As a native Scotsman with a vegan food blog, this occasion is nothing short of momentous. After much trial and tribulation – and lots of meals to use up the leftovers of experiments gone wrong – it gives me great pleasure to share my recipe for the ultimate vegan haggis.
There are few things more Scottish than the hallowed haggis, and upholders of tradition will no doubt have steam coming out of their ears at the thought of veganising it. But times change, and all I’ll say is don't knock it until you’ve tried it.
If you have any leftovers, why not treat yourself to a vegan haggis toastie, haggis fritter, or haggis quesadilla?
I create new content every single week. Subscribe to keep in touch and get a free download of The Vegan Kitchen – My Top 10 Tips.
What is haggis?
Often described as Scotland’s national dish, traditional haggis is a meat pudding that consists of sheep’s heart, liver, and lungs, together with oatmeal, suet, and spices, all cooked inside the stomach of the animal itself. It is usually served alongside neeps (mashed swede or turnip) and tatties (mashed potato).
Haggis is eaten throughout the year in Scotland, but its popularity spikes around 25th January when it plays a central role in Burns Night celebrations.
The truth about haggis
Want to know a secret? Most modern Scots don’t prepare haggis from scratch themselves. Like sausages, they either get it from a local butcher or – as is much more common – straight off a refrigerated supermarket shelf.
Fair enough. Even as a meat-eater, I rarely had sheep’s heart, liver, or lung lying around the house to make haggis with.
And while you could make the same argument about vegans or vegetarians buying their meat-free versions from a supermarket, at least there’s a viable alternative here to create your own from scratch.
What’s in vegan haggis?
It’s quite straightforward to recreate the texture and flavour of traditional haggis, with the key ingredients of pinhead oats, pepper, and nutmeg.
Beyond that, different recipes call for different lentils or beans to substitute the offal, and nuts or seeds to add some fat and texture. I include portobello mushrooms and yeast extract to cover the umami side of things.
Is vegan haggis healthy?
The oats, lentils, and sunflower seeds in this recipe are packed full of plant-based protein. In fact, one serving of this vegan haggis will provide you with over 50% of the recommended daily amount of protein.
Pulses like lentils are nutritional powerhouses, offering fibre, vitamins, and minerals in a way that won't break the bank. Want to learn more? Check out my Beginner's Guide to Pulses.
Using the right oats
To get the right consistency, it’s important to use pinhead oats a.k.a. 'steel-cut' oats. I played around with several versions that used normal rolled porridge oats, but this resulted in a completely different texture.
I managed to track down pinhead oats in a local wholefood shop, where I also picked up the black beluga lentils.
How to make haggis gluten-free
Oats are a gluten-free ingredient, however they are sometimes processed in environments where there's a risk of cross-contamination.
If you're wanting to ensure that this recipe is 100% gluten-free, use pinhead oats, a yeast extract, and a vegan stock that are certified gluten-free.
How to make vegan haggis
Start by frying the onion and carrot together in a pan, followed by the mushrooms, lentils, and spices.
Then it's in with the pinhead oats, Marmite, and veg stock. Cook this together for 15 minutes until you have a very thick porridge mix, before turning off the heat and stirring through the chopped sunflower seeds.
Spoon the mix into a greased loaf tin and bake in the oven for approx. 30 minutes. To make the outside extra crispy, turn up the heat slightly towards the end.
Once cooked, remove from the oven and allow to stand for five minutes before serving.
What to serve with vegan haggis
Haggis is traditionally served alongside neeps (mashed swede or turnip) and tatties (mashed potatoes), as well as greens such as cabbage or kale. The neeps and tatties are both very easy to veganise – simply use plant-based butter and plant-based milk when mashing.
If you want to take your haggis game up a level, I'd highly recommend pairing it with this Vegan Whisky Cream Sauce. Featuring a creamy cashew base, subtle sweet whisky notes, and hints of mustard and lemon, it's the perfect way to top it all off.
Variations/tips for vegan haggis
- Quantity: If making larger quantities of the haggis, make sure you have large enough tins/dishes to bake it in the oven.
- Lentils: I'd highly recommend the black beluga lentils if you can find them, but tinned or pre-cooked cooked brown, green, or Puy lentils would also work.
- Oats: It's important to use pinhead or 'steel-cut' oats for this – rolled porridge oats simply don't work in the same way. You could swap out some of the pinhead oats for cooked pearl barley.
- Texture: If you want a meatier texture, try adding some plant-based mince.
- Sauce: I personally like this dish without any sauce, but you could add gravy or vegan whisky cream sauce. Some people like to pour a dram of straight whisky over their haggis, but I'll leave that decision entirely up to you...
How to store vegan haggis
Refrigerate: Store this haggis in the fridge for up to four days. The easiest way to reheat is in the microwave, but you could also reheat in the oven (covered with foil to prevent burning).
Freeze: Store this haggis in the freezer in sealed containers or resealable bags for up to six months. Defrost before reheating in the microwave or in the oven (see above).
Keep in touch
Subscribe below to receive a weekly newsletter with my latest recipes. Nice and simple. No pesky pestering. No spam (which wouldn’t be very vegan anyway).
More vegan recipe ideas
If you liked this recipe, you may also enjoy:
- Ultimate Vegan Fish Pie
- Vegan Stovies (Scottish Potato Stew)
- Vegan Goulash (Hungarian Stew)
- Easy Vegan Scotch Broth
- Vegan Cranachan (Scottish Dessert)
- Smoky Mushroom & Red Lentil Pâté
- Vegan Cottage Pie
- Ultimate Vegan Lasagne
Ultimate Vegan Haggis
Ingredients
- 20 g plant-based butter or margarine
- 1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 large carrot, peeled and grated
- 2 portobello/flat cap mushrooms, finely diced
- 1x 400 g tin black beluga lentils, drained (you could also use cooked brown, green, or Puy lentils)
- 1 level teaspoon white pepper
- 1 level teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 250 g pinhead oats (it's important to use pinhead or 'steel-cut' oats, see notes below for gluten-free option)
- 1½ tablespoons Marmite (or other yeast extract if GF)
- 400 ml veg stock (plus more water if needed)
- 30 g sunflower seeds, chopped
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a pan. Add the onion and carrot and cook for 5-6 minutes.
- Add in the finely diced mushrooms and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
- Add the lentils, white pepper, and nutmeg and stir through for a couple of minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F).
- To the pan, add the pinhead oats, Marmite, and veg stock. Cook for 15 minutes on a low heat, stirring regularly. The mix should become quite thick, but add a splash more water if it seems too thick.
- After 15 minutes, turn off the heat and stir through the chopped sunflower seeds.
- Spoon the mix into a greased loaf tin and bake in the oven for approx. 30 minutes. To make the outside extra crispy, turn up the heat slightly towards the end.
- Once cooked, remove from the oven and allow to stand for five minutes. Serve with neeps, tatties, cabbage or kale, and vegan whisky cream sauce. If you have any leftovers, why not treat yourself to a vegan haggis toastie, haggis fritter, or haggis quesadilla?
Notes
- Ultimate Vegan Fish Pie
- Vegan Stovies (Scottish Potato Stew)
- Easy Vegan Scotch Broth
- Vegan Cranachan (Scottish Dessert)
- Smoky Mushroom & Red Lentil Pâté
- Vegan Cottage Pie
- Easy Vegan Scalloped Potatoes (Dauphinoise)
- Ultimate Vegan Lasagne
Nutrition
Social follow
🌱 Follow along @thepeskyvegan on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.
Further reading
📩 Fancy keeping in touch? Subscribe to my weekly newsletter.
📖 Find out more about my story.
🍽️ Want to get straight to the food? Hop aboard the recipe train.
🌿 Got a question about veganism? You might find the answer in these vegan FAQs.
Vicky
Absolutely LOVED this - can't wait to have it again on Burns night 🙂
The Pesky Vegan
Cheers pal!
Claudia Jamieson
Amazing recipe! Lived in Scotland a few years and always loved Haggis. Now back in Germany and vegan, I was looking for a recipe and found this one. Cannot recommend it enough. Took me a while to find all ingredients over here and tonight I finally made it and the whole family loved it! Thank you!!
The Pesky Vegan
Great to hear - thanks very much for leaving a review! I'm glad you managed to find all the ingredients and that everyone liked it!
Saskia
Absolutely delicious - terrific recipe! Using the marmite to amp up the umami is a stroke of genius. I did a bit of experimentation and used a mix of shiitake, black fungus, and oyster mushrooms in mine to intensify the meaty texture/flavour a bit more. I'm sure that purists will clutch their handbags in horror, but given that your recipe is already a travesty by the omission of meat: eh meh. These mushrooms are cheaply and readily available freeze-dried from Asian groceries, for anyone wants to give it a try.
The Pesky Vegan
That sounds great with the other mushrooms, as I'm sure any of the 'purists' will have to agree! Thanks for the review!
Isabel
Just found your site. Born and brought up in Scotland. We never had haggis the ingredients turned me off. Will be trying this recipe for my now vegan daughter!!!. Thanks.
The Pesky Vegan
Good stuff, let me know how you get on with it!
Paul
Easy to make, looks good, tastes great, and came out of the tin (phew).
The Pesky Vegan
Cheers Paul, glad to hear it went well in the end!
katie
I've tried a few vegan haggis recipes over the years and this one is, without a doubt, the very best of all - it was sooooo easy to make and sooooo delicious. The beluga lentils and the steel cut oats are just brilliant - the texture is gorgeous! It's going to be a regular feature on my plate. Thank you so much Pesky Vegan - my quest for the best is over.
The Pesky Vegan
So glad you enjoyed it Katie! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and review 🙂
katie
me again - sorry - I forgot to rate the recipe
The Pesky Vegan
No worries - thanks very much!
Sheena Ohare
I have made haggis many times now... but today made some of this into ‘sausage’ rolls ... with puff pastry - delicious! Was a hit with my meat eating guests.
The Pesky Vegan
I actually had this down as a recipe idea to try in future - you're one step ahead!
Janet
This is excellent! I first tried vegan haggis on my visit to Scotland last September, at the Ben Nevis Inn. ( with a wee dram, of course). Although that one hadn't been made in house, it was good, and inspired me to try it at home. The only change I made was to use toasted hazelnuts in place of the sunflower seeds.
Thank you, Alistair, for creating this site. I'm looking forward to trying your other recipes!
p.s. I am absolutely in love with Scotland! 💜
The Pesky Vegan
Hi Janet, so glad it went down well! Toasted hazelnuts sound like a great substitute. Thanks for the kind words, there are many more recipes to come so stay tuned!
Margaret
Better than the “real thing” & no animals harmed.
Even better👍🏼
The Pesky Vegan
Win-win, glad you enjoyed!
Terry Murray
That was so yummy. Perfect texture too. I had it with homemade pesto and coleslaw. Thank you.
The Pesky Vegan
Thanks Terry, glad you enjoyed - sounds like fusion cooking at its finest!
Cris
Even when I was a meat eater I don't think I could have tried Haggis.
I was looking for a traditional Scottish dish to make and found this. Everyone loved it and had second helpings! Only modifications were I used about 1/2 the butter with veggie broth to saute and had to use regular lentils. Used parchment paper in my loaf pan. Served with colcannon. I opted to make the Whisky cream / gravy it sounded fun to try ......Delicious! Thank you for the recipe.
The Pesky Vegan
I love that the vegan version is what got you to try haggis! Sounds great, I'll be adding my own recipes for gravy and whisky cream sauce very soon actually. Thanks very much for taking the time to leave a review 🙂
Marissa
Love this! The lentils and mushrooms give a nice meaty quality, while the oats and sunflower seeds add some great texture. I combined this recipe with the vegan cottage pie recipe, basically added more carrots and some big chunks of mushrooms, then topped it with mashed neeps and tatties. They worked together real well!
The Pesky Vegan
Sounds like fusion cooking at its best, thanks for the review Marissa!
Melinda
Smells so delicious and full of taste!!! Takes all the good of haggis (flavour, uniqueness and kick) and left the bad behind (cruelty and the feeling of high cholesterol 😝). It got the texture and "pop" that I enjoy soooo much.
Had my first haggis in Scotland and been missing it since. This one taste even much more "organic/natural" than the one I had... if it makes sense? Yummy
Thank you for the recipe, it made my day!💖
The Pesky Vegan
Hi Melinda, thanks so much for leaving such a nice review! I'm glad the recipe helped to make your day - this comment makes mine!
Sheena
I’m a Scot living in Australia...and feeling quite homesick with not being able to visit just now. Came across your site and decided to try the haggis....it was absolutely delicious...thank you! I too am going to try it with the whisky...might encourage my non vegan partner to have a try...All of the whisky cream sauces seem to be very rich...and therefore calorie laden...maybe as you suggest just pouring over the top will suffice...mmm.
I look forward to trying more of your recipes...I like how you make suggestions for variations throughout!
The Pesky Vegan
Hi Sheena, thanks very much for the review! My sister is in the same position as she currently lives in Perth, WA. It's not easy but hopefully not too long until people can see each other again. Glad the recipe could give you a little taste of home during these crazy times! I have plans to do my own recipes for vegan whisky cream sauce and a few other trimmings so watch this space...
Robert
Your recipe is really great, I've made it a couple of times now. Added a couple of things (can't help myself!) - 1/2 can of black beans and some pumpkin seeds - thanks for the recipe.
The Pesky Vegan
Hi Robert, glad you enjoyed! Good to hear you played around with the recipe too, cheers for the review!
Tineke
Made this tonight for Burns Supper. Really lovely! Fabulous. First time ever I made it myself while watching online Burns night celebrations from the castle due to lockdown.
I didn't make the wiskey sauce but will show off with that making this for friends in the future.
The Pesky Vegan
Great to hear, thanks very much for the review!
Robert Ditty
Made another batch today! Had some haggis and mashed potatoes left over. Mixed with some potato powder, they made great (haggis enhanced) potato scones.
Robert
The Pesky Vegan
Great idea, I'll need to save some haggis next time and make those!
Jules
A pal sent me a link to this recipe with high recommendation.
Over the years I've tried numerous vegan haggis recipes none of which I ever tried again as in general they were pretty stodgy/tasteless.
Once a year in January I'd buy a commercially made one and chew my way through it and that'd be haggis for the year.
The Pesky Vegan recipe really did come as a surprise, great taste and texture and I’ll definitely being trying it again before January
I’ll maybe add a few more haggis type spices and perhaps a little more yeast extract but it really is the ultimate vegan haggis
Haggis sausage rolls come to mind or even Wellington style as a festive dish
The Pesky Vegan
Hi Jules, thanks so much for the review! Means a lot and I'm glad you now feel you have a reason to eat haggis more than once a year! Yep I've definitely got a few ideas in the pipeline for other haggis spin-offs 🙂
Dominique Tokaya
When I was still a meat eater, I had my first haggis in Glasgow back in 1996. The best version I had next was served in The Old Inn, in Carbost on the Isle of Skye. When I became a vegan a few years ago, the only thing I missed was that plate-licking-good haggis (although I'm Dutch) and now I'm sooo happy I found your recipe: it's truly excellent,thanks very much Alistair!
The Pesky Vegan
Hi Dominique, thanks for the rave review! I love that this recipe can help fill a gap in what you miss since going vegan. We were actually in Carbost a few years ago at that very same pub, small world!
Danielle
I was given two bags of pinhead oats, and not being a huge porridge fan, I didn’t know what else to do with them - until now! (Other ideas would be gratefully received, haha!)
This is a fantastic recipe and it made loads, about 6 portions! I’m a big fan of shop-bought vegan haggis and got really excited as I was cooking this because it was hitting all the right notes, just without the price-tag and packaging! 🙂
Did have to make a few tweaks though, based on what we had in... I used bog-standard mushrooms, black pepper, green lentils, and chopped cashews in place of the sunflower seeds. I also added a dash of mixed spice, allspice and a tiny bit more marmite, as another commenter suggested. Couldn’t recommend this enough and I’m already planning another one for Christmas.
The Pesky Vegan
Hi Danielle, thanks so much for the review! I'll try more marmite and other spices next time I make this, as for pinhead oats I've got a few recipes in the pipeline so watch this space!
Clare
We didnt have mushrooms so used mushroom ketchup and a mushroom stock cube and it turned out great! Really tasty and lovely texture
The Pesky Vegan
Good improvisation - glad you enjoyed and thanks very much for the review!
Scott Byrne
Unbelievable, love this. Used to love haggis before going vegan and now I've refound it through this.
The Pesky Vegan
Cheers Scott, glad you enjoyed!
Danny
Outstanding results and so easy to follow!
The Pesky Vegan
Great to hear it, cheers for leaving a review!
Billy
The last meat I ate was actually haggis and it was also the worst i'd ever had! I suppose that's a good way to end on...
This is a great recipe, we've tried other recipes but this one is spot on. Easy to make and tasted like the original imho. Interested to know if you have considered (and how you would go about it) in making the deep-fried haggis balls/battered haggis for a less healthier alternative? No longer being in the UK anymore, and now being plant-based, I would love to try and replicate the old days of a haggis supper!
The Pesky Vegan
Great to hear that you enjoyed this vegan version! I have been thinking about other ways to use haggis - deep-fried or in pakora batter, as well as in something like a wellington. I think the idea of pakora would be easiest to create, with a simple batter using gram flour, water, and spices, which you could then deep-fry or bake in the oven. Not sure if I'd want something to help bind the haggis first (like a ground flax seed 'egg' mix), but watch this space!
Steve
I'll be making this for a Scotch drinking night, along with some neeps n tatties. I'll report back how it turns out.
I wonder if steaming this would work also?
The Pesky Vegan
Great to hear! I haven't tried steaming it so can't say for sure how that might turn out - very keen to hear how you get on if you do give it a go!
Jill Scott
Absolutely delicious. Best haggis I have ever tasted. Really easy to make too.
The Pesky Vegan
Great to hear Jill, thanks for leaving a review!
Angela
This recipe is great for those who enjoy haggis but want to avoid the meat. The texture is really good and is a fantastic hearty meal without all the unhealthy/unappealing ingredients.
The Pesky Vegan
Great to hear it went down well, thanks very much for leaving a review!
Lijsterbessie
FAN-TAS-TIC and easy to follow recipe 🙂
The Pesky Vegan
Glad you enjoyed - thanks very much for leaving a review!
Lovethescents
Absolutely delicious and nutritious. Thank you. Our whole family loves this.
The Pesky Vegan
Great to hear, thanks for leaving a review!
Lisa Marshall
Delicious, great texture and so easy to make.
The Pesky Vegan
Great to hear, thanks!
Ross
Just made for our 'staying in New Year'
Great recipe and easy to follow
The Pesky Vegan
Thanks very much for the review - hope you had a nice evening and here's to a better 2021!
Ross Mallen
Likewise to you. Meal turned out to be very very tasty. Loving the rest of the website as well. Shopping list will be growing in order to make many of the dishes.
The Pesky Vegan
Thank you, great to hear - I'll carry on getting new recipes out there!
Connie Faivre
Made this for New Year's Day...having been vegetarian for 30+ years and vegan for the last 6, I've never had meat-based haggis (and, frankly, my Scottish friends loved to tease me about its ingredients. I still love my friends! LOL.). I have purchased tinned versions and have found some good and some....well, not so good.
It has turned out absolutely beautifully...wonderful spices and texture, and the loaf came right out of the tin and held its shape. I'm going to use a little of it tomorrow in our tofu scramble! It will be delicious.
I served it with roasted neeps, tatties, parsnips, brussels sprouts, and carrots. And some of the Hoppin' John I made for last night.
Fabulously delicious. Thank you so much! Can't wait to try your other recipes.
The Pesky Vegan
Hi Connie, thanks so much for leaving a review and for the kind words! It all sounds great, especially in with the scrambled tofu - will have to try that myself!
LibbyO
I enjoyed making and eating this. Can't get vegetarian haggis, as far as I know, here (in Sweden).
I used mushroom rather than veg stock and I had semi processed whole (hulled) oats as I haven't found pinhead oats in stockholm.
I forgot the sunflower seeds when I did the final mix. Oops!
It still tasted great 🙂 although I think the texture would have been better with the seeds.
The Pesky Vegan
Hi Libby, great to hear you enjoyed! The seeds do give it a little bit of extra texture, but I'm sure it's still good without! As for pinhead oats, I know they're not always the easiest ingredient to find. Hopefully someone in Stockholm will supply them soon! If it helps, I often find them in smaller, independent wholefood shops.
Barbara Miraftabi
To a fellow Nordic person. I live in Finland and after years of searching I finally found steel cut oats from a Finnish company called MyllynParas. Maybe you could order it or get someone to send it if they come to Finland, or maybe there are some stores that supply Finnish products. It's called "kaura rouhe" or "steel cut oats. I ordered it from Amazon.de in the past. Good luck....
The Pesky Vegan
Thanks for sharing!
Simon
Easy to follow instructions. Looks and tastes just as expected, perhaps better - delicious. All ready for the vegetarians at home on Burns Night. Thanks
The Pesky Vegan
Thanks for the review Simon, glad you enjoyed and great to hear you'll be making it again in a couple of weeks!
Edward
Oh wow, I just made this following your original recipe, with the mashed potato and kale. I put everything in the slow cooker on low for 5 hours instead of the 15 minute cook in the pan, and then in the oven as per your recipe after so it took slightly longer but I think it's one of the best haggises I've ever had!
Will definitely be feeding to my bubble for Burns Night, plenty left over for me for now so will try your whisky cream tomorrow...
Would be interested to hear your thoughts on the slow cooker method?
The Pesky Vegan
Hi Edward, cheers for the review! I think you're the first person to mention using a slow cooker for this, great to hear that it still turned out well. I don't have a great deal of experience in using a slow cooker myself, but this is a very useful comment for anyone who wants to try it out. Might update the post in future to include this info - thanks!
Margaret
I haven't tried it yet, but want to. Will stone ground oats work, or do they really need to be cut?
The Pesky Vegan
Hi Margaret, thanks for your comment. I'm assuming that 'stone ground' means oats that are ground into a fine oatmeal, as opposed to pinhead (a.k.a. steel-cut) oats, which are much more coarse. If you use fine oatmeal (or rolled oats / porridge flakes), the final product will be quite mushy/spongy and not similar to haggis. The taste won't change much, but it will be lacking the trademark texture that makes this recipe great. I did several experiments when developing it and would say it's well worth sourcing pinhead oats if possible! Hope this helps.
John
Looking forward to trying this next week, I just wondered if you thought bulghur wheat instead of steel cut oats would be ok to substitute? Not sure I've seen steel cut oats before.
The Pesky Vegan
Hi John, thanks for your comment. I haven't tried substituting the oats for bulgur, so I can't say for sure how that might turn out. It might be an idea to cook the bulgur separately and then combine with the other ingredients before baking, and using a lot less stock than stated in the recipe. Also, the texture may not be the same as I find the pinhead oats help to 'stick' everything together as a loaf. Sorry I couldn't be of more help - let me know how you get on if you try it out.
Margaret
Thanks so much -- it's wonderful to receive a personal response
The Pesky Vegan
No problem!
Jane
Made for a Burns Night on Zoom, I didn't even have all the right ingredients and it was still delicious.
The Pesky Vegan
Great to hear, thanks Jane!
Avril Flood
Happy Burns night -1!
Made this a night early but there was such a generous amount we’ll be able to enjoy it again on 25th.
Recipe was easy to follow, foolproof & the end result was delicious.
As a Scot & lifelong haggis eater (both regular & vegetarian) I feel well qualified to rate this & I do - highly. It replicates all the flavours & textures of haggis so well, you wouldn’t miss the usual “offal” ingredients.
Don’t keep it just for Burns night ......
The Pesky Vegan
Cheers Avril - glad you enjoyed!
Anna
Just made it this evening. My neighbours also got a taster portion. They are meat eaters, but loved it and asked when I'm next making it.
Thr black beluga lentils compliment the pepper flavour so much.
And next time, I may try using buckwheat kernels (as suggested by a friend). I got oat kernels and tried to make Steel cut oats in my grinder. But many kernels were still whole. It gave a lovely crunch nonetheless.
Thanks for a fab recipe. Sticky just like the real thing!
The Pesky Vegan
Thanks for the comment Anna! I've never tried cutting my own oats so I'll look into that. As for buckwheat, I haven't tried that myself but would be keen to hear how you get on if you give it a go!
Anna
This is a brilliant recipe! I lived in Scotland for 4 years and fell in love with veggie haggis. I now live in the US (where it's virtually impossible to even find a person who knows what haggis is) but I wanted to make haggis for Burns night. This absolutely hit the spot! Thank you for the recipe, I will definitely be making this again. And now I never need to worry about what to do when I get a craving for haggis. (Even my American flatmate thought it was delicious)
The Pesky Vegan
Hi Anna, thanks very much for the review - glad to hear you enjoyed it and that your flatmate did too!
Amber
Thank you. I made this today and it was perfect. Nailed it!
The Pesky Vegan
Cheers Amber, great to hear!
Leslie
Big win for my first ever vegan Burns Night! Even my 5 year old tried it and ate a little. Next time I make it I will probably cut the black pepper in half because the kiddo thought it was "a little spicy." Texture is perfect. I love it!
The Pesky Vegan
Congrats on your first vegan Burns Night - thanks for the review!
Nicola
WOW! So easy! Smells just like any premade veggie haggis. Had to leave some in the pan to 'scrape' after I filled the loaf tin. I may have slightly overdone the yeast extract but will definitely be making it again. Assuming everyone else in the house likes it for tea tonight.
Happy Burns Day/Night
The Pesky Vegan
Thanks for the review Nicola!
Sam
I know this needs steel cut oats but it was lockdown, Burns Night and hence an emergency! I switched in a smaller amount of standard oats, tinned brown lentils and pumpkin seeds instead of sunflower. I cooked it in the pan only briefly and the texture was a bit porridgey but could be worse and the outside crisped up nicely. The flavour was great. Only thing I’d add less of is the nutmeg, but I may have put in too much. It was too overpowering. Otherwise, winner! Washed down with Amaretto. Yeah Ok. I failed to get myself a wee dram too 🤦🏼♀️
The Pesky Vegan
Thanks for the review Sam! With the nutmeg, it should definitely be a level teaspoon rather than heaped, but glad it turned out well overall. If you get the chance to try with steel-cut oats I'd highly recommend it!
Ann-Marie
Update:
I just made this and stuck to your recipe, just adding extra nutmeg, black pepper and some ground cloves.
This is too good just for Burns Night!
Other change: I divided the mixture between 6 large muffin tin and baked for an hour so I could get a crispy top.
I have had vegan haggis before and it was nice but didn’t taste like this! Thanks for posting!
The Pesky Vegan
Glad you enjoyed! Haggis muffins - why didn't I think of that before?!
Naomi
This is absolutely gorge, loved it, I made it with normal oats and put lentils, and left out the 15 min cooking time for the oats in the hopes they’d keep more integrity. 10/10 and my Scottish housemate also fully approved
The Pesky Vegan
Good stuff, and good idea reducing the cooking time for normal oats! Would highly recommend also trying with pinhead/steel-cut oats if you can get them.
carolyn morton
This was absolutely delicious! I did not have the correct oats, so I put a little coarse normal porridge type oats in and some Quorn mince. I will try and get some pinhead oats to make the original version! My Scottish husband loved it too. Thank you so much
The Pesky Vegan
Glad you enjoyed! Pinhead oats really do improve the texture if you can get them.
Francine
Made this tonight for my family and it was so delicious! Even my grumpy, non vegan teens ate it all with gusto. Bravo!
The Pesky Vegan
That's what we like to hear - thanks very much for the review!
stella
Absolutely fantastic - thanks so much! British and Irish living in the US and were surprised many years ago that we both enjoyed haggis in Glasgow. In years past here we've ordered haggis. On a whim today I googled for a vegan recipe and found this, and assembled it with our 2yr old today and taught him about Burn's Night. He had a blast and we all devoured dinner!
The Pesky Vegan
Glad you came across the recipe and that it was a success - thanks for the review!
Rowena
So good. One point though about quantity of lentils. A tin of lentils contains around 250g drained depending on brand. As I cooked speckled lentils (Puy style) I adjusted quantity, cooked around 140g dried. Also only had rolled oats yet still great texture and flavour. Dare I say better than Macsweens or Hendersons in Edinburgh Alistair, it's true.
Also made a the cream sauce using some left over soya cream with brandy, sorry but not going to waste Jura in a sauce.
Thanks again and hope you had a great Burn's Night. We watched Janey Godley's Big Burns Supper, fantastic evening.
The Pesky Vegan
Thanks for the kind words! And I agree about not using good whisky in cooking - quite right.
Len
I made this recipe back in November for my wife and me and was very impressed with the result! We are not ‘big eaters’ these days, so the remainder was portioned and stuck in the freezer. We ate it on Boxing day and finished it up last night for Burns’ night. Result!
I think the recipe a triumph, so thank you very much for sharing it here!
The Pesky Vegan
Hi Len, thanks for the review! I know this recipe in particular tends to leave people with some leftovers, but rather that than the other way around. Like you say, you managed to stretch it across 3 separate occasions by freezing!
Lauren
As a Scot I’m a little ashamed I have never made my own homemade Haggis before. I’ve always thought it would be fiddly and time consuming. However this recipe was so easy to follow and the results were amazing! Definitely the best tasting Haggis I’ve ever had! And yup I’ve eaten it for 3 nights in a row now!!
The Pesky Vegan
Cheers Lauren! No need to feel ashamed - the important thing is that you've seen the light now 🙂
Kaila
Amazing recipe! We loved it.
The Pesky Vegan
Thanks!
Kristen MtJoy
Husband said better than real haggis !! And I was able to easily find ingredients in Texas of all places! This was delicious and we will definitely make again!!
The Pesky Vegan
Thanks for the review! And go Texas for having all the ingredients!
Isabelle
Thank you so much for this great recipe. My family and I used to have haggis every year for Burn's night, but have not had any since going vegan 5 yrs ago. I made it last night and the smell was so amazingly similar to haggis, my kids were spooked. It tastes absolutely amazing, we all ate it really slowly so as to savour it . The texture is spot on and the taste is absolutely delicious. I am definitely keeping this precious recipe for next year!! Thank you again, you really made our day last night. XXX
The Pesky Vegan
Thanks very much for the review and kind words - really glad you and all the family enjoyed it!
Anita
Sheer Brilliant!
We had a rare Vegan Burns supper
The Pesky Vegan
Thanks for the review and glad you enjoyed!
Darren
Great texture & taste. Our Burns Night non-meatosaruses were loving it. Even meat eaters really enjoyed it. Great stuff!
The Pesky Vegan
Great to hear, thanks very much for the review!
JEH
I live in Germany and couldn’t source a haggis so decided to make this one. Wasn’t expecting anything wild with such a simple recipe but OH MY GOODNESS it was amazing! So simple to make and so delicious. I added double the white pepper because I like it nice and peppery but otherwise wouldn’t change anything in the recipe. I haven’t stopped banging on about how good this haggis was since I made it. Thank you for sharing this with us all!
The Pesky Vegan
Glad you enjoyed the recipe - thanks very much for the review and kind words!
Noreen
I made this Haggis on Sunday. Loved it. It’s been years since I had haggis and wasn’t overly keen on it, but I love black and white pudding plus I really loved the look of this recipe. It was delicious and great texture. I dry fried some leftovers last night and crisped it up some more. Delicious! Thanks for sharing. I really love your recipes.
The Pesky Vegan
Thanks for the review Noreen! The recipe definitely allows for some leftovers and it sounds like you made a great choice in crisping it up more!
Katy
Love this recipe 🙂 made it for Burns last week as couldn’t source a veg haggis locally. It’s very tasty and very easy to make. I’m delighted to have found this website and can’t wait to try more dishes. Thank you Pesky vegan 😊
The Pesky Vegan
Thanks very much for the review - plenty more recipes to come!
Pauline
I bought a Veggie haggis from Aldi and loved it, but it seems it is a seasonal item. So searched online and found your recipe. It was a huge win, and also made a huge amount (mine filled a 2lb loaf tin). I was a bit scared by the large quantity of marmite and nutmeg so cut it down. I think this was a mistake. My husband had haggis sandwiches for three days after...
I decided the nicest bit was the slightly crunchy crust, so today I am experimenting with haggis burgers to get a higher crust to squish ratio. And a lot more mushrooms. It’s definitely a good base to adapt in different ways, and the oats bind so well it is easy to slice. Thank you.
The Pesky Vegan
Thanks very much for the review - sounds like you've been very creative with leftovers!
Pauline
I did the burgers with a second batch. The mix makes 12 huge burgers. I used a whole punnet of mushrooms. They held together and I think are solid enough to barbecue safely. Excellent adaptable recipe.
The Pesky Vegan
Sounds good, will have to give that a go!
George
great recipe just because it was so simple to follow. I swapped out pumpkin seeds for sunflower seeds in mine, added soy sauce along with the broth and also some finely diced scotch bonnet chillies, also I used extra black beans.
The Pesky Vegan
Thanks very much for the review, glad you enjoyed and managed to adapt the recipe!
Gail
Is the Marmite the secret ingredient that gives this dish it's flavor? I visited Scotland a few years ago and had vegetarian haggis at a couple of different restaurants and loved it and would love to recreate it at home, but Marmite isn't common here.
The Pesky Vegan
I'd say the nutmeg and white pepper are what gives this a classic haggis taste, and the Marmite is just to help add a depth of flavour (more 'umami'). I'm not sure where you are in the world, but if you can't get Marmite or any other type of yeast extract then you could try something like soy sauce. It's to help add a rich flavour that you would get from the traditional non-vegan ingredients.
JK
Cooked this for the first time tonight after having failed in my own attempt to veganise haggis a year or so ago. It was very tasty and even my two year old daughter liked it!
I think I'll make a few minor spice adjustments going forward to try and possibly add some mashed kidney beans (though the texture was excellent).. I have about a year to nail the recipe before moving to Japan where I'll not be able to get my hands on Simon Howie's vegetarian haggis!
Thank you for this recipe and for the scotch broth one, looking forward to trying your stovies next!
The Pesky Vegan
Hi there, great to hear you enjoyed this recipe and others - thanks for the review and good luck perfecting your haggis before the move to Japan!
Leo
Hi there Alistair. Just wanted to extend a massive thanks to you for this wonderful, versatile recipe. We're a Glaswegian omnivore and an English veggie living in Gibraltar, and we stumbled across your recipe back in January. We initially had the vegan haggis as part of a Burns Night supper, but have since adapted it in three ways: vegan falafel-style balls, and two vegetarian recipes we pinched off the McSween website... poutine (https://www.macsween.co.uk/recipes/vegan-haggis-poutine/) and https://www.macsween.co.uk/recipes/cheesy-veggie-haggisballs/. Your recipe is the best thing we've found on the internet in a long time, so thank you thank you thank you!
The Pesky Vegan
Hi there, thanks very much for the kind words! Great to hear you've been experimenting with all those vegan haggis spin-offs, I definitely plan to get a few of my own up on the blog this year!
lindsay kennedy
It has been more than a decade since I lived in Scotland. I have always missed the veggie haggis (I probably ate it once a week). This was so, so, so good. Looking forward to making this for Canadian Thanksgiving and Christmas. Thank you very much for sharing this gem!!!
The Pesky Vegan
Great to hear the recipe provided a taste of home - thanks very much for the kind words and review!
Lisa
Absolutely fantastic! Everyone loved it, vegans and non-vegans alike.
The Pesky Vegan
Glad you all enjoyed, thanks very much for the review!
Coral
Wow. I'm not Vegan or veggie but I LOVE this recipe. Well done thanks for sharing, really enjoy this more than the meat version I am a convert!
The Pesky Vegan
Thanks for the rave review, glad you enjoyed it!
Jane
Very good recipe which I adapt by omitting fat and adding beans, other seeds and nuts. As a Scotswoman I can verify that this has an authentic haggis taste and texture!
The Pesky Vegan
Thanks very much for the review, glad you enjoyed!
Vicky Brown
Made this last week. Thought it was fabulous. I had a packet of ready cooked wheat, which I added. My first Pesky Vegan recipe. Will definitely try more of your recipes. Tofu Jalfrezi is next on the list.
The Pesky Vegan
Great to hear, glad you enjoyed!
Cathy
On Burns Night I went to 7 shops in Totnes, trying to buy vegetarian haggis. They had either sold out, or didn't even know what haggis was.
I made this and it was really nice. I substituted oat groats, and that worked fine. Not sure why I haven't tried making my own before.
Just about to make it again (substituting oat groats again, and a bit of pearl barley).
The Pesky Vegan
Hi Cathy, great to hear you had success with the recipe - thanks very much for the review!
Janice
I didn't tell my Scottish partner what we were having for diner as he's used to me serving up veggie dishes unannounced - "this is really nice, it tastes like haggis"! Result! It was delicious and we will certainly be having it on the menu again, and we won't be waiting for next Burns Night!
The Pesky Vegan
That's the best kind of review - thanks and glad you enjoyed!
Christine Anderson
Sensational served with amazing vegan Haggis - winner winner
The Pesky Vegan
Glad you enjoyed, thanks very much for the review!
Katy
What a bloody winner! Loved this. Directions spot on, really easy and makes loads! Thank you.
The Pesky Vegan
Cheers Katy, glad it went down well!
Julie
My family absolutely love this vegan haggis - it’s so good! I’ve been vegetarian for over thirty years (vegan for two years) and this recipe is the best I’ve tried.
Thanks!!!
The Pesky Vegan
Thanks for the review Julie, great to hear you and the family enjoy it!
Shaun Doyle
I made this for Burns night and its become a regular, probably once a month, made it 2 days ago and the rest for dinner tonight, absolutely scrumptious. Thank you Alistair
The Pesky Vegan
Great to hear, thanks very much for the review!
Charlie
Have made this several times and we love it, have used it for base of other meals such as putting mash on top or making into "sausage rolls" by wrapping sausage shapes in pastry (even the most avid meat eaters of the family liked this option)
The Pesky Vegan
Thanks for the review Charlie, great to hear you've been enjoying the recipe!
Tracy
Definitely a favourite in our house 👍 Empty plates all round! Sometimes we have it with the whisky sauce and sometimes without. Tastes great either way and we had TPV haggis toasties with the leftovers. Great recipes! 😋 Thank you.
The Pesky Vegan
Cheers for the review Tracy - glad you all enjoyed!
Katie Noon
This was absolutely belting! Made the whiskey sauce to go with it and oh my days! Loved it! This is going in my “hall of fame” recipe book. Thank you so much!
The Pesky Vegan
Excellent stuff, I'll take 'absolutely belting' as a review any time!
Marna
"Ultimate".....is there a better word....if there is use it. This is the most amazing recipe... I mean the entire dinner (tatties, greens and oh, oh that whiskey sauce!!!!). I had haggis once in my life (not knowing what it was) back in 1975 while visiting friends on a farm in Lewes, East Sussex when I was ....much younger. Other than that bygone experience I have had none since.....so I was intrigued when I saw this recipe. It rated the top "10 stars" according to my family even though they had never heard of Haggis (not common Oregon USA ). I have a LARGE collection of vegan blog recipes I keep in a binder and only the best 'chefs' have their own section....you totally earned it....now for the Fish Pie!
The Pesky Vegan
Wow thanks Marna! Makes me very happy to hear that you all enjoyed the meal. It's my honour to be given my own section in your recipe collection!
Pauline
Panic stations as I realised my usual nut roast wellington would be a no go for Christmas dinner due to nut allergies!!! So I’m going to wrap your haggis (which I make a lot) in puff pastry instead. Maybe a layer of garlicky mushrooms running through it might be nice. Panic over! I’ll report back.
I have to make a lot as the meat eaters seem to think the veggie option is an acceptable side dish…
The Pesky Vegan
Sounds like a plan and a garlic mushroom layer sounds great!
Pauline
It worked well. And all disappeared very quickly. There was far too much for the wellington, so I froze the rest in takeaway boxes. We turned them out and cooked rubbed in oil from frozen. This works perfectly. In the end I added some barley with the lentils which I cooked from scratch. This added yet more texture. This really is a startlingly good recipe. The pastry case was ok and festive, but we prefer it with a crispy outside.
The Pesky Vegan
Sounds great - I'll be experimenting with my own vegan wellingtons this year (including haggis) so thanks for the feedback and inspiration!
Rachel K.
Totally making this again! Me an me Scottish partner totally loved it. The beluga lentils and yeast extract really make it (though as my tiny tiny jar of Vegemite is 10€+P&p a pop here in Germany I swapped that for low salt soy sauce. Thanks a bunch for coming up with this.
The Pesky Vegan
Glad you enjoyed, thanks for the comment!
Caitríona O'Leary
Brilliant! Delicious! Thank you!
I tweaked slightly by adding a few more spices (a little bit of allspice, cinnamon & mustard) & finely chopped celery, left out the fat, and used brown miso instead of marmite. Also, I toasted the oats before using. But otherwise followed the recipe!
Leftovers are amazing! Even after having been frozen in slices.
Thank you again!
The Pesky Vegan
These sound like good tweaks to me, great to hear it turned out well. Thanks again for the review!
Elaine Ferguson
Delicious - tasted and smelled like the real thing.
The Pesky Vegan
Thanks for the review Elaine, glad to hear it went down well!
Jules
This has become a firm favourite in this household. I tend to let it cool and then cut it into slices and store in the freezer. It appears as main meals but it's also great for breakfast and as a sandwich filling and if you're so inclined makes great vegan haggis pakoras.
To my taste it's miles better than any other vegan haggis I've tried and I always make sure we have some in the freezer.
I'm approaching 50 years since I started my vegan journey and I might even have some of this on my birthday!
Thanks again for the recipe
Nairn, Scotland
The Pesky Vegan
Great to hear you've had so much enjoyment out of it, I also like to make sure there's always some in the freezer. Thanks very much for the review!
Greg
Hi, I haven't tried this recipe out yet but was wondering if I cook the mix as small patties could they make good Haggis burgers? or would the texture be a bit too crumbly?
The Pesky Vegan
Hi there! No this should work just fine, the mix should hold its shape well provided you use pinhead oats (a.k.a. 'steel-cut') and follow all the recipe steps before it goes in the oven. The burgers will be smaller and so won't require quite as much cooking time - I'd suggest cooking for 15 mins then checking every 5 mins or so to see how they're getting on.
Greg
Awesome! thanks for getting back to me. Already got my pinhead oats ready to go (:
The Pesky Vegan
Great, let me know how you get on!
Gabby
Hi! So excited to make this for Burns Supper this year from the US! My friend and I studied abroad in Scotland, and we want to still celebrate from here. Marmite isn't very common here, do you know any good gluten free substitutes we could use?
The Pesky Vegan
Hi there, great to hear you'll be giving it a go! If you don't have Marmite (or another yeast extract), you could try substituting miso paste and/or a few tablespoons of gluten-free soy sauce or tamari. Hope this helps!