& so Affordable
You can also leave off the ketchup topping and serve with this Easy Vegan Gravy instead!
Want more savory vegan dishes? Try one of these!
Dairy Free Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Inspired by this recipe.
The Best Vegan Meatloaf
Ingredients
Vegetables for Sautéing
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil OR water for oil free
- 1 small onion, diced small
- 2 small carrots, diced small
- 2 celery stalks, diced small
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
For the Rest
- (2) 15 oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed, (3 cups)
- 1- 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs*
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke, optional, but good
For the topping
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and lightly spray a 9 inch loaf pan with oil, or line the bottom with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Saute the onion, carrots, celery and garlic in the olive oil or water over medium heat for 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Add the chickpeas to a large bowl, and mash with a potato masher (or fork). You do not want them to be completely pasty or mushy, but well broken up. Alternatively, use a food processor, but be careful not to over blend them and make them totally mushy. Pulse a couple of times if using a food processor.
- Add the cooked veggies and all the remaining ingredients to the chickpeas. I have found 1 cup of breadcrumbs to be enough, but if the mixture seems really moist, add an extra 1/2 cup. Stir with a large wooden spoon until very well combined.
- Press the loaf mixture in the prepared pan, pushing down evenly with your hand. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- In a small bowl, stir together the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce for the topping.
- After 30 minutes, remove the foil, spread the ketchup topping evenly on top of the loaf and bake for another 15 minutes, uncovered. Remove from the oven.
- Allow to sit for at least 15 minutes before slicing if you can, it will hold up better. Sprinkle with fresh parsley if desired before serving.
Video
Notes
- You may substitute gluten-free or whole wheat breadcrumbs if desired. The amount needed depends on how moist or dry your chickpeas are. I have found this varies depending on the brand. Use 1 to 1 1/2 cups.
- Make sure to find vegan Worcestershire sauce. Most have anchovies in the ingredients. Annie's brand has a good one you can find at most natural food stores. You can also order it online.
- Find liquid smoke near barbecue sauce in most grocery stores. You can leave it out, but it adds a great "smoky" flavor. One bottle will last you a long time.
Nutrition
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344 Comments on “The Best Vegan Meatloaf”
My husband and loved this recipe, although I didn’t have the liquid smoke it was still very good.
I’m so glad to hear you both enjoyed it!!
I made this last night and it was amazing! I didn’t have any celery or nutritional yeast so I replaced them with bell peppers and and parmesan. I also topped it with a sweet and spicy bbq sauce. Thank you so much for sharing!
You’re so welcome!!
What type of breadcrumbs? Plain or seasoned.
I have only used plain, but seasoned would work.
Delicious! Delicious! Delicious!!! I used BBQ sauce instead of ketchup and my roommate and I were blown away by the taste. 🙂
I’m so glad to hear it was good!!
Hi Nora. I was just wondering, how would you freeze this?
I have frozen a whole loaf before, after it was cooked. I just wrap it up well, or freeze in the pan, covered well. You could also freeze leftover slices.
Should we remove the skins/peel the garbanzos?
Nope, there is no need.
I can’t find liquid smoke near me but it amazing just without it. I have made this 3 times in the last 2 weeks. My 13 month loves it and his non vegan mother as well, Thanks again NorA! I’ll say yours is the first place I check when I’m looking for ideas/ recipes
Wow, thanks so much for the great comment!!
I’m planning to make this meatloaf. Sounds delicious. My question: Would it work to grate the carrots rather than chop?
Sure, that’s fine. Hope you enjoy it!
Can I use white beans instead of chickpeas?
Sure, that will work fine.
I made this meatloaf for the first time yesterday and it was absolutely wonderful; delicious, very tasty and it even looked pretty. I followed the directions as written. I found that 1 cup of bread crumbs was sufficient. I waited about 30-40 minutes before cutting and I was able to cut nice clean slices. The meatloaf is good warm or cold. This recipe is definitely a “keeper”. The only variation I will make next time will be to make more glaze as it was extremely tasty. For those people looking for flax seed I found it at a health food store.
Thanks for the great comment!!
My family devoured this! It just satisfied the vegetarians and the senior citizens in the household (who are meat eaters) but need soft foods now. Thank you for making an all American classic into a vegetarian favorite. There were no leftovers!
Wow, that’s so great to hear! Thanks!
This turned out great without the nutritional yeast. I couldn’t find it anywhere! Just curious, what is the purpose of the nutritional yeast?
I’m so glad! It just adds flavor to the loaf.
My daughter made this for Mother’s Day for me!! It was delicious!!
I’m so happy to hear that! Happy Mother’s Day!
Does it require flax seeds? Any replacements?
You can leave them out if needed, it will be fine. Thanks!
Will it make a lot of difference to the recipe if I skip the nutritional yeast? I have the ingredients except this.
No, it’s not a problem to leave it out. Enjoy!
Turn out really good, thank you!
I used low sosium garbanzos and no oil. Also replaced the celery for 1 yellow bell pepper, and the breadcrumbs for old fashion oats.
Havevtonuse what i have already! 🙂
I made this and the easy vegan gravy. Both are flavorful and delicious. Does the meatloaf freeze well?
Yes, the meatloaf freezes well.
I made this day before yesterday. I did make some changes like making it half chick peas and half lentils (mix of red and green). It came out pretty good. I’m going to definitely make it again, probably following this recipe more closely. Thank you! It was a wholesome, healthy recipe.
Can you prepare it early and cook it later in the day?
Yes, that’s fine.
Second Nora Cooks recipe I’ve tried and it’s great! I look forward to more of her recipes.
Thanks so much!