Vegan breakfast sausage patties that aren’t mushy, don’t fall apart, and have the flavor and texture of Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage, only these are meat-free! After a lot of testing different combinations of ingredients, we’ve finally created a plant-based sausage. They’re perfect with pancakes or on a breakfast sandwich (recipe coming soon).
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Hi there! We’re Linda and Alex, the mother daughter duo and creators of Veganosity. Thanks for visiting us, we’re so happy you’re here. If you’re looking for Southern inspired vegan comfort food recipes, you’ve come to the right place.
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PLANT-BASED SAUSAGE THAT ISN’T MUSHY AND DOESN’T FALL APART!
We can’t even tell you how many different variations of ingredients we’ve tested for this vegan sausage recipe.
Whenever we set out to create a vegan version of any type of food, we really take the texture and flavor of the conventional recipe into consideration.
What plant-based ingredients will lend the same texture and flavors to the recipe?
For these breakfast patties, we tried using beans, mushrooms, and brown tempeh to get a firm texture and an umami flavor.
Although they weren’t awful (except for the tempeh, which we both find to be too bitter, even when boiled first), they just didn’t come close enough to the real deal.
However, we love a challenge, so we kept on going until we came up with these delicious vegan sausage patties, and now we can’t stop making them.
WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN VEGETARIAN BREAKFAST SAUSAGE?
To recreate the texture, we used:
- Red lentils
- Oat flour
- All-purpose flour
- Vital wheat gluten
For the flavor, we used:
- Crushed fennel seeds
- Italian seasoning
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Liquid smoke
- Vegan Worcestershire sauce
- No-beef bouillon
- Salt and black pepper
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN SAUSAGE PATTIES
STEP ONE
Cook the lentils until they’re soft, but not mushy.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the oat flour, all-purpose flour, vital wheat gluten, crushed fennel, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper until fully combined.
STEP TWO
In a medium bowl, whisk the water, no-beef bouillon, liquid smoke, and vegan Worcestershire sauce until fully combined and pour it into the dry mixture.
Add the lentils and the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir until totally combined.
STEP THREE
Lightly dust a clean surface with vital wheat gluten and knead the dough for 5 minutes.
It should be firm and stretchy. If it’s too sticky, add a bit more vital wheat gluten. If it’s too dry, add a teaspoon of water at a time.
Once the dough is firm and stretchy, pat it into a disc and wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Overnight is best, this allows the flavors to develop.
NOTE: You can bake these immediately and they're good, but better if left to sit overnight.
STEP FOUR
Pull pieces of the dough from the disc and form them into patties. You can make them as small or as large as you’d like.
Place them on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, flipping them half way through.
If you want to fry them in a skillet with a thin layer of oil, feel free. This will give them a nice crispy crust.
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST SEITAN BREAKFAST SAUSAGE PATTIES
- Don’t skip the vital wheat gluten, this is what gives the sausage its meaty texture.
- Depending on the humidity, you may need to add extra wheat gluten or water to get the dough to the correct texture. If this is necessary, add small amounts.
- Knead that dough for the full 5 minutes. This activates the gluten and gives the sausage the perfect texture.
- Crush the fennel, don’t put the whole seeds in or it will be difficult to eat.
- Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or overnight if you can. The longer it has to rest, the better the flavor will be.
- Baking the sausages alone is great, but if you want them to taste like restaurant sausage, fry them in a little bit of oil after they're baked.
CAN YOU FREEZE VEGAN BREAKFAST PATTIES?
Yes, bake them and then put them in a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and heat in a pan until heated through.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
HOW TO SERVE VEGAN SAUSAGE
- Serve it as a side with waffles, pancakes, or a frittata.
- Make a breakfast sandwich with it.
- Crumble it and add it to our breakfast casserole.
MORE DELICIOUS VEGAN BREAKFAST RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
HOMEMADE VEGAN PUMPKIN PANCAKES
SOUTHERN STRAWBERRY PECAN WAFFLES
Make our vegan breakfast sausage recipe and let us know what you think. We love to hear from you! And, don’t forget to take a picture of your gorgeous creation and tag us @veganosity on Instagram.
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Vegan Breakfast Sausage Patties
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1 cup oat flour coarsely ground works best for this. SEE NOTE
- ½ cup cooked red lentils
- ¼ cup vital wheat gluten SEE NOTE
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon crushed fennel seed
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce We use Annie’s or Wizard’s brands
- 2 teaspoon no-beef broth we use Better than Bouillon
- 2 teaspoon liquid smoke
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F (176˚C)
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the 1 cup oat flour, , ¼ cup vital wheat gluten, ¼ cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon crushed fennel seed, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste until fully combined.
- In a small bowl, whisk the ¼ cup water, 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoon no-beef broth, and 2 teaspoon liquid smoke until fully combined.
- Pour the wet mixture into the flour mixture, add the ½ cup lentils, and stir until it forms a solid ball. On a lightly floured surface (use vital wheat gluten to flour the surface), knead the dough for 5 minutes. It should be firm and stretchy. If it’s sticky, add a little more vital wheat gluten, if it’s too dry, add water by the teaspoon until you get a firm dough.
- You can bake this immediately, or for the best flavor, cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Tear the dough into golf ball size pieces and press into flat discs. Bake for 10 minutes, then flip and bake for another 10 minutes.
- Eat as is, or fry in a few tablespoon of oil until they’re nicely browned and crispy, approximately 3 minutes per side.
Notes
- One patty is considered a serving. If you tear off golf ball size portions you should get 6 sausages from the dough.
- The vital wheat gluten gives the sausage a meaty texture. We tested this recipe with beans, lentils, and veggies, and they were mushy, not at all like sausage.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat in the oven or in a skillet.
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST SEITAN BREAKFAST SAUSAGE PATTIES
- Don’t skip the vital wheat gluten, this is what gives the sausage its meaty texture.
- Depending on the humidity, you may need to add extra wheat gluten or water to get the dough to the correct texture. If this is necessary, add small amounts.
- Knead that dough for the full 5 minutes. This activates the gluten and gives the sausage the perfect texture.
- Crush the fennel, don’t put the whole seeds in or it will be difficult to eat.
- Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or overnight if you can. The longer it has to rest, the better the flavor will be.
- Baking the sausages alone is great, but if you want them to taste like restaurant sausage, fry them in a little bit of oil after they're baked.
Nutrition
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Naomi says
Hi! I can't wait to try these. Can the finished patties be frozen for future use? If so, how do you recommend reheating them? Would they need to be completely thawed first, or could you reheat from frozen?
Linda Meyer says
Hi Naomi! Thank you so much. 🙂 Yes, you can freeze them. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and heat in a 350˚F oven until they're heated through.
Alan says
Can brown lentils be substituted for red?
Linda Meyer says
Hi Alan, brown lentils are firmer and red split and are softer when cooked. You can try it, but the texture might be a bit mushy.
Alan says
Thanks a lot Linda. I did try but the insides were too firm actually, it was more like dough but after frying I saw signs that it could work. I’ll buy some red lentils and use those. I also added a little nutritional yeast for “umami”.
How thick would you make the patties? I judged from the pictures and estimated about an inch. Is that too thick? When I remake these I was thinking of going for half an inch but worried if the baking might dry them out.
Linda Meyer says
Hi Alan, between 1/2 an inch to 3/4 of an inch should work. If they're too thick they could definitely end up chewy. Because all ovens heat differently, check them about 5 minutes before the recommended cook time to make sure they don't dry out.
Suzy says
These are great! The only real change I made was reducing the Liquid Smoke by 1/2 because I find it gives things a fake taste. So the flavor was awesome! After baking, I put one on a toasted English Muffin with a slice of Follow Your Heart Pepperjack Cheese. I figured it to be a 356 cal breakfast! Oh, that leads to one question. Your pic shows 8 patties, your nutritional info says for 6. So it is 146 per patty for 6 patties? My patties were 2.3 ounces each. Really the perfect size for the muffin. I used a rolling pin to flatten because coming out of the fridge they were a bit stiff! But wow, this is going to be a great breakfast item!! Thanks!!!
Linda Meyer says
Hi Suzy, we're so happy you enjoyed them, and that you altered the liquid smoke to suit your taste. 🙂 The nutritional info is for 6 patties. We made 8 for the photos, and as you know, they can be made as large or as small as you need them to be. Thank you so much for your comment.
Christine @ Run Plant Based says
These look wonderful and we must try them on our next relaxing weekend breakfast, thanks!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, Christine! Let us know what you think.
Ruth says
Can I use almond flour in this recipe?
Alex Meyer, MA says
Hey Ruth! Thanks for the comment! It really depends on why you're wanting to use the almond flour and what you're replacing. The vital wheat gluten cannot be substituted or it will completely change the texture. If you're looking to replace the all purpose flour, you could try replacing it with almond flour but it might slightly change the texture as almond flour has no gluten in it, so it won't bind the same way. Hope this helps!
Alex & Linda
Ruth says
I wasn't looking to replace the vital wheat gluten. I use that for a sausage link recipe and seitan I found online several years ago and know what it does. It was the oat flour I was thinking about replacing. I use almond flour in several recipes and like the hint of almond it gives.
Alex Meyer, MA says
Hey Ruth,
You can absolutely replace the oats with almond flour! That sounds super delicious. Let us know how it turns out : )
Alex & Linda
JoAnn says
I don’t see Seitan in the ingredient list, am I missing something? What is vital wheat gluten? Where can I find this product? One more question can you buy coarse ground oat flour. How do I make my own oat flour , from rolled oats?
Thank you so much I love your recipes and want to make this breakfast sausage
Linda Meyer says
Hi JoAnn, great questions, thank you! Vital Wheat Gluten is the main ingredient in seitan. You can't make seitan without it. Whole Foods and most grocery stores carry it. My local stores stock it with the rest of their Bob's Red Mill products. You can also order it on Amazon. You can make coarse oat flour with a blender or a food processor. Just process rolled oats until it becomes a coarse flour. You can also buy it, but it's so much easier to make, and less expensive.
Thank you for your kind words, we truly appreciate it. I'm going to go and answer your questions in the notes section of the recipe card, as I'm sure you're not the only person who will have the same questions. 🙂