These delicious, wholesome, vegan sausages are the perfect addition to a mid-week meal, BBQ, or potluck. With a soft and flavorful interior and slightly crisp exterior, this vegan Italian sausage is sure to leave an impression. Plus, this recipe is meat-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, low-fat, plant-based, and can be made nut-free, too, if preferred!
Gluten Free Vegan Sausage
When it comes to meat alternatives, I err on the side of ‘it doesn’t have to taste exactly the same to be delicious.’ This vegan sausage recipe (aka vegan Bratwurst) combines beans, nuts, oats, and several seasonings to create a delicious vegetarian sausage that definitely isn’t trying to emulate meat, but doesn’t need to when it tastes this good.
This recipe is everything that a veggie sausage needs to be in my eyes; hearty, healthy, and packed with flavor! It’s amazing what white beans, walnuts, oats, and seasonings can do for creating a meatless sausage.
Plus, this recipe doesn’t contain wheat gluten (seitan) like most other vegan recipes. This makes it perfectly safe for people who have a gluten allergy!
This vegetarian sausage recipe is also incredibly versatile – allowing you to adjust the seasonings to your own tastes too and even swap out ingredients for your dietary needs (such as swapping the nuts for seeds). Want sausages that are spicier, or smokier? – No problem!
And, of course, they taste delicious anywhere that you would use any other sausage (or vegan Bratwurst, as I call them). Serve as a vegan hot dog, at a BBQ, in wraps, with mash, etc. In fact, there are so many options that I’ve included a list of potential serving ideas below if you want some ideas.
This Recipe Is:
- Meat-free
- Dairy-free
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Can be made soy-free
- Low-fat
- Can be also made nut-free
- Packed with fiber, protein, and several vitamins & minerals (from the white beans)
- Healthy
- Hearty & satisfying
- Versatile
How To Make The Best Vegan Sausage
The recipe simply relies on some blending, forming, steaming, and frying! There are even different ways of cooking these veggie sausages, depending on how you prefer them.
Step 1: Mix the ground chia seeds and ¼ cup water in a small bowl and allow to thicken for five minutes. If you don’t have ground chia seeds, then you can grind them yourself with an electric spice/coffee grinder or blender for a few seconds.
Step 2: Meanwhile, rinse the canned white beans thoroughly in a sieve, then drain and pat dry with a paper towel.
Step 3: Pulse the oats and walnuts in a food processor or blender. Only pulse, rather than run the machine continuously as you want the ingredients to retain texture rather than turning into a ‘flour.’
Step 4: Add all the remaining ingredients to the food processor/blender and pulse again to combine.
Step 5: Form 6-7 sausages with your hands. The mixture shouldn’t be too sticky, but if it is, then a sprinkling of oat flour should help. Once formed, place the vegan brats on a dish lined with parchment paper and leave to chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Step 6: Wrap each sausage in some parchment paper and tin foil and twist the ends, like a candy wrapper. Then, place in a steamer basket/pan (I cooked them in a large pot with a sieve and lid on) and steam for around 35 minutes. See step-by-step photos.
Once cooked, you can serve immediately, pan-fry, or even grill for a crispy result! You could also add a vegan sausage casing (see method below).
Pan-Fry Method:
Brush the sausages with a little oil on each side and then add to your preheated skillet. Lightly fry for around 7-10 minutes, turning a few times, until lightly browned, and enjoy!
For sausages that really hold up to BBQ grilling:
After steaming the sausages, allow to cool to room temperature. Chill in the fridge for a bit until they firm up, and then grill. This method really helps them to maintain a firm texture and not fall apart on the grill.
Vegan Sausage Casing
This step is totally optional, however, you can easily make a sausage casing with rice paper sheets!
Yes, the same ingredient used to make delicious summer rolls/spring rolls can also be used as a fantastic vegan sausage casing.
Rice paper sheets completely transform in texture, when fried, and add that delicious light crisp. Plus, rice paper wrappers are gluten-free! Meaning this will still remain a gluten-free vegan sausage, to fit multiple dietary needs.
You have the choice of using the classic white rice paper or brown rice paper wrappers that will affect the look and, subtly, the taste of the sausages.
How To Make The Casing (Optional Method)
Follow steps 1-6 as stated above.
- To make the casing add lukewarm water to a large bowl. Dip a rice paper sheet into the water, one at a time, for 5 seconds, and allow the excess water to drip off. Then place the sheet on a cutting board lined with oiled parchment paper.
- Place a steamed sausage onto the damp ripe paper sheet and fold it over the sausage once, then fold the sides in and continue to roll it, like a cigar. Repeat this step with the remaining sausages.
- Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Brush the sausages with a little oil on each side and then add to the pan. Lightly fry for around 7-10 minutes, turning every minute or so, until heated through.
How To Serve
If you want to serve these ‘vegetarian bratwurst’ style, then you can serve as a sandwich or vegan hot dog in a bun. Add mustard (lots of it!), onions, and several other options of toppings and sides.
Some of my favorites for serving alongside vegetarian brats include German Sauerkraut, Potato Salad, and this Keto Coleslaw.
You can also serve these veggie sausages for breakfast and brunch dishes. Such as alongside Vegan Scrambled Eggs, and with other breakfast favorites.
I also often add them to a number of my favorite hearty mid-week meals, including this Vegan Mushroom Risotto, Lentil Stew with mashed potatoes, and alongside this Quinoa Pilaf with vegetables.
You could also slice and serve with salads and pasta dishes, on top of pizza, or prepare and vegan casserole dish, along with tons of other options!
How To Store
Store any leftover vegan sausages in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to six days.
I haven’t yet tried to freeze these, so I can’t guarantee results upon thawing. However, they should be freezer-friendly (just make sure that they’re steamed and not touching when being frozen).
Recipe Notes & Variations
- You can use canned beans or soak and cook dry beans, e.g. in an Instant Pot. See this method, how to cook dry beans.
- You could also experiment with the type of bean you use. I love white beans for their neutral flavor and versatility. However, kidney beans or pinto beans could also be delicious.
- Replace the walnuts with another nut or seed of your choice, i.e., sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.
- You could also use breadcrumbs (regular or gluten-free) in place of the oats. Buckwheat groats should be fine too.
- Feel free to adjust the seasonings to your taste. For more spice: add some crushed chili or more cayenne pepper. More smokiness: add a few drops of liquid smoke.
- For even more of a vegan Italian sausage flavor, then you could add some sun-dried tomatoes alongside the tomato puree.
- You can also serve these as burger patties by shaping into patties. In fact, this recipe was adapted from my Vegan Black Bean Burger.
If you give this vegan sausage recipe a try, I’d love a comment and recipe rating below. Also, don’t forget to tag me in re-creations on Instagram or Facebook with @elavegan #elavegan – I love seeing your recreations.
Vegan Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (270 g) white beans from one 15 oz can, drained and rinsed (*see notes)
- 1 cup (90 g) oats (gluten-free if needed)
- 1/2 cup (60 g) walnuts (see notes)
- 1/2 medium (60 g) onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 3 chia eggs (3 tbsp ground chia seeds + 1/4 cup water)
- 1 flat tbsp tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 3/4 tsp sea salt or less/more to taste
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 pinch of cayenne pepper or more to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds optional
Instructions
- You can watch the video in the post for visual instructions.In a small bowl, mix the ground chia seeds with 1/4 cup of water and set the mixture aside for 5 minutes to thicken. Note: You can blend whole chia seeds in an electric spice/coffee grinder or blender for a few seconds if you don't have ground chia seeds.
- In the meantime, rinse the canned white beans very well in a sieve, then drain them and pat dry with a paper towel. Make sure they aren't wet at all.
- Process the oats and the walnuts in a food processor or blender (use the pulse function, as they should still have some texture and not turn into fine flour).
- Add all the other ingredients to the food processor and pulse again. Don't over-process the mixture, or it will be mushy. The mixture shouldn't be sticky, but if it is, simply add some flour (e.g. oat flour).Tip: You could freeze the mixture for about 10 minutes, then it will be easier to shape it into sausages.
- Form 6-7 sausages with your hands (I used 1/3 cup of the mixture per sausage). Place the sausages on a large plate lined with parchment paper and put the plate into the fridge for about 20 minutes.
- Wrap each sausage in some parchment paper and tin foil and twist the ends, like a candy wrapper. Then, place in a steamer basket/pan (I used a large pot with a sieve) and steam for around 35 minutes. See step-by-step photos in the blog post. Do not throw away the tin foil and use it again in the future.
- Once cooked, you can serve immediately, pan-fry, or even grill for a crispy result!Pan-Fry: Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Brush the sausages with a little oil on each side and add them to the pan. Fry for around 7-10 minutes, turning occasionally until browned and heated through.
- Enjoy with mustard, BBQ sauce, or serve in a burger bun like a hot dog! Read the blog post to find out how you can grill them or make a vegan sausage casing.
Notes
- Beans: You can use canned beans that are already cooked or cook dry beans until soft.
- Walnuts: You can use nuts of choice or seeds like sunflower seeds.
- Chia eggs: Flax eggs (3 tbsp ground flax seeds with 1/4 cup water) should be fine too but you'll most likely need to add a little more oat flour because chia seeds absorb more water.
- Oats: You could use buckwheat groats instead of oats.
- Add a few drops of liquid smoke for a smoky flavor.
- Store leftover sausages in an airtight container in the refrigerator (up to 6 days).
- Read the blog post above for more helpful tips, serving suggestions, step-by-step photos, etc.
- Recipe adapted from my Vegan Black Bean Burger. Rice wrapper inspiration (optional method) from Nutmegnotebook
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
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Thank you for the lovely recipe. I have made these quite a few times now although I tend to skip the steaming part and just go straight to the casing part. However, I find that the rice paper tends to become sticky, sticking to the tray or plate that I put the sausages on before I cook them. I found that rolling them in breadcrumbs stops this from happening. I don’t know if anyone else does this and if it happens to them. The sausages still turn out lovely and the crumbs give it a nice crispy finish. My husband loves them and says they taste just like meat sausages! Way to go! 🙂
So interesting, thanks for sharing. 🙂
I’ve always wanted to make sausages – now I can! I didn’t have Chia seeds so I used Linseed and put it in the spice grinder. Also I did 30g Walnuts/30g Sunflower seeds because that’s all the walnuts I had.
They turned out really good – now I’m scheming about adding things like sun-dried tomatoes and chilli.
Thanks
Yay, that’s good to hear, John. I love the addition of sun-dried tomatoes. 🙂
Can’t wait to try this amazing recipe! Thank you! I avoid aluminum foil and oil. How would you suggest cooking them without either of those items?
Hi Mary, maybe you will find this comment from “Sabine” helpful:
These are fantastic! Thank you.
You are so welcome, Em! 🙂
Made these for dinner and the whole family loved them! Dense and filling! I tried the rice paper skin and it worked alright. Mostly ended up getting a “frozen” look since the paper turned white instead of brown. Will definitely make these again and barbeque them!
Thanks for your amazing feedback, Shannon. 🙂
Can I use chickpeas, black or kidney beans ?
Yes, that should be fine! 🙂
Hi. I’m in the process of making these right now! As I am the only one that will be eating them, can I freeze some?
Thanks in advance,
Christina
Yes, Christina, that is totally possible. I have tried it meanwhile and it works fine. 🙂
Thank you!
Hi, i want to substitute walnuts as they are very expensive in my country. What is the purpose of using them? If i know that, i can find a suitable substitute where i stay. Thanks
Hi Hamil, you can use any other nuts or seeds of choice. 🙂
Hello! I plan on making these! I was wondering if you think these would hold up when cut and sautéed and then added to gumbo or something similar? I’m trying to find a good recipe for a vegan gluten free smoked sausage.
Yes, that will work. 🙂
Thanks for the great recipe!
Is there anything that can substitute the chia seeds (don’t have flaxseeds either)?…
Hi Kate, I think psyllium husk should work fine.
Thanks for replying!
What about flour or something more easily available? (Sadly, we don’t have psyllium available either….)
Flour won’t work, unfortunately. You need a binder, such as psyllium, chia, guar gum, xanthan, etc.
Hi Ela, this looks amazing!
Sadly, where I live, there are no oats certified as gluten free. Which one would be a good sub for the oats? Could quinoa flakes work?
Thanks (;
Hi Red, I think quinoa flakes should work fine! 🙂
I will try 😃 thanks
Hi Ela
Can I steam them in the Instant Pot?
I never tried it, but I think it could work. 🙂
Hi Ela! This is a fabulous recipe! I was wondering, could the sausages be kept in a freezer? And for how long?
Hi Nicolette, yes, that is no problem. Up to 3 months is fine. 🙂
Firmness???
Flavor is fantastic and they look nice too! I was wondering how firm they should be. I cannot slice mine as they are “squishy”. Should I put them back in the steamer?
Thank you for all your help for healthy eating recipes.
Yes, you could put them back in the steamer. Of course, they won’t be as firm as store-bought ones or sausages made with seitan.
I am glad you like the flavor. 🙂
Don’t know what I was expecting but they turned out fabulous.cant wait to try it with different flavors.
Yay, that’s so good to hear, Jerry! 🙂
thanks for your delicious sausages, i didn’t have all the ingredients but still tasted good, i can eat “meat” again, i will be making these again also can’t wait to try out your meatballs and meatloaf. thank you so much for your wonderful recipes,
You are so welcome, Fiona! 🙂
I just found this recipe and it looks really tasty. You didn’t allow for sodium levels in your nutrition facts. I have become a label reader after having to adjust my diet due to health issues. Would you be able to figure out what the sodium level is in this? I’d really love to try this but my sodium intake per day is only 1200-1500mg per day. due to congestive heart failure.
Hi Mona, I don’t include it, because some of my recipes don’t specify the amount of salt (just “salt to taste”), as some people prefer meals saltier than others. However, I just made the calculation all over again on Cronometer for this recipe, including 3/4 tsp of salt and “no added salt beans”. The result is 454 mg of sodium for one sausage. Hope this helps.
Ela
Thank you, Ela! Yes, it does help. Much thanks for making those calculations!
You are very welcome, Mona. 🙂
Wow. My first attempt at vegan sausages and it turned out better than I expected! I did the 35 minute steam, let it cool slightly and then fried it up. Quite flavourful and the texture was good and held together impressively well. My first time on your website and I plan to check out your other vegan recipes. Thank you.
That’s awesome, Tara! I am so glad they turned out amazing. 🙂