With all the traditional seasonings of the original, this vegan meatless meatloaf with chickpeas, peppers, and onions is big on flavor and topped with a tomato maple glaze. Perfect as the main dish at your next dinner party, this veggie meatloaf is easy enough to pull together for a weeknight meal.
When I was growing up meatloaf was one of those dishes my mom served at least a few times a month. My mom was known in her circle of friends and family to be the best home cook.
When she was in the kitchen she was in her element. Her way of showing others that she cared was to prepare their favorite meals.
My dad loved meatloaf, hence the reason we had it so often. It was also a rather simple dish she could pull together on a weeknight when she got home from teaching.
While my dad was thrilled to find we were having meatloaf for dinner, I wasn’t. I’m pretty sure I was meant to be a vegetarian from birth. Too bad my mom didn’t have a vegetarian meatloaf recipe in her back pocket!
My mom served the meatloaf with ketchup, of course, and usually a side of potatoes, and some green beans. I usually ate a few bites of meatloaf and loaded up on the potatoes and green beans.
Recently, I found an old box of recipe cards my dad had given me when my mom passed away. I hadn’t looked at the recipes for years, most of them not being vegan, but I thought it would be fun to see if I could take one of her old recipes and put my spin on it.
I came across her meatloaf recipe and was taken back to my childhood. This recipe is my take on the traditional meatloaf my mom made, using the same spices, but turning it into a meatless veggie meatloaf.
I make this recipe as the featured dish when I have friends or family over for dinner, but also on weeknights. You can prepare the filling in advance for easy meal prep, and cook it when you’re ready to serve!
Jump to:
- 💗 Why You’ll Love this Vegetarian Meatloaf
- 🥣 Ingredients and Notes
- 🔪 Tools and Equipment
- Meatless Meatloaf Step-by-Step Instructions
- ⚕️The Health Benefits of Meatless Meatloaf
- 👩🏻🍳 How to Serve Veggie Meatloaf
- ❄️ How to Store and Keep
- 📖 Variations and Substitutions
- 💭 Expert Tips
- 😋 Check out these other family favorite recipes!
- Recipe
💗 Why You’ll Love this Vegetarian Meatloaf
- Vegan and Vegetarian friendly
- Gluten-Free
- Dairy-Free
- Sweet homemade tomato maple glaze
- Easy enough for a weeknight meal
- Beautiful enough to serve at a dinner party
- Hearty and comforting
🥣 Ingredients and Notes
- Organic chickpeas rinsed
- Green pepper chopped
- Yellow onion chopped
- Garlic minced
- Fresh parsley
- Tomato paste
- Vegan Worcestershire sauce
- Unflavored almond milk
- Ground flax-The ground flax and water work as a binder and as an egg replacement. It also adds some extra omega-3s and fiber to this dish!
- Water
- Gluten-free breadcrumbs-If you’re not gluten-free feel free to use a different type of breadcrumbs. I like the Panko 100% whole wheat breadcrumbs.
- Salt
- Garlic powder
- Pepper
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Ingredients you’ll need for the glaze:
- Tomato paste
- Pure maple syrup
- Apple cider vinegar
- Vegan Worcestershire sauce
- Soy sauce
🔪 Tools and Equipment
Food Processor-You will need a food processor to make this traditional meatless meatloaf. It is how you’ll quickly be able to combine all the ingredients quickly and easily.
Loaf Pan-I recommend using a 9-cup or larger food processor. Mine is a little smaller, so I had to work in batches because it wouldn’t all fit at one go
Parchment Paper-You’ll also need parchment paper and a loaf pan. Lining your loaf pan with parchment paper is key to removing the loaf from the pan without it falling apart.
Meatless Meatloaf Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
Step 2: The first step is to pulse the chickpeas, green pepper, onion, garlic, parsley, tomato paste, and vegan Worcestershire sauce in a food processor until combined but not until it becomes mushy. You want some texture in it. You may need to work in batches to fit the size of your food processor.
Step 3: Whisk together ground flax and ¼ cup of water in a small bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Step 4: Combine chickpea mixture, flax mixture, breadcrumbs, almond milk, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a large bowl using your hands or a spatula.
Step 5: Pour the mixture into a lined loaf pan. Press mixture down firmly and evenly.
Step 6: Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
Step 7: While the loaf is baking prepare your glaze. Combine tomato paste, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, vegan Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce. Set aside.
Step 8: Remove loaf from oven after 30 minutes. Spread glaze overtop. Bake an additional 25 minutes.
Step 9: Cool in pan for 15 minutes.
Step 10: Remove from the pan by gently lifting the sides of the parchment paper, slice, and serve.
⚕️The Health Benefits of Meatless Meatloaf
The main substitution in this best-ever traditional meatless meatloaf is the chickpeas. Chickpeas make an excellent substitution for animal protein.
They are a rich source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
I stay away from packaged meat substitutes. I know a lot of vegans tend to rely on meat substitutes in the form of textured soy protein.
In addition, the reason I don’t use those substitutions is that they are processed and full of added ingredients. I keep it simple, using whole food plant-based ingredients.
👩🏻🍳 How to Serve Veggie Meatloaf
I like to serve this meatless meatloaf with a side of steamed or oil-free roasted garlic broccoli.
Because know everyone in my house is a fan of broccoli so it’s an easy win. Choose a steamed or roasted veggie of your choice; carrots, green beans, Brussel sprouts, or cauliflower all make excellent accompaniments.
❄️ How to Store and Keep
Refrigerator: Transfer the leftovers to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freeze: Slice the chickpea loaf into individual slices. Wrap in plastic wrap. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Reheat: To warm from frozen, transfer to the refrigerator to defrost overnight. Then heat each slice on a skillet for 2-3 minutes or until warmed through.
📖 Variations and Substitutions
You can play around with the spices in this dish, adding more or less depending on what you like. If you like a bit of a smoky flavor add a tablespoon of paprika. If you like a bit more spice add 1 teaspoon of cayenne.
For a fall/Thanksgiving flavor profile add ½ teaspoon sage, ½ teaspoon thyme, and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg. This makes for an excellent dish to serve around the holidays!
💭 Expert Tips
- Make sure to drain and rinse canned chickpeas well before adding them to the food processor.
- Don’t pulse the chickpeas and vegetable mixture too long. You want some texture and chunks.
- Allow the loaf to sit for a minimum of 15 minutes before pulling it out of the pan. If you have more time allow it to sit a little longer. It will firm up as it cools.
- This tastes great the next day for leftovers.
😋 Check out these other family favorite recipes!
Recipe
Best Ever Traditional Meatless Meatloaf
Ingredients
Meatless Meatloaf
- 2 cans organic chickpeas/garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
- 1 organic green pepper chopped
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup unflavored almond milk or other unflavored dairy free milk
- 2 tablespoon ground flax seeds
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cup gluten free breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ tsp pepper
Tomato Maple Glaze
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce omit if gluten-free
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Whisk together ground flax and ¼ cup of water in a small bowl. Let sit for 15 minutes.
- Drain and rinse chickpeas. Pulse chickpeas, green pepper, onion, garlic, parsley, tomato paste, and vegan Worcestershire sauce in a food processor until combined but not until it becomes mush. You want some texture in it. You may need to work in batches to fit the size of your food processor.
- Combine chickpea mixture, flax mixture, breadcrumbs, almond milk, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a large bowl using your hands or a spatula.
- Pour mixture into lined loaf pan. Press mixture down firmly and evenly.
- Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
- While loaf is baking prepare your glaze. Combine tomato paste, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, vegan Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce (omit for gluten-free version or use coconut aminos as a substitute). Set aside.
- Remove loaf from oven after 30 minutes. Spread glaze overtop. Bake an additional 25 minutes.
- Cool in pan for at least 15 minutes.
- Remove from pan by gently lifting the sides of the parchment paper, slice, and serve.
Video
Notes
- Make sure to drain and rinse canned chickpeas well before adding them to the food processor.
- Don’t pulse the chickpeas and vegetable mixture too long. You want some texture and chunks.
- Allow the loaf to sit for a minimum of 15 minutes before pulling it out of the pan. If you have more time allow to sit a little longer. It will firm up as it cools.
- This tastes great the next day for leftovers.
- If you are gluten-free omit the soy sauce from the glaze.
- Transfer the leftovers to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To freeze the loaf, slice the chickpea loaf into individual slices. Wrap in plastic wrap. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- To reheat from frozen, transfer to the refrigerator to defrost overnight. Then heat each slice on a skillet for 2-3 minutes or until warmed through.
June Marhefka
I’m going to make this with fresh chickpeas instead of canned. How many cups would that equal?
Alison Corey
Hi June,
2 cans of chickpeas is about 30 ounces which is equivalent to 3 3/4 cups. I hope this helps! Enjoy!
Leah Snodgrass MD
I made this on Sunday afternoon. It took quite a bit of time (I had to make my own vegan Worcestershire sauce) but tasted great. I did accidentally add about 2 tbsp red pepper flakes by accident – opened wrong side – pour instead of shake. However, the it gave it great warmth and kick. It did not really hold together like a meatloaf even though I didn’t make it mush in my food processor. But as with so many vegan gluten free foods, one has to move past the looks to the flavor. I liked it. I’ll make it again. And I’ll keep my 2 tbsp of red pepper flakes.
Janine
Awesome and easy recipe. I added some smoked paprika and I’ll play around with some other herbs/spices next time I make it. Lovely with roast vegetables.
Thanks, Alison 👍🏻
jacquie
this looks and sounds great but i don’t have food processor. Do you have a recipe that is similar which doesn’t require one?
thanks.
Janine
Hi Jacquie,
I made it last night and don’t have a food processor. Do you have a NutriBullet or similar? I used that … it was quite time consuming as you can only put a few spoonfuls in at a time, but it does work. Mind you, I’m going to look around for a food processor as I’m sure it will be quicker.
Midge
Great recipe, Alison! This is the third Christmas in a row that I’ve made this, and it’s really yummy! One thing I did differently this time was I mixed the chickpeas, onion, garlic, green bell pepper, parsley, tomato paste, and vegan Worcestershire sauce in a bowl first, and then processed the mixture in 2 batches – about 15 pulses per batch. I found that this method created the best texture for the loaf.
Also, I used tamari in place of soy sauce for the glaze, which kept the dish gluten-free :).
Alison Corey
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for the tips on processing! It’s important to get the right texture! Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!
Denise Clark
I made this without a food processor. I had a ninja bullet and divide the mixture up. I think I overprocessed tne mixture . The overall taste was good. As for the comment about it not tasting like meatloaf, I can say that nothing will taste exactly like meat. The key to eating differently is to find alternative dishes that please your pallate so someone is less likely to stay off their new path. I will be making this again once I get a food processor. It reminded me of the stuffed crab mixture my parents used to get in the crab shells at the grocery store. We are relatively new to eating vegan and are looking for new dishes to try. This is a keeper.
Sarah Ní Mháirtín
Great recipe but it came out really soft and mushy for me ! I followed the instructions exactly. Any tips ?
Alison Corey
Hi Sarah! Thanks for giving this recipe a try. I’m sorry to hear it came out a little mushy. One tip, is to make sure you drain the chickpeas from the can. If you use the added aquafaba from the chickpea can, it will turn out on the soggy side. You could also leave out the almond milk, or use 1/4 cup instead of 1/2 a cup. That will cut down on the overall moisture.
Margo
A good recipe, we use it at least every other week. You can save the chicken pea liquid & use it vs flax if you do not have it. I believe it us 3tbl aquafaba per eggs or flax egg, pls look up to verify..
Alison Corey
I’m so glad to hear that you make this recipe regularly. The aquafaba is a great tip! You are correct, 3 tablespoons of aquafaba is equivalent to 1 egg, so would also be equivalent to one flax egg.
Hunter
The recipe was really easy to make but it turned out a little too wet, even after I left it in the oven for longer than what the recipe calls for. I did line my loaf pan with aluminum foil instead of parchment paper, but other than that I followed the recipe to the letter. Do you have any idea as to why it came out wet and what I could do to prevent that again? Thanks!
Alison Corey
Be sure to drain and rinse the chickpeas well. If you didn’t drain the chickpeas that could cause the loaf to be too wet.
Anandadevi
The loaf was very moist. I used 1 egg instead of the flax though I will try that next time.
I left out the green pepper because unfortunately I don’t digest them well. I put extra garlic and added some portobello mushrooms instead. The loaf was good but needs a bit of pizzazz. Maybe something spicy. More onion or garlic. Not quite certain but will try again. I think kids would definitely like it. Thanks for sharing
Alison Corey
Your additions sound delicious! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe! You can always increase the spice if it needs a little something more. Sometimes I’m a bit conservative on the spice because of the kids!
Toni Miranda
What would you recommend in place of Worcestershire sauce? I know they have vegan varieties but unfortunately they do not have gluten free varieties. Thanks!
Alison Corey
I found one called the Wizard’s Gluten Free Vegan Worcestershire Sauce.If you can’t find that one, I would leave it out or the recipe. It will still be very flavorful.
Sue Williams
Hi Alison, I found this recipe via the Hurry the Food Up website. Looks delicious and I’m going to give it a go – as well as exploring your site in more detail. Just two questions first though:
1. Can I use soy milk instead of almond?
2. I have my own beautiful eggs so is it okay to use them instead of the flax and water? If so, would that be one or two eggs? Or is the recipe better with the flax and water?
I will visit again and leave a star rating once I’ve tried out the meatloaf … might not be immediately because I’m in Oz and we are coming into summer.
Many thanks.
Alison Corey
Hi Sue! Thanks for commenting! I’m glad you were able to find my recipe through Hurry the Food Up! Yes, you can use soy milk instead of almond milk. I would just make sure that it is plain and unflavored. You could also try using eggs. I haven’t used eggs in this recipe before, but it would probably work just fine. I like using the flax egg in this recipe because it adds extra fiber and omega-3s. If you haven’t made a flax egg before, I recommend giving it a try.
Sue Williams
Hi again Alison. We had a cold snap so it was a perfect time to try the meatless meatloaf. I was delighted with the outcome, delicious and good texture. I used 2 eggs because I cannot buy ground flax where I live and it was easier than grinding the seeds, however, I’ll try them in the future. The eggs were quite big and I think one would have been enough. Did you know that the ingredient list for the printed recipe is missing the parsley, apply cider vinegar and soy sauce? The soy isn’t mentioned in the instructions either, so I definitely didn’t use that, nor the parsley because when I got to that in the instructions it was too late for me to go out and gather and I didn’t know how much. With the apple cider vinegar I guessed 1tbsp, which I see was correct when I have revisited the blog list of ingredients. So, next time I’m sure the result will be even better! 🙂
Alison, I’m wondering whether the meatless meatloaf freezes okay? Otherwise, how long will it last in the refrigerator? Many thanks.
Alison Corey
I’m so happy to hear that it turned out well! Thank you for noticing the ingredient omissions in the recipe card! I did an update including those ingredients. Good catch!
TRISHA HAAS
This is amazing! I love all the incredible recipe options on your blog! My kids are kinda picky but I feel like I could sneak this one by.
Alison Corey
Thank you, Trisha! I’m so glad you enjoy my recipes.
Colleen
Wow, this recipe looks wonderful! I’m saving to make alongside a traditional loaf when we have vegan family members for dinner. Thanks for sharing.
Sara Welch
I know what I am having for dinner tonight! This looks like a restaurant worthy dish, indeed!
Dannii
Can you believe that I have never tried meatloaf before. It looks so comforting.
Amy | The Cook Report
This looks so tasty, I love vegetarian alternatives to classic dishes!
Julia
What a tasty recipe and a great meat-free alternative to the classic meatloaf. That glaze is my favorite part 🙂
Erica
Hmmm, my family is definitely not Vegan, but this looks interesting. You have some recipes that I might try. I found your site and since I was browsing I just wanted to take a moment to comment to let you know you had a visitor. Thank you and take care.
Alison Corey
Thanks for stopping by my site and looking through my recipes. My family is not vegan either, but I am. I make recipes that are vegan plant-based but still delicious and approachable for my kids and my husband. I hope you give some of them a try!