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!
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!
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
Nora was right this recipe is spot on. I had been craving a ketchup loaf similar to family recipes but I wanted something healthier and easier to make. Thanks for a fantastic recipe this a keeper.
Hi Brooke. You are welcome! I’m so glad you loved the vegan meatloaf! Thank you for taking your time to share your great review and comments!
Hi Nora
This was amazing ?
I love things wrapped in pastry for a special meal.
Could I do that with this recipe ?
Terri x
I’ve never tried it, but I don’t see why not! Enjoy.
This was very tasty and easy. I purchased dry garbanzo beans and cooked them in vegan chicken broth, bay leaves, garlic and salt. I felt that allowed additional flavour into the loaf. Outstanding and thank you, that came from my husband who is generally not a huge vegetarian fan! I also served it with your gravy which I believe added to a great dinner.
Thank you so much for sharing your great review and comments! I am so glad that you guys enjoyed the meatloaf! (and gravy!)
Delicious!! Used my food processor to chop the veggies really small, mash the chickpeas and crumb the breadcrumbs. (Made my own breadcrumbs by toasting some bread in the ocean for an hour on 200) sautéed the veggies about 10 min until soft. Topped with Heinz chili sauce (my mother’s meatloaf topping go-to)
So happy to find a recipe that isn’t made of a faux beef!
I’m glad you loved the meatloaf! Thank you for taking time to share your great review and comments!
Very filling
Still eat poultry
Good stuffing
??
Stuffed peppers
Crumble in olive oil till heated-stuff in pita add salad etc
I made this meatloaf for dinner tonight. It was delicious. Thank you for your recipes. Easy and yummy.
I’m thrilled you found the meatloaf delicious! Thanks so much for sharing your great review and comments, and for using my recipes! I appreciate you!
Hi Nora,
I love your recipes that I’ve tried thus far, and I am about to have a very hectic schedule and am looking into recipes I can make and throw in the freezer for quick meals. Any tips on how to accommodate this recipe best would be much appreciated!
Hi Brooke! You can freeze this meatloaf if you want. You will need to thaw it overnight and then bake it until it’s warm throughout. If freezing, I would leave off the topping until the end of baking. You could also freeze slices of it then pull it out of the freezer and microwave, if you want. Hope that helps!
Although I am not 100% vegan or vegetarian (yet) am trying to add more vegan and vegetarian foods into my diet for my health and to try to be more sustainable. Thank you for this delicious and simple recipe! I loved it! For leftovers I sliced the loaf and seared the slices on both sides in a pan with some oil, until a bit charred on both sides and heated through. 10/10 would recommend. So flavorful and a great reheated texture.
I realized I forgot to press the stars in my rating, so I’m replying to my original comment with 5 stars. Sorry about that.
Thanks!
I love what you did with your leftovers! Sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing your comments! Glad you loved the meatloaf!
Great recipe! I added part HP sauce along with the ketchup for an added punch of flavour, in place of the liquid smoke, it turned out to look just like the photos here, it sliced well and was very delicious!
I”m so glad you loved the way your meatloaf turned out! Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful review!
Delicious but had to cook longer to avoid being too moist. Left out of oven for half hour and then put back at 250 to reheat.
How do I reheat left overs. It was delicious!?!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I just microwave it, but you could also heat it up in the oven if you want. 🙂
My favorite way to reheat is to slice it then fry it up in a pan with someone.until.its heated through and slightly charred on both sides. So yummyyyy.
I’m a 77 year old man. I have made it three times and love it. Meat eaters and vegetarians like it. It is very good. The loaf looked just like the pictures and tasted good to everyone that had some. The
Hi Ray. I’m so glad you, and those you shared with, loved the meatloaf! Thanks for sharing your review and comments!
I forgot to cover with foil when baking. Would it be okay?
It will probably be okay, it just might dry out a bit more and the top could burn, so watch that. You can add foil at any point as well, if you still have time to prevent burning.
loved it
I have, chia, flax, & hemp seeds, it’s called the, Heart Healthy Trilogy, how much of that can I use in your meatloaf?
I’m not sure, do you just want to add some in for nutrition? I wouldn’t add more than a few tablespoons, but I’ve never tried it so it’s hard to say.
I’m going to make your meatloaf, & see if it’s as good as you make it sound. I’ll let u know what happens.
Hope you enjoy it!
Can I use something other than breadcrumbs? Maybe oatmeal or rice?
Yes, oats work or cooked rice for a slightly different outcome.
Thank you Nora for getting back to me! Your recipes are the best! 🙂
Thank you so much, that means the world to me!
Do you have any idea the measurements of the onion, carrot and celery? I want to make this and I’m thinking of frozen veggies, if possible. Can I use those?
I would guess around 3/4 cup chopped onion, 1 cup chopped carrots and 1/2 cup chopped celery. But a little more or less is fine as well. Hope that helps!
Can this meatloaf be frozen?
Yes, it freezes quite well.
This turned out great! I didn’t use liquid smoke as I didn’t have any. I used bbq sauce instead of ketchup. I made the vegan gravy and added mushrooms. I boiled tiny potatoes. I did let the load sit before cutting and it held together very well. There won’t be any left overs to see if better the next day. These recipes are keepers!!! Thank you.
Thank you for sharing!
I’m really looking forward to trying this!
What are some substitutes you could use for the ground flaxseed? I’ve never used it, so I’m not sure if it’s in the recipe to provide flavor or act as a binder/egg substitute.
Would something dry like wheat germ be best? We also use a vegan egg product (gelatinous liquid) called Just Egg if it’s more for binding.
Thanks for your help!
Just Egg would probably work great. It helps the loaf bind a little bit. Hope that helps!
I have made this multiple times now and love it. My hubby even enjoys it and he is not vegan. I call it my favorite vegan comfort food meal ❤️ It’s easy to make, hearty, filling and simply delish ? I do deviate slightly and top it with barbecue sauce as that is the preferred condiment in our house. Other than that I am just still very happy I found this recipe ?
That’s so great to hear Rowan! Thanks! Barbecue sauce on top is great, I do this sometimes.
Made this today and boy it is so good!. Could not find liquid smoke so couldn’t add that in. This is definitely going to go into my fave recipes! Thank you ♥️
Hi Fran! I’m so glad you love the meatloaf! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review!
This is way better compared to others I tried. Although it was slightly mushy when I first had a serving. I made half the recipe since it is only me eating this way. I did wait 15 minutes but after a night in the fridge yes it was way better. Maybe I will let it sit longer next time. Next time I will add fresh ground pepper and a little chopped walnuts for a little meaty flavor. Overall I really enjoyed, thank you I will definitely make it again and again
Thanks so much for sharing your review! I’m glad you enjoyed the meat loaf!
What is holding it together like egg for regular meatloaf
The flaxseed
I made this recipe the other night and it was to die for! I had some red bell pepper on hand so I added a bit of it (minced) to the recipe. So good!
I followed the advice to wait a bit and let it set up in the pan after removing it from the oven. It held together perfectly. Will most definitely make this one again!
Thank you for sharing your fantastic review of my meatloaf! I’m glad it worked out wonderfully for you, and that you loved it! Happy cooking!
So delicious! Mine didn’t hold together after baking and was crumbly. I followed recipe exactly and only added one cup breadcrumbs. Still yummy – will refrigerate and see if that helps.
I’m glad you are enjoying it! If you try to slice it immediately, it is much more likely to crumble. If you wait even 30 minutes, it will stay together. Also, make sure you really pack everything in firmly before you bake it. Hope that helps!
I think that’s what happened! I was too eager to gobble it. 🙂 Last night we had it on hoagie rolls with bbq sauce! I’ll pack better next time 😉
Thank you so very much for all your amazing , easy and delicious recipes.
It has inspired my vegan -ness so much. Mary
LOL I totally understand the urge! Glad you enjoyed it and you are enjoying more recipes as well, that’s wonderful to hear Mary!