Vegan Brats

It’s not quite summer but I can already smell people grilling every weekend! This inspired me to search for a vegan brat recipe, since this is my first summer vegan, and there’s no chance I’m going to be left out of the summertime-grilling-delishness the rest of my life! Unfortunately I quickly found out there are very few homemade vegan brat recipes online! (Shocker?…Probably not…). Because of that, I decided to make my own version that actually turned out SO GOOD!
These are inspired by itdoesnttastelikechicken’s Vegan Italian Seitan Sausages
Please note! I highly recommend making these a day in advance to eating. This allows for the vital wheat gluten to set up and give the brats a much better texture.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup water (or sub 1/2 tbsp oil)
- 1 White Onion
- 3 Cloves Garlic
- 3/4 cup Veggie Broth
- 1/4 cup Tomato Paste
- 2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
- 2 tbsp Liquid Aminos
- 2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 2 tsp Fennel
- 2 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1/4 tsp Liquid Smoke
- 1/4 tsp All Spice
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- 2 cups Vital Wheat Protein
- 2 tsp Earth Balance
- Pinch of Salt
- Dash of Cajun
* Note you will also need aluminum foil and a steamer.
Directions
- Saute onion in water. I prefer to cook onions in water to reduce oil content, but you can also sub 1/2 tbsp oil.
- While sauteing, in a large mixing bowl, add broth and mix in all spices.
- Once translucent, add onions to broth and spice mix and stir.
- Add vital wheat protein and kneed with hands until all is combined into a big ball.
- Next, lay the ball on a cutting board and use a rolling pin to flatten dough into a sheet. Note the dough will still be slightly thick and will not be a perfect shape.
- Slice the dough into 5-8 long and thin equal parts, depending on how large you want your brat. Roll slightly to create a brat shape. Note that they increase their size and form into a brat shape as they cook.
- Loosely wrap all dough pieces in aluminum foil and twist the ends.
- Add about 2 inches of water to a pot, then place a steamer inside. Next place the wrapped brats in the steamer, cover, and steam for 40 minutes on a low-simmer setting.
- Remove the brats and let cool. Unwrap and place in the fridge, covered.
- Enjoy at least 4 or more hours after cooking. These are best when made a day in advance of eating.
- When heating up, DO NOT MICROWAVE! The texture will completely change. Instead, heat Earth Balance and brats in a skillet for 3-5 minutes. Season with a dash of cajun seasoning and a pinch of salt. Rotate brats to heat all sides. I suspect these will heat up well on a grill as well but I have not yet tried these. Note since there is no fat in the recipe I would recommend rubbing oil on the grill (safely – look up tips) to prevent sticking.

Unfortunately this recipe is not low waste as it requires aluminum foil 🙁 The first time I attempted vegan brat was a horrible FAIL because I didn’t wrap them – so I wouldn’t recommend that option. The next time I make this recipe I am going to experiment with other reusable materials in hopes to find a way to make this low waste – stay tuned! <3
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