This Vegan Meatloaf is flavorful, decadent, nutty and great for anyone wanting a no bean/lentil loaf. Use nuts of choice. Vegan Recipe. Can be Glutenfree, soyfree Jump to Recipe
Every year a new “meat” loaf ! My Lentil Quinoa Loaf is super popular. Hearty with Lentils Quinoa and Veggies and amazing texture and flavor (no nuts) and my Chickpea Veggie Loaf is a close second and is a bean version. Both are nut-free and are also available in my second book.
So this year I went with loads of nuts in this Bean free Loaf! This Nut Loaf is rich and hearty, uses nuts and seeds, some butternut squash for the binding, mushrooms and herbs for umami. It comes together easily and is bean free and lentil free! You can add in some lentils for a lentil nut “meatloaf”. The simple glaze balances out the flavor so you get rich umami, texture, tangy, sweet, savory all in one bite! Serve it with my easy gravy or some cranberry sauce.
More Mains for the Holidays
- Lentil Quinoa Loaf can be SF,NF and GF
- Mushroom Lentil Shepherd’s Pie. NF, GF, SF option
- Chickpea Veggie Loaf NF can be SF and GF
- Shepherd’s Pie with Chickpeas/Lentils & Sweet Potato NF SF GF option
- Cauliflower Alfredo, Spinach, Artichoke Lasagna. NF SF can be GF
- Easy Vegan Veggie Lasagna. NF Can be GF
- Grilled Portobello with Garlic Sauce. GF
This year hasn’t been fun with legumes(digestion changes with peri menopause). After eating them all my life, hundreds of varieties of them(dals, beans, chickpeas) in Indian food for so long, I am reducing them this year, go figure. So this loaf works out amazingly for me. You don’t have to be bean free to try it. Its a hearty delicious loaf with amazing texture and rich flavor to please everyone. Add some cooked lentils for more volume if you like for a lentil nut loaf. Make it into patties or stuff into puff pastry hand pies! This Loaf mix is very versatile.
Look at that perfect slice! served here with my 1 Pot Gravy with added mushrooms.
Recipe Card
Vegan Meatloaf - Nut Loaf Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups (180 g) nuts (I use a combination of raw or roasted cashews, raw walnuts, raw pecans)
- 1/4 cup (33.5 g) sunflower seeds
- 2 tsp oil (or use 1/4 cup broth)
- 1 cup (160 g) chopped onion
- 4 cloves of garlic chopped
- 1 cup (96 g) chopped mushrooms (cremini or white or a mix)
- 1 cup (140 g) cubed butternut squash , heaping cup
- 2 tsp italian herbs (1/2 tsp each thyme, ground sage, rosemary, oregano
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 3/4 tsp (0.75 tsp) poultry seasoning (poultry seasoning is just herbs). or use more sage and thyme
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) black pepper
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) each cinnamon and nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) onion powder
- 1/2 to 3/4 tsp (0.75 tsp) salt (less or more depending on if the breadcrumbs are already salty, if using regular or low sodium soy sauce etc)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari for gf ( or use a combination of balsamic vinegar and coconut aminos for soyfree)
- 2 flax eggs (mix 2 tbsp flaxseed meal mixed with 5 tbsp water)
- 2/3 cup (81 g) breadcrumbs (use glutenfree breadcrumbs or coarsely ground oats for glutenfree)
Glaze:
- 1/4 cup (60 g) ketchup
- 1.5 tbsp soy sauce/tamari , or use 1/4 tsp salt + 1 tbsp broth for soyfree
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) garlic powder
- 1 tsp sriracha , optional
Instructions
- Toast the raw cashews and sunflower seeds in the oven at 325 deg F (160 C) for 5 mins. Or toast on a skillet over medium heat until golden. (optional if using pre-roasted nuts). Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F for the loaf
- Add the cashews and sunflower seeds to a food processor with the rest of the nuts and pulse to a somewhat coarse meal with a few chopped size pieces visible.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add oil or broth. Add onion, garlic and a pinch of salt and cook for 2 mins. Then add mushrooms and a pinch of salt and cook until some golden edges. 3-4 mins.
- Add butternut squash and mix in. Add a splash of water, cover and cook until the squash is tender. Mash and transfer to a bowl. Add in the spices, salt and mix in. Add the chopped nuts and seeds, soy sauce, flax egg mix, breadcrumbs and mix well.
- Taste and adjust salt, herbs and flavor. ** The flavor will get more pronounced on baking. If the mixture is too wet, add a tbsp or so flour. You want it to be just slightly sticky. If too dry or crumbly, add a splash of broth. If you like sweeter, profile, add a tbsp of tomato paste or some chopped dried fruit such as dried cranberries or apricots.. (this mixture can be used to make burger patties, pan fried or baked. Or can be stuffed into puff pastry for a puff pastry loaf or small hand pies).
- Transfer to a parchment lined pan. Lightly press to shape and even it out. Do not pack too much. Bake for 25 to 30 mins.
- Meanwhile, mix everything under the glaze. Taste and adjust if needed.
- Take the loaf out of the oven. Spread the glaze over the loaf and then bake again for 20 to 30 mins. Let cool for 15 mins before removing from the pan. Then cool completely before slicing. Serve with gravy. or cranberry sauce.
Fiona-Jacqui
Hi Richa, thanks for the bean free recipe. About to whip it up!
I too, having been able to eat lentils, beans, dried peas all my life 45+ years, suddenly found skin issues, body pain from legumes around 2006. And a few years later, discovered the “acne” I’d suffered from for 40 years was an inability for my body to process fructose and resulted in my body purging through my lymphatic system to my skin. So, ALL grains, dried and rehydrated legumes and all fruit cause all over body aches and pains, cystic acne, and constipation. And dairy puffs my body up like a marshmallow person! Weird. But if you can lay your hands on freshly shelled beans (before being dried) might be worth a shot. I can eat those. So I grow them and then can them. Yaay.
Bonnie
This is one of the first recipes I tried when we decided to go vegan, so I was a little unsure for a lot of reasons. I needn’t have worried. We like it better than meatloaf (an old staple), and my husband says that the leftovers make better sandwiches – with a mixture of vegan mayo and mustard and some lettuce on whole grain bread – than meatloaf ever did! Flavor and texture are right on point, especially for former omnis who are making changes in our seventies and are changing ways that are pretty set.
I’ve passed this recipe on to friends, and they agree – this one is a keeper, and we don’t just save it for holidays!
Vegan Richa Support
yay! so glad you enjoy!
Liz
🌟 🤩 ⭐️ 🌠 💫 ✡️ 🌟 🤩
Vegan Richa Support
♥️🍽😍
Marg James
Delicious😋 Will definitely be making this again!
Vegan Richa Support
Terrific!
Kyley Felix
The recipe looks wonderful. Do you think it would be ok if I wrapped it in puff pastry and cooked it that way? Would the inside still cook properly? Thank you.
Richa
Yea it will
Jennifer
Wow, this is a fantastic recipe and made a delicious main course for Christmas Eve! So much savory, umami richness. Thank you, Richa!
Vegan Richa Support
umami for the christmas eve win! 🎄 🎄 🎄
Wendy
We all loved this; I made it with oats for gluten free. One member of our family gets acid reflux from onions. Richa, can you suggest a substitute for the chopped onion?
Richa
Omit the onions and use zucchini instead . For flavor if onion powder is ok, use that.
Bernadette Morrissey
Made this last night … Yum!!! Will add to my Favorites file!!!
Vegan Richa Support
a good file ! thanks for popping in ♡
Sally
This is the best vegan meatloaf I’ve ever made! Thank you!!! I discovered a great spicy thousand island dressing (and veggie Burger sauce) by adding the glaze in this recipe to 3 Tbsp vegenaise. Scrumptious
Vegan Richa Support
wow! thank you
Andrea
OMG. So good.
Vegan Richa Support
yay!
Ren
Thank you so much for this recipe – it not only gave me something delicious to eat at Christmas, but my omni in-laws (to my shock) tried it and even went back for seconds. This is definitely a keeper!
Richa
So aweskme!
Michelle
I’ve tried several vegan loaf recipes. This one is my favorite.
Vegan Richa Support
thank you!!! that’s great
Anita
Can I use almond pulp (almond milk leftovers)?
Vegan Richa Support
great idea – go for it
Chandana
Can I use almond flour or coconut flour in place of oat flour ? Will it be good
Richa
Almond flour doesn’t absorb anything at all. Use a flour that absorbs at least a bit of the moisture.
Sophia Francis
Where in the recipe does it require flour?
Vegan Richa Support
A tablespoon or so of flour is only necessary if the mixture is a bit too wet before adding to the pan.
Ilana
Thank you for your generosity – your recipes are amazing!
Can this be made a day or two in advance?
Thanks 🙏
Richa
Yes. Assemble with glaze and refrigerate for upto 3 days ,then bake when needed
Lauren
This is so good! We eat with it vegan gravy and my omnivore husband loves it. I’ve made several other vegan loafs, this one is the always the best, I make this once every couple of weeks now. Love the addition of 1T miso paste! Thank you Richa!
Richa
Awesome
Lavonne
Do u add the miso to the gravy or the loaf?
Vegan Richa Support
the gravy =)
Lauren
I actually add the 1T miso to the loaf mixture. 🙂
Frostine S Bean
What can I sub for the mushrooms? I really dislike them.
Vegan Richa Support
you can leave them out or use tofu/tempeh, zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, or eggplant
Ina
Going to make this for Thanksgiving. I have a question though – It says to roast the raw cashews and sunflower seeds, but does not say to roast the walnuts and pecans… I was thinking I’d roast them all, but not sure if there was a reason not to? I also usually try to eat only sprouted nuts, if I sprout them first, then roast, does that work? Or maybe that is pointless and ruins the sprouting energy…? Thanks, looking forward to it. I will report back and rate after I make it!
Richa
They roast much faster so you will have to roast them separately anyway. Plus if they are already on the cusp of very well roasted the they will tend to have a over toasted or slight burnt flavor in the final loaf because of the amount of baking Time of the loaf
Toast them gently for raw or sprouted
Lorraine
Tastes fabulous.
I am 100% sure that the prep time is not 10 minutes. I doubled the recipe and it took me 90 minutes at least 🙁
Richa
I pulse the nuts in a processor and same for chopping veggies. It’s prob 20 mins plus minus personal speeds 🙂
Kirsty Chaignon
Ok so I made it to spec and it was delicious! I’m not vegan, though I’m very happy eating vegan meals. Two non-vegan males had this loaf as well, and one loved it (my hubby) and one (my son-in-law) said it was fine. My vegan nephew, for whom I made this dinner, said it was flat out the best but loaf he’d had.
Thank you! I’ll make this again for sure!
Kirsty Chaignon
Make that *nut* loaf. Thank you, autocorrect, now go sit down.
Emily
This nut loaf was everything I love in a nutroast! I appreciate that it was sliceable without being dry. I made it for meat eaters to rave reviews.
I did use two eggs as we eat eggs.
I prefer a taller nutroast so I just kept the mix on 2/3 of the loaf pan which worked just fine.
Thanks for another great recipe!
Renee
Can canned pumpkin replace the squash?
Richa
Yes, put the purée in a paper napkin and fold and let sit for a few mins. The napkin will absorb the excess water and then use the purée. Different brands have different amounts of moisture and some can be too liquidy so this helps
Lydia Nova
My family said it tasted amazing. I agree. Perfect Sunday meal.
Vegan Richa Support
thanks Lydia! sounds lovely
Victoria Fordham
My first attempt at making a nut roast and I loved this recipe!! I omitted the walnuts and also added some sunflower seeds. But otherwise followed the recipe and it tasted delicious. I have some slices frozen for another time. I will definitely recommend this recipe to all of my friends.
Vegan Richa Support
Yay!! thank you
Shannon
Hi Richa, do you think it would it be okay to use sweet potato instead of the butternut squash ?
Richa
Yes
Britt
It is a weekly favorite. Thanks!
Vegan Richa Support
that’s music to my ears – thank you
Chris
Love the recipes. Making this for my daughter and I for a bbq. Wonderful. Thankyou for making our life more delicious .
Vegan Richa Support
amazing ! I’m so glad that I could make your life more delicious!!
Joyce Lee
Growing up in an Asian household, I never tried meatloaf before but as a plant muncher, I’ve tried plenty of nut loafs when visiting restaurants as an adult. This is my very first time making anything like this so I didn’t know what to expect. I think it’s safe to say I probably won’t try another recipe because THIS IS IT!!! I did make a few substitutions since I didn’t have 100% of the ingredients listed but everything turned out AMAZING! The main difference was I used kabocha squash instead of butternut squash, and I left the rind on there for color; and for the glaze I made my own ketchup from tomato paste, worcestershire sauce and apple cider vinegar. The nice thing about plant-based cooking is that most things are edible at any phase and you can bet I was taking little tastes here and there! The loaf is a little crumbly when cutting but that just leaves more morsels to snack on. Everything turned out so fragrant and delicious, I’m super pleased with this recipe!! I saved a little bit to roll into balls which I tossed in the glaze and baked underneath the loaf. They cooked faster and let me have something to snack on while I waited for the main loaf. The next time I make these, I think I’ll halfway fill a muffin tin so save on the loaf cutting and makes dividing things up easier. Thank you so much for this recipe and all your others too!!
Richa
awesome!
So
I really enjoyed this recipe. It tastes great a d really easy to accomplish. I’ve made it several times with the bbq sauce. But tonight I’m think a mash with gravy would go nicely. Thank you for this.
Richa
awesome
Jennifer
Thank you so much for this recipe, we loved it! Definitely a keeper!
Richa
Tthanks
Kellie
I’m doing meal prep for a friend who has a bean intolerance but has been craving a loaf. This is soooo good! I’m so excited to be able to offer her a delicious, comfort food alternative! Thanks for another great recipe!
Richa
Awesome
irene frolic
Is this to be served cold/room temperature? can I make it day before , refrigerate, and then bring to room temperature? Slice when serving?
Gravy warm?
Richa
yes you can make it a day before.
Warm the gravy, and also the loaf if you prefer
Manuel
IMPRESSIVE! My wife and I made this for last night’s christmas dinner and it was incredible!!!
This is a flavorful loaf with beautiful texture and very fun flavor profile. Loved it!
We’ll definitely be repeating this many times to come!
The rest of our family is omnivore, they ate meat for dinner but tasted our loaf for curiosity and it flew away faaast!
Amazing! Thanks!
Richa
awesome!
Lauren S
I’ve made this loaf 3-4 times. Even with substituting many ingredients with whatever I had on hand, it works out every time. I made a different loaf recipe on a whim this past Thanksgiving and immediately regretted it, as it paled in comparison and struggled to keep its shape. This one has great flavor (way more than the many bland bean loaf recipes out there) and keeps its shape easily. People rave when I bring it to dinners (including non-vegans) and it always disappears quickly. Its now a holiday staple and I will be making it this Christmas for sure!
Richa
Awesome!! Thanks!!
Helen Spooner
Hi..wondering if this is suitable to freeze?
Richa
yes, slice and freeze
Tracy
This was amazing and so easy to make. I made it for Thanksgiving this year and everyone loved it (even the non-vegans). The only problem was it disappeared too fast!
Richa
aweesome!
Jessie N
I ended up making this with cashews, pecans, and pumpkin seeds in place of sunflower seeds. It was delicious!! Brought it to an omnivore Friendsgiving and everyone loved it and was going back for seconds. Thank you!
Richa
yay!!
Jessie N
Excited to make this, but I don’t like sunflower seeds. Do you think it would work to just increase the amount of other nuts in the recipe? Or do you have another good suggestion for a sunflower seed substitute? Thank you!
Richa
Yes just increase th rest of the nuts in the recipe. cashews or almond are a good sub for sunflower seeds in general
Xiola
My daughter has a cashew and pistachio allergy. What do you recommend to replace the cashews? Thanks.
Richa
use moreof the other nuts, or try my nut-free loaf https://www.veganricha.com/2015/11/chickpea-veggie-loaf.html
Sabine
This is sooo delicious. Soso very flavorful!! Did a test drive yesterday, and this will be part of our Thanksgiving meal, and will become a staple! Thank you for all the wonderful and healthy recipes! You rock!! <3
Richa
awesome! thanks!
Soda
Would I be able to prepare this loaf and freeze it then bake it a few days later? I’m trying to prepare for thanks giving rather than make 10000 things in 1 day.
Richa
Yes, make the mix without the breadcrumbs and store. When ready to make, mix in the breadcrumbs, shape and bake.
Or you can freeze the baked loaf. Bake to about 10 mins less than the total bake time. Then thaw for 10-15 mins, bake for 15-20 mins. you probably should try both ways before thanksgiving, to see which texture you prefer.
AvanteGardener
I love this recipe and make it several times a year. It has nice texture and flavor that gets even better after it’s been refrigerated for a day or two. Thank you for creating this recipe!
Richa
awesome! yes indeed. The flavors get absorbed into the nuts and the rest of the ingredients more and the nuts also soften more to be not as toothsome with time.
Jenny
This was hands down the best vegan meatloaf I have tried thus far. I made it Day 1 with mashed potatoes and plain (no mushroom) gravy for a friend who is not vegan. We both loved it, great comfort food dinner. Day 2 I just repeated it again for myself and added a salad. Day 3 I broke up a big slice and served it over pasta with the gravy and sautéed broccoli and green beans. Plus I have some left over for a snack and I put some in the freezer. I would post my photos but don’t know how to attach! Well done Veganricha!!! Loved this one…
Richa
awesome! you can post them on your social and tag me @veganricha or #veganricha
JJ
Loved this so much! I could eat it every night of the week. Recipe turned out great, held together well and flavor was perfect! Easy to make, will put this one into the dinner rotation.
Richa
yay!
Zach
OHHH MYY I was already a big fan of your quinoa lentil loaf but I think this one tops that. SO delicious!! Thank you!
Note: I did think it tasted too salty before baking but once it was done it was perfect.
Richa
awesome!
Richa
Maybe the breadcrumbs were salted?
Frances Emily Loy
Love this recipe except the salt + seasoning + soy made it super salty so I cut it with some maple syrup
Richa
ah i should note the salt addition based on the other ingredients that might add salt such as breadcrumbs. I used low salt breadcrumbs and soy sauce. You can add more nuts and breadcrumbs when you taste before baking to balance the salt.
David
I tried this recipe tonight and it was a disappointment. It had a good if overly sweet taste. The consistency was also more like refried beans than meatloaf.
I drained the lentils and quinoa before some to the vegetables, yeast, and bread crumbs (I used Panko rather than fresh bread) and note the mix was very moist. I added another full half cup of crumbs and cooked it a full 35 minutes before removing the foil, them cooked the loaf for another 20 minutes, resting it for more than another 20 minutes.
As soon as I attempted to cut the loaf, I knew it was too soft and mushy, even though it still had discrete lentils throughout..
Amy helpful hints!
Richa
i think you may have may a different recipe. Did you make my lentil quinoa loaf. This loaf doesnt have quinoa. If you did make the lentil quinoa loaf, Maybe the quinoa was overccooked or there was too much moisture overall. You can check the video in the recipe to see what the mixture consistency is before baking. that much extra breadcrumbs prob means that there was too much moisture which will cause mushy texture
Morgan
Hello. What can replace mushrooms?.
Vegan Richa Support
you can leave them out or use tofu/tempeh, zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, or eggplant
Monica
Thank you! It looks like the link for the Frenchy is not working, could you please send me the recipe?
Richa
you mean gravy? https://veganricha.com/?s=gravy
Monica
Yes, gravy! This auto-corrector lol. Thank you so much, I got it now! Merry Christmas!
jacquie
thanks!
Denise
Hi Richa & Jacquie,
Beans and legumes and also nuts can be triggers of inflammation for many. Not because they aren’t healthy but their complex proteins can cause auto-immune issues if a person develops severe leaky gut and the incompletely digested or undigested proteins enter the blood. Read info on food sensitivities posted by Dr Jockers’ website for help in clarifying the issue. Consider testing for your own food sensitivities thru Enterolab.com (no doctor order needed – at home specimen collection), It will help guide you in elimination of certain foods pending re-healing of the gut. Join FB group Plant Based Gut Health for additional info.
jacquie
thanks for the tasty alternative to bean loaves. I did start wondering about something when i was reading your post and thought you might know the answer. Do you have any idea on how nuts/seeds compare to beans in terms of causing inflammation? I’m asking because i’m trying to decrease the food in my diet that might lead to inflammation due to increasing problems with arthritis. Thanks.
Richa
it would depend on each person really. Inflammation has various reasons like mild intolerance to medical conditions etc. I havent heard about nuts causing inflammation in general, but you should check if they do for you. Beans lentils nuts are generally listed as antiinflammatory.
Brooke Belton
At long last the internet has a reliable, delicious, vegan nut loaf recipe! 🙌🙌🙌
Everybody rejoice!
Richa
indeed!