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This mushroom-walnut Vegan Meatloaf with ketchup glaze is hearty, comforting, and full of umami flavor. Perfect for weeknights or special holidays.
After going vegan, I really missed meatloaf, but when I thought about it, it wasn't the meat that was comforting my taste buds and senses back then; it was the texture, taste, and aroma I craved. So a Vegan meatloaf was in my future.
I made this meatless loaf with mushrooms to capture that "meaty" texture, and I used most of the same veggies, herbs, and spices of the classic recipe. Oh, and the ketchup glaze is the best part-sweet, tangy, and savory all at once. It bakes up bubbly and perfectly caramelized. Total wow factor!
I love serving it with creamy vegan mashed potatoes and miso-glazed carrots for the coziest plate, or alongside a crisp vegan Caesar salad and warm dinner rolls. For extra comfort, pair it with my vegan baked mac and cheese, vegan cauliflower casserole, vegan coleslaw, sautéed green beans, or a slice of vegan cornbread.
How to make Vegan Meatloaf
It's almost the same as making a meat-based loaf, with some additional steps. I promise it'll be worth it, though. Here's what you'll need to do:
- Cook your rice and potatoes. This helps with texture, and the potatoes keep it all together. I make them the night before to make things easier.
- Prepare your flax egg and set it aside
- Sauté the onions, celery, mushrooms, and spices.
- Add the sautéed veggies, flax egg, and to a large bowl with the rice, potatoes, oats, tomato paste, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. Combine well.
- Transfer to a lined loaf pan and press down firmly so it molds into the pan. Top with ketchup glaze and bake to perfection.
FAQs
Yep! You can freeze it either fully baked or just after shaping it in the loaf pan (I haven't tested it with the ketchup glaze on). No need to thaw, but it'll need 30-40 minutes extra in the oven to heat through-add the glaze halfway so it doesn't burn.
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Recipe
Vegan Meatloaf with Ketchup Glaze
Ingredients
Ketchup Glaze
- ½ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons mustard
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar (optional)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Vegan Meatloaf
- 2 ½ tablespoons ground flaxseed + 6 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil (or preferred cooking oil)
- 1 medium red onion , diced small
- 3 stalks celery , diced small
- 3-4 cloves garlic , minced
- 12 ounces cremini mushrooms , finely chopped or minced (about 4 cups)
- 2 cups cooked rice (I prefer short grain)
- 1 cup cooked potatoes , mashed (measured mashed)
- ¾ cup rolled oats (gluten-free if preferred)
- ⅓ cup breadcrumbs (gluten-free if preferred)
- ¾ cup walnuts , pulsed in food processor into a loose meal (or finely chopped)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried parsley
- ¾ teaspoon ground sage (optional)
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 tablespoons vegan worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt + more to taste
- Fresh cracked pepper , to taste
Recommended Equipment
- 1 Standard Loaf Pan
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- Parchment Paper
Instructions
Ketchup Glaze
- To make the glaze, whisk the ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
Meatless Loaf
- Preheat oven to 375 °F (190 °C). Prepare a loaf pan by lining with parchment paper. This makes it much easier to remove after cooking. Set aside.
- Combine the water and flaxseed meal in a small bowl, and set aside for at least 10 minutes until it thickens.
- In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery and a sprinkle of salt. Sauté for 5-6 minutes, until onions are lightly golden and celery is softened.
- Add garlic, thyme, rosemary, parsley, and sage. Sauté for 30-60 seconds until fragrant.
- Turn the heat to medium-high, then add the mushrooms (and a little more oil if the pan looks dry). Spread them out and let them sit mostly undisturbed for 2-3 minutes so they release their liquid and start to brown-don't stir too often. Once the liquid evaporates, give them a quick toss and keep cooking until nicely golden, about 2-3 more minutes.
- Transfer the cooked mushroom mixture to a large bowl. Add the mashed potatoes, breadcrumbs, flax eggs, rice, rolled oats, walnuts, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Combine all ingredients really well, using hands if necessary. Taste to see if it needs any more seasoning.
- Place mixture into your lined loaf pan. Press down firmly so it molds into pan. Brush the top of loaf with the ketchup glaze.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, until heated through. If you would like to crisp the glaze a bit, turn the broiler on for 2-3 minutes. Be careful not to burn.
- Let the loaf cool for about 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Use the paper to pull it up and onto your serving dish. Let it sit for another 10 minutes before slicing it. This helps firm it up more.
Notes
Nutrition
Fran
Delicious loaf! We are looking forward to the leftovers tonight. I followed the recipe as written, a little time consuming but well worth the effort.
Melissa Huggins
I'm so happy you liked the recipe. Thank you for giving it a try and sharing your feedback 🙂
Jo
I just finished making, cooling and tasting… Well more than just a taste I guess… This wonderful walnut mushroom meatless meatloaf is the BEST thing I have EVER eaten that’s vegan!! So many times I’ve spent so much money for all the ingredients and then not liked the results. But this will definitely be made at Thanksgiving with all the wonderful trimmings from this site. Thank you!!! 😋
Melissa Huggins
Hi Jo. I am happy to hear that you loved this recipe. I hope you all enjoy it at Thanksgiving too. Cheers!
Margaret
This is truly the best vegan loaf I've ever made, even without the Worcestershire sauce, which I've added to my shopping list. I also love how it doesn't have to bake for an hour or more and how well it firmed up before cutting. Thank you!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Margaret! We are so happy to hear that you loved the recipe - what a compliment! Thanks for giving it a try 🙂
Margaret
Oops, just found the garlic! Thanks again. Will let you know how it turns out.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Margaret, I was just about to reply and I saw this comment. I'm so glad you found it. Thank you for trying the recipe. It's one of my favorites. 🙂
Sonya
Hi, I’m assuming that it’s white rice but, if I used brown rice, would I have to make any adjustments to the other ingredients? I wonder if it would be less moist with brown rice?
Margaret
I'm making this now; looks delicious. I wonder, did I overlook the amount of garlic to use? Thanks
Deborah Mickow
I also put my own twist on this. I added more mushrooms and some LightLife vegan ground. I also added ground flax seeds, and hemp hearts & lots of herbs and spices. I added half of the mixture to the loaf pan, add sliced Miyoko's pepper jack cheese and covered the top with the remaining mixture. It was "Delicio'" thanks for the great recipe.
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Deborah! Those sound like delicious additions! Thanks so much for giving it a try 🙂
Kori Ventura
I made this tonight and it was amazing!! I didn't have enough mushrooms and had to use up an impossible burger patty so I incorporated that. I used fresh rosemary, avocado oil, added yeast flakes with a little bit of bread crumbs. Baking the potatoes ahead of time and just mashed them in a bowl with a bit of oatmilk. I bought a package of cooked rice to short cut as well. Our place smelled amazing and the loaf was a hit with the hubs too! Thanks!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Kori! That sounds amazing! We're so happy to hear that you loved the recipe - thank you for trying it out!
Scott C Ausburn
Great taste and texture ; )
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Scott! We're so glad that you liked it, thank you for stopping by! 🙂
NK
Whole family enjoyed...even the mushroom-hater!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi! What a compliment - we are so happy you all loved the recipe! Thanks for trying it out 🙂
Kay
Can I use dried shiitaki mushrooms?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Kay, I haven't tried it, but I believe it should work. I'd love to hear how it turns out if you make it. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Jenn
This looks so delicious but very starchy carb heavy, Do you think I could bump up the amount of mushrooms and reduce the amount of rice and still keep the loafs integrity? Maybe add an extra flax egg? So looking forward to trying this!
Ana Gutierrez Wittmann
Best meatless "meatloaf I ve prepared. ! moist, tasty and nutritous🤩
Melissa Huggins
This is the nicest compliment! Thank you for giving it a try. 🙂
Karin Feltman
i have a question- can this be made into "burger" patties instead of a loaf? just looking for a good burger recipe and i love mushrooms. seems like this might work?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Karen, I haven’t tried it. The patties may be a little soft, but it may work. I do have a great burger recipe that’s made with mushrooms and they have a meaty texture. They hold nicely too. Here’s the link if you want to take a look. https://veganhuggs.com/bean-mushroom-burger/ Thanks for stopping by 😀
therese marcel
This is soooooo good! I omitted the oil because I am wfpb. This is by far the best loaf I ever had! Thanks for sharing it
Melissa Huggins
Such a nice compliment! Thank you so much! 🙂
Marybeth
Is there something that can be used instead of oats?
Allie
How do you make flax eggs,?
Melissa Huggins
You mix together 2 1/2 tablespoons of flaxseed with 6 tablespoons of water. Then set aside for least 10 minutes. It will thicken and gel up slightly.
Jacque
Would like to make this for Christmas. Can I prepare the loaf a day ahead and bake on Christmas day?
Melissa Huggins
Absolutely! After you fill the loaf pan, let it cool and refrigerate. It will take a little longer to cook out of the fridge, but not too much. To heat, cover it with foil for the first 15-20 minutes to prevent burning. Then uncover and cook until heated throughout and the glaze is caramelized. I hope this helps. Have a Merry Christmas! 🙂
Marie
Very delicious!! My hubby and I both loved it! Time consuming, it would be very beneficial to have rice and potato cooked ahead of time, and everything else chopped. But, well worth it. Thank you! I look forward to making again.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Marie, I'm glad you both loved it! Yeah, it's a lot easier to have those ingredients prepared in the fridge. Thank you for giving it a try 🙂