A “classic” tasting Vegan Meatloaf made from chickpeas, vegan Worcestershire sauce and breadcrumbs. This is NOT another mushy vegan loaf. It’s beautiful, savory, hearty and extremely comforting alongside some mashed potatoes and green beans.
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. Actually, I already have this version on the blog: Muffin Pan Meatless Loaf. So fun, especially for kids!
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!
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.
This Vegan Meatloaf is easy to make, and most of the time spent is hands off.
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 recipes? Try one of these!
- Dairy Free Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Easy Baked Tofu Nuggets
- Sheet Pan Marinated Tempeh Dinner
- Easy Vegan Gravy
If you make this recipe, let me know how it goes! Rate it, leave a comment and tag a photo @noracooksplantbased on Instagram. Enjoy!
Inspired by this recipe.
A classic style vegan meatloaf recipe made with a base of chickpeas. Unlike some vegan loaf recipes, this one is not mushy. It has a slight smoky flavor and makes for a beautiful centerpiece dish for any holiday or Sunday family dinner.
- 1 small onion, diced small
- 2 small carrots, diced small
- 2 celery stalks, diced small
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 15 oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed *or 3 cups cooked
- 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke, optional, but good
- fresh parsley, optional
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
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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.
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Saute the onion, carrots, celery and garlic in the 1/4 cup of water over medium heat for 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
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Add the drained and rinsed chickpeas to a food processor and pulse until the chickpeas or broken up and there are no whole beans left. You do not want them to be completely pasty or mushy, but well broken up.
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Transfer the processed chickpeas to a large bowl. Add the cooked veggies and all the remaining ingredients. Stir with a large wooden spoon until very well combined.
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Press the loaf mixture in the prepared pan, pushing down evenly with your hand. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
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Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven.
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Spread the ketchup and Worchestershire sauce on top of the loaf, evenly. 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.
-You may substitute gluten-free or whole wheat breadcrumbs if desired.
-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.
This is neat. I am gluten-free so I’d have to find suitable panko but I make chickpeas somewhat regularly, usually fry them in a pot with diced onion, garlic, some curry powder or other seasoning/condiment, and olive oil, then smash with potato masher. Very nice. I may make this recipe above. Saved. Five stars for chickpeas and how yummy this looks. 🙂
Thanks Jess! I think any gluten-free breadcrumbs would work fine. Your usual chickpea dish sounds delicious! I love chickpeas, they are so versatile. Thanks for your comment! 🙂
I can’t have soy, so is there a substitute for the soy sauce? Thanks!
Try coconut aminos or tamari, I believe those are both soy free alternatives.
Tamari is wheat free but not soy free (its 100% soy). Use coconut aminos
Oh my bad! Thanks April!
Looks great! I can’t have sesame (tahini) though, do you have a suggestion of a substitution for it? Thanks!
I would just leave it out completely if you can’t have it. Should be fine!
Oh good, as i was wondering about the tahini too…i just don’t want the added fat..so it will still bind together without it you think?
It should, yes! I don’t think it will be a problem without it.
Can you pulse the chickpeas in a blender? I don’t have a food processer.
You might be able to, especially if your blender has a “pulse” option. You don’t want them to be blended, just broken up a bit. The best alternative would be to mash them with a fork or potato masher.
I made this yesterday and it was a hit! Probably the best loaf I’ve ever attempted. Not mushy at all. Even my meat-eating husband gobbled it up. Thanks for a great loaf recipe!
Yay! Thanks so much April. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I made this last weekend. Really delicious. I love the texture. It slices beautifully, and is great hot or cold. It has made it into my recipe card box!!
Thanks Jackie! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I agree, it’s good hot or cold.
I loved this vegan chickpea loaf far better than lentil loaf. It is a keeper. I can’t wait to make a sandwich with it.
When you say a can of chick peas, what size are you referring to? I tend to cook my own chick peas so listing the quantity would be helpful. TIA.
15 oz cans of chickpeas. I updated the recipe with that information! So 2 15 oz cans, or 3 cups cooked chickpeas. Thanks!!
OMG! After 4 pretty unsuccessful awfully disgusting tries at different GF Vegan Meatloaf Recipes this one is just plain AMAZING!! Just Amazing!! I ran out of GF Panko so I made some GF breadcrumbs to add just as you said. Turned out perfectly! Thank you from the bottom of my stomach!!
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed this Vegan Meatloaf so much! 🙂 You are SO welcome!
I made this last night, we absolutely loved it.
Thanks Janelle! Glad you loved it!
This is in the oven as we speak. I have entered the recipe twice into My Fitness Pal, and even with 8 servings it comes out to 429 cal per serving. Can you help clarify the nutritional info? Is there a more reliable website/app I can use? This varies drastically from what you have listed. Thank you!
I hope you enjoyed it! Hmm, I wonder if you entered dried chickpeas instead of 3 cups canned? I just entered it again (I use cronometer) and got the same 213 calories per serving (6 servings total) and with the ketchup topping, 266 calories. 🙂
Can this be made in advance and frozen?
Yes, it can. I would cook it first, but leave off the ketchup topping. Cool completely and freeze.
I followed this recipe and ended up with a pan of dry crumbled stuff… not anything like the photos here…. it was extremely dry and crumbly and did not stick together at all… I even added extra ketchup before baking it because I could tell it was super dry….
Hi there! I am so sorry this didn’t work out for you! Hmmm, I’m trying to think of what might have gone wrong.. Many, many people have made this and no one has had this problem yet. Did you use all of the wet ingredients? And use a food processor for the chickpeas? The only other thing I can think of is to add the breadcrumbs in last, and only use as much as you need to, though I found the full amount to be perfect and they help prevent a mushy loaf.
We made this tonight and were thrilled at how tasty it is. Jimmy was excited because he thought it tasted so much better than the meat version. This recipe is definitely going to be in our rotation!
I’m so happy to hear this Desiree! 🙂 Thanks for letting me know.
This was yummy! Tried it tonight. Takes a while to make but is worth it. It was a little dry…do you think there is any way to make it more moist? Regardless it was a hit. Definitely checking out more vegan recipes on your website.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe! If you found it was a little dry, try using less breadcrumbs next time, maybe 1 cup and then add more if it seems very wet. It’s very adjustable. 🙂 Thanks for your comment!
It looks sooooo good but I was… if any left over could be kept in the freezer…
Yes it freezes very well!
I made this last week and liked it a lot, but your prep time estimate is way off. Took me at least 40 minutes. Just chopping/dicing the vegetables took 15 minutes, and I cook a lot. Also, 5 min to soften the veggies is not nearly enough. Good recipe but next time I need to allow for much more prep time, more like 30-45 minutes
I was womdering if the breadcrumbs can be replaced with oat flour??
It might be a little mushy, but maybe not! I haven’t tried it, but my guess is it will work out just fine.
I made this tonight for the first time. It was delicious! A nice change from lentil loaves… thank you!
Glad to enjoyed the loaf, Gail! Thanks for sharing.
I made this last night – really enjoyed it! Excellent recipe. It held up well – not crumbly or soft. It looked and sliced up like a ‘regular’ meatloaf. I LOVE finding a new delish recipe so thank you for making my day, possibly my week!!
That’s so great Michelle, thanks for the comment!
Thank you so so much for this yummy recipe ! I liked it so much better than the lentil loaf recipes I have tried. But I did add about 1/2 tsp of cumin and a generous sprinkle of smoked paprika. And truth be told I substituted red beans for the chickpeas. Delicious…really….Thanks again Nora !
Oooh red beans instead of chickpeas? I bet it was a pretty color! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This is pretty good, and why is it called meat loaf instead of veggie loaf? The name is misleading for those who refuse to eat anything from animals.
I’m glad you enjoyed it! As for the name, sometimes it is difficult to come up with a name for recipes, and I often look at what people are typing into google. This is one of those, because believe it or not “vegan meatloaf” gets searched for over 8000 times per month! “veggie loaf”, on the other hand, about 1000. So I try to name my recipes at least in part based on what folks might be searching for, if that makes sense! Thanks for the question.