This vegan spin on classic creamed chipped beef on toast packs all the savory flavor and creamy richness of the version you grew up eating. It’s super easy to whip up and perfect for a quick, comforting breakfast.
Creamed chipped beef was big in my family when I was growing up. I have to admit I never actually tried it myself, having quit meat pretty young. I also had no idea it was such a widespread favorite. I always thought it was just our family’s thing. So when my husband started asking for a vegan version, I was totally surprised. Was his family into this niche breakfast too?
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Then I asked my Facebook page about nostalgic dishes people would love to see veganized, and it turns out creamed chipped beef was a very popular request. Clearly, this dish has a much bigger fan club than I realized.
With my husband’s guidance, I came up with a recipe for vegan creamed chipped beef, and it was surprisingly easy to do! Now it’s officially his favorite breakfast.
Our beef substitute is one of my favorites: seitan. We marinate it to amp up the savory, salty flavor, and since traditional creamed chipped beef is made with dried beef, we’ll dry the seitan in the oven using a method similar to my tofu jerky recipe. Once it’s dried, all that’s left is a quick, creamy sauce. Add the vegan dried “beef,” and voilà, seitan on a shingle!
Ingredients You'll Need
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Soy sauce. Tamari or liquid aminos can be substituted.
- Paprika. I used sweet paprika, but smoked paprika would be nice too, if you don't mind a little smoky flavor!
- Seitan. Homemade or store-bought seitan can be used. If you'd like to try my homemade seitan recipe, I recommend using the beef or chicken flavor — beef is ideal, but the chicken version works in a pinch and uses more accessible ingredients.
- Vegan butter. Look for this in the refrigerated section of your grocery store, near the regular butter.
- Non-dairy milk. This could be almond milk, soy milk, oat milk, cashew milk, or pretty much whatever variety you normally buy. Read my guide to dairy-free milks if you need help choosing.
- Heavy cream alternative. There are a handful of these products you can find at the store, from brands including Silk and Califia farms. Coconut milk can be substituted, but you may need to add a splash of vinegar to your sauce to counteract coconut's natural sweetness.
- Black pepper.
- Cayenne pepper.
- Toast. This is the traditional serving vehicle for creamed chipped beef. If you want to be different, try vegan biscuits or vegan English muffins.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Step 1: Marinate the seitan. Slice it up thin, then marinate it in a mix of soy sauce and paprika for about 30 minutes.
Step 2: Bake the seitan. Spread it out on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and pop it into the oven for about 20 minutes, until it starts to toughen up and dry out.
Step 3: Cook the roux. Melt the butter in a saucepan, then whisk in the flour. Cook the flour for a couple of minutes, whisking the entire time.
Step 4: Cook the sauce. Whisk in the non-dairy milk, cream alternative, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Let the sauce simmer briefly, until it thickens up.
Step 5: Add the seitan. Whisk in the dried seitan and simmer it in the sauce for about 2 minutes. You just want to soften it a bit — not completely rehydrate.
Step 6: Serve. Your vegan creamed chipped beef is ready! Spoon it over toast and enjoy.
Tip: If you love this recipe, you'll probably love my vegan biscuits and gravy as well! Similar flavors and construction, but with more southern comfort-food vibes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Possibly, with a few substitutions. You'll need to replace the soy sauce with gluten-free tamari and use an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend instead of wheat flour. You'll also need to replace the seitan, since seitan is nearly all gluten. Soy curls or your favorite vegan faux beef would be your best bets. Keep an eye on them during baking, as the time may be a bit more or less.
Yep! Make it up to four days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge until you're ready to use it.
Vegan creamed chipped beef is best served immediately, but if you do have leftovers, they'll keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. You may find that the seitan rehydrates over time and has less of a "dried beef" texture, but the dish will still be tasty!
More Savory Vegan Breakfast Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast
Ingredients
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 8 ounces seitan
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk
- ½ cup vegan heavy cream alternative (or full-fat coconut milk, see Note 1)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- Toast, for serving
Instructions
- Stir the soy sauce and paprika together in a shallow dish. Thinly slice the seitan, then add it to the dish. Gently stir to coat the seitan in the soy sauce mixture, then let it marinate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the seitan in an even layer on the baking sheet. Discard any excess marinade. Once the oven has fully preheated, bake the seitan for about 20 minutes, or until the pieces are dark around the edges and have a leathery texture.
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a small saucepan, then whisk in the flour. Cook the mixture for 2 to 3 minutes, whisking constantly, just until it starts to smell nutty.
- Whisk in the non-dairy milk, heavy cream alternative, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Bring the liquid to a simmer. It should thicken slightly within a minute or two once it starts to simmer.
- Once the milk mixture thickens, whisk in the seitan. Simmer the seitan for about 2 minutes, just until it softens up slightly.
- Remove the pot from heat and serve the vegan creamed chipped beef over toast.
Notes
- Coconut milk will add a bit of sweetness and coconut flavor. Consider balancing it out by adding ½ teaspoon of white vinegar.
- This recipe makes enough for about 3 to 6 slices of toast, depending on the size of the slices and how generously you serve it.
- Nutrition information does not include toast.
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