It’s fully fall. Time for soups, stews, hearty casseroles, and even… planning for the holidays!
I know, that sounds early, but we have Canadian Thanksgiving in October, and soon after we are in the swing of holiday season. We need recipes we can rely on for the holidays – and recipes that are relatively easy!
This year I made my Autumn Dinner Loaf for our Thanksgiving dinner, and paired it with kale salad, mashed potatoes, and vegan gravy.
I recorded a video making this recipe, so you can watch it and see just how easy it is!
So today I’m sharing a vegan meatloaf recipe that I know you’ll enjoy. Many of you already know and love the No-Fu Loaf from LTEV.
This Autumn Dinner Loaf from Plant-Powered Families is also sensational. Quite different from the no-fu loaf, as it’s made with a base of grains, almonds, and vegetables rather than the lentil base of No-fu.
This vegan meatloaf is also especially easy to make! So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed with holiday cooking but still want a special main, this is your recipe. Seriously. Everything into the food processor, then into the oven. Done!
And, if you’re feeling a little more adventurous with holiday cooking and want to build a full menu around this vegan meatloaf, hop over to this post for inspiration.
Please let me know how you enjoy the recipe! x Dreena
Autumn Dinner Loaf
Ingredients
- 2 cups carrot sliced
- 2/3 cup whole raw almonds
- 1/2 cup sliced green onion
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 1/4 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary or 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground dried sage
- 1 medium-large clove garlic
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 lightly packed cups cooked and cooled brown rice
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp rolled oats
Topping Options (see note)
BBQ Topping:
- 21/2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
- 1 - 2 tablespoons rolled oats
Dry Topping:
- 2 tablespoons almond meal
- 1 tablespoon rolled oats
- Pinch of sea salt
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly wipe a glass loaf pan with a smidgen of oil. Line the bottom of the pan with a strip of parchment paper (place it in so it hangs over the short ends of the pan; this helps for easier removal of the veggie loaf from the pan). In a food processor, add the carrots, almonds, green onions, nutritional yeast, Dijon mustard, sea salt, rosemary, sage, garlic, and lemon juice. Process until the mixture smooths out and starts to become sticky, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the rice and puree. At this point the mixture should be sticky enough to hold slightly when pressed. Add the oats and process through. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and evenly distribute. If using the BBQ topping, spread the sauce over the top of the loaf, and then sprinkle on the oats. If using the dry topping, combine the almond meal, oats, and salt in a small bowl, and then sprinkle over the loaf. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 33–35 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 5–7 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for about 5 minutes, then slice and serve.
photos by Nicole Axworthy
This post was originally published in September 2017 and updated with a video tutorial for 2020.
Alison
Hi Dreena! Is there a way to eliminate the nuts all together? I know of your other nofu loaf but this sounds particularly interesting and yummy! Is there any way to substitute it for something else?
Dreena
Hi Alison, for a nut allergy? In the video I mention some substitutions – mix of pumpkin seed and sunflower would be a good option.
Jcb
Can one use cooked frozen brown rice as is? Or should you heat per directions or simply thaw?
Dreena
Hi, I missed your question. No need to heat the rice, just thaw. I do find thawed rice can be watery, however. So you may want to use a touch less rice and make up for the difference with oats (maybe 1/3 cup).
Mary
Hello, I’m very interested in trying this for Thanksgiving but am curious if it is “mushy/gooey” inside after it bakes? I have a major issue with textures and most of the plant based “meat” loafs and burgers are usually mushy.
Dreena
Hi Mary, it’s a softer loaf, and I intended it to be that way. If you want a firmer set, you can add in more oats, and also can try baking longer at a lower temperature. Finally, you might consider the no-fu loaf in this post: http://bit.ly/veganmains Hope you enjoy!
Kristen Gadson
Just made this! The flavor was great but the texture was not. I used a high-powered blender so maybe I need to use a food processor? I was wondering about adding an egg to help bind as it didn’t really stick together or maybe sauteing the carrots to make them softer? But that may be because It couldn’t blend well in my blender. Really looking forward to trying this again in the food processor! Thanks
Dreena
Hi Kristen, thanks for the note, glad you enjoyed the flavor profile. Yes, the blender will give a different result for sure. It tends to make the mixture sticky before fully incorporating the components. Try again with a processor, and see how that works for you. You can also bake a little longer and reduce the heat slightly to dry the loaf a touch more if you still find the texture slightly soft for you. Good luck.
Amanda Larsen
Dreena, we are thrilled to say we purchased your ppf book back in February and have loved it! This is our new favorite “leaf loaf” as my kids call it, ha ha.
One thing we used to love doing was baking a meat loaf in a muffin tin so they’re little individual portions. Do you think this loaf would work on a muffin tin?? I’m mostly worried about it being able to come out after baking. No one likes digging their food out of those ha ha.
Thanks again for this great cook book! We’ve cooked through at least 80% of the recipes so far, and I can’t wait to try many more recipes from your site.
Dreena
Hi Amanda, thanks so much for this cheer! I love that name – leaf loaf – kids are clever. Yes, I think you could do this, absolutely. I might bake for about 20-25 minutes, check doneness after about 18-10. You might try using parchment paper liners. I use them all the time. Here they are on amazon: https://amzn.to/2jPGKpm These are great for oil-free muffins and cupcakes as well, the baked goods don’t stick. Another option is to use a silicone baking pan – though I prefer the baking using traditional pans, I find silicone can ‘steam’ muffins. I hope that helps! (and wow, you’re really working your way through PPF) 🙂
Alison
I’m eating this right now with a Japanese sweet potato. So delicious!!
Natalie
I followed the recipe exactly and it basically did not hold together. If this happens again, how do you recommend I thicken it so that it can be sliced like loaf rather than spooned like slop? (It still had great flavor as slop )
Dreena
Hi Natalie, not sure what happened here. It’s a soft-set loaf, but definitely shouldn’t be slop. Did you possibly omit something by accident? Was the rice cooled? If it was hot, this can make the loaf sticky and not form well.
Natalie
Thank you for replying to me. The issue may have been the rice so I will try it cooled today!
Lenore
i made this tonight and the flavors are delicious! I used the Vita Mix and doubled the recipe so I’d have one ready for Thanksgiving. I think the Vita Mix processed this loaf too thin because, after baking, it was still pasty. I will try it again using the food processor.
Sandra
This loaf sounds delicious and I want to try it, but what can I substitute for the mustard?
Dreena
Hi Sandra, you don’t taste the mustard flavor, it’s not pronounced – but if you need to omit it you can, won’t affect texture. 🙂
Colleen
Looking forward to the trial run with the loaf this week! If it gets a thumbs up (and seriously, how could it not??) I’ll be making it for our Thanksgiving in a remote mountain cabin in NC. Can this loaf be made ahead and frozen? Bake first or freeze pre-baking? Thanks!
Dreena
Hi Colleen, I haven’t tried freezing it. If you do, I wouldn’t bake first, just freeze formed, then thaw/bake. The texture may be different, because the vegetables aren’t precooked so that freezing/thawing will have them release moisture. Should be ok, but not exactly the same. Otherwise, you could make up to 2 days in advance and refrigerate. Or, bake about 2/3 of the way through, let cool, then refrigerate a couple of days, then reheat/finish baking when you arrive. Hope that helps!
Jocelyn
Hi Dreena,
I have and love your PPF book. I haven’t made this yet but I plan on trying it tomorrow to see if I can make it for thanksgiving.
My question is: what to look for when buying barbecue sauce? Is their a decent brand you recommend? Thanks! Jocelyn
Maija
What about adding or substituting squash/pumpkin for the carrots?
Could you add more than two cups of veggies?
Thank you.. it looks yummy.
Dreena
Hi Maiija, you could do so, just use in raw form as I’ve done with the carrots. If you add extra veggies, the loaf may not hold together, it can be tricky to balance that consistency. Enjoy!
Sarah Austin
What a great idea! I was just thinking my husband wouldn’t like this because of all those carrots but using something more neutral flavored would be good – maybe a delicata squash? Thank you!
Jen
I made this last night and it was AH-mazing!! It is one of those meals that gets better each bite you take so by the end everyone at the table was making those “mmm” sounds. So good, truly. I was experimenting for the upcoming holidays and this will definitely be on the menu. I paired this with the Almond Roasted Cauliflower, which was another HUGE hit. Thank you for another outstanding recipe 🙂
Dreena
Oh so happy to read that, thanks Jen!
Ted
Hello Dreena,
I am having to move toward a vegan, oil free diet. Your site fits well. My wife made this loaf yesterday and it was delicious. Appreciate the work you do to bring us enjoyable healthy recipes. Thank you.
Dreena
That’s lovely to read, thank you Ted! Best to you both!
JCB
What can I sub for the rice? Have stopped eating rice because of the arsenic content..
Dreena
This is a big topic. Some of the arsenic reports have been exaggerated. There are steps we can take, for instance choosing brown basmati from California, India, or Pakistan and soaking rice or cooking in extra water (then draining off). Perhaps look into some extra articles on it. I haven’t tested it with other grains, I’d expect it might be okay with millet, but for texture rice is the best option.
Jennifer
It says to process add oats and process through. Does that mean just to combine or should it be processed more?
Dreena
Hi Jennifer, it’s to process through to combine but the mixture should hold together when pressed with your fingers.
Karen
I am trying to find a use for almond pulp leftover from making almond milk. Do you think that pulp could take the place of the almonds in the loaf?
Dreena
Hi Karen, yes, you can, but you’ll need to determine the conversion since if you take 1 cup of almonds and grind into a meal, it will then measure less. So, that conversion will need to be accounted for in the recipe.
AL
Hello,
Oats are NOT gluten free unless they specifically say they are certified gluten free. If anyone is sickened or killed it’s my fault. I’m evil. I’m sorry. I didn’t read the rest of the recipe. There may be other gluten or other dangers! PLEASE PLEASE KEEP SAFE. I AM BAD. I FAIL TO STOP HARMING PEOPLE.
Dreena
Oats can be considered gluten-free, and those with oat sensitivity may or may not be able to eat certified gluten-free oats, depends on the person – sometimes it’s the avenin in the oats, not the gluten. It’s individual, so each person must know what they are able/unable to eat.
Lisa Jachimiec
Dreena knows I cannot eat oats at all, certified gf or not. I have been successful in the nofu love loaf using quinoa flakes in place of the oatmeal. I have no idea how it alters the taste as it’s the only way I’ve tried the nofu loaf. I haven’t made this one yet but I’m guessing it’s a comparable swap based on the other ingredients above. I haven’t found quinoa flakes local to the midwest but I have ordered them off amazon. Quick and easy and a pretty good swap in recipes thus far. Anything Dreena makes seems to be fabulous so I would expect nothing less from this.
jess
Do you know if it freezes well?
PMcCaa
OMG! Just tried this and it was de-lish! It was a nice ‘chew’ and really felt like I had eaten something. We are just dabbling in Vegetarian food. Dreena, your recipes are always spot on, just perfect combos that turn our wonderfully!
Thanks
Ashley
Let me know if you ended up trying this out without the nuts – I’d love to know what you did!
Heidi
Made this and the homestyle gravy for Thanksgiving and it was delicious! Thanks for another wonderful recipe Dreena!
Lisa
Wow this looks beautiful! Making it this weekend!! Just wanted to say your recipes are some of my absolute favorites! Keep up the good work!!
Ellora
Hi, in the instruction part, it says : “Add the rice and puree.”
What puree????
I don’t see it in the list ingredients…
Thanks!
Dreena
Meaning add the rice and purée again.
Ellora
Thanks! I’m French so I didn’t know the meaning… I’ll do the Loaf tomorrow night, thank you again for your quick reply I really appreciate it!
lani
Dreena, if you don’t use nuts, can you just eliminate them or do you need to substitute with something else? If so, what do you recommend?
Dreena
You’ll def want to replace for volume and texture. You could try an equal amount of another nut, or a combo of pumpkin and hemp seeds. Or, try my “no-fu” loaf as it’s nutfree.
Danielle
Hi Dreena,
Following the nut comment, do you think it would be okay to substitute with another type of nut, like walnuts? Or would it change the consistency and taste too much?
Thank you!