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
Exactly what I was looking for! Thank you!
You’re welcome! Glad it worked out well for you. 🙂
I’ve tried many vegan meatloaf recipes over the years and this is the best. In other recipes the texture just didn’t turn out right, too often too mushy. This was perfect. Everyone said the meatloaf was really delicious and it certainly reminded me of my mom’s from when I was a child. I think I’ve finally found my go-to vegan meatloaf recipe.
I did make a couple of changes: didn’t have bread crumbs so blitzed some rolled oats in the food processor and they worked well; used a round casserole dish with glass lid and that was fine too. Didn’t have worcestershire sauce so used yellow mustard in both the loaf and the topping and also added a half teaspoon of black treacle (dark molasses) to the topping.
Thank you for this great recipe!
I’m really happy this turned out well for you! I put a lot of time and effort into developing a winner loaf. 🙂
I made this yesterday. We are also gluten, soy, dairy, free. I toasted my own gluten free bread and processed slightly for the breadcrumbs. I used coconut aminos in place of soy sauce. I added extra garlic, dehydrated spinach flakes, and doubled the ketchup topping. My kids and I loved it. It is very rich, so we were full after one good sized piece. I made my vegan mashed potatoes as a side and we had a comfort food meal. I would recommend this recipe for anyone looking for comfort food.
Is there a substitute for flax? I’m allergic to it and would consider omitting it, but don’t want it to fall apart.
Can you have chia seeds? If so, ground chia seeds would be a good replacement. If not, I’d say just leave it out, it might be a little more crumbly, but I don’t think it will ruin it. Thanks!
Another perfect go to recipe in my tablet I have strayed away for others and although they are delicious this one is easy AND delicious!! No matter how you alter it, it always turns out great..
Thank you again Nora ?
You’re welcome! I’m glad it’s a keeper for you. 🙂
II have been looking for a vegan meat loaf recipe that is well balanced
Nutritious ,well seasoned easy to make and delicious . This is it!! It sliced well and is not mushy. My meat eater friend enjoyed it. Thank you Nora for sharing .
A job well done.!!
Hi Norma,
Thank you! I’m so glad you and your friend enjoyed the loaf!
Another perfect go to recipe in my tablet I have started away for others and although they are delicious this one is easy AND delicious!! No matter how you alter it, it always turns out great..
Thank you again Nora ?
Tonight i used your recipe but realized in the process that i was out of soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, no liquid smoke, and I also did not have any celery. I had dry chick peas which i soaked overnight and cooked in my instant pot.
I just omitted the celery which was ok.
To replace the 2tbsp of soy and Worcestershire i just grabbed my bottle of hoisin sauce and added probably a little too much (i think about 1/3 cup to the loaf, i was eyeballing it). Even with the surplus of the hoisin sauce it still turned out fantastic, and the texture especially was spot on.
I didn’t line with parchment or oil my loaf pan (which was a non-stick pan) and I had no issues with the loaf sticking.
Next time i plan on trying the “official” recipe! Thanks for your creative meal idea!
Thanks for this fantastic recipe. This loaf came out moist and so delicious. I’ve tried other loaf recipes and yours is the best.
Wow the flavours are unreal!! I couldn’t find liquid smoke so I substituted with Smokey paprika. I doubled the garlic as always and added grated fresh turmeric and parsley to the brew. So so yummy for the first vegan loaf I’ve ever made. Thanks for a great recipe!!!
My boyfriend has been craving meatloaf asked for a vegan version so I’m excited to make this!
Might be a silly question but could you cook this in an 8 x 8 glass ware dish? Or a 9 x 13 casserole dish? I don’t have a loaf pan..
It would work well in an 8 x 8 glass dish, I think a 9 x 13 would be too big! It will need to cook for a little less time probably though, so just be careful not to burn it. I would check after 30-40 minutes.
OMG!!! Mine is in the oven right now! I’m so freaking excited!!! The only things I changed was I subbed green peppers for the carrots, my husband hates carrots! Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the vegan worchestershire so this time I just used the regular. We just started plant based eating so we are not completely there yet anyway. Can’t wait to see how this tastes! I made your banana bread yesterday….YUMMO!!
Thank you Nora!
Yay! I hope you enjoy it! Thank you!
We just love this Vegan meatloaf recipe. I’ve made it many times and we enjoy it each and every time. Ive shared it with friends too.
Thank you for posting it!
Trying to eat more whole foods, so was thinking about subbing raw oats for the bread crumbs. Do you think it would work?
Love your recipes!
Yes, I think that would work quite well! Thank you so much!
First vegan burger / meatloaf that was very good and not dry or mushy!
Thanks
Woo hoo! Thank you Laura. Glad you enjoyed it.
Lisa I followed it step by step I added bell peppers and mines came out really good thank you
Can I prepare and freeze? Or should I bake it then freeze It?
You could do either option, I have only frozen it once I baked it, then let it cool completely. When you are ready to serve the loaf, I recommend thawing it completely before baking again.
Can I substitute the yeast flakes? I just can’t stand the taste……
You can simply leave them out, no worries! Enjoy.
looking to make this for my vegan sister-in-law for Thanksgiving. Am I able to make this the day before and reheat? Or prepare it and bake the day of? Trying to find ways to save some time the day of- what would your suggestion be?
Yes, you could prepare it, even bake it the day before, then simply warm it up the day of. You could also prepare it without baking it, then bake it the day of. Either way is fine. I understand trying to save time on Thanksgiving! Whatever you do, wait until you warm it back up to add the ketchup topping.
We used all the ingredients but it still feels mushy can we increase the bread crumbs or what should we do?
Sure, add a little more breadcrumbs, some chickpeas are drier than others. It will dry out some bough as it cooks. Hope it works out!
Could you use bean instead of chickpeas?
What kind of beans? I’m sure another bean would technically work but it will change the flavor and color of the loaf. Thanks!
So excited to try this! Do you think it would work in a muffin pan for my child’s lunch?
Yes that would be fun! They will not need to cook nearly as long though, maybe only 20-30 minutes.
I made this recipe for the first time and was slightly disappointed as it came out mushy, but still tasted great! It wasn’t until a few days later that I realized I had completely forgotten the bread crumbs! Oops! I will definitely be making again and making sure to use bread crumbs the next time. ha!
Oh yeah, that would make for a mushy loaf! It will be much better with the bread crumbs! Thank you!
Made this today and it was DELICIOUS! I didn’t make the ketchup topping but made mashed potatoes and poured mushroom gravy over all! Yummy! I was thinking of putting leftovers in the freezer but that’s not happening! This is my breakfast, lunch and supper tomorrow!! Lol. Thanks for a great recipe!! Keep them coming!! ?
Been a vegetarian for years but recently I’ve been trying some vegan dishes. Other vegan meatloaves were rather tasteless, have literally fallen out of the pan and looked very unappetizing in their crumbled state. After cooling in the pan for 15 minutes, your recipe came out intact and looked great. In trying to reduce some of the carbs, I substituted 1 cup of dried mushrooms (from Costco) through my food processor and added 1/4 cup of dried, minced onions. I also added 1 cup processed walnuts cuz of all the health benefits of walnuts. (I’ve been using walnuts and chickpeas processed together in lieu of commercial “burger” products.) After mixing all ingredients, it seemed a little dry so I added 3 Tbsp. water. It baked up well, sliced well, and tasted very good. Thanks for a tasty recipe that doesn’t require exotic ingredients. Hubby loved it.
Hi! Well I bet this would have been amazing if I hadn’t made one small mistake…apparently my liquid smoke bottle and vanilla extract bottle – kept in the same cabinet – look EXACTLY the same. Yup, I put the vanilla in and didn’t realize it. No surprise, but it didn’t work. Ha ha! My husband and I ate it but my two teens vetoed it after the first bite. Oh well, these things happen. I will try the recipe again someday! ?
I have made today this meatloaf and ist was perfect!
Thanks for the recipe!
I made the vegan chickpea meatloaf and it’s the bomb! Chickpeas have so many uses. Thanks for the recipe!