These vegan hot dogs have a better flavor than packaged frankfurters and a lot less fat and calories. Soy-free, low in sodium, and free of added sugar.
Af few weeks ago, my family had a craving for hot dogs, and having heard so much about Field Roast Frankfurters*, I decided to give them a try.
When I found them in the store and took a look at the package, it took a few minutes to get over my sticker shock, not at the price but at the nutritional stats. Each hot dog clocked in at 180 calories and 8 grams of fat. The ingredients list included “expeller pressed safflower oil” and “organic expeller pressed palm fruit oil,” ingredients I normally try to avoid.
Still, I had promised my family gourmet hot dogs and I figured I could practice self-discipline and eat just one, so I bought them and brought them home. Huge mistake! Not because they were bad but because they were so freaking good that my vow to eat only one vanished after one bite, and the only thing saving me from complete gluttony was the fact that there were only 6 frankfurters in the package.
I’d like to say that I’ll never buy them again, but Field Roast dogs basically ruined my family for other packaged hot dogs. More like a sausage than other veggie dogs, they had a great flavor as well as texture.
Fortunately, we don’t eat hot dogs or other packaged food often, so it’s not that big of a temptation, but I have to say that I’ve been practically haunted by the memory of them ever since we had them. And then I realized that I didn’t have to give in to temptation or give up on hot dogs–I could make them myself.
So I decided to make my own hot dogs for our 4th of July cookout. I started with my Italian Sausage recipe and added onion and seasonings such as coriander and mace to make them more “frankfurtery.” And instead of all the oil in those packaged dogs, I used pinto beans, with flax and rolled oats to absorb moisture and keep them tender.
They were a huge hit with my family. My daughter, who has grown cautious with my cooking experiments, said she forgot that they were homemade until she was halfway through her first dog and then marveled several times at how good they were. And I had a hard time keeping my husband from eating them all before I could take photos.
They definitely lived up to my memory of the Field Roast version, even with about 40% fewer calories and 83% less fat. They’re soy-free (if you use coconut aminos), low in sodium, and added sugar-free.
I wish I could say they were gluten-free for my gluten-free readers, but as someone who has no trouble with gluten, I like to indulge now and then. If you’re up for experimenting, you could probably take my Beany Breakfast Sausages, change the seasoning, and shape them to fit a gluten-free hot dog bun.
Homemade Veggie Dogs
Ingredients
- 1/2 medium onion coarsely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3/4 cup cooked pinto beans well-drained
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons coconut aminos or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon white or black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
- 1/4 teaspoon mace
- 1/8 teaspoon hickory smoked salt optional but good
- 1 cup vital wheat gluten
- 1/3 cup oatmeal rolled or quick oats, uncooked
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
Instructions
- Put the onion and garlic into a food processor and pulse to chop finely. Heat a small non-stick skillet. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Transfer onion mixture back to food processor.
- Add the pinto beans, water, coconut aminos or soy sauce, tomato paste, and all seasonings to the food processor. Blend until it’s a thin paste.
- Combine remaining ingredients (gluten, oatmeal, yeast, and flax) in a large mixing bowl. Add the contents of the food processor and stir until combined. If it seems that there’s not enough moisture, add another tablespoon or two of water. Knead in the bowl for about two minutes until a heavy gluten “dough” is formed.
- Cut off 8 pieces of aluminum foil or parchment paper, each about 6 inches long. Divide the gluten into 8 equal pieces. Place a piece of foil or parchment on the counter. Roll a piece of gluten between the palms of your hands until it’s about the size and shape of a hot dog. Place it on the foil/paper and roll up. Roll the tube back and forth, pressing lightly with your hands, to give it an even shape, and then twist the ends closed. Repeat with the remaining gluten to form 8 veggie hot dogs.
- Set up a steamer in a pot and add enough water to come just below the bottom of the steamer. Begin heating the water. Place all the veggie dogs in the steamer, cover, and steam for 45 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before unwrapping. Store the veggie dogs in a covered container in the refrigerator. Warm gently in a frying pan or microwave or on a grill before serving.
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
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Happy eating!
*I have no affiliation with Field Roast or its Frankfurters.
Kristin
September 25, 2014 at 2:00 amWhere do i get vital wheat gluten? Anything that i could use as a substitute?
Susan Voisin
September 25, 2014 at 7:15 amWhole Foods or any natural food store should have it. There is no good substitute.
Ellen Lederman
October 5, 2014 at 8:24 pmTHANK YOU! How did I miss this for July Fourth—-I could have been eating hot dogs like the rest of the US! Well okay, not like the rest of the US—cruelty-free and healthy. But hot dogs nonetheless.
These are fabulous! Delicious. And they really held together. Served it with pickle relish, baked sweet potato fries, and sweet and sour red cabbage slaw. (Dessert was your brownies.)
We had leftover black beans, so used them. Next time will use pinto beans. But thanks to the paprika, it’s not like they were pitch black. Still a reddishy color. Looked like the real thing.
Froze the leftovers. Will put a few as a garnish on your lentil soup. I think that would really go together.
Thanks for all the great recipes and sharing your genius with us.
LondonNewf
October 10, 2014 at 4:04 amHi Susan!
I am gluten free and I miss vegan hot dogs! Is there anything you could suggest as an alternative for the vital wheat gluten in this recipe that might have a similar texture?
Thanks kindly,
Lisa
Susan Voisin
October 10, 2014 at 7:28 amIt’s really hard to replace the texture that gluten gives, but you might try chickpea flour. Check the comments above to see if anyone has successfully made this recipe gluten-free. Good luck!
Julia
November 11, 2014 at 6:31 pmI made these yesterday … They were amazing !!!!
Caroline
November 18, 2014 at 3:16 pmCan these be frozen? I live on my own and try to make enough for a few meals and freeze half so I have some when I don’t want/feel like cooking. Would it be possible for you to put if something is suitable for freezing somewhere in the recipe?
Thank you 🙂
Susan Voisin
November 18, 2014 at 3:37 pmThese will freeze just fine. I’ll try to remember to include that in future recipes.
Zig
November 18, 2014 at 4:42 pmThank you!!!
Janet Paula
November 23, 2014 at 7:35 amI really want to make this recipe. But, can you give me an alternative for your vital wheat gluten. Thanks.
Casey
December 2, 2014 at 7:45 pmHave made this twice and they are OFF THE HOOK! Great flavor and texture- these will become a go-to for sure. Thank you for bringing brownies and sausage back to my table!
Laura Weiss
January 18, 2015 at 6:56 pmI followed this recipe exactly. I made sure I had EVERY ingredient.
YUK! It tasted very blaaaa … needed some kind of flavor.. (hard to believe with ALL these ingredients) needed salt.. maybe more Aminos… MUSH!! YUK!
lea
January 19, 2015 at 7:50 pmAfter not being able to find any Field Roast products, I found out today that they are no longer allowed to be sold in Canada (they apparently don’t meat (HA!) our standards…). Funny how your recipe appeared … I am waiting for my steamer to heat up as I type…. Just wondering (perhaps too late for this batch) if the oats are to be left whole in the mix or should they have been chopped up in the food processor first???
Susan Voisin
January 19, 2015 at 7:55 pmI just used them straight out of the box. These are rolled oats, not steel-cut, so they cook as the veggie dogs cook. Hope you enjoy them! Please let me know what you think.
lea
January 20, 2015 at 12:02 pmThank you. That’s what I did, however the dogs came out really dense and chewy and the outside is kinda wrinkly like pepperoni. I am thinking that perhaps they were in the steamer too long… Or is it possible to work the dough too much that it toughens the end product?? …..
Susan Voisin
January 20, 2015 at 12:56 pmI think over cooking is more likely than overworking the dough. If you try them again, you could try decreasing the time but also increasing the liquid a little.
Anne Neff
February 15, 2015 at 8:21 amDear Susan,
I want to thank you for your recipes. The hotdog was one of the first I tried. It is one I triple and freeze. My hubby is so thankful. I am going to try next making the sausage.
Bravo and keep those great recipes coming. Have a great weekend!
Jessica
March 5, 2015 at 4:22 pmI am so happy to have found this recipe! And I’ve loved all your other recipes that I’ve tried, too! Thanks so much! I’ve been looking for a tofu-less veggie dog but haven’t been brave enough to invent one myself:)
Chicago Dean
March 8, 2015 at 9:28 amBeing from Chicago I just want you to Know nobody should put ketchup on a hotdog,over the age of 5.Just like dirty Harry said nobody puts ketchup on a hotdog.
Chicago Dean
March 8, 2015 at 9:29 amHa Ha… Thanks for the recipe and have a great day.
Susan Voisin
March 8, 2015 at 12:11 pmHa! What would be the point, then? To me, hot dogs are just a ketchup-mustard-relish delivery system! 😉
Donna
March 30, 2015 at 4:14 pmYour directions don’t make sence! I don’t understand how you roll the gluten up but what about the filling?
Susan Voisin
March 30, 2015 at 4:20 pmI’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean by the “filling.”
Kim Winson
April 5, 2015 at 5:54 pmOMG, thank you again for another fabulous recipe! This is the first vegan DIY recipe that a) I’ve loved and b) didn’t fall apart! I’ve been trying to find an alternative to Boca breakfast links/Morningstart breakfast patties as there’s some whey in those. I used black eyed peas instead of the pinto beans, add salt to taste, and used homemade sodium free veggie broth instead of the water. Thank you again!!! (And I love that the recipe makes 8!)
Kristin
April 20, 2015 at 6:26 amI’m feeling very lucky this morning! The first time I stumble along this blog and I find THIS recipe!! I have some of the Field Roast dogs sitting in my freezer but always feel guilty for eating them. I cannot wait to try to make these!! Thank you!
Laura
May 14, 2015 at 6:02 pmI made these sausages with 2/3 cup of psyllium husks as a substitute for the vital wheat gluten and they worked out really well. I’m thinking it would be good even to use less psyllium husk than that. I haven’t played around with it, though. My kids (all 5, ages 10-2.5) and husband all liked the gluten free version better than the regular version. I made both versions just so they could compare the taste. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
moonwatcher
May 14, 2015 at 9:58 pmWhat an ingenious idea, Laura! I have used psyllium husks in dehydrator zucchini bread and I can totally see how this would work. But I never would have thought of it myself. Thanks!
Jem
June 19, 2015 at 12:47 pmHi Susan. I’m going to try this. I love hot dogs but haven’t had any since I became a vegan a year ago — the processed veggie dogs just have too much fat and too much other junk! I don’t have a steamer though, other than a rice cooker. Would that work using the ‘steamer insert’ in the top? Better yet, would a pressure cooker work? Have you tried that?
Thank you….your blog has been instrumental in keeping me a faithful vegan!
Jill
June 25, 2015 at 9:19 pmSusan: I finally got around to making these hot dogs tonight. It was so fun to have hot dogs for dinner. We loved them. Thanks for developing the recipe.
Amy
July 1, 2015 at 10:12 pmFantastic recipe! I had to adjust due to soy allergic children (added 2 tbsp water, 2 tsp salt, another tbsp nutritional yeast, and 2 tbsp tahinni). My children were devastated when Field Roast couldn’t sell in Canada anymore, but they say your recipe is WAY better. Healthier too! Thanks so much, made our day.
Airyfairycelt
July 2, 2015 at 6:56 pmI am so glad that you are up, pottering about, and doing well, moving forward with ideas forpottering about with. The love and support you receive is more than heartening.
I love your recipe and will be giving those a try out as I love a burger with salads, or the sausages with a good rice dish or some such.
A happy time then for you Americans, happy July 4th and I hope you have a bit if a gathering for your celebrations. I see parties put on at the drop of a hat there so happy days then!
Kristin
July 4, 2015 at 8:06 amI know this post is from a year ago, but I stumbled upon your website about a month ago, and just made these last night and they were FANTASTIC! Not quite the same consistency as the Field Roast ones, but for so many fewer fat and calories they were pretty darn close! I ate 2 already and since today is July 4th, I’ll probably be eating more today as well!!!
Alexandra
July 4, 2015 at 1:51 pmTo avoid the trouble of wrapping the hotdogs, I put 4 of the dogs in a corningware dish with space between, and put a sheet of parchment over, and then placed the rest of the hotdogs in the dish. I put the covered corningware dish on top of a trivet in a steambath. They didn’t stick together and it just seemed easier than cutting the parchment paper and rolling the dogs inside.
Thanks Susan for this recipe
Lorraine
July 10, 2015 at 2:00 pmThis is awesome. I found this looking for a substitute for the field roast so I can make my own version of Kim and Scott’s pretzel dogs.
Josie
July 23, 2015 at 1:34 pmLast 4th of July I made your hot dog recipe and they where great. But I had to make a couple substitutions. I am gluten intolerance so I used brown rice flour with 2 tsps. xanthan gum. Also I reached for the pinto beans just in time to see my husband put the last of the pinto beans into the baked beans he was making. So I used kidney beans. The dogs where great and my husband keeps hinting that I need to make more. Thanks for the recipe.
jo gardner
August 18, 2015 at 8:36 pmI’ve been struggling to find ingredients on your site and in health stores etc where I live. I’ve not heard of most of the names for things. so after struggling for 8 months now I’ve gotten bad headaches, stomach pains, dizziness, insomnia etc etc. so far being a veggie is really hard. the thought of going back to meat makes me nauseous so that’s out of the question. I really need some help on how to do this the right way.
Gwen
September 5, 2015 at 7:50 amI was excited to find this recipe until I came to the vital wheat gluten. Are there any substitutions that could be made?
jenny
May 13, 2018 at 10:24 amBrown rice flour with xanthan gum
Pat
September 5, 2015 at 10:06 amSusan, I want to order something from Amazon and I can’t find your spot where it says to click here so you can get a commission. Do you still have that?
Susan Voisin
September 5, 2015 at 10:12 amOops, I must have removed the link! Thanks for wanting to buy through my site, Pat. I’ll try to return the link to the sidebar, but in the meantime, you can click this long one: http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&tag=fatfreevegank-20 I appreciate your support!
Anne
September 6, 2015 at 8:20 pmI am making these now. I am not an experienced steamer. I put them on the steam setting in the “Insta Pot” but wonder if the 45 minutes is still correct for that appliance. Thanks!
Susan Voisin
September 6, 2015 at 8:45 pmIf it’s steaming under pressure, then I think you will need less time, but I haven’t tried it in the Instant Pot. My best guess is 15 minutes.
Anne
September 6, 2015 at 10:48 pmThank you. How thoughtful of you to get back to me so soon. These were delicious. I wasn’t sure how much pressure they would be under and I spent too much time looking on various sights to figure it out so they ended up on steam for 45 minutes. What happens if they are overcooked? They probably will have a better texture at a shorter time but they’re not bad at all. Next time I’ll put the steamer basket in a regular pot and see. In the mean time I’ll have no problem eating these up. Again, thank you! My first hot dog in 4 years.
Paulette
September 7, 2015 at 2:34 pmI am making these tonight but I onky have a microwave steamer. Any idea how long I would steam them using the parchment paper? Guess I could steam them in the oven on a wire rack over a baking dish also.
Jan Roy
September 22, 2015 at 2:40 pmI’ve been wanting to try these for a while and finally did it!
They were fun to make and tasted delicious.
I plan to make them again very soon!
Thank you so much!!
Peter Nichol
September 25, 2015 at 4:51 pmI have never come across a hot dog stall in New Zealand. Oh know sorry I did years ago at a farmers market. I did not like it at all. But I have made your veggie one and I have say 10 out of 10 for them. I’m really a big meat eater but I have say a big yummy yummy to your reciepe
Cheers from New Zealand
Allison
October 14, 2015 at 7:25 pmMy husband and 10-year-old son loved these! Thank you for helping us with our Field Roast addiction….they are SO damn good but totally unhealthy! Glad we have a healthy replacement!
Meagan King
October 14, 2015 at 8:20 pmHow would these fare in a campfire? Like, would they hold up on a hanger stick over a fire or should I just heat them up in some foil or a propane grill or something? I’m a new vegan and I made these tonight to take on a camping trip tomorrow!
Susan Voisin
October 14, 2015 at 9:33 pmThey’re very sturdy and should hold up fine on a hanger. Hope you have a great trip!
Janine
October 15, 2015 at 6:43 pmHad to send a big thanks for this recipe. My husband and I also ate a Field Roast dog once in a while. The knowledge that it had oil in it detracted from our enjoyment. I made this recipe today and it was excellent. Followed directions to a T and reaped the reward. Husband gave it two thumbs up. So pleased to have a hot dog in my recipe box. Thank you for all your work in helping us to be happier and healthier 🙂
Janine
October 27, 2015 at 4:18 pmAmazing recipe. No changes m made. I’ve made twice and will be teaching people to make these in my plant based cooking class! Thanks
Cindy Ross
November 18, 2015 at 12:59 pmI substituted the vital wheat gluten with garbanzo bean flour as suggested by a reader. It didn’t work. It just made a big glob of paste that was useless when trying to mold into a dog shape. 🙁
Sophie
December 5, 2015 at 4:10 pmThese are awesome – thank you so much.
Lisa
January 18, 2016 at 7:49 pmThis is by far the best veggie dog I’ve tasted and that includes store bought. Even better than Tofurky – I enjoy the Tofurky brand however their dogs are so full of fat – this recipe is a keeper and I can’t believe it actually turned out well for me. I would say there are many flavour combos that you could make with this!! Thanks again!
Jenny
April 3, 2016 at 8:18 amThese Veggie Dogs and your Spinach Lasagna are two of my all time favorite recipes. My family LOVES these dogs . My husband and I both think they taste even better than the real things. Thanks so much for being a food goddess!
tenchis
May 1, 2016 at 12:24 pmSusan, muchas gracias por tu receta, deliciosas las salchichas, saludos desde Monterrey, México