This easy nut roast is a family favourite. It’s a staple for a vegan roast dinner and is always popular at Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations. Our recipe is quick to prepare with just 10 ingredients and is rich in nutty flavour.

Table of Contents
There are a lot of recipes out there for nut roast. But there’s two reasons why we’ve been making this nut roast pretty much every week for more years than I can remember:
- Because it’s so easy!
There’s hardly any prep work. You just need to chop and fry an onion and some garlic. Then all you need to do is whizz up the nuts in a food processor and mix everything together. Just like that, it’s ready to go in the oven!
- Because it’s so yummy!
The other thing that sets this recipe apart from other nut loafs is that it’s super nutty and doesn’t contain tons of ingredients or filler. I don’t know about you, but I think nut roast should be full of nutty flavour, and not taste like vegetables.
This recipe is inspired by the famous Nut Roast from pioneering vegetarian restaurant Cranks which opened in London in the 1960s. We made a few adaptations to make the loaf hold together and be easy to serve and slice.
It's a great centrepiece for your vegan Christmas or Thanksgiving celebrations. But it's also a recipe that's simple to make for an everyday family meal.
We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Ingredient tips
Here’s what you’ll need for this vegan nut roast:
- Nuts - we tend to use a mix of peanuts, cashews and walnuts. We buy organic nuts in bulk for better value. And because you’re grinding them anyway you can get the pieces rather than whole nuts to save a bit more!
- Breadcrumbs - you can make your own (instructions below) or use shop bought. We find this nut loaf the perfect way to use up the end of a loaf that has gone a bit dry.
- Onion and garlic
- Olive oil - for an oil free version you can use some broth to sauté the onions and garlic.
- Dried herbs - we like herbs de provence or using dried herbs from our garden.
- Veggie stock - we use Marigold Swiss Bouillon Powder to make our stock. You can use your favourite vegan bouillon or homemade broth.
- Soy sauce - this enhances the umami taste and adds seasoning to the nuts. We like to use organic soy sauce which has a really full bodied flavour.
- Chia seeds - these help to bind the nut loaf so it holds together well and is easy to slice.
- Dried cranberries - these are optional, but they add a nice subtle sweetness and a special festive twist if you are cooking this nut roast for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Making Breadcrumbs
We’re always saving any stale bread and transforming it into breadcrumbs to use later.
Here’s how to make your own breadcrumbs at home:
- You can use white, wholemeal, and other types of bread. Wholemeal bread is what we like to use for this nut loaf recipe.
- Cut your stale or toasted bread into cubes and process in a food processor until fine.
- If the bread isn’t dry enough to blend finely, you can spread it out on a baking sheet and bake at 150ºC (300ºF) for a few minutes. Then blend again.
- Store breadcrumbs in a jar or airtight container. For long term storage we keep them in the freezer.
Step by step
You'll find the full recipe in the card below, but here's a handy visual overview to the steps.
Step 1 - In a frying pan, saute the diced onion and garlic in olive oil until soft, translucent and just starting to brown.
Step 2 - In a food processor pulse the nuts until fine.
Step 3 - In a mixing bowl, combine the ground nuts, sauteed onion, breadcrumbs, soy sauce, herbs, chia seeds, optional cranberries and vegetable stock.
Step 4 - Fill a lined tin with the nut mixture and smooth off the top with a spatula.
Step 5 - Bake in a preheated oven at 180C / 360F for 30-40 minutes until the top is browned.
Step 6 - Leave in the tin to rest for 10 minutes, before placing a board or serving plate on top, and flipping over to remove the roast from the tin.
Variations & substitutions
You can vary the nuts to your taste. Experiment with pecans, hazels, almonds, chestnuts or even pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
As an alternative to soy sauce, you can use 2 tsp of Marmite or yeast extract mixed with 4 tsp boiling water.
Serving
We love our nut roast served with:
- Roast potatoes and glazed carrots
- Some caramelised onions
- A good helping of vegan gravy
- Sautéed kale or steamed broccoli
- Some homemade cranberry sauce
Nut roast is also yummy served cold. And leftovers make a great sandwich filling.
Storing and freezing
Leftovers easily keep for three days in a covered container in the fridge.
This nut roast also freezes well. You can freeze it before cooking, directly in a lined tin.
After it’s frozen solid, you can take it out of the tin with the baking paper, and wrap in more paper and foil or an airtight bag for longer storage. Simply return to the tin to defrost overnight and cook as normal.
You can also freeze cooked leftover roast. We like to freeze individual slices separated by parchment paper. That way, it’s really convenient to defrost as many portions as you need.
FAQs
What can I use instead of chia seeds?
You can use an equal amount of ground flaxseeds as they also help to bind the loaf and absorb moisture. You don't need to mix them with water to make flax eggs, just stir the flaxseed into the nut mixture.
What consistency should the nut mixture be before baking?
For best results, you want a moist mixture that can hold its shape - this produces the best nut roast texture.
If you have a wet mixture that seems a bit runny after resting for a few minutes, then you can adjust it by adding more dried breadcrumbs. Your mixture can be too wet if you use fresh breadcrumbs which have much more moisture, or if the nuts are very coarsely ground.
How can I make this vegan nut roast recipe gluten-free?
To make a gluten-free nut loaf, make sure to use gluten-free vegetable stock or bouillon and use gluten-free tamari sauce instead of soy sauce.
For the breadcrumbs, you can make your own from gluten-free bread or use store-bought. Gluten-free certified ground oats also make a great alternative. Replace the 1 cup / 100g breadcrumbs with 1 cup / 80g of oats that have been pulsed in a food processor until you have coarse oat flour.
How can I make it advance?
If you're making this nut roast for the holiday season or Christmas dinner then it's really convenient to make a day ahead. Make the mixture as directed in the recipe, fill it into your prepared loaf tin, cover the tin and then store in the fridge overnight and bake as normal the next day.
Do I need to line the tin?
If you want a really neat roast for a special occasion, then we highly recommend using a lined loaf pan. To save time, you can line the base and sides with one piece, and simply grease the ends with oil.
Can I make a bigger nut roast? How about mini ones?
Yes, for a bigger roast you can adjust the servings in the recipe card to 9 portions to make one and half times the roast.
Double the mixture is too much for a standard loaf tin, so if you need more portions then make two roasts. For cute mini roasts, check out our Individual Nut Roasts recipe.
We hope you enjoy this easy nut roast recipe! We invite you to try our other nutty vegan recipes:
Our Vegan Nut Burgers are a great nut roast alternative for the summer.
These Vegan Almond Crescent Cookies make great gifts (for both yourself and your friends!)
And this Vegan Mushroom and Walnut Pate is always a hit at parties!
📖 Recipe
Easy Nut Roast
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (220 g) mixed nuts walnuts, peanuts, cashews...
- 1 onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup (100 g) fine breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp dried herbs
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 2 tbsp dried cranberries chopped, optional
- 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable stock
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C / 360°F.
- In a frying pan, cook the diced onion and garlic with the olive oil, until translucent and just starting to brown.1 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp olive oil
- In a food processor, pulse the nuts until fine. If you are also making your own breadcrumbs now, process the bread separately from the nuts, as they will take longer to become fine.1 ½ cups (220 g) mixed nuts
- In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients - the ground nuts, breadcrumbs, fried onion and garlic, soy sauce, dried herbs, chia seeds, optional cranberries, and vegetable stock.1 cup (100 g) fine breadcrumbs, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp dried herbs, 1 tbsp chia seeds, 2 tbsp dried cranberries, 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable stock
- Transfer the nut mixture into a loaf tin lined with parchment paper, and smooth the top with a silicone spatula.
- Bake the nut roast for 30-40 minutes until the top starts to brown.
- Remove from the oven, and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. To remove from the tin, place a board on top of the tin, flip over and peel off the baking paper.
- Before serving, you can add some extra nuts on top for decoration.
Notes
Nutrition
This information is calculated per serving and is an estimate only.
Harry says
I’m making this to freeze - should I cook it in the oven before freezing or freeze uncooked?
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Harry, I think you get best results when you freeze uncooked. To thaw, put it in the fridge overnight, and then cook as directed in the recipe. Sophie 🙂
GM says
Quick & easy to make, tasty. Could be served with a “gravy” or sauce. I made this ahead and froze it - any ideas for re heating?
Sophie and Paul says
Glad you enjoyed the recipe! It goes great with cranberry sauce or our vegan mushroom gravy. If you have already baked the nut roast, then I would thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat in the oven for 20-30 minutes at 180°C / 360°F. It's important to cover the tin with foil to reduce drying out. You can also sprinkle a little water or vegetable stock on top as well. If you froze the loaf before baking, then you can simply thaw and then cook for 30-40 minutes. To reheat just slices, I find about 1 minute in the microwave works well. Enjoy!
Rae says
Hi. This nut roast is one of the best recipes I’ve ever come across! Simple, flavoursome, very filling and loved by all (vegan and non- vegan). Thank you so much for sharing it Sophie and Paul.
Sophie and Paul says
Aww, thanks so much for your feedback Rae! So happy it was a hit with all eaters 🙂
Jane says
Hi Sophie and Paul
This is the best nut roast in my opinion and I like the addition of cranberries in it to (whether or not it’s Christmas!).
It reminds me of the recipe from the 80’s in the Cranks recipe book, although I don’t remember chia seeds being mentioned back then!
Thank you for all your recipes which I love. Next to try is the Apple Streusel cake which sounds yummy.
Please keep up with your recipes and enjoy your adventures.
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Jane! Thanks so much for your lovely feedback - it's so great to have you on board with us. And yes as we mentioned in the post we adapted this recipe from the Cranks recipe - the addition of chia seeds was our idea for holding the loaf together better! Sophie
Laurel says
I’m very happy I found your recipe. I’ve made it several times, sometimes as “meatballs” to make it freezer-friendly and easy to just take a few out at a time. I’ve used herb de Provence and also Italian seasoning, next time I want to use more sausage-y seasonings, maybe like fennel and sage (?). Thanks for a great recipe that is now a regular in my home!
Sophie and Paul says
Thanks so much Laurel! Meatballs is a great idea and I think fennel seeds and sage or parsley sound great. Some sausage seasonings also use paprika, chilli flakes or white pepper which might be fun to experiment with too! Happy cooking 🙂
Laurel says
I used several sausage-y seasonings and used the mix to stuff a pumpkin, which I then wrapped in foil and cooked in campfire coals. It came out amazing, everyone wanted the recipe! Thank you!
Sophie and Paul says
Wahoo! That's such a great idea Laurel, glad it turned out so well.