FatFree Vegan Kitchen

Simply delicious oil-free vegan recipes

Thanksgiving Meatless Loaf

By 384 Comments
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Privacy Policy.

Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe Share on Facebook

This vegan meatless loaf is so moist and flavorful that you won’t need stuffing or even gravy. It’s gluten-free and soy-free, too!
Thanksgiving Meatless Loaf

This is not your mama’s meatloaf.  This is not even your mama’s seitan loaf, tofu turkey, or nut roast.  It doesn’t taste like meat.  It doesn’t even pretend to have the texture of meat. But if you like savory, Thanksgiving flavors so concentrated that you can just skip the gravy and dressing, you will want to give this recipe a try.

I was inspired by the Comfort Loaf in Robin Robertson’s Vegan on the Cheap*, but instead of using vital wheat gluten, oatmeal, and bread crumbs, I decided to make my meatless loaf gluten- and grain-free.  So it’s brown and slightly crispy on the outside like a traditional meatloaf, but the inside is almost as tender as mashed potatoes, partly because it does, in fact, contain mashed (sweet) potatoes.  The heady flavor and aroma come from the holy quartet of fall herbs–parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme–and believe me, they will have you singing!
Thanksgiving Meatless Loaf

In order to get a crispy crust on all sides of this vegan meatloaf, I formed it into a mound on a baking sheet instead of using a loaf pan. It cooks a little faster this way, and the slightly crunchy sides add a great texture. I don’t recommend baking it in a loaf pan, but if you do, allow for more cooking time.

*If you’re interested in the original recipe, I highly recommend getting a copy of Vegan on the Cheap.

15 Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes

More Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes

I’ve compiled a list of my readers’ favorite Thanksgiving recipes, along with my own favorite main dish, Mushroom Seitan Roast. For even more holiday recipes, please visit my Thanksgiving Recipes page for all of my holiday dishes, from side dishes to desserts.

Thanksgiving Meatless Loaf

Thanksgiving Meatless Loaf
4.26 from 35 votes
Print Pin Add to Recipe Box

Thanksgiving Meatless Loaf

Gluten Free
Nut Free
Soy Free
Sugar Free
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings 8
Author Susan Voisin

Ingredients

  • 1 medium sweet potato
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 ribs celery
  • 1 medium carrot
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 15- ounce can cannellini beans or other white beans drained and rinsed
  • 14 ounces extra-firm tofu or an additional can of white beans
  • 2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon spicy brown or whole-grain prepared mustard
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
  • 1/2 tablespoon rubbed sage
  • 1 tablespoon thyme leaf
  • 1/2 tablespoon dried rosemary crushed
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts optional
  • 3/4 cup quinoa flakes or quick oatmeal

Instructions

  • Wash a medium sweet potato (about 7 ounces), pierce it several times with a fork, wrap it in a paper towel, and microwave until done, 4-5 minutes. (Alternately, bake or steam the sweet potato.) Allow to cool enough to handle and then peel and set aside.
  • Mince the onion, celery, and carrot. You can do this quickly by cutting each vegetable in quarters and then pulsing in a food processor until finely chopped.
  • Heat a large, non-stick skillet. Add the minced vegetables, including garlic, and cook, stirring regularly, until they become tender, about 6-10 minutes. Add water by the teaspoon if necessary to keep the vegetables from sticking or becoming dry. Once they’re softened, add the drained beans and mash them lightly with a slotted spoon or spatula.
  • Place the peeled sweet potato into the food processor along with the tofu, soy sauce, and all seasonings, including nutritional yeast. Process until fairly smooth. Add the walnuts and pulse a few more times. Scrape the tofu mixture into a large mixing bowl and add the quinoa flakes and the cooked vegetables. Stir well.
  • Preheat oven to 375F. If you have a silicone baking mat (recommended) place it on a baking sheet. Otherwise line the baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with non-stick spray. Spoon the tofu mixture onto the prepared baking surface, using dampened hands to shape it into an oblong or oval loaf about 2 1/2 inches high. Bake for 25 minutes or until the top is evenly browned. Loosely cover with aluminum foil and cook for 20 more minutes. Check to make sure that the center is firm; if not, give it a little extra time. (You can also remove the foil and cook for 5 more minutes for a crunchier crust.) Remove from oven and allow to stand for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
  • Serving Suggestion: Serve alone or with Mushroom Gravy on the side.

Notes

Without walnuts: 266 calories, 32 calories from fat, 4g total fat.
Nutrition Facts
Thanksgiving Meatless Loaf
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 315 Calories from Fat 79
% Daily Value*
Fat 8.8g14%
Sodium 683mg30%
Carbohydrates 43g14%
Fiber 10g42%
Sugar 3.8g4%
Protein 19g38%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutritional info is approximate.

Have you made this recipe?Mention @SusanFFVK and tag #fatfreevegankitchen in your photos on Instagram.
Share on Facebook Pin This Recipe
Please Pin and share!
This vegan loaf is so moist and flavorful that you won't need stuffing or even gravy. It's gluten-free and soy-free, too!

Sign up for our newsletter for updates on recipes and more!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mary

    I have made this meatless loaf so many times in the last few months. People who are not vegan all love this, and I can eat it endlessly. It even makes good sandwiches as left overs ( if there are any!)
    Thanks!!

    Reply

  2. Usha

    I am planning to make this…small question…is rolled oats ok instant of quick? Or will that stick out too much in texture in the meatloaf? If so, I was thinking of pulsing it in the food processor to break it up a bit. I have a giant Costco bag of the stuff, so reluctant to get more, esp. the sort I don’t usually eat… Your advice would be much appreciated!

    Reply

        • Usha

          Ok…so here’s my review. It was truly delicious (and healthy…because I knew exactly what went into it!). I did keep it in the oven longer…but it never felt quite done enough to cut neatly. However, it was a learning attempt, and I’m thinking next time…add some more oats, maybe even roasting them a little first? Also, I would love to know what kind of tofu you use (I used the firm one from Costco…by House Foods). The Mushroom Gravy was gorg…wouldn’t change a thing…who knew gravy could be that good without butter or milk? Thanks Susan!

          Reply

  3. shannon calvert

    Hi, I am wondering if you have ever frozen this loaf and how it compares to freshly made. Also how you reheated it. Thanks

    Reply

  5. suzanne gariepy

    Your vegan recipes look wonderful!!! I look so forward to try your recipes for Thanksgiving and Christmas! I’m allergic to wheat, dairy, gluten… who knows what else… I’m more sensitive to a lot of foods as I’m older now. Plus I’m a diabetic. Type 2. Thank you for sharing your recipe! 🙂
    Suzanne Gariepy

    Reply

  6. Shellie

    Hi. I made this last night as a test before next week’s Thanksgiving dinner. I know I don’t have the best oven in the world and had to do some turning of the pan halfway through, but the outside ends were much browner, the center mushy, the entire bottom burned, and all the insides, even the ends, are like a pate’. You can’t slice it like meatloaf. It just falls apart. I followed the directions to a ‘T’ with no substitutions, so I’m not sure what happened. We are still having what I cooked (but not for Thanksgiving). It is flavorful, and my husband had it in a bowl with ketchup last night, but as of today it’s a spread on the Ezekial tortillas. I was so frustrated after all the work involved.

    Reply

  8. Pam

    Hi Susan,
    When you say “sweet potato”, I assume you don’t mean a yam. I’ll look for a sweet potato at the supermarket, but sometimes they don’t have them. Would it work with a yam instead?
    Is it okay to make it a day or two beforehand and reheat it?
    Thanks,
    Pam

    Reply

    • Susan Voisin

      Hi Pam,

      There is so much confusion over the terms “sweet potato” and “yam.” To be completely accurate, there are almost never any true yams in American grocery stores, outside of those that specialize in African and Asian produce. True yams are larger and look and taste nothing like what we Americans think of as a yam. So it’s sweet potatoes that we mean, though sometimes they are mislabeled as yams. Anyway, it’s the orange-fleshed, sweet-tasting tuber that I mean, whatever you call it. 🙂

      This casserole is perfect to make ahead and reheat or to assemble ahead of time and then bake right before serving.

      Reply

  9. Jack

    My wife and I made this last year for Thanksgiving and it was excellent! But now we are reading over the recipe and we are confused about the tofu. Is it the water packed tofu rather than silken tofu. We think we used silken tofu last year with still excellent results but when we read the comments, it sounds as if we were suppose to use water packed tofu. Which is it? (Or maybe we are remembering wrong too.) Thanks!

    We cannot say enough about how much we liked this recipe last year. As new vegans, it made our Thanksgiving much better.

    Reply

  11. moomoo

    I made this with substitutions to make do with what I had on hand and it is delicious! Crispy crust but still somewhat paté-like inside. After reading the comments I suspect this in part because I added a small baby beet, my veggies may have added up to slightly more volume than in the recipe, and perhaps I over-processed the veggies (they were minced quite small).

    I used Whole Foods extra-firm tofu and am glad I gently pressed it. I also used rolled oats gently processed in food processor to make “quick oats” instead of quinoa and before baking wondered if the mix could use more oats. So next time I would just add a few more oats.

    The flavor is awesome (I used fresh thyme and oregano, as well as extra garlic and a little cayenne to taste). I might cut the salt in half as my tamari is very, very salty. I cannot imagine eating the loaf with gravy as the flavors really popped and stood on their own. The beet gave it a reddish color that some might feel approximates meat (or corned beef) a little too well, but since the loaf tastes great I would use it again next time!

    Reply

  12. Amber

    I would like to bake this in muffin tins for easier serving at an office party. What cooking time would you recommend?

    Thanks! 🙂

    Reply

    • Susan Voisin

      Haven’t done it, so this is just a guess: Cover them with foil and cook for 20 minutes. Start checking every 5 minutes to see if they are hot and firm in the centers. Then remove the foil and give them a couple more minutes if necessary to get a little crispy.

      Reply

  13. Uli

    hi susan,

    we’re celebrating thanksgiving on the 8th of december as our schedules wouldn’t allow, here in germany, one german, one american and one irish… so we wanted the make this loaf, and my question is: can i replace the quinoa flakes with millet flakes? (it needs to be gluten-free) i don’t know if i can get quinoa flakes here, will have to search for it.

    thanks for your help and thanks for these fabulous recipes!
    uli

    Reply

  15. Emma Hobbs

    Hi! My name is Emma and I’m a Gluten Free and Vegan cook, culinary student, and baker! I absolutely loved this loaf and made a version of this and another soy free version for Thanksgiving. I wanted to feature the adapted version on my new blog but of course wanted to get your permission first!

    Thanks and talk to you soon!

    Emma

    Reply

  16. Tom

    This is such an amazing recipe. I have made it every year since Susan created it. So tasty and again in 2013 its DELICIOUS!!!!! I just love it. I put a mushroom gravy on it and I just love it. Thanks Susan. YOU ROCK!!! 🙂

    Reply

  17. M. Brown

    Two questions. One, do you think I could make meatballs from this or would they be too small to hold their shape? And two, I often freeze firm tofu. I find it changes the texture to a “meatier” feel and it crumbles nicely for chilis and sloppy joes (to better hide it from the hubby). Would that work in this or does the tofu need to be smooth?

    Reply

    • Susan Voisin

      The tofu is helping hold this together, so my suspicion is that frozen tofu wouldn’t hold together as well. On the other hand, it might make it have a chewier texture, but the only way to know is to experiment. As for meatballs, again, I’ve never tried, but I don’t see why not. This is a very moist loaf, though, so the texture might not be what you’re looking for.

      Reply

  19. Kate

    I made your Thanksgiving Meatless Loaf for my son for Thanksgiving. He is a gluten free vegan. I made two and brought them along for him. Now, mine did not look exactly like yours (he ate them straight from the pan), but he loved it and ate both. He said it was completely delicious. Thank you so much!

    Reply

  20. C Smith

    I am fairly new to this vegan world. My wife and daughter are vegan and I have recently gone vegetarian(baby steps) to be supportive. I was extremely dissapointed in this recipe for one reason only. It didn’t make enough!!!!! OMG this recipe is litterally to die for. The taste is absolutely amazing. I am currently making a double batch now for Mother’s Day at my wife’s request. The double batch is so I can feast on this all week. It did take some extra time as we have also turned to a local, natural, organic, gluten free family, thus I had to soak the beans. Being as I am the cook in the family, I have become frustrated with many recipes (not from this site) that have taken considerable time to prepare, only to disappoint. It could be because I’m a bit of a perfectionist in the kitchen. Regardless of my faults, THANK YOU. This is an absolute must try for everyone.
    Keep up the great work on the recipes and I look forward to reading/preparing more of them.

    Reply

  23. Melissa

    I’m thinking of making it today, putting in the fridge, and then baking tomorrow right before Thanksgiving dinner. Do you think this would work?

    Reply

  24. Carolyn

    Making this for my first thanksgiving as a vegan, when doing the minced veggies in non stick pan, do you use any oil or just water?

    Reply

  25. MT

    Dear Susan. Thank you for this recipe. I tried it out today and it tasted very good. One thing however, it did not set for me. Even baking extra time, the loaf remained mushy inside (the crust did form but the inside did not firm). So it became more spreadable than sliceable. What did I do wrong? I checked all the ingredients and I don’t think I missed anything. I would like to try to make it again, but I would like it to be sliceable like in your picture. Any clues as to what went wrong for me?

    Reply

  26. Holly

    I made this for my first gluten free Thanksgiving this year. It was absolutely delicious! (even though I accidentally left out the tomato paste). I made the mushroom gravy as well as the always popular green bean casserole. I made the green bean casserole gluten free by drying onions in the oven a day in advance. It worked out great. Thank you so much for your amazing recipes.

    Reply

  27. Laura

    Hi Susan,

    I also had the same problem as MT. Nice and crispy outside but near the middle most part of the loaf it didn’t set all the way. Still delicious though but wondering why this happened.

    Reply

  28. Josephine

    Dear Susan,

    thank you so much for this wonderful recipe!

    I made my entire family a vegan christmas dinner and as part of that I made this loaf. The years before my family didn’t really care about me eating vegan and believe it or not, left me eating mashed potatoes with nothing on the side. Obviously I took matters in to my own hands and look at your recipes for inspiration. I pretty much followed your recipe even though I did modify it a bit and added 7 tbsp of white wine, which I can highly recommend!

    Thank you!

    Josie

    Reply

    • Josephine

      Oh… I made the loaf a day early because I’ve learned this helps to set it and hold it together when served…

      Reply

      • New Vegetarian

        Hi, thanks Susan for your response. I didn’t see it until after I tried it out. I cooked it half the first day and half the second day and it was fabulous! Even my long time vegetarian friends asked for the recipe! I feel like this was an absolute success, thank you!

        Reply

  31. Terran

    Hello,

    I tried this recipe and let me tell you it was fantastic! I had mad a nut loaf prior to finding this recipe and it didn’t turn out so well. I’m so glad I came across yours. When allowed to sit and sliced it surprisingly sits up well like a meat based meatloaf and it has the appearance of a meat based meatloaf. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  34. Belinda

    I made this last night and it was AMAZING! Even my carnivorous daughter loved it and had seconds. I used oats instead of the quinoa flakes and it was fine. Walnuts added a great texture. Next time I’m going to add chopped mushrooms and saute these when the other veggies are almost done. Think it will add another nice texture and depth of flavor, plus it will be good with the mushroom gravy. Oh, so yummy. Thanks for another great recipe!

    Reply

  35. Mindy

    Hi, I made this yesterday and it was very tasty, but I noticed that the baking time says 65 minutes, but the instructions say 25 uncovered plus 20 covered, so there are 20 minute missing.

    Reply

  39. Jobina

    Made this and although wonderful flavor it did not set up at all and was a pan full of mush. I followed the exact directions. And I used oats instead of qinuoa flakes. If I could figure out how to get it to set up it would be our new loaf of choice. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks.

    Reply

  40. Genie

    YUMMMM! Thank you for making a meatless loaf that is also g-free! Most I have found use seitan or wheat gluten, and since I have recently become intolerant, this will be great to try.

    Can you use cooked quinoa for the flakes? Just curious.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.