Vegan meatloaf, super flavorful and moist. Made with easy-to-find ingredients, it’s a delicious plant-based version of a classic recipe.
Here’s another plant-based recipe, perfect for a vegan Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas, special occasions, or just to make on a daily basis. It is so nice and moist, as well as very tasty.
Savory and extremely flavorful, it is cruelty-free and cholesterol-free. Plus the glaze is so yummy you’re going to want to have some bread handy. Let me know how you liked it!
Ingredient notes
- Beans: I used chickpeas and kidney beans, but you could probably use what you have on hand.
- Ground flaxseed: any type of flaxdeed will work.
- Nutritional yeast: it gives this recipe the cheesy flavor, so it’s an important ingredient. If you can’t find it, you could also use brewer’s yeast. However, nutritional yeast is the best choice.
- Tahini: I’ve only made this vegan meatloaf recipe using tahini, but you could probably use different seed or nut butters instead, or even oil, but in that case you may need to use less plant milk.
- Ketchup: store-bought is a good choice, but I prefer to make my own recipe because it’s super simple and a healthier alternative.
- Brown sugar: freel free to use any type of sugar.
Dietary variations
- Make it gluten-free: use tamari instead of soy sauce.
- Make it soy-free: use vegetable stock instead of soy sauce and incorporate more salt to taste. Also, feel free to replace the soy milk with any type of plant milk.
- Make it sugar-free: use a sugar-free ketchup (or even tomato paste), and omit the brown sugar.
Pro tips
- To mash the chickpeas and the beans, I really suggest you use a potato masher. A fork would also work, but a potato masher will do the job more quickly and efficiently.
- If you own a food processor, it may be easier for you to prepare the meatloaf dough. You will simply need to blend all the ingredients together for optimal results (see recipe instructions below).
- You can line the loaf pan with some parchment paper before adding the mixture so the meatloaf is easy to remove.
- If you don’t have a loaf pan, feel free to place the mixture onto a lined baking sheet and shape it with your hands.
How to make vegan meatloaf
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF or 180ºC.
- Add the chickpeas and beans to a mixing bowl and mash them.
- Add all the remaining ingredients of the meatloaf and mix until well combined. You can also blend them in a food processor.
- Firmly press the mixture in a lined 9×5 inch (23×13 cm) loaf pan.
- To make the glaze, mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl .
- Spread the glaze evenly over the top and bake for 50 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow the vegan meatloaf to cool for at least 5 minutes before removing it from the loaf pan.
- Serve your vegan meatloaf immediately.
How to store a vegan meatloaf
- Fridge: keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for about 5 days.
- Freezer: transfer it to an airtight container and keep it in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Reheat: use the microwave or oven. To reheat in the oven, cover loosely with foil and bake at 350ºF or 180ºC for about 20-25 minutes or until warmed through. Remove the foil for the last few minutes for a crispier finish.
Serving suggestions
Feel free to serve your vegan meatloaf as part of your vegan Thanksgiving dinner (as well as Christmas or any other special or weekday!) along with some creamy vegan mashed potatoes and our rich and flavorful vegan gravy.
Looking for more vegan meat alternatives?
Did you make this vegan meatloaf recipe?
Please leave a comment and rate it below. We’d love to hear from you!
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Vegan Meatloaf
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 50 mins
- Total: 1 hour
- 8–10 1x
- Main Dish
- American
- Vegan
Servings 8–10 1x
Vegan meatloaf, super flavorful and moist. Made with easy-to-find ingredients, it’s a delicious plant-based version of a classic recipe.
Ingredients
For the meatloaf:
- 1 cup canned or cooked chickpeas (170 g), drained and rinsed
- 1 cup canned or cooked kidney beans (170 g), drained and rinsed
- 1 cup ground flaxseed (120 g)
- 1 cup nutritional yeast (70 g)
- 1/2 cup tahini (120 g)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari (65 ml)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened plant milk of your choice (65 ml), I used soy milk
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
For the glaze:
- 1/2 cup ketchup (150 g)
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF or 180ºC.
- Add the chickpeas and beans to a mixing bowl and mash them with a fork or a potato masher.
- Add all the remaining ingredients of the meatloaf and mix until well combined. You can also blend them in a food processor.
- Firmly press the mixture in a lined 9×5-inch (23×13 cm) loaf pan. Feel free to place the mixture onto a lined baking sheet and form it into a loaf pan with your hands.
- To make the glaze just mix all the ingredients in a bowl until well combined.
- Spread the glaze evenly over the top and bake for 50 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow the vegan meatloaf to cool for at least 5 minutes before removing it from the loaf pan.
- Slice and serve your vegan meatloaf as part of your vegan Thanksgiving dinner (as well as Christmas or any other special or weekday!) along with some creamy vegan mashed potatoes and our rich and flavorful vegan gravy.
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for about 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. To reheat, use the microwave or oven. To reheat in the oven, cover loosely with foil and bake at 350ºF or 180ºC for about 20-25 minutes or until warmed through. Remove the foil for the last few minutes for a crispier finish.
Notes
- Tahini can be replaced by any nut butter or even oil.
- Sea salt can be used instead of tamari or soy sauce. Add more plant milk if needed.
- To mash the chickpeas and the beans, I really suggest you use a potato masher. A fork would also work, but a potato masher will do the job more quickly and efficiently.
- If you own a food processor, it may be easier for you to prepare the meatloaf dough. You will simply need to blend all the ingredients together for optimal results (see recipe instructions).
- You can line the loaf pan with some parchment paper before adding the mixture so the meatloaf is easy to remove.
- If you don’t have a loaf pan, feel free to place the mixture onto a lined baking sheet and shape it with your hands.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/10 of the recipe
- Calories: 231
- Sugar: 4.4 g
- Sodium: 558 mg
- Fat: 12.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 20.3 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 11.1 g
Update Notes: This post was originally published in November of 2017, but was republished with new photos, step-by-step instructions, and tips in June of 2022.
Made it for dinner. Was amazing and nice and moist.
★★★★★
Hi Susan! So glad you liked it 🙂
I was pleasantly surprised at how very tasty this loaf is! I say surprised only because for me it was an interesting mix of ingredients, and I chose it because i needed something I could shape in a mold and then bake free standing on a cookie sheet for a Halloween party. It worked perfectly and tasted delicious! I will make this again! (i gave 4 stars only because of lack of vegetables)
★★★★
Hi! I’m so glad you liked it 🙂
Hi Losune
Is the glaze tomato paste or passage. In Australia our tomato paste is concentrated..should I mix both?
★★★★★
Hi! You mean the tomato in the ketchup? We use tomato paste and it is concentrated 🙂
So, my family doesn’t care for the taste of nutritional yeast. Do you have a substitution for that ingredient? For us, it always leaves an after-taste.
Hi Jeff! Feel free to omit it 🙂 I hope you all enjoy this recipe!
Excellent recipe! We are vegetarian so I added parmesan cheese instead of nutritional yeast. Used all other ingredients exactly as listed. Very good, thank you for posting the recipe
★★★★★
So glad you liked our vegan meatloaf 🙂 Have a nice day!
I can’t wait to make this! I do have a quick question about the canned beans. The can I purchased says 1/2 cup chickpeas is 130g. So would I still weigh the chickpeas to 170g like you call for in the recipe or do 260g which would give me 1 cup by my cans standards. Thank you!
Hi Tracey! I recommend you to weight the chickpeas to 170 g 🙂 Hope you enjoy it!
This is most definitely a keeper. We had been craving meatloaf and this recipe is perfect. We used Natural Peanut Butter in place of tahini and soaked / cooked dried beans. Already soaking more chickpeas and kidney beans for another recipe. Thanks for sharing a recipe with simple ingredients and is yummy.
Hi! Thanks for trying our recipe 🙂 I’m glad you liked it!
Made this and it was complete mush!! Where did I go wrong. Rethinking my steps. Beans…is it a measured 1 cup or just a whole can which is 15oz?
Flaxseed….I use Bob’s Red Mill Flaxseed meal. Should I have used Flaxseed Powder or ground up some whole flaxseeds? Curious because I want to give it another try as it did smell divine.
Hi! We have used 170 g of kidney beans that is 1 cup and ground flaxseed 🙂 Give it another try, I’m sure it will be delicious this time!
This was amazing. Would definitely make more of the glaze next time to dip! Delicious!!!
★★★★★
Hi Jessica, so glad you liked it!
I don’t have flaxseed. Is it just for flavour or is it an egg replacement? Can I use a packet egg replacement instead?
Hi Jonathan! You could use any other seeds or nuts instead 🙂
Is it really 1 Cup of ground flaxseed?
Hi Shantel! Yes, it is 🙂
can I just double the kidney beans instead of using chickpeas? My wife is doesn’t like chickpeas.
Thanks
Hi Mika! Yes, feel free to double the kidney beans instead of using chickpeas 🙂 Maybe the flavor varies but it will also taste incredible!
I want to make this. It looks delicious. I was wondering what the ground flaxseed is used for in this recipe? I have everything else to make this meatloaf except that. Could i replace it with something else or should i buy some ground flaxseed?
Hi Shannon! They act as a binder and also give the meatloaf a meaty flavor 🙂 Feel free to use other seeds or nuts.
Would chia seeds give me the same results as the flax seeds, or maybe half and half?
Hi Donna! I haven’t tried it myself, but I don’t think it’s going to work. I would use other types of seeds or even nuts instead 🙂
I made this last weekend, absolutely delicious. Very easy to make and would throughly recommend. I will definitely make again
Hi Tracey! So glad you liked it 🙂
Thank you for your help.Will give it a try.
You’re welcome 🙂
Hi there. Can Himalayan Salt be used instead of soy sauce and if yes, how much?
Thanks
Hi Trinity! I think it should work, but I can’t tell you the amount, as I’ve never used it myself 🙂
I wonder if instead of ketchup, you mashed up some canned tomatoes and put that on top instead. Does the bean mixture require the sweetness as a balance?
Hi Marc! No, it doesn’t, but it tastes amazing with ketchup 🙂 I’ve neved added canned tomatoes, so I’m not sure… I would use tomato sauce instead. Hope it works!
The ketchup is like “the icing on the cake”, makes or breaks the recipe in our household… I’d just use less… I’ve even used our fav BBQ sauce when out of Ketchup.
★★★★★
Hi! Thank you so much for your comment 🙂
I’m spending Thanksgiving with my husband’s family and I’m planning on bringing vegan dishes to share. I prepared this recipe as a practice since I’m a recent vegan and I loved it! Simple to make and delicious. Keep up the good work!
★★★★★
Hi Cristina! SO glad you liked it 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving!
I just took this out of the oven, it smelled so good while it was baking. I’m sure to make it again, next time I’ll spread it a little thinner. I used oil instead of tahini, I don’t care for the taste of tahini. It tastes good and even my dogs were drooling lol. Reminded me of meatloaf my mom made.
Hi Crystal! Hope you enjoyed it 🙂
What I can use beside to chickpea?
Hi Tomas! Feel free to use any other legume, like beans or lentils 🙂
I have made this recipe too many times to count! It’s wonderful on bread with mustard
★★★★★
Hi Katherine! So glad you like it 🙂 Thanks for your comment!