Gluten-Free Vegan Sausages (3 Ways)
This homemade gluten-free vegan sausage recipe makes it easy to make your own vegan beer brats, vegan breakfast sausage, and vegan Italian sausages. Use the same base recipe and season it one of 3 ways to make any type of vegan sausage.
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Packed with protein, and free of gluten, eggs, and dairy, you’ll never need to buy vegan sausage again. Roll the filling in rice paper to make a casing for sausage links or simply form it into patties. However you choose to make it, it’s delicious!
Why should I make my own sausage?
During the time that I was vegan and not yet gluten-free, I enjoyed the store-bought vegan sausages, but still only purchased them occasionally due to the expense. I was sad when I had to give them up completely because they contained gluten and surprised to find that almost none of the brands were gluten-free.
Determined to make a vegan and gluten-free sausage that was also budget-friendly, I tried many different methods until I finally perfected the flavor and texture.
I’m excited to share this recipe with all of you now!
Is all veggie sausage vegan?
No, not all veggie sausages that you find at the grocery store are vegan. Many contain eggs, and some have dairy as well, so if you are buying vegan sausage, be sure to read the label.
Are vegan sausages gluten-free?
Most vegan sausages are not gluten-free. Actually, wheat gluten will be the first ingredient in most vegan sausages that you find at your local grocery store. Beyond Brand and Impossible Brand are both vegan and gluten-free, but tend to be very expensive, so I prefer to make my own.
What is a vegan sausage?
A vegan sausage may not seem possible, but these vegan sausages are made from TVP (textured vegetable protein), oats, flax, and spices and wrapped in a rice paper casing to hold it all together.
How to make vegan sausages?
Step 1 – First, boil some water, Bragg’s, liquid smoke, salt, and oil in a saucepan and make a broth. Then add the spices of your choice to flavor your “meat” according to the type of sausage that you want to make.
Step 2 – Then, add the TVP and allow it to soak up the flavor.
Step 3 – After the TVP has rehydrated, add oats, and flax meal and cook until it becomes firm. (Put the oats in a blender or food processor for a few seconds to chop it up into an oat flour before adding it)
Step 4 – Allow the sausage mixture to cool a bit and then form it into a sausage shape
Step 5 – Put it on a tray in the fridge for about 20 minutes until it cools completely. Then roll it in the casing.
What are vegetarian sausage casings made of?
The casings of these sausages are made of rice paper wrappers. This is the same thing that you would use to make a summer roll. (The brown spring roll wrappers work best, but the white will work as well). If you’ve never used them before, don’t worry, it’s very easy.
Step 1 – Simply fill a large plate with water and Bragg’s Liquid Aminos and submerge the firm rice paper in the liquid.
Step 2 – Let it soak for about 30 seconds until it is just barely soft
Step 3 – Once the rice paper is soft, place the preformed sausage in the center of the rice paper and fold in both sides.
Step 4 – Pull the bottom flap up, and then roll it up tight.
Step 5 – Finally, coat it with some oil to avoid sticking to the pan and the other sausages, and it’s ready to cook!
How should I cook these sausages?
You can either fry or grill these sausages. Either way, just be sure that they are well coated in oil, so they don’t stick to the pan or the grill. Heat on medium-low for about 7-10 minutes until they are heated through and slightly crispy on the outside.
Can I grill these vegan sausages?
Yes! These sausages work great on the grill! Just make sure to coat them in oil before grilling to make sure that they don’t stick to the grate. Grill them over medium-low heat for about 7-10 minutes depending on the heat of the grill.
Pro Tips
- Measure carefully. The recipe provided will make the right consistency for a “meaty” sausage.
- Soak the rice paper wrapper just long enough to get them soft and allow excess water to drip off. Don’t oversoak or it will become too sticky and not cook up as well.
- Make the sausage links about 3/4 inch in diameter and about 4 1/2 -5 inches long to fit well in the wrapper and cook evenly.
- Cook over medium-low heat. If the pan or grill is too hot, the casing will stick.
- Turn them slowly when cooking and carefully to not rip the casing.
How to make them soy-free
These sausages also work well with beans. They have a great flavor made this way, however, they just aren’t quite as “meaty” tasting.
To make them soy-free, simply reduce the liquid by 1/2 (so only use 1/2 cup of water instead of a full cup) and use a can of washed and well-drained white beans instead of the TVP. (TVP is made of soy protein). Mash up the beans with a fork while they are cooking in the broth and follow the rest of the recipe the same way.
Sausage flavors
Use the same basic recipe for the sausage filling and simply change the seasonings to make a variety of different vegan sausages.
Spicy Vegan Italian Sausage
Serve with your favorite pasta dish! Like this oven-roasted tomato sauce, roasted red pepper sauce, vegan baked ziti, or stuffed peppers.
Vegan Beer Brats
Serve with fried onions and mustard. (Fry 2 large onions in 1 tbsp. of oil and a sprinkle of salt in an iron skillet on low for 20 minutes stirring occasionally until translucent and slightly browned). Add to the hot dog roll with the beer brat and top with mustard. For a gluten-free bun, I use Schar hot dog rolls.
Sweet Vegan Breakfast Sausage
Serve with your favorite vegan breakfast, like my easy vegan scrambled eggs, vegan French toast, or a chickpea omelet. These breakfast sausages are always delicious dipped in some maple syrup!
Note: If you want sausage crumbles for pizza, lasagna, pizza rolls, or sausage rolls, or to add to spaghetti sauce, use my recipe for vegan sausage crumble for vegan sausage pizza. This recipe is similar, yet doesn’t contain the oat flour to bind the sausage together into links and patties.
More meaty vegan recipes
- Seitan Sausages
- Vegan Sausage Gravy
- Vegan Hot Dogs
- Grilled Tofu
- Gluten-Free Tofu Sausage
- Sausage Rolls
- Seitan Kebabs
Gluten-free vegan sausage recipe
Gluten-Free Vegan Sausage (Italian Sausage, Breakfast Sausage, Beer Brats)
Ingredients
Basic broth ingredients for all flavors of sausage
- 1 tablespoon canola oil , or other neutral oil
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, or tamari
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke, (hickory flavored)
Basic sausage filling for all sausage flavors
- 3/4 cup TVP
- 1/3 cup oats (gluten free if necessary), (or 1/4 cup oat flour)
- 2 tablespoons ground flax
Casing for all sausages
- 4 pieces brown rice spring roll wrapper, (or white rice spring roll wrappers)
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 1 tablespoons Bragg’s liquid Aminos, (or tamari)
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke, (hickory flavored)
- 1-2 tablespoons canola oil, or other neutral oil to coat the sausage and fry
Additional broth seasoning for beer brat flavor
- 1/4 cup beer (gluten free if necessary), (optional) (reduce water by 1/4 cup if using beer)
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Additional broth seasoning for breakfast sausage flavor
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 dash cayenne
Additional broth seasoning for Italian-style sausage
- 2 teaspoons Italian herbs
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
Make the Filling
- Put the ingredients for basic broth mixture into a medium-sized saucepan and add the seasoning of the type of sausage that you want to make. Heat it until it comes to a slow boil. (Reduce water by 1/4 cup if using beer in the beer brat).
- Turn down the heat to low and add the TVP allowing it to soak up the broth for about 2 minutes.
- Put 1/3 cups of oats in a blender or food processor and pulse a few times until the oats turn to a chunky oat flour texture.
- Add the flax meal and oat flour and stir well while continuing to cook over low heat for about 3 more minutes until it becomes thick and all of the liquid has been absorbed.
- Allow it to cool enough to handle and then scoop out 1/4 cup of the sausage filling. Form it into a sausage shape with your hands.
- Place the formed sausages on a tray and put into the refrigerator for about 15 minutes until they are fully cool.
Wrap the Sausage in the Casing
- Place 3/4 cup of warm water plus 1 tbsp Braggs and 1 tsp liquid smoke in a shallow bowl or on a plate with high sides.
- Add 1 piece of the rice paper spring roll wrapper to the liquid allowing it to rehydrate and become soft. (Soak for about 30 seconds until it’s soft, but not soggy and let the excess water drip off).
- Lay the rehydrated rice paper on a flat surface and place the formed sausage in the middle. Fold in the sides and then roll it up until the sausage is encased in the spring roll wrapper.
- Coat with oil and cook or refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to cook.
Cook the Sausages
- Fry the sausages in a frying pan on medium-low turning frequently. Cook for 7-10 minutes until heated through and the “skin” is crispy. (Turn slowly and carefully to avoid ripping the casing).
- Or you can grill the sausages over low heat for 7-10 minutes. (Make sure to coat the sausage well with oil before placing on the grill and turn slowly to avoid ripping the casing.
Notes
- Use the basic sausage recipe and change the spices for a variety of vegan sausages.
- Make soy free sausages by reducing the water to 1/2 cup and replacing the TVP with a can of rinsed and drained white beans. Mash up the beans with a fork while they are cooking and follow the same recipe way.
- Coat the sausages in oil so they don’t stick and keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days until ready to cook.
- When cooking, make sure to heat on medium-low and use enough oil so they do not stick to the pan or grill.
- You can use either brown or white rice paper wrappers. The brown rice ones are slightly thicker and hold together a little bit better.
- The brown rice wrappers need to soak slightly longer than traditional white spring roll wrappers.
- Replace 1/4 cup of the water with beer when making beer brats if desired. It makes a more authentic flavor, but they taste good with or without the beer.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below!📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
*This recipe was originally published on June 30, 2018, and was updated on May 18th, 2023 to include more detailed instructions.
These are easier than the way I learned to make vegan sausage from my sister. Her recipe calls for white beans and vital wheat gluten and crushed fennel seeds using a mortar and pestle in the seasonings. I still use foil as a casing because it helps the sausages hold their shape during steaming.
Is there a soy free version of this recipe?
i do not eat meat but i still eat eggs/dairy so i used an egg instead of flax. it worked very well. the sausages are tasty and crispy. i don’t miss meat, really, but i miss easy/quick mains. this recipe hits the mark. easy to make a large batch and then reheat.
thank you very much and i hope you do not mind my modification.
I’m glad that you made this recipe work for you!
Can you freeze these for use later?
Also, most recipes say to steam the sausages, is it necessary to do this?
Yes, you can freeze them after you cook them for up to 3 months. You don’t need to steam this type of sausage. The recipes that call for steaming are usually the ones made with wheat gluten. This gluten free version does not need to be cooked that way.
Hi I live in Zimbabwe and not sure if we can get the wrapping here? Any suggestions??
You can just form them into sausage patties instead of sausage links if you can’t fine the wrapping. Enjoy! 🙂
I bet this would make an excellent kofte kabab! Not vegan but eating lots of replacements due to allergies and gout. Thanks so much for this recipe 🙂
You’re welcome! I’m sure that would be delicious too.
Pleasantly surprised.
I am not a vegetarian or vegan, so I used pork broth to rehydrate the TVP and that added a ton of flavour. I also added some sautéed onions and garlic to the filling, and it added well to the dish.
My only problem was that they remained very sticky and delicate even after frying. My carnivorous family were pleased though, and we will be adding this to our meatless Monday rotations
I’m glad that the recipe worked for you guys! Be sure to only get the rice paper wet enough to become flexible. If it soaks up too much water, it will be stickier. You can also just let the sausages dry out a little before frying so that they are less sticky. 🙂
Délicieux
Can’t wait to try this! Have you experimented at all with a tofu-only filling?
I haven’t tried it with tofu. I use the TVP since it absorbs the flavors more. (You won’t need as much broth with tofu.) Let me know if you try it. 🙂
You can freeze, unfreeze and press the tofu in order to make spongy and absorbs lots of flavors.
Yes, you could use this instead of TVP if you want, you won’t need quite as much liquid though. You will want your final sausage to be a texture like playdough before you roll it into the rice paper wrappers.
You hit the ball out of the park with this recipe! We are so grateful – thanks so much. We miss sausage more than anything since going vegan and these are amazing. Recommend following the advice to buzz up your own oat flour using rolled oats and leave a little coarse. Helps the texture compared to fine oat flour. We use a cup of pea protein crumbles and a 1/4 cup of oat flour for a little stiffer sausage. The brown rice wrappers are genius! Gives that crispy bite you want in a sausage. Soo so happy! Thank you!
You are very welcome, Heather! I’m so happy that you liked the recipe! 🙂
Italian version great. Bratwurst version very good but I increased the amount of beer, lessened the amount of water and made my own bratwurst seasoning because I felt it needed much more flavor.
I’m glad that you enjoyed the Italian version and got the beer brats to work for you! 🙂
Hi, I tried the Italian version. It tastes really good, but the texture is kind of weird. It’s not firm enough. How can I fix this? Thank you
These sausages are not going to be as firm as ones made from gluten, that is why I wrap them tightly in rice paper to help them hold together more firmly. You may want to increase the TVP by a few tbsp or add a little extra flax meal if they are too wet.
These were phenomenal! Thank you so much. Trying not to shop much during the pandemic, but was starting to miss all my veg meats, and getting sick of beans. Made the breakfast sausages for my meat-eating husband and I, and we both loved them!
I did not have flax, so ground some hemp seed hearts in the blender along with the oats. Worked perfectly. I actually doubled the recipe (so glad I did!), and fried them all. I saved two in the fridge for breakfast this morning, and heated them again in the toaster oven, which worked wonderfully. The other six I froze, and am planning to thaw and heat as needed. Looking forward to trying the Italian ones too!
What a great recipe, thanks for taking the time to come up with it!
You are very welcome, Carolyn! I’m so happy that it worked out for you. It’s good to know that hemp seeds work too! I have a new recipe for vegan meatballs that is similar that you may also like! 🙂 Here is a link to it… https://thehiddenveggies.com/vegan-meatballs/
Thank you! I will try them! 🙂
I am so happy to try these sausages. I had tried Beyond Burgers brand and was dripping way too much oil.
Can you bake these instead of frying?
Thank you
I’m sure you can. I would brush them with a little oil so they don’t dry out though. Enjoy! 🙂
Thank you! I made the sausage ones and I skipped the cooking part because I have used tvp before and never cooked it and I found out that the cooking is needed. I think the sausage would have been meatier and more together if I had not skipped the cooking step. I will also add fennel next batch. But these were delicious! I loved them even with my error. So yummy!
You need to soak the TVP in hot water to rehydrate it for sure, but I’m so happy to hear that you liked it anyway! 🙂
I would love to know what I have done wrong. I used aquafaba. The patties did not hold together well. Once I put in the stock they fell apart into a gloppy mess. I really want this to work based on all the great reviews! Suggestions anyone?
Did you replace another ingredient with aquafaba? The flax meal is an important element to make it stick together. If you follow the recipe it will hold together. If you need to sub the flax, I would use something like Ener-G egg replacer or a similar one that works a binder.
Awesome recipe. Keep them coming.
Thanks so much!:)
How can you cut down the sodium?
You can reduce the amount of Bragg’s liquid Aminos that you use or use low sodium soy sauce in its place. The Bragg’s is the only source of sodium in this recipe. Enjoy! 🙂
Very nice! I stuck in some caramelised onions and finely chopped cooking apple along with some all spice and cinnamon in it as a variation. Lovely!
Wow, that sounds delicious Richard! So happy that you liked it! 🙂
Just made these. I used Penzeys breakfast sausage seasoning and formed them into patties. Cooked them in my air fryer for 10 minutes at 390 degrees in two batches. I brushed a little oil on top. They are quite good.
I’m so happy that you liked them Vicki. Glad to hear that they can be cooked in an air fryer. I don’t have one, so I haven’t been able to test it out that way.
Thanks for the air fryer suggestion . I’m excited to try these
I am sensitive to oats. Could you suggest a substitute?
I haven’t tried it, but I think that an all purpose flour would be a good substitute for oats. Let me know if you try it. Enjoy! 🙂
Great recipe. I love Italian and Irish sausages so must give these a try. How long can they last in the fridge? I don’t have a freezer
Thank! What type of spices are in Irish sausages? I’ve never had them, but I’d love to try a new way to spice these up! I have kept them in the fridge for 3 days and they have stayed good. Enjoy! 🙂
This is AMAZING and I can’t wait to make these- I spent a good part of last year looking for a gluten free vegan option for sausages and it was pretty bare out there. The rice paper casing is SO CLEVER, this is a huge game changer for me- THANK YOU!
You are so welcome! Any gluten free vegan “meat” type product is really hard to come by! I hope that you enjoy it! 🙂
This looks amazing….Is there a favorite of yours? Cant decide which one I want to make! I don’t like purchasing processed vegan meats, they are always too salty for me. Cannot wait to try! I may put this in your cauliflower stuffing! I used to make a great stuffing before I went vegan/gluten free that had sausage in it, along with cranberries and apples. Thank you
Hi Molly, I don’t think that I can choose a favorite, it just depends on what I am making it with. I also have a sausage crumble recipe that I put on pizza or in things like lasagna or spaghetti. If you are going to add it into another dish and don’t want to eat it as a link, I would make the crumble style sausage instead. Here is a link to that recipe… https://thehiddenveggies.com/vegan-sausage-recipe-pizza-crumbles/
Hi I’m asking is the texter more meaty? then mushy like the bean sausages! I’d like to make them for a flexatarian who eats some vegan foods but likes meat?
I’m very impressed how well they look.
Thanks Jasmine! The texture is fairy meaty when you use TVP. It is not quite as meaty as the type made from wheat gluten, but not mushy like bean sausage. I hope that you give them a try! 🙂
Can you make these without the casing, or will they just fall apart immediately?
You can make them without the casing. Make sure to form them in the shape that you want and then cool them just the same as you would before putting them in the casing. I do it that way if I want sausage patties instead of sausage links. 🙂
Can you use collagen casings? I have quite a lot of collagen casings, around hot dog diameter and brats diameter, that I used when making meat sausages. Also, do you know the best way I could incorporate some viralt wheat gluten for a firmer bite. Some burgers I made with TVP were not firm enough, and the black beans just gave it that all-too-familiar mushy texture. My concern with using the gluten in any of these sausages is that because it swells during cooking it’ll burst the casings.
Well, collagen casings are not vegan. If you are making these to avoid meat, you would need to use the rice paper. You could swap the oats for gluten, but it may swell a little when cooking. If you don’t wrap the rice paper too tight it won’t break when cooked.
How well does this work if you’re not going to use the casing? For example, making the Italian sausage and using it it broken up in spaghetti sauce
If you want sausage crumbles for spaghetti and stuff, use my recipe for sausage crumbles. It is similar to this one, but does not have the oats and flax to bind it together. Here is a link: https://thehiddenveggies.com/vegan-sausage-recipe-pizza-crumbles/
just wondering how much liquid ?
Follow the basic broth recipe for all of the flavors. (It calls for 1 cup of water) If you are making it with beans instead of TVP, then reduce the water to 1/2 cup. Hope that helps! 🙂
Hi I was wondering if these freeze ok to make ahead?
Hi Jill, I have never tried freezing them. I have made them ahead and kept them in the fridge for a few days. I think that freezing would work though. Let me know if you try it.
Wow these worked out awesome! I can’t wait to try them over the camp fire this summer. I think they would hold up on a grate. I ended up baking these on parchment for 20 minutes at 400 degrees, turning half way. I look forward to playing around with the spice combinations.
What a great idea to bake them! Happy to hear that they came out well that way. I have made them in the frying pan and on a grill so far and they worked well both ways too. Let me know what spice combos you like! 🙂
Thank you, thank you, thank you. This was amazing. I tried the bean version, and it was mushy( also that recipe didn’t include the spring roll.Ill try it again with the spring roll.), But this version was a huge blessing. Thank you so much. P.s I usually don’t leave commitments, but this was so good it deserve it. I been vegan for 9 months out of 27 years. This was awesome.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy to hear that this version worked for you! Great job making it 9 months being vegan! Hope recipes like this help! 🙂