This vegan meatloaf is a savory, healthy and gluten-free dish. 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 Thanksgiving, Christmas, special occasions or just to make on a daily basis. I’ve never been a meatloaf-lover myself, but I do love this vegan meatloaf.
The classic recipe is made with ground meat, bread, and some spices. I’ve used legumes instead of meat and nutritional yeast instead of bread to make a gluten-free recipe.
This meatloaf is adapted from our veggie burgers, which are the best plant-based burgers we’ve ever tried. You can find the recipe in our Simple Vegan Meals ebook. I don’t know which recipe I like the most (the burgers or the meatloaf) because both are AMAZING.
I preferred to use a lined 9×5 inch (23×13 cm) loaf pan to make this meatloaf, but any other rectangular pan will do. If you don’t have any, you can also use your hands and a lined baking sheet, it’s up to you!
This vegan meatloaf is simple, easy to make and so tasty! You can eat it with my vegan mashed potatoes and this delicious vegan gravy to enjoy a delicious plant-based meal.
How to make vegan meatloaf – step by step
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF or 180ºC.
- Add the chickpeas and beans to a mixing bowl and mash them (photo 1).
- Add all the remaining ingredients of the meatloaf and mix until well combined (photo 2).
- Press the mixture firmly in a lined 9×5 inch (23×13 cm) loaf pan (photo 3).
- To make the glaze, mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl (photo 4).
- Spread the glaze evenly over top and bake for 50 minutes (photo 5).
- Remove from the oven and allow the vegan meatloaf to cool for at least 5 minutes before removing it from the loaf pan (photo 6).
Pro tips
- Tahini can be replaced by any nut butter or even oil.
- Sea salt can be used instead of the tamari or soy sauce. Add more milk if needed.
- To mash the chickpeas and the beans, use a fork or a potato masher.
- You can blend all the ingredients in a food processor to prepare the meatloaf.
- 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.
Can you freeze this vegan meatloaf?
Yes, you can freeze it. Once it has cooled down completely, you can cut it in slices and freeze them separately or you can even freeze the entire loaf. In that case, remember to take it out of the freezer one or two days before eating it because it will need some time to defrost!
Can you reheat this vegan meatloaf?
Of course! You can either reheat it in the microwave or in the oven. If you use the oven and the meatloaf gets a golden-brown color but it’s still cold inside, cover it with aluminum foil – that way, you’ll be able to heat it up completely without burning it.
How long will this vegan meatloaf last?
You can keep it in a sealed container in the fridge for about 5 days. It may last a little longer, but make sure to check if it’s still good before eating it.
Looking for more meat alternatives?
Did you make this vegan meatloaf recipe?
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Vegan Meatloaf
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 50 mins
- Total: 1 hour
- 8–10 1x
- Main Dish
- Vegan, American
Servings 8–10 1x
This vegan meatloaf is a savory, healthy and gluten-free dish. 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 tamari or soy sauce (65 ml)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened plant milk of your choice (65 ml), we 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 cane, coconut or 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 the rest of the ingredients of the meatloaf and mix until well combined. You can also blend all the ingredients in a food processor.
- Press mixture firmly 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 until well combined.
- In a mixing bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the glaze.
- Spread the glaze evenly over 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.
- Keep it in a sealed container in the fridge for about 5 days.
Notes
- Tahini can be replaced by any nut butter or even oil.
- Sea salt can be used instead of the tamari or soy sauce. Add more milk if needed.
- To mash the chickpeas and the beans, use a fork or a potato masher.
- You can blend all the ingredients in a food processor to prepare the meatloaf.
- 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 March of 2020.
Hands down this is the BEST vegan meatloaf I have ever had!! I have been on a quest to find a decent vegan meatloaf for quite some time and this is it. My quest is over!! I am currently making this recipe for the second time this week at the request of my 3 boys ages 17, 5, and 3. So delicious!
★★★★★
Hi Sarah! Thank you so much 🙂 I’m so happy to hear that!
Made this today for the 2nd time, we love it. So simple to make, very filling and satisfying, despite not containing breadcrumbs (which adds to the simplicity of the recipe). 1st time we had it with mash, spring greens and lashings of gravy. Today I left off the glaze and we had it with Potato Dauphinoise and stir fried green beans, delicious. Would make make a great base for other ingredients.
Hi Carol! Sounds great 🙂 So glad you like it!
I have been experimenting with this recipe as base , replacing the Nutritional Yeast with a mix of gluten free bread and grated carrots the first time gave a great result , second time I went for a bit more spicy , replaced the “plant milk ‘ with tomato sauce and added some hot spices got closer to spicy sausage that way .. My gluten free autistic son loves it .. a great way to smuggle veggies into his diet .. just “add them to the loaf “
Hi Ismail! I’m so glad it worked for you 🙂 Have a nice day!
Five stars for presentation, but unfortunately mine tasted like pure yeast. Perhaps it doesn’t need a full cup? Or did I use a wrong type of yeast somehow?
★★
Hi Meg! Did you use the same ingredients and followed all the steps? Our readers love this recipe, it’s so popular on the blog. I used regular nutritional yeast. Hope it helps!
I am currently making this recipe and I am very excited! Looks and smells great (I will admit anything with ketchup I love though lol). I was wondering how do I know it’s done?? I know it says bake for 50 minutes but my oven is not very accurate with its temp, I think it’s too high. Can’t wait to try it! Thanks!
Okay, this is DELICIOUS! can’t wait to have it for lunch tomorrow!
Hi Alex! I’m so glad you like it 🙂 You can insert a knife into the center of the meatloaf as you would do with a cake. Hope it helps!
I made this recipe tonight for a friend and cannot wait to get her feedback. I personally am not a vegan, but from what I tasted(edges) it was very good! Especially considering there is no meat or bread. Thank you for sharing. I look forward to trying some of your other recipes.
★★★★★
Hi Heather! You’re so welcome 🙂 I hope you guys enjoyed it!
I made this tonight after spotting the recipe a few weeks ago, and although when I was mixing the ingredients together it seemed very very stodgy, it did work! I burnt out the motor on my stick blender but it was worth it, haha! My husband the carnivore even commented that it had a very meaty texture, and enjoyed it too. I did have to add a wee bit of water to get it to mix properly in the bowl, however. Served it with mash, cabbage and gravy, and loads left over for the next couple of days. Lovely!
Hi Sarah! I’m so sorry you burnt out the mother of your blender, but I’m so glad you liked it 🙂
I’ve made this close to a dozen times. I use whatever beans I have on hand. It’s wondefful on bread with mustard or slathered in gravy. I admit I use far more beans than the recipe calls for and it’s a hit each time I make it. Thank you !
★★★★★
Hi Katherine! I’m so glad you like the recipe 🙂 Have a nice day!
made this last night as a trial for a meal next week. the flavor was o k, but it was to salty for our family. my husband who eats almost everything I try says,” it just tasted like beans”. He is usually o k with beans but does not want this again. I even used low sodium soy sauce, but can’t think how I could reduce the salt otherwise. I give it three stars, because if I could get the salt down I think the family might tolerate it better
★★★
Hi there! This recipe is so popular and people love it. I think you probably follow a low-sodium diet, so this might be too salty for you. Have a nice day!
Hi. Thinking of making of this for a cold buffet. Would it be ok cold?
Hi Sarah! I’ve never tried it myself, but I think it should be ok cold 🙂
This tastes great! I really like onions, so I substituted 1/2 chopped onion for one of the tsp. of onion powder. I gave it a 4 star because I couldn’t give a 4 1/2! I follwed the recipe carefully. I made my loaf on a lined baking sheet and made it 9 X5 to be sure the baking time would be the same as the recipe, but after 50, then 60, then 75 min., it is still very moist in the middle, almost as moist as it was when raw. I appreciate any suggestions.
★★★★
Hi Kathy! Every oven is different, you may need to cook it longer or at a higher temperature. Hope it helps!
It didn’t work for me. It never cooked through correctly and remained the same consistentancy as it was after I took it out of the blender. The nutritional yeast smells and taste like cardboard. The whole thing went in the garbage.
Hi Tom! I’m so sorry the recipe didn’t work for you. Did you used the same ingredients and followed all the steps?
I made this and the flavour was horrible. It was not palatable at all. I added a lot of italian spices to help it but nothing could fix it. If you enjoy the taste of tahini then you will love this.
★
Hi Annie! I’m so sorry the recipe didnt’ work for you, but it’s really popular on the blog and our readers love it so much. Maybe you did something wrong…
So easy and delicious! My hubby and I loved it so much!
★★★★★
Hi Marie! Thanks a lot 😀 So glad you loved it!
Hello! Are you able to freeze the meatloaf? If so for how long?
Hi! I’ver never frozen it myself, but I think you can. I don’t know for how long, sorry!
Thank you so much! This was great! Followed a few suggestions and tweaked it a bit…sautéed some onion, carrot and celery and added to the beans, pulsed in the food processor with the tahini, coconut aminos instead of tamari, and crushed tomatoes instead of plant milk, then mixed with the rest of the ingredients (plus a dash of poultry seasoning and a small handful of chopped walnuts) in a bowl with a wooden spoon. I used a different glaze (a mix of ketchup, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar and dijon) and made it freeform on a pan so the sides of the loaf would brown. It held together and sliced perfectly – very compact but not dense! And as always with these things, even better the next day. The texture was just right! This was much better than a more complicated recipe that I’ve made before – I will definitely double it next time for a stash in the freezer!
Hi Melissa! Sounds amazing 🙂 So glad you liked it!
Soooo delicious! I had run out of nut milk, so I used some leftover crushed San Marzano tomatoes as the liquid. It worked out fine. I served it with cauliflower mash and vegan mushroom gravy. It was even better the next day, super thinly sliced on your GF vegan bread (which is an all-time favorite!), topped with fermented kraut and avocado. I froze some of the extra slices and take them out for lunch with a slice of the bread which I also keep frozen by the slice. So good! Thank you for this delicious recipe!
★★★★★
Hi Claire! Sound SO good 😀 Thank YOU for making this recipe!
I made this for Christmas and it was amazing. My non-vegan family said it tasted like regular meat loaf. I added a vegan gravy based on a Jamie Oliver recipe. Do you think that adding chopped onions would also work?
Thanks for your great work!
Hi Caroline! So glad you liked it 😀 I’ve never tried it myself, but I think it should work. Have a nice day!
I made this loaf for Christmas this year and it was so lovely. I am going to make another one today for myself to have during the week
★★★★★
Hi Val! So glad you liked it 🙂 Have a nice day!
Hi!
So I am going pescatarian for a brief period of time, and was trying to find good vegetarian and vegan recipes to try. I was wondering, since I can drink milk, could I use milk in the recipe, or would this recipe only work with a type of plant milk? My body has been very sensitive to drinking straight almond milk so I am a little wary of it, and soy milk, as my body doesn’t process soy well. Would coconut milk work? Or could I just use milk for that ingredient?
Hi Priya! Cow’s milk is not healthy at all, but feel free to use any plant milk you have on hand 🙂 There are so many alternatives: https://simpleveganblog.com/9-easy-plant-milk-recipes/ Coconut milk is okay, but is so high in fat. Have a nice day!
We had this at for lunch today along with another recipe (lentil based) for a vegan meatloaf as we wanted to try them out before Christmas. This one won wins hands up & so easy to make too. So this will be on our Christmas menu this year. I’ll probaby add some walnuts as another person suggests. Thanks for the recipe.
★★★★★
Hi Josie! You’re so welcome 🙂 Thanks for chosing our recipe. Have a nice day!
I have tried other “meatloaf” recipes, and this is my favorite! Served it up with mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy… delightful! I did finely chop some onion, celery and carrots (about 1/2 cup each), sautéed them with a couple tablespoons of veggie broth til soft, and added them to the mix, as well as 1/3 cup chopped walnuts ( for a little “chew”). Wonderful recipe with good flavor!
Hi Kathi! Sounds amazing! So glad you liked our recipe 😉
What can I use instead of flaxseeds? I don’t have any
Hi Amanda! I’ve only made this recipe using flaxseeds, but you could try to use other nuts or seeds. Hope it works!
Made it today for dinner but actually cooked it around lunch time so it had plenty of time to cool down. I replaced the plant milk with thick tomato juice and it worked out fine. I was a bit nervous it will not hold together but it was easy to cut and serve. Wish I could post pictures here : )
Thank you for the receipe
★★★★★
Hi Karina! You’re so welcome and thanks a lot for your comment 🙂 So glad you liked it!
Improve texture with some TVP…excellevt!
★★★★
Hi Bob! So glad to hear that 🙂 Thanks a lot for your comment!
I found this very difficult to mix. I started it in the food processor and finished up the spices in a bowl. Did anyone else have this problem? What did I do wrong?
Hi Mary! Somereaders have tried it and it turned out well, but try to add more milk next time. Have a nice day!
I made this yesterday and loved it. FYI…even better leftover. Also convinced two friends to give it a try.
Hi Tom! So glad you liked it 🙂 Have a nice day!
The meatloaf looks interesting. I wanted to ask about a plant- based Chorizo. Do you have a recipe for a plant- based Chorizo?
Hi Mr Goodwin! Thanks a lot 🙂 No, we haven’t, sorry!
Your meatloaf looks amazing!
Do you think this recipe would work for meatballs? I’d like to leave them warming I’m a crockpot at a buffet.
Oops…. IN a crockpot!
@ Gina… You are Cute… :0)
Hi Gina! I’ve never made meatballs using this recipe, so I don’t know, but I think it could work. Add some breadcrumbs, oats or any type of flour if needed 🙂
This loaf looks really good! I’m going to take the leap & try it. I’m not an adventuresome cook by any means but the finished loaf here looks like it’s worth it.
Hi Linda! Thanks a lot 🙂 Hope you like it!
I’ve been a vegan for over 30 years, but I HATE nutritional yeast. This recipe looks great but that’s a LOT of nutritional yeast. How would just leaving it out affect the final product?
Hi Bill! Have you tried the recipe? It doesn’t taste like nutritional yeast 🙂 However, I think you could add almond flour or some oat flour instead. Hope it helps!