This hearty vegan meatloaf is made from a base of seasoned chickpeas, baked up to perfection and topped with a flavorful maple glaze. It's not quite a classic meatloaf. It's better.
When I'm creating new recipes for this blog I always try really hard to work from a place of knowledge and experience. Like, if at all possible, I'd like to have had at least some authentic-ish version of a dish before sharing my own take.
It's kind of funny that I had trouble in this department with meatloaf. I mean, who doesn't know what meatloaf tastes like?
I really don't. It's been a while and I never liked meatloaf when I was a kid. In fact, I didn't think other people liked meatloaf. I just thought it was one of those items we all had traumatic school cafeteria memories of. Apparently I was wrong, because all I've been hearing lately is meatloaf praise.
Like lots of other dishes I never liked as a kid, I figured a vegan meatloaf would be a safe bet, so I set out to create one, but I got a little sidetracked, hence the (almost) classic aspect of this recipe.
Obviously chickpeas would be a diversion from normal meatloaf, but I'm totally fine with that. I also realized as I was browsing meatloaf recipes that most are topped with ketchup, which didn't sound very appealing to me, so I went with a light maple glaze with a hint of paprika.
Maybe I do like meatloaf, because this was awesome. I've heard again and again that this is the best vegan meatloaf ever.
I had to ask my husband if it tasted anything like normal meatloaf. He assured me that it was delicious, and about as much like traditional meatloaf as one of my veggie burgers is to a regular old burger. Perfect!
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Ingredients You'll Need
- Chickpeas. They'll need to be precooked (try this method) or canned.
- Onion.
- Celery.
- Carrots.
- Garlic.
- Panko breadcrumbs. Regular breadcrumbs work too — just check the ingredients to ensure they're vegan.
- Non-dairy milk. Make sure it's unflavored and unsweetened.
- Vegan Worcestershire sauce. Try Annie's, Edward & Sons or Whole Foods brands. They're all vegan!
- Soy sauce or tamari.
- Olive oil. Leave this out for an oil-free version.
- Ground flaxseeds. This helps bind the loaf together.
- Tomato paste.
- Liquid smoke. I know not everyone is a fan of liquid smoke, so feel free to leave it out if that's you. You could also substitute some smoked paprika.
- Salt.
- Black pepper.
How to Make Vegan Meatloaf
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll down to the bottom of the post if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Start by loading up your food processor with the chickpeas, diced veggies, panko breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, olive oil, flaxseeds, tomato paste, liquid smoke, and black pepper.
If you've got a nice big food processor you might be able to do it all at once. Otherwise, do this in a couple of batches.
Pulse everything in the food processor. Whatever you do, don't let it start running and walk away. Your mixture will turn to mush and you'll end up with a sad, mushy vegan meatloaf.
You can taste-test the mixture at this point and season it with some salt if you'd like. Feel free to adjust any other seasonings to your liking.
Next, load everything into a loaf pan. Tip: line the pan with a strip of parchment paper to make the loaf easier to remove when it's done baking. Smooth out the top with a spoon and bake the loaf.
Mix up the glaze while your chickpea loaf bakes.
After 30 minutes, take the loaf out of the oven and spoon the glaze over top. Bake it for another 20 to 25 minutes.
Pro Tips
- Mix everything up in batches if needed. I used an 11 cup food processor and still it was a tight squeeze!
- Don't overblend. Please, please, please don't do it! Check out my shots above: the mixture is chunky! There's even a whole chickpea or two in there. This gives your loaf texture and keeps it from being mushy.
- I've tried a few different loaf pans and had the best luck with a glass Pyrex pan.
- The loaf firms up over time. So if you like a nice, firm vegan meatloaf, make it well in advance so it has time to sit.
- Leftovers can be heated in the microwave or popped in the oven for a few minutes. Oh, and they make an awesome sandwich!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Just use gluten-free vegan breadcrumbs, or substitute rolled oats. You'll also need to use gluten-free tamari in place of soy sauce, and make sure you're Worcestershire sauce is gluten-free (Edward & Sons is).
Yes! I've heard from a lot of readers who did this with success. I skip the step to save time and because I find the loaf delicious without it.
You can! Just chop your veggies up very finely, and mash the chickpeas with a fork or potato masher.
Traditional, savory vegan side dishes go great with veggie loaf! Try vegan mashed potatoes and gravy, vegan green bean casserole, wild rice casserole, and/or vegan cornbread.
More Vegan Comfort Food Recipes
- Classic Vegan Mac & Cheese
- Vegan Shepherd's Pie
- Vegan Beef Stew
- Vegan Chicken & Dumplings Stew
- Vegan Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Video!
Check out my video for more guidance on how to make a killer vegan meatloaf!
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(Almost) Classic Chickpea Vegan Meatloaf
Ingredients
For the Chickpea Meatloaf
- 2 (14 ounce or 400 gram) cans chickpeas, (or 3 ⅓ cups cooked chickpeas) drained and rinsed
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 medium celery stalks, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup unflavored soy or almond milk
- 3 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the Maple Glaze
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a 9 inch loaf pan and arrange a strip of parchment paper width-wise along the center, with just a bit hanging over the sides.
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Working in batches if needed, place all the meatloaf ingredients except for salt into food processor bowl and pulse until chickpeas are broken up and ingredients are well mixed, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Do not overblend. If you're working in batches, transfer each batch to a large mixing bowl when complete and then mix by hand.
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Taste-test the mixture and season it with salt to taste.
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Press the mixture into prepared loaf pan and bake 30 minutes.
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While meatloaf bakes, stir glaze ingredients together in a small bowl.
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Remove loaf from oven after 30 minutes and spoon glaze overtop of loaf. Bake another 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool at least 10 minutes before cutting.
Recipe Notes
The longer this sits, the firmer it gets. If it initially feels a bit soft for your liking, let it sit a for a few minutes or prep it a day in advance and reheat the day of serving.
I have made this many times! It is DELICIOUS ! Yes, it can be a bit soft when fresh out of the oven, but we were told it would stiffen up if aloud to sit. Please do not freeze it as I did once, it is not good. Thank you for such a yummy and easy recipe!
Can this be frozen? Either before cooking or after?
Yup! I've frozen it after cooking and it was fine! I'm not sure how the raw veggies would hold up if you freeze it before cooking though.
This was the first recipe I made from your site. It was on Facebook. This is incredibly delicious. Growing up I was grossed out by meatloaf because of the ground meat. This was such a treat. I followed the recipe exactly and it was perfect.
What a great recipe to introduce vegan loaf to non-vegans. This is my second time making. Both times It turned out fantastic and my guests raved.
What are your recommendations for reheating after making the day before serving?
So glad you enjoyed it! If you make the loaf a day ahead I'd just seal it up right in the baking dish using plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge. Then you can pop the entire thing in the oven at 375 the following day. I'm not sure how long you'll need to reheat it for, so my suggestion would be to use a thermometer to check the internal temperature.
I made this today for my (non-vegan) husband and myself. I baked it in a larger shallow dish for a little less time as I didn’t have one the right size, and topped it with ketchup as I had no maple syrup. We both loved it, and are looking forward to eating the leftovers during the week.
Try a little vegan egg substitute to make the loaf a little more firm. I've had luck doing so with chickpea burgers recently - and am looking forward to this "meatloaf" as well.