• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Sweeter Than Oats

  • Home
  • Start Here
  • Recipes
  • FAQ
  • Subscribe
  • Get in Touch
  • Build your Plant-Based Pantry
menu icon
go to homepage
  • HOME
  • RECIPES
  • ABOUT
  • RESOURCES
  • SUBSCRIBE
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • HOME
  • RECIPES
  • ABOUT
  • RESOURCES
  • SUBSCRIBE
×

Home » Recipes » All the best vegan recipes from Sweeter than Oats

published: Nov 14, 2021 · modified: Oct 13, 2022 by Freya · This post may contain affiliate links ·

How to Make A Delicious Meat Free Meatloaf

Share this Recipe!

6 shares
A display of pumpkins and meatloaf

Easy delicious vegan meatloaf recipe, made with nuts, mushrooms and lots of great, herby flavors! Prepped in just a few minutes, you can make the mixture beforehand and bake later!

A vegan meatloaf with a slice cut out
🡣 JUMP to RECIPE PIN the RECIPE

Meatloaf is no-nonsense comfort food but even when I ate meat, I had a strong dislike of minced beef (ground beef) (or minced meat in any form). I found it to be gristly and fatty. I have, however, always loved nut roasts.

Jump to:
  • How do you make a Vegan Meatloaf Sandwich?
  • Modifications to the Recipe
  • Can I Omit the Nuts Altogether?
  • Ingredients
  • Method
  • FAQ
  • 📋 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

There is something so quaintly, wonderfully retro about both Meatloaf AND Nut Roast and indeed, they are a bunch of seasoned ingredients, slammed into a loaf tin and baked. This is the perfect Thanksgiving vegan meatloaf, served with my perfect vegan mashed potatoes and my chunky bread stuffing, followed by my fabulous nutty vegan pecan pie!

To that end, my vegan Meatloaf recipe is that, but it combines the dense meaty texture of meatloaf with the delicious wholesome flavour and goodness of a Nut roast plus more flavour punch with an Enchilada sauce topping.

How to Make the Best Vegan Meatloaf

There are a lot of ingredients here but actually, they all just go into the food processor, no chopping, and that is pretty much it!

How do you make a Vegan Meatloaf Sandwich?

A slice of vegan meatloaf

Why do I think this is the best vegan meatloaf ever? Well, it's based on the finer elements of the traditional meatloaf, which are flavour, texture and the ability to put leftovers in a sandwich! Meatloaf served with mashed potatoes, roast potatoes, green beans, brussels sprouts and gravy is perhaps the ultimate comfort food but also perfect for special occasions, like Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Yes, if you've never tried meatloaf sandwiches, you're missing out! Take a cold slice of meatloaf, fry it off in the pan on both sides, then put it between 2 slices of your favourite bread (I won't judge), with maybe some ketchup or mustard. And enjoy!

Modifications to the Recipe

Meatloaf with a bowl of mashed potatoes

For my festive version of my vegan no-meat meatloaf, I love to change up the For my festive version of my vegan no-meat meatloaf, I love to change up the sauce by swapping out the enchilada sauce for my Puttanesca sauce. It's a rich, spicy Italian sauce, decadent and delicious and one of my favourite vegan recipes.

If you want to go even more festive, omit the sauce altogether and simply top your vegan meatloaf with a cornucopia of dried cranberries and nuts, then If you want to go even more festive, omit the sauce altogether and simply top your vegan meatloaf with a cornucopia of dried cranberries and nuts, then serve with your favourite gravy. The loaf itself is so moist that it won't dry out during baking, and it looks stunning when you serve it on the festive table. Try serving it with my sweet potato casserole and green bean casserole a real people pleaser meal!

Can I Omit the Nuts Altogether?

Ingredients for the Vegan Meatloaf

For those of you with a nut intolerance, allergy or simply don't like them, you can replace the nut element in the loaf with some cooked Quinoa or bulgur wheat instead. Simply substitute a cup of your favourite cooked grain and omit the walnuts. This is really an easy recipe, and if you make sure you cook a little of the mixture before baking, you can always make sure it tastes delicious!

Ingredients

  • TVP (see my post on how to prepare TVP here). You can also use frozen or chilled vegan mince of your choice in this vegan loaf, just omit the soaking element.
  • Nutritional Yeast aka Nooch. This adds a delightful savoury element that non-veggie meatloaves might get from, say, parmesan.
  • Walnuts, toasted. I simply toast them in a large skillet over medium heat until they start to smell fragrant and toasty. Keep moving them though, as they will burn.
  • Onion, white, peeled
  • Dried Oregano
  • Olives, use whichever you like, but of course, ensure they are stoned
  • Garlic, fresh, peeled
  • Mushrooms. I use small white mushrooms, but you could use whatever you have.
  • Tomato Puree (tomato paste).
  • Cornmeal to bind. You could also use some precooked brown lentils, bread crumbs, panko breadcrumbs or even a flax egg.

Additional optional flavourings if you decide to omit the Enchilada Sauce:

  • Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
  • Soy Sauce
  • Liquid Smoke
  • BBQ Sauce
  • Chopped bell pepper
  • A mixture of different nuts: almonds for texture, hazelnuts for flavour etc.

Full ingredients in recipe card

Method

  • Make the Enchilada Sauce.
  • To make the meatloaf, place the soaked TVP in a large bowl.
  • Add all the other ingredients (except the cornmeal) into a food processor and pulse until you have a coarse pate-like texture. You don't want it totally smooth, but you do want it to adhere together.
  • Add to the TVP and mix until completely combined.
  • Add the cornmeal to the mixture, gradually, until you reach a consistency that is not too wet and sticky, but not dry.
  • At this stage, I recommend taking a spoonful of the mixture and frying it in a small pan, just to taste it for seasoning. This is really the only way you can check the flavouring, and the only time to adjust it.
  • Pack into a loaf tin lined with parchment paper, cover with the enchilada sauce, and bake for about 40 minutes or until starting to turn toasty around the edges.
  • Now remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly before unmoulding from the tin. This maybe controversial, but I love to serve my vegan loaf at room temperature, cut into individual slices.

FAQ

How do you stop a vegan meatloaf falling apart?

This is a great question. You need a good mix of wet and dry ingredients, and nothing cut too chunky. If it is too wet, it will just spread out and turn mushy on baking, if it's too dry, it will just crumble.
However, you can be fairly sure if you follow my recipe above that your meatloaf will stay whole!
If you are a little unsure, I find it works really well to pack the meatloaf into a loaf tin and refrigerate for several hours too.

📋 Recipe

How to Make the Best Vegan Meatloaf
PRINT
5 from 37 votes

Vegan Nut Roast Recipe

YIELD 8 slices
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Resting Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
This is my delicious take on a meatloaf, completely plant-based and full of flavour

Equipment

  • Loaf Pan

Ingredients

Enchilada Sauce

  • 1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
  • 1 tablespoon Flour gluten free can be used here
  • ½ cup Passata
  • ½ cup Water
  • 3 teaspoon Ground Cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Salt

No-Meatloaf

  • 2 cups TVP soaked in 1 cup of water
  • 1 tablespoon Oregano
  • 4 tablespoon Nutritional Yeast
  • ¼ teaspoon Chilli Flakes optional
  • 2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
  • 1 cup Walnuts toasted
  • ½ cup Olives your favourite type
  • 2 Cloves Garlic peeled
  • 7 oz Mushrooms
  • 2 tablespoon Tomato Puree
  • 3 teaspoon Olive Oil
  • 1 Onion peeled
  • 1 tablespoon Parsley
  • ¼ cup Cornmeal or flour for binding

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 180c.
  • To make the Enchilada Sauce, melt together the vegetable oil and flour in a small saucepan, cooking over medium heat until it turns golden.
  • Add the Passata, water, Cumin and Salt and cook until the sauce is thickened and unctious, about 10 minutes.
  • To make the meatloaf, place the soaked TVP in a large bowl.
  • Put all the ingredients, upto (but not including) the flour into a food processor or blender and whizz up until you get a coarse pate-like texture. You may prefer to do the walnuts first, add this to the TVP and then the other ingredients. It doesn't matter.
  • Add this to the TVP, stir well. If your mixture seems very wet, add some cornmeal (or regular flour) to bind it slightly. Not too much as you want to keep it moist.
  • Pack it into a loaf tin and cover with the Enchilada Sauce.
  • Bake for about 40 minutes or until the top looks burnished and you've got those yummy toasty bits around the side.
  • Leave in the pan to settle for about 10 minutes before serving.
  • Best served with - of course - mashed potatoes, green beans and ketchup!
RECIPE BY Freya

Nutrition

Serving: 150g | Calories: 272kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1017mg | Potassium: 377mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 219IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 122mg | Iron: 5mg
Tried it and Loved it?Mention @sweeterthanoats or tag sweeterthanoats!

More Food and Drink

  • How to Make Easy and Simple Vegan Pancakes for Pancake Day (egg-free, dairy-free pancake recipe)
  • Easy No-Bake Vegan Cheerio Peanut Treats
  • Comforting and Cosy Vegan Apple Crumble
  • Easy Vegan Gnocchi with Sausage, Garlic and Broccoli

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Did you make this recipe? Let me know! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Did You Enjoy This Recipe?




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Kayla DiMaggio says

    November 15, 2021 at 12:38 pm

    5 stars
    I am loving this holiday meat loaf! I gave it a test run and it was a huge hit! Totally adding it to my menu!

    Reply
  2. Makhaya says

    November 16, 2021 at 8:03 pm

    5 stars
    Excited to try this recipe, thanks for sharing!

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Social

Latest

  • How to Make Easy and Simple Vegan Pancakes for Pancake Day (egg-free, dairy-free pancake recipe)
  • Easy No-Bake Vegan Cheerio Peanut Treats
  • Comforting and Cosy Vegan Apple Crumble
  • Easy Vegan Gnocchi with Sausage, Garlic and Broccoli
  • Easy Vegan Hot Buttered Donut Cheerios

Popular

  • How to Make Vegan Rock Cakes
  • How to Make Vegan Keto Chocolate Truffles
  • Roast Sweet Potato with Marmalade Dressing Salad Recipe
  • The Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe - chewy, chocolatey and perfect!

Hi, I'm Freya! I'm a plant-based foodie, obsessed with true crime, collecting cookbooks and photographing everything I eat.

More about me →

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Accessibility Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact Me
  • FAQ

Sweeter than Oats is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program.

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of material without express and written permission from this site's owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Sweeter than Oats with appropriate and specific linking to the original content.

Copyright © 2022 Freya Erickson Plant-Based Recipes with ❤️