Vegan Meatloaf is a hearty vegetarian meal that will impress your dinner guests. Featuring a satisfying mixture of lentils and walnuts, it tastes just as delicious as the traditional version!
Why You’ll Love It
It’s wholesome. Instead of relying on fake meat substitutes, this vegan loaf is made with simple real food ingredients. The combination of lentils and walnuts create a satisfying texture you’ll love, with plenty of plant-based protein.
It tastes amazing. If you are serving vegan guests at Thanksgiving, they will love this meat-free main dish. It pairs perfectly with classic holiday sides, like mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and vegan gravy.
It’s allergy friendly. Instead of using breadcrumbs as a binder, this recipe uses oats to keep the recipe gluten-free. (Be sure to buy certified gluten-free oats, though, to avoid any cross-contamination during the manufacturing process.) This recipe is also dairy-free and egg-free.
It’s easy to make. When you start with cooked lentils (you can buy them in a can just like beans!) all you’ll have to do is saute a few veggies, pulse them together, and bake the mixture in a loaf pan.
Ingredients You’ll Need
What’s in vegan meatloaf?
- Lentils
- Oats
- Walnuts
- Ground flaxseed
- Tomato paste
- Sauteed vegetables
The addition of tamari (a gluten-free soy sauce) gives this recipe an umami flavor, and I think it’s an easier ingredient to find than a vegan worcestershire sauce. Feel free to use regular soy sauce if you don’t need a gluten-free recipe.
If you don’t want to make your own glaze for the topping, you could also use store-bought BBQ sauce, instead. Or use ketchup as the base, to replace the tomato paste and maple syrup.
Want to switch up the veggies? You can use mushrooms instead of the carrots and celery, if you prefer. Be sure to roughly chop them, to give them a “ground beef” texture for this vegan meatloaf.
How to Make Vegan Meatloaf
1. Cook the veggies.
In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil, onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until they soften up, about 8 minutes.
Then, add in the garlic and thyme and stir for 1 more minute.
2. Process.
In the bowl of a large food processor fitted with an “S” blade, combine the cooked lentils, oats, walnuts, flax seeds, tamari (gluten-free soy sauce), cayenne, salt, and black pepper. Add in the cooked veggies, then pulse several times, just until the mixture starts to stick together.
You can test this by pressing it between your fingers. When it sticks together when pressed, it’s ready to go into the loaf pan. (You don’t want the mixture to be totally smooth, or it could turn out gummy in the center.)
Note: If you don’t have a food processor, you can mix this loaf in a large mixing bowl, instead. Simply use a potato masher, or fork, to mash the ingredients until they stick together.
3. Bake.
Prepare a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan by spraying it with oil, then press a piece of parchment paper into the bottom of the pan.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared loaf pan, then press firmly to pack it in. Stir the glaze ingredients together and brush it over the top of the loaf.
Bake in the oven, uncovered, at 375ºF for 30 minutes.
4. Enjoy!
Let the loaf cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes, then use the parchment paper to lift it out of the pan. Slice and serve warm, with your favorite sides.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Make-Ahead Tips
I don’t recommend baking this entire loaf ahead of time, as it may dry out when you reheat it. However, you can cook the components ahead of time (like the lentils and veggies) and store them in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the loaf.
If you’d like to assemble everything in a loaf pan ahead of time, I recommend letting the loaf come to room temperature for at least 1 hour on the counter before baking it, to make sure the center is heated through. Let the loaf cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes to help it set and be easier to slice.
Looking for more vegan recipes? Try Vegan Mac and Cheese, Green Bean Casserole, Glazed Sweet Potatoes, and Wild Rice Stuffing.
Vegan Meatloaf (Lentil Loaf)
Ingredients
Lentil Loaf:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 large onion , chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 carrot , chopped (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 celery , chopped (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
- 1 1/2 cups cooked lentils (green or brown; see notes)
- 1 cup quick-cooking oats (certified gluten-free, if needed)
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
- 2 tablespoons tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Glaze:
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF and line a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. (I like to use a spray oil on the pan first, so that the parchment paper will stick in place.)
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil, onion, carrot and celery. Stir occasionally until softened, about 8 minutes, then add in the garlic and thyme and stir for 1 more minute.
- In a the bowl of a large food processor fitted with an "S" blade, combine the cooked lentils, oats, walnuts, flax, tamari, cayenne, salt, and several grinds of black pepper. When the vegetables are tender, add them in, too.
- Pulse several times, just until the mixture starts to stick together when you press it between your fingers. You don't want it totally smooth, for the best texture. (See the photos in this post for reference.)
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared loaf pan, then press firmly to pack it together. Stir the glaze ingredients together and brush it over the top of the loaf. Bake uncovered at 375ºF for 30 minutes.
- Let the loaf cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes, then use the parchment paper to lift it out of the pan. Slice and serve warm.
- Leftover slices can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, but the leftover loaf will be a little more dry in texture when you reheat it, so you might want to serve it with gravy for added moisture.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you try this vegan meatloaf recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it!
Do you have a substitute for the walnuts? My son is allergic to them as well as peanuts, cashews and pecans. Was considering almonds? Thanks, Kim
I bet almonds would work! You might want to pulse them in the food processor first, to help break them down into a coarse flour, then add in the rest of the loaf ingredients.
My son is allergic to all tree nuts and peanuts. Hoping I can just omit them and it will still work.
What about sunflower seeds ?
I tried this..its something new…wonderfull and very tasty..Reccomended.
Can you use gluten free rolled oats instead of quick cooking oats?
Quick cooking oats are better in this recipe because the texture pretty much disappears. If you use rolled oats, I’d recommend pulsing them briefly in a blender or food processor to help them break down first.
I used “Bob’s Red Mill Organic Rolled Oats Gluten Free – Quick Cooking”, which I found at Whole Foods. They worked great.
So delicious!!
One of my all-time favorite recipes!
I made this last night and it was so good! And today I made lentil “meat” loaf sandwiches, yum.
My family doesn’t eat soy (soy sauce, tamari, etc). How much salt would you add in place of this ingredient? Or is there another substitute you’d recommend?
You could use bragg’s liquid aminos or coconut aminos 1:1.
I’ve been thinking about this recipe since it posted. In fact, I made mashed potatoes a week ago, and a few days I made vegan gravy, so it was bound to happen as we inch closer to Thanksgiving. I’m single and no one else in my family is a vegetarian or has any food allergies, (at least none that they recognize), so when I go to my parents house for dinner I have to bring my own food — and an entire loaf felt like a huge commitment. Luckily, it’s a delicious commitment, because this is by far the best lentil loaf I have ever had. It’s not too soggy or too dry, it’s not bland and it’s not overpowered by herbs and spices until it’s inedible — all adjectives that could describe my previous forays into vegetarian loaf recipes. Besides the great taste and texture, I also love that I had every single item on hand in my kitchen. No trip to the grocery store needed. I only wish I wasn’t allergic to gluten and yeast, because I bet this would make one heck of a great sandwich. This will definitely be added to my meal rotation.
Made this for dinner last night, and it was excellent…reminiscent of stuffing with cranberry sauce. A couple of friends stopped, by, so we fed it to them too. Everyone loved it, and we didn’t have any leftovers!
Can I use regular oats in place of quick oats? I don’t have any.
Probably, but they won’t blend into the loaf quite as well as quick oats do. You might want to pulse regular oats in a blender a few times to make the pieces a little smaller, so they will cook faster.
Delicious! Would this recipe work if I doubled it for a taller loaf?
I’m not sure– it might be difficult to get the inside to be totally cooked without the outside getting too crispy. But I’d love to hear if you experiment with it!
This was delicious! Very meaty in texture with great flavor. This will surely be a staple in my fall/winter and holiday cooking. Next time, I’ll make some gravy and mashed potatoes to go with it. It was delightful on its own though! Thank you for this lovely recipe!
Loved it! I did 1.5x the glaze and it came out perfectly!
The taste was amazing. My boys and husband ate it and thoroughly enjoyed it! Directions were easy to follow and simple ingredients i had on hand. I try to cook vegan when I can and this was a winner recipe. I combined this recipe with cauliflower/ potato mash and mushroom gravy also roasted root veggies.
Oats don’t agree with my wife. Could I substitute potatoes, rice or something else?
I haven’t tried it with another grain yet. Possibly bread crumbs could be a good substitute?
Thanks for the suggestion! I substituted a large grated potato and an egg for the oats, and it came out pretty well. Tasted good but was a little too moist. Next time I’ll try adding an extra tablespoon of flax meal. I also made it with the oats, and that was perfect. Great recipe!
Hello. I am new to vegan cooking. Do you need to drain the can of lentils?
Thank you
Yes, drain and rinse them to remove any sodium from the can.
Yes, I would drain and rinse them.
Love this recipe! My husband had no idea it wasn’t actual ground beef and he’s tough to trick with food. I used bell pepper instead of celery because I didn’t have any on hand and it turned out great!
Would a Vitamix work in place of a food processor with these ingredients, or would it need more liquid?
I wouldn’t add more liquid, but maybe process it in batches in the Vitamix? It can over-puree things pretty fast, so I think I’d try using the lowest setting in small batches.
I used a Vitamix.
I pulsed the dry ingredients together.
Then pulsed the lentils and cooked vegetables together.
Then stirred them both up together in a bowl.
Worked fine for me
I made the vegan meatloaf-easy lentil loaf today. It was fantastic! We are on about Day 20 of vegetarian makeover. My husband loved it! Thank you so much for posting it!
Made it this morning just the way you said and it as great. Thank you. I did use gluten free oats and gluten free soy sauce.
This was surprisingly pretty easy to make. We had everything on hand except walnuts. I subbed pecans & it turned out beautifully. My husband blurted out “I love it!”during his first bite. He kept raving about it & I also was very impressed with how deep the flavor was with fairly ordinary ingredients. This was a home run!!
Yay! I’m so glad to hear it was a hit! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know.
This looks delicious, but I’m sensitive to nuts. Can I omit the walnuts? Or is there a substitution you’d recommend? Thanks!
What could I substitute for the flax seeds! I love all your recipes and can’t wait to try this one. Thank you!
Maybe ground chia seeds?
You think I can prep/make it the night before, leave in fridge, and bake the next day? Trying to minimize cooking tomorrow on Easter 🙂
I made this and used sunflower seeds in place of walnuts (son has a peanut and treenut allergy). I added them and the oats to the food processor first and pulsed it a few times to break them down before adding the rest of the ingredients. It turned out great and served with mashed potatoes, gravy, and corn!
Thanks for another recipe!!
Made this, added some rosemary. Made our own glaze.
Fantastic! Even ate a sandwich the next day. So happy to have a quick tasty loaf.
You think I can prep/make it the night before, leave in fridge, and bake the next day? Trying to minimize cooking tomorrow on Easter 🙂
Yes, I would think so!
Made this for Easter and my family loved it! Used chickpea (from dried) instead of lentils (because stay-at-home) and processed the rolled oats (no instant) and it came out great!! Texture was perfect. Also did a bbq sauce and ketchup mix glaze (again, used what we have)! Thank you!!
Staples like lentils seem to be hard to come by these days with COVID-19. Can I use French (puy) lentils in place of the green or brown lentils in this recipe? I know if I do that, I’ll need to cook them longer. I’ve never used them before, so I don’t know how the flavor compares other than needing a longer cooking time. Thanks!
Yes, since you’re cooking them separately, I think it’s okay to start with those for this recipe!
It was very tasty, the glaze was nice and the loaf was not not dry; I love a good lentil loaf but some of them can be dry; I added a little more cayenne and I didn’t have quick cooking oats, so I pulsed them in the processor for a little bit and they worked great. I might try it with smoky paprika or chipotles
Hello,
I was wondering could I use green split peas to replace the lentils?
This is my favorite vegan loaf!! It has so favor and simple to make. I cooked my lentils in the IP.
I made the recipe exactly as written and it was delicious! We prefer a crusty top loaf served with gravy so next time we will omit the glaze. Served it with mashed potatoes, corn, Brussel sprouts, and gravy. Will definitely make again.
This meal checked all the boxes of that home cooked country dinner I’ve been missing.
That said, I did do a little embellishing so as to mimick my standard meatloaf recipe and was blown away at it’s overall likeness to my own.
I always incorporate prunes and cranberries into my “regular” meatloaf and add a heavy dash of cinnamon and a liberal squirt of mustard to the ketchup sauce for a full bodied tangy richness.
Going forward, I will refer to this dish as Megan’s NEATLOAF.
Very dry with little flavor. The sauce on top helped give it some flavor, but overall I was very disappointed.
This was awesome! I will be making this again.
I have a very specific (annoying) new diet in which I cannot eat carrots, celery, tomato paste, soy. I do have coconut aminos. But I have not yet figured out what to substitute for the others. Do you have any ideas?
Made vegan meatloaf for the first time(carnivore for 60 yrs). I must say my wife and I quite enjoyed this meatless meatloaf. It is now a dinner staple!
. . . so quick and easy to make – will be making over & over again . . . thanks, so much . . . 🙂
Made this recipe for dinner tonight and it was soooooo good. I’ve been looking for a really long time for a vegan “meat”loaf WITHOUT mushrooms and I finally found it. Thank you for this lovely and delicious recipe. ❤
I have a recipe almost exactly the same. My kids love it! To make it a little easier if I’m in a hurry I’ll use Amy’s lentil soup. It has the lentils and all the veggies in it already. I just drain and rinse 2 cans of it. And I also put it in my muffin tin and make meatloaf muffins. Delicious!
Easy and tasty. Good texture too.Thanks
This was great!!! Loved the flavor and texture!!!
Delicious. I halved the recipe, pulsed it in my blender, and baked it in a mini loaf panlined with parchment.
Tastes good, but takes way longer than 30 minutes. The top gets dry uncovered and the center is too moist. Needs a good 45 to an hour
I found this too: Cook it another 30 minutes when first slice was very wet. But actually I’m going to Measure my pan tomorrow: mine did not look flat as in the photos…
This was SO GOOD. My husband and baby loved it.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for coming back to let me know– I really appreciate it.
Love it! I didn’t have celery and Instead added orange bell pepper. I served the meatloaf with a salad of greens, roasted bell peppers and onions, figs and goat cheese.
I’ve made this multiply times and LOVE IT. We just got a Ninja Foodi and wonder if anyone has cook it in the air fryer?
Thanks
Do you blend the cooked veggies at the same time with everything else?
Yes!
I made this tonight and it was perfectly perfect. I live alone and there is a lot left over.Have you frozen this before Megan and if so how was it after being frozen? Thanks!
Really good! So easy to make on a week night
So delicious! This is now my go-to lentil loaf. My husband LOVES this loaf and keeps requesting it for dinner!
This is amazing! One of my favorite recipes ever. Thank you so much. I was wondering how it works if you want to double it. Could I add double the amount in the loaf tin? Or will it not cook properly?
Favorite vegan meatloaf! Thank you again for another awesome recipe! Really appreciate you!