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Introducing the BEST classic vegan lasagna recipe. It’s layered with al dente lasagna noodles, creamy tofu ricotta, vegan meat sauce, and a rich vegan cheese sauce. It’s the perfect decadent and delicious entree to make for holidays or hearty vegan dinners.
Vegan lasagna is at the top of our list when it comes to the best classic holiday recipes. No one is ever upset to see lasagna on the menu for Christmas dinner, and you won’t regret having lasagna leftovers in the fridge, either!
This plant-based lasagna is guaranteed to be a hit with vegans and non-vegans alike (just read the comments!). Plus, we’ve included possible substitutions, make ahead options, and additional tips to guarantee you make the best lasagna bake! Be sure to check out our Vegan White Lasagna or Epic Vegan Ravioli Lasagna for another variation.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Vegan ground beef and sausage: We have made this vegan lasagna using Beyond Meat, Impossible Beef, and Gardein ground beef, and all worked well. Feel free to use your favorite brand or even omit it entirely for a simple vegan cheese lasagna.
- Marinara sauce: For this recipe, we like to use our homemade marinara, but you can opt for your favorite store-bought if you are short on time. Most store-bought marinara sauces are naturally vegan-friendly, but some brands add dairy to make it creamy. Always check your labels!
- Vegan ricotta: We can’t recommend our super simple tofu ricotta recipe enough! You can make it at home in the food processor with just 7 ingredients, including lemon juice, herbs, and other kitchen staples. If you are soy-free, opt for an almond-based ricotta like Kite Hill’s Ricotta Alternative.
- Vegan mozzarella shreds: Mozzarella is used in both the filling and the final cheese sauce for topping to make this lasagna extra cheesy. Any dairy-free cheese shreds will do.
- Flax egg: A flax egg is simply made by combining ground flax seeds and water to form a jelly-like consistency, similar to an egg white. Make sure to use ground flax – whole flax seeds will not absorb the water in the same way.
- Fresh herbs: For the best flavor, we highly recommend using fresh parsley and basil. With that being said, you can use 4 teaspoons of each dried herb in a pinch.
- Vegan butter: This helps turn the mozzarella into a pourable, savory cheese sauce. If you are out of vegan butter, substitute 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil.
- Almond milk: Also helps make the cheese sauce smooth and creamy. Any almond milk will do (try our homemade!) – just make sure it is unsweetened. Or, opt for water.
- Lasagna noodles: We tested this vegan lasagna recipe using no-boil lasagna noodles, and it did not cook through correctly. Please only use classic lasagna noodles and take the extra step to boil them before baking. Note: Most store-bought lasagna noodles are naturally vegan, but fresh or authentic varieties sometimes contain eggs.
Equipment Needed
How to Make Vegan Lasagna
- Prepare the flax egg. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons of water. Set aside for 5-10 minutes or until gelatinous.
- Cook the noodles. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add the lasagna noodles. Cook according to package instructions or until al dente. Once finished, drain, rinse with cold water, then submerge the noodles in a bowl of cold water. This will stop the cooking process and prevent the lasagna sheets from sticking together.
- Prepare the tomato sauce. In a separate large pot, cook the vegan sausage and ground beef over medium heat until browned, about 5-7 minutes. Once browned, add in the marinara sauce and mix to combine. Turn the heat down to low, cover, and simmer for 8-10 minutes.
- Make the vegan cheese filling. Add the ricotta, flax egg, vegan mozzarella, and fresh herbs to a medium-sized mixing bowl and mix until uniform. Set aside.
- Layer your lasagna ingredients in the baking dish. Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Next, layer 4 lasagna noodles lengthwise in the baking dish, overlapping slightly. Spread ⅓ of the cheese filling on top of the lasagna noodles, then top with ¼ of the sauce. Repeat this process two more times, then add the remaining marinara sauce on top of the final layer of noodles.
- Whisk together the vegan cheese sauce for topping. In a small pot over medium heat, add vegan butter and allow it to melt. Once melted, add in the vegan mozzarella shreds and non-dairy milk. Whisk together rapidly until the cheese melts completely and a smooth sauce forms.
- Bake. Pour the melted cheese sauce over top of the vegan lasagna, then tightly cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the edges are golden and bubbly.
- Cool and serve. Allow the lasagna to cool in the baking dish for a minimum of 30 minutes before slicing and serving. This will give it a chance to firm up and hold its shape.
Watch how to make this vegan lasagna step by step in our easy-to-follow video tutorial.
Gluten-Free Variation
If you are gluten-free, good news! This vegan lasagna is very easy to make gluten-free. Simply swap the traditional wheat-based lasagna noodles for your favorite gluten-free lasagna. For the most authentic results, we’d recommend Jovial Foods Organic Brown Rice Lasagna.
Beyond Meats ground beef and sausage products are also gluten-free friendly. If you choose to use another brand of vegan ground beef or sausage, avoid brands that use ingredients like vital wheat gluten or gluten-based binding agents.
How to Prep and Make Ahead
If you’re making this vegan lasagna for the holidays, you may be interested in prepping it in advance to save time and make things fuss-free. To do so, simply follow steps 1-8, top with the final vegan cheese sauce, and tightly cover. Place the uncooked lasagna in the fridge until you are ready to bake. Then, allow the lasagna to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking as usual.
For best results, prep your lasagna no more than 24 hours in advance.
Serving Suggestions
Vegan lasagna pairs well with our Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad and a side of Vegan Garlic Bread, Garlic Herb Dinner Rolls, or Vegan Pandesal (Filipino Bread Rolls).
Or, if you are serving this lasagna for the holidays, you may enjoy our collection of our favorite 50 Vegan Christmas Recipes.
Storage Instructions
This vegan lasagna will store well and tightly covered in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Use this handy guide by Bon Appetit to learn how to properly freeze and defrost homemade lasagna and other casserole dishes.
To reheat a single serving of lasagna, place the vegan lasagna in a microwave-safe dish and cook until warm. To reheat several servings of lasagna at once, place the vegan lasagna in an oven-safe dish and cover it with foil. Cook at 350 F for 15-20 minutes or until warmed through again and bubbly. To ensure the lasagna does not dry out, feel free to add a splash of water or vegetable broth to the dish before reheating.
Recipe FAQs
This can happen if you do not pat the lasagna noodles dry before layering them in the lasagna. After removing the noodles from the cold water, gently dry them on a clean tea towel before layering in the baking dish.
Sauce, noodles, ricotta filling, repeat. Lastly, top with a final layer of cheese sauce. For detailed instructions on how to correctly layer your lasagna, read the recipe card below.
We don’t find this to be necessary, but you can certainly lightly grease to prevent sticking.
Both! Start by baking the lasagna covered to prevent it from drying out, then uncover for the last 15 minutes to brown around the edges and melt the cheese.
More Vegan Pasta Recipes You May Enjoy:
- Vegan Baked Ziti with Ricotta Cheese (Easy + Oil-Free Option)
- Easy Vegan Ricotta & Spinach Stuffed Shells
- Easy Vegan Eggplant Rollatini (Gluten-Free with Oil-Free Option)
- Easy Vegan Chicken Parmesan
- Easy Vegan Penne alla Vodka (Gluten-free Option)
The Best Vegan Lasagna
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 12 slices
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Layered with creamy homemade ricotta, vegan meat sauce, and rich cheese sauce, this lasagna will be hit with anyone, vegan or not.
Ingredients
Sauce
- 14 oz. vegan sausage, finely chopped*
- 16 oz. vegan ground beef*
- 48 oz. marinara sauce (homemade or store-bought)
Vegan Cheese Filling
- 1 recipe Easy Tofu Ricotta
- 1 cup vegan mozzarella cheese shreds
- 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon flaxseed meal + 3 tablespoons water)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
Vegan Cheese Sauce
- 1 cup vegan mozzarella cheese shreds
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk (or non-dairy milk of choice)
Additional Ingredients
- 12 Lasagna noodles
Equipment Needed:
Instructions
- In a small bowl, prepare a flax egg by adding in 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal and 3 tablespoons water. Mix and set aside to thicken.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and prepare the lasagna noodles according to package instructions. Once finished, drain, rinse with cold water, and add them to a large bowl filled with cold water. This will prevent the noodles from overcooking and sticking together as we prepare the remainder of the ingredients. Set aside.
- As the noodles cook, prepare the sauce. In a large pot over medium heat, add in the vegan sausage and ground beef and cook until browned, about 5-7 minutes. Once browned, add in the marinara sauce and mix through. Bring the heat to low, cover, and allow it to simmer for about 8-10 minutes or until heated through.
- As the sauce simmers, prepare the filling. In a medium-sized bowl, combine your tofu ricotta, flax egg, vegan cheese shreds, and fresh herbs. Mix through until uniform and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375°F and get your baking dish ready.
- Add a thin layer of sauce to the bottom of the baking dish. On top of the sauce, layer 4 lasagna noodles, overlapping slightly. On top of the noodles, spread over 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture and then on top of that, add 1/4 of the sauce.
- Repeat the process two more times, then, add on the final 1/4 of the sauce. Set aside.
- In a small pot over medium heat, prepare the vegan cheese sauce. Add in the vegan butter and allow it to melt. Once melted, add in vegan cheese shreds and almond milk. Whisk together rapidly until a smooth sauce forms.
- Pour the sauce over top of the lasagna, then cover it with aluminum foil. Place it into the oven and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
- Remove the lasagna from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can use one or both of the vegan meats for this recipe, or leave them out entirely. If choosing to omit, you may need to add more sauce as necessary.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Entree
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
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This recipe is ONE MILLION out of ten. I made it because someone told me their favorite food was lasagna and I wanted to make them happy. Over a year later, they still talk about how this is the best lasagna they’ve ever had. Thank you so much!!!
This was my first time making lasagna and it was sooo amazing! Non-vegan mom loved it too. Only modification I made was substituting the vegan ground beef for a pack of mushrooms that I minced. Will be making regularly. 🙂 Thank you for the recipe!
I too made this for Christmas dinner and y’all—what. a. gift. It was absolutely delicious! I used Beyond ground and hot Italian sausage, Rao’s sauce, and the SSV tofu ricotta. Overall the recipe was involved, but not complicated. Totally worth the cost and effort; my vegan husband, omnivore in-laws, and I all loved it!
I make this every year for Christmas! Always turns out great and my family goes crazy for it.
Perhaps I missed this but if you buy Vegan Ricotta, (vs making) how much should you use in the recipe? Cannot wait to try this out for dinner Saturday night, having friends over! Looks very authentic! Thank you!
I estimate around 16 oz!
There’s so many ads I can’t see the whole recipe
Hey, so sorry you’re experiencing this! The ads should never interfere with the recipe card. Could you take a screenshot and send them to chris@sweetsimplevegan.com? We can forward the issue to our web team.
Also, if the problem persists, try hitting the “print recipe” button! That should do the trick.
Sorry about the trouble. We appreciate you coming to our blog and hope you love the recipe!
I made this exactly as is and we loved it! It made a huge pan of lasagna and we were able to share with friends and it was a hit for everyone.
Been vegan 4 years. Best lasagna I’ve had. For our ricotta, we used a package of Kite Hill Ricotta +22g/8oz of of silken tofu and Violife for our mozz. Beyond beef and beyond hot Italian sausage.
Served it with some lettuce.
Loved making it and eating it and I’ll be surfing this website for my next recipe.
Made this tonight and it was delicious. I followed your brand recommendations for the beyond hot Italian (not spicy when combined with the Beyond vegan ground meat. ) was easy to follow and well worth the effort. Only thing I would add is to layout or pat dry the noodles right before assembling. My noodles were a bit soggy, and I think it’s because I didn’t pat down the noodles. A+ will keep this recipe in rotation. My picky kids and husband loved it and ate seconds!
Can I build the lasagna and bake it later? I’m taking it to my moms and I want it to be fresh when we sit down to eat.
Yes, that shouldn’t be a problem! Just keep it covered and refrigerated until you’re ready to bake it.
I’m also planning to assemble and refrigerate the lasagna before baking it fresh the next day. In that case, do I still need to boil the pasta sheets before assembling the lasagna in the baking dish? Or do I layer them in dry and they will cook when I bake the lasagna the next day?
Yes, pre-cook the lasagna noodles before assembling!
Will do, thank you so much for the quick response! Also, if I make a second batch of this using real meat for my omnivore family members, do you think any part of the recipe needs to be adjusted (other than using real meat)?
I honestly have no idea, sorry!
No problem, thanks for your help!
Amazing! I followed the recipe as stated and it turned out great. The taste and texture was perfect for me. I definitely recommend trying this one.
My go to lasagna recipe!
I want to preface this by saying that my omni boyfriend is Sicilian and has lived off of his nonna’s delicious homemade pasta recipes his whole life. Any pasta dish I make has a lot to live up to, so when he asked me to make lasagna, I was nervous.
This recipe was AMAZING. It was so easy to make and absolutely delicious. I omitted the sausage, added some spinach in between the layers, and sprinkled some cashew parm on top and it was hands down the best lasagna I’ve ever had. My boyfriend won’t stop talking about how good it was—will definitely be a repeat recipe for us!
Perfection! Easy and delicious!
My nearly 20 year-old daughter has been vegan for a couple of years. Lasagna was one of her favorite foods growing up, and we have tried at least five vegan versions, with varying results. We love SSV, so when we saw your recipe, we thought it would be perfect for our Christmas table. It did not disappoint! Amazing flavor and texture! I know we’ll be making this recipe again and again in the years to come. Thank you so much!
Lasagna is one of my all-time favorite things to eat. This vegan version looks pretty incredible. Need to try!
I made this for Christmas it was amazing! I just had some leftovers for lunch too lol thank you!!
This recipe will not let you down. Thank you so much for making my dreams of amazing vegan lasagna come true!!!
Can’t recommend this recipe enough! I grew up in an Italian family eating lots of lasagna and this is the perfect substitute for a classic meaty lasagna. Shared it with 4 meat eating family members who do not eat vegan ever. They loved it, all went back for seconds!
WOW WOW WOW!!!!!! This recipe is heaven! I made it for Christmas today and it was simple, delicious, and fantastic! Everyone loved it so much and now I’m hooked on this website. I’ll come back and try everything on this site 🙂 Thank you so much for this recipe!
Made this for Christmas dinner! The directions were clear and easy to follow! My family loved it!! Thank you!