A vegan meatloaf made of lentils that you'll drool over! Easy to make, full of healthy whole food ingredients and loved by the whole family.
This post was originally published on December 19, 2019.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Earthbound Farm Organic. The opinions and text are all mine.
Meatloaf is an American staple, and I'm proud to say I've managed to create the most delicious vegan version of this traditional dinner menu item! Substituting the meat for lentils and chickpeas give these meatloaf cups the hearty, filling, deliciousness we all love this time of year.
I even shocked myself with this recipe. The flavor and texture turned out SO good! I love how easy it was to put together, and the rest is the oven's job. My kind of meal! Plus, these pair so well with all the veggies and even a simple salad. But my fave was the mashed cauliflower we put on top!
Ingredients
- Lentils
- Chickpeas
- Onion
- Corn
- Chopped walnuts
- Oats
- Barbecue sauce
- Seasonings
How To Make Vegan Meatloaf
- Add everything except extra bbq sauce to a food processor and pulse.
- Put into a greased loaf pan.
- Top with extra barbecue sauce.
- Bake.
- Enjoy!
You can also make mini vegan meatloafs, either just for fun or for meal prep! If you cut the recipe in half, it will make 9 muffin cups.
- Use a greased muffin pan instead of a loaf pan.
- Bake & serve!
Serving suggestions
Meatloaf goes with so many great sides! If you want to keep it simple, I love the flavor of the Earthbound Farm Organic mixed greens. Throw on a touch of olive oil and vinegar and it's simple perfection.
Mashed cauliflower is another wonderful side (or topping!) and is a great alternative to mashed potatoes if you want to get some extra veggies in! It's easy to make and nice and light for the belly. Plus it is loaded with nutrients, and is especially high in fiber and B vitamins.
If you want to make it from scratch, you simply steam or bake it, then puree with a little milk (plant-based to keep it dairy free, I like cashew best), salt and even some pepper to taste. I like to use this riced cauliflower from Earthbound Farm Organic to make it even easier!
Here are some of my other favorite sides:
- Vegan Mashed Potatoes
- Spicy Maple Roasted Brussel Sprouts
- Baked Broccoli Cauliflower Tots
- Vegan Stuffing
- Roasted Greek Lemon Potatoes
- Lemon Kale Salad
If you don't want to top the meatloaf with Vegan Barbeque Sauce, try using the following sauces instead:
Tips and tricks
- Using dried chickpeas gives the best texture but canned will work too.
- You can also use pecans if you don't have walnuts.
- If your barbecue sauce is salty you may not need much salt.
- This vegan meatloaf will keep in your refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.
- To freeze, store in an airtight freezer safe container and place in freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw before reheating.
- Reheat in your microwave or oven.
Common Questions
Not by itself, but you can mix cane sugar with molasses to make your own brown sugar substitute. This recipe however doesn't contain any added sugars, so you don't have to worry about having either on hand!
You definitely do not need to use eggs! There are a couple of things you can use for binding agents, but the real key is the ratio of moisture to dry ingredients. Some of my favorite binding ingredients are: beans, potato, ground flax and water, breadcrumbs, and oats.
Yes! But be sure to check the label closely. You'll want to make sure the breadcrumbs do not have any dairy in them. You can always opt to make your own as well!
More Vegan Comfort Food
Hearty, stick to your bones meals, but without the sluggish gross feeling from not so healthy ingredients! These plant based comfort food recipes are all made with wholesome whole food ingredients:
- Gluten Free Eggplant Parmesan
- Mushroom Bourguignon
- Creamy Vegan Mushroom Risotto
- Healthy Vegan Chili Mac
- Vegan Gluten Free Pot Pie
- Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
The Best Vegan Lentil Meatloaf
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup cooked lentils
- ¾ cups dried chickpeas , soaked overnight (or 1 ½ cups cooked)
- ½ cup chopped yellow or sweet onion
- 4 cloves garlic , finely chopped
- Drizzle of oil to saute with , or use broth for oil free
- ½ cup corn , I use frozen
- ½ cup chopped walnuts , use seeds for nut free (see note)
- 1 cup oats , gluten-free if needed
- 2-4 tablespoons dried thyme , adjust for your preference
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- ¼-½ teaspoon sea salt , optional depending on barbecue sauce used (see note)
- ½ cup barbecue sauce , I use my homemade recipe
- ½ cup extra barbecue sauce to top with , you'll need 9 tablespoons if making muffin cups
To serve (optional)
- Mashed cauliflower (see note)
- Mashed potatoes
- Salad
- Green beans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F/ 190 C
- Saute onion and garlic in a pan with oil or broth until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Put it with the other ingredients (except extra barbecue sauce and mashed cauliflower) into a food processor and pulse until crumbly in texture.
- Put into greased muffin tins or loaf pan, top with extra sauce (one tablespoon on each muffin or spread on loaf) and bake for 30-35 minutes. You want the meatloaf to be firm but not overcooked.
- Allow to cool to help firm up the texture.
- Serve with preferred sides and enjoy!
Notes
- Using dried chickpeas gives the best texture but canned will work too.
- You can also use pecans if you don't have walnuts.
- If your barbecue sauce is salty you may not need much salt.
- To make this muffins, you need to cut the recipe in half and put in a muffin pan. You will get 9 muffin cups.
- To make your own mashed cauliflower you simple steam or bake cauliflower then puree in a blender or food processor with milk of choice, sea salt and black pepper to taste.
- Nutrition facts are for meatloaf only, no sides.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
Don Neville
hi is this considered gluten free?
veggiesdontbite
Hi Don! Yes! All of my recipes are gluten-free or have an option to make them gluten-free. I am gluten-free myself so always include that! Make sure your oats are gluten-free for this one, they are naturally but due to how they are grown and packaged they must be gluten-free certified to avoid cross contamination. Also if you don't make your own BBQ sauce, make sure it is gluten-free as well because some are not. Let me know how you like it!
Sum
I made the muffin version. They were delicious and super easy to make! Love how healthy and flavorful they are! Thanks for a great recipe!
veggiesdontbite
Thank you so much! So happy you liked it!
Mitch
Love the recipe but you servings calculator doesn’t update the cooked chickpeas
You could make 100 servings at at stays at 3/4 cup!
veggiesdontbite
Hi Mitch! Yes, the calculator will only update the dry amount because that's what is in the recipe. The 3/4 cup cooked was just a helpful hint for those not using dry. Basically the dry amount doubles for cooked.
Renee Breit
Thank you Sophia! Another go to recipe added to the rotation! I made this in a loaf pan, sliced and froze leftovers for future dinners.
You have made going vegan much easier (and tastier) with all your delicious creations.
😊
Happy cooking!
Renée.
veggiesdontbite
I am so happy you liked it Renee!! Love that you froze it for later, you'll have to let me know how it holds up frozen in loaf form! Thank you so much for your great review.