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
Would these make good “meatballs”?
Yes, they would!
I haven’t tried the recipe yet, but wanted to let you know that kosher Worcestershire sauce also doesn’t have fish in it. Do check for other problematic ingredients though!
could the brine from the chickpeas (auquafaba) be used in place of the flax seed?
I would just leave them out if needed, I wouldn’t add liquid or it will get mushy.
Help!! Mine is completely soft. Is there a way to salvage it? I guess I should’ve put more bread crumbs in.
Hmm I don’t know what happened, did you not use the correct amount? If you just let it cool for a while, it should still firm up.
This is a great recipe! It is a family favourite.
Decided to try this recipe instead of a lentil loaf for Thanksgiving dinner and we loved it so much more! I added a small diced red pepper to the veggie mix as someone suggested in the comments. Delicious! Thank you, Nora!
You’re welcome!
I made this a few weeks ago and used 1 can of chickpeas mixed with 1 can of black beans, because I ran out of chickpeas. It tasted really nice!
I didn’t have vegan Worcestershire sauce, so I added more ketchup and soy sauce to the mixture instead.
This week, my wife has been asking almost every day to make this meatloaf again. I ran out of breadcrumbs, so I will make it from scratch with oat bread.
Looking forward to make this again!
This one is a keeper! Thank you !?
You’re welcome!
First, I love your recipes! I use them all the time! I want to make this tomorrow for dinner and I was wondering do you soak the flax seed in water for the “egg” mixture? Or just put them straight in there?
I ask because normally I add a little bit of water and let them soak for 3 minutes or so. Thanks for any feedback.
I just put it straight in there for this recipe, it works just fine. Usually for flax eggs you do let it mix, but it’s not necessary here. Thanks, hope you enjoy this!
Thank you so much! I made it and it was so good, best vegan meatloaf!!
In step 5 you said, “Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.” Then in step7 you say “After 30 minutes, remove the foil, spread the ketchup …”. Does this mean to bake for a total of 60 minutes with the foil on?
Thanks for your help!
Let’s see if I can help clarify. Cover and bake the loaf with foil for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes (not 60), remove the foil, spread the topping on and bake for 15 more minutes, for a total of 45 minutes in the oven. Hope that helps!
Made this yesterday for Thanksgiving and was delicious! I only used 3/4 cup of breadcrumbs, as i needed to add a couple tablespoons of water to mix the ingredients properly. Used a hickory/brown sugar BBQ sauce + ketchup for inside and on top. Did not need the liquid smoke at all.
Delicious!! A keeper, thanks Nora!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Sheri! Thank you so much.
I just made a loaf of this meatless loaf. I couldn’t resist cutting of a crunchy end to taste after it cooled a bit. Oooweee! Yummo! You are right about it being less mushy than some recipes, and the liquid smoke gave a great flavor. I added 1 tsp of molasses to the topping for a bit of sweetness. Thanks for the recipe!
Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed it. One of my all time favorite recipes.
Hello,
This looks delicious and I will be making it for thanksgiving. I was wondering, though, if it’s possible to make it ahead – like the day before. I am thinking yes…but it’s the first time I’m making it and want to make sure it turns out ok.
Yes, just rewarm in the oven until warm throughout.
Hi Nora! Do you think this works without celery or just one stall? Or I think I really want to ask if you can really taste the celery in the loaf? Thanks! Making this for Thanksgiving
You could leave out the celery, no problem. You can taste it, yes.
I look forward to trying this recipe for Thanksgiving. How important is the ground flax to the results other than nutrition benefits. Thanks!
It’s actually not there for nutrition benefits, but to help hold the loaf together so it doesn’t crumble. You might be able to leave it out.
I’m not incredibly fond of the taste of chickpeas but I love how simple and straight forward this recipe looks. Is the taste at all overwhelming in this recipe? Thanks!
It is not overwhelming. It tastes very similar to real meatloaf.
Question: it appears this would be gluten free, correct?
The breadcrumbs are not gluten free, but you could sub rolled oats or use gluten free breadcrumbs. Also, soy sauce is not gluten free (use tamari instead) and vegan Worcestershire sauce is not always gluten free, so make sure to check that. Thanks!
Made it a day ahead. Came out great, though I would use a bit less than the 1 1/2 c breadcrumbs.
Has this been made with a different bean? Chickpeas not my favourite
You can make them with another bean, such as pinto or white beans.
What can you sub for the nutritional yeast? I can’t eat it.
You can just leave it out, no problem.
I’ve made this a few times and it always comes out great! I sub our favorite BBQ sauce for the ketchup and adds some great flavor. Thanks for all your great recipes!
I like to make it BBQ sometimes, too. Thank you!
What if you leave out the nutritional yeast? Is it still good? We avoid it for health reasons.
No problem, you can leave it out and it will still taste great.
Very good. Would make again. Used chickpeas and lentils. Parmesean cheese instead of nutritional yeast and BBQ sauce instead of ketchup in loaf. Moist, flavorful. Will call it BBQ bean loaf. I guess the real test will be the teenagers. Gotta get my 3rd slice. Thanks Nora. bye.
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Hope the teenagers do, too!
Can you make this ahead and refrigerate (or freeze) a few days in advance?
Yes, you could.
Made this twice now and the first time it came out a little mushy. But the second time I got it perfect. Very good with A1!
Oops. I forgot to use the flaxseeds in the recipe and the dish still came out smashingly! Thank you so much, Nora, for sharing this “meatloaf” recipe. This one will make it in heavy rotation in our vegan household.
You’re welcome! Glad you enjoyed it!
This was so delicious! It was easy to prepare too. Great meaty texture. Definitely worth a try!
Thank you for all these yummy simple recipes ! Can I use a vegan egg replacer ? Your recipe calls for two tablespoons of flax Do you know if that would that call for 2 Egg replacers?
You’re welcome! You probably could, I haven’t tried it. I bet it would work though! You likely could just leave it out if needed.