Easy Vegan Meatloaf Jessica In The Kitchen

Serve this moist and flavourful vegan meatloaf at Thanksgiving with vegan mashed potatoes and green bean casserole. It’s a great alternative to vegan turkey! You NEED to try this vegan meatloaf! You will not be disappointed. I know I say that with almost everything, right? But this loaf is so delicious, with a meltingly tender 5-star texture that blows all other vegan meatloaf recipes away. I knew I wanted the perfect balance of moist versus firm, and after lots of testing, I’m thrilled to say that this meatloaf is IT. I can’t think of a better setting for this beauty than a vegan Thanksgiving table. Or, really, any table!

Why I Love This Vegan Meatloaf Recipe

Quick. This vegan meatloaf recipe needs about 15 minutes of hands-on prep before it’s ready to bake. The filling is simple but packed with savory ingredients and cozy spice. I make a quick tomato sauce to brush over top before baking, which is also very quick. Holiday-worthy. Vegan meatloaf is the perfect vegan-friendly Thanksgiving or holiday main dish. It’s satisfying and hearty, and it pairs so well with all kinds of Thanksgiving sides, from mashed potatoes to stuffing! Versatile. I think I ate this meatloaf for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for days the last time I made it. Even beyond the holidays, it’s super versatile! Make it into a Thanksgiving leftovers sandwich, mince it to garnish a vegan pizza, or add it to a breakfast hash recipe.

Notes on Ingredients

These are some quick notes on what this vegan meatloaf is made of. Spoiler: all good things, with no mystery ingredients or additives! One more perk of making this loaf from scratch. Scroll down to the recipe card for a printable list with the full recipe amounts.

Vegan Worcestershire sauce – Make sure that you’re buying the vegan bottle, as most aren’t. And if you can’t find it, don’t sweat it. Soy sauce makes a great substitute. Flax egg – In all my testing, a flax egg is the best binder for vegan meatloaf. Ensure that your flax seeds are fresh (most of us seem to have a bag in our pantry or fridge from years ago). The seeds’ freshness affects how gelatinous your “egg” gets. Breadcrumbs – If you’re gluten-free, use gluten-free breadcrumbs! Brown lentils – I don’t recommend substituting any other type of lentils in this recipe. Red lentils are too mushy, and green lentils give the meatloaf a strange colour. Canned lentils are a great way to cut down on cooking time. Liquid smoke – I use a good amount of liquid smoke in this recipe. You can easily swap it for more soy sauce, but it makes a big difference in terms of flavour. If you’re sensitive to the taste or think 2 tablespoons might be overpowering, use only 2 teaspoons (and taste it before you add it to the meatloaf mixture).

How to Make Vegan Meatloaf

Here’s a short step-by-step showing how to make this best-ever vegan meatloaf. You’ll find printable directions in the recipe card after the post.

Make the tomato glaze. First, mix tomato paste with apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, and sea salt for the glaze. Set this aside for now. Sauté the veggies. Meanwhile, sauté garlic, onion, and celery over medium-high heat until softened.

Combine the ingredients. Add your sautéed veggies to a large bowl along with the chickpeas, lentils, liquid smoke, vegan Worcestershire (or soy sauce), breadcrumbs, sea salt, ground black pepper, flax eggs, tomato paste, and thyme. Gently mix with a wooden spoon. Blend. Next, add the mixture to a food processor. I have a 10-cup food processor, so if yours is smaller, consider blending in batches. Pulse a few times until everything begins to come together.

Fill the pan. Afterward, transfer the mixture into a parchment-lined loaf pan. Smooth the top with a spatula. Pour over the tomato glaze from earlier. Bake. Bake your vegan meatloaf at 375ºF for 45-60 minutes. My loaf is usually done at around 55 minutes. It’s ready if a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Allow the meatloaf to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove it, slice, and serve. I cut my slices about 1-inch thick.

Why is my vegan meatloaf falling apart?

I tested this recipe specifically to avoid a crumbly meatloaf. However, it’s important to NOT over-pulse the vegan meatloaf ingredients in your blender or food processor. I did this the first time, and the mixture turns to mush and won’t firm up in the oven. You want to see chunks of celery, lentils, and other ingredients in the mix. I like to pulse about 10 times. Secondly, make sure to press the mixture firmly into the loaf pan and bake the meatloaf until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean. If you’ve done all of this and it’s still falling apart, place the meatloaf in the fridge for an hour and it will firm up completely.

Recipe Tips

Don’t overwork your meatloaf mixture. Too much blending in the food processor makes the meatloaf mushy (see above). Check out the step-by-step earlier and my video below for a better idea of what it should look like. Use the right pan. I strongly recommend using a loaf pan for this recipe. If you try to freeform this vegan meatloaf, it may fall apart or dry out (no one wants that!). Line the pan. Don’t skip this step! Lining the loaf pan with parchment paper holds the meatloaf together, not to mention, it’s much easier to remove from the pan. Go easy on the smoke. If you feel you’ll be sensitive to the liquid smoke (one or two readers have shared this) start with 2 teaspoons and adjust to taste. If you use less liquid smoke in the recipe, replace the rest with water so the meatloaf has the right amount of liquid (for example, add 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke + 1 tablespoon of water). Don’t skip the cooling period! Be sure to rest the meatloaf for at least 10 minutes after it’s out of the oven and before you slice it. You can even cool your meatloaf completely. As it cools, the texture firms up even more. Make a BBQ glaze. If you’d prefer a BBQ glaze, substitute the tomato paste for BBQ sauce.

Serving Suggestions

I love serving this “meatloaf” as a vegan Thanksgiving main. It goes with all of my favorite holiday sides, like this classic vegan green bean casserole, fluffy mashed potatoes, and roasted maple carrots. My easy sweet potato casserole also pairs great with the savoriness in this loaf. Of course, don’t skip a slice of vegan pumpkin pie or vegan pumpkin sheet cake for dessert. Any other time of the year, serve vegan meatloaf with a side of air fryer fries and a vegan Cobb salad for a cozy, casual weeknight meal.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

Refrigerate. Store any leftover vegan meatloaf in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat. Warm your meatloaf in the oven or microwave until it’s hot throughout. Leftovers taste delicious in sandwiches, wraps, and over salads.