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?
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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 (just like in this vegan white pudding).
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 (they're better for porridge or things like easy oat cookies).
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).
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More vegan recipe ideas
If you liked this recipe, you may also enjoy:
- Ultimate Vegan Fish Pie
- Vegan Biryani with Chickpeas
- Vegan Goulash (Hungarian Stew)
- Easy Vegan Scotch Broth
- Vegan Cranachan (Scottish Dessert)
- Vegan Skirlie (Oatmeal Stuffing)
- Jackfruit 'Beef' Stew
- Ultimate Vegan Lasagne
You can also check out my full list of Scottish vegan recipes.
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
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Amy
Thanks so much for this recipe. I was invited to a Burns night celebration and I wasn’t able to source a gluten free haggis so I decided to try your recipe as there was a vegetarian coming too. It was a triumph! I actually used quinoa instead of oats as I couldn’t find the pin head oats and the texture was good. It’s a good tip for anyone who doesn’t eat oats.
The Pesky Vegan
Cheers for the tip Amy, glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Christine
Thank you for the great recipe! We made this for Christmas dinner and enjoyed it. We also made the whisky white sauce, very good too! Together these were great! We are planning to make again for Burn’s night, however we will double the whisky cream sauce recipe!
The Pesky Vegan
Sounds good, can't have too much of the whisky cream sauce!
Lee
I’m a 47 year old Scottish girl and have adored haggis as long as I remember. We moved to Hong Long for a few years and I made your recipe for Burns Night as haggis was near impossible to find there. I now have so many friends addicted. It’s the thing I get asked to make most often. My vegetarian brother and his wife have just demanded one for their 2022 Christmas dinner! Made it tonight and it’s a triumph!
The Pesky Vegan
Great to hear you've all been enjoying the recipe, cheers!
Helen Brooks
Please don't bother to answer my previous comment about substitutes for 'pinhead oats' and Marmite, in Sydney, Australia. I've found both at Woolworths supermarkets; the pinhead oats come up at Woollies as 'steel-cut oats' under the 'Macro' home brand, and Marmite is likewise freely available here!
The Pesky Vegan
Glad you managed to track down the ingredients, enjoy!
Helen Brooks
I haven't made this yet, but it looks good. Now that I've read the comments below, I WILL be making it, but first I need to search out where I can buy 'pinoats' here in Sydney, Australia. Plus, I'll have to look around for the Marmite, too. This sounds great; can't wait to make.
The Pesky Vegan
Cheers Helen!
Bill
I was worried this recipe mix was too dry and was about to add more water, but I resisted the temptation and was so glad as the end result was perfect. I did add some celery and extra herbs like dried thyme and sage as I had these to hand and needed to use them up. This recipe makes an excellent vegan Haggis will definitely make again. I can't wait to try your other recipes especially the Vegan White Pudding and Scotch Broth.
Thank you.
The Pesky Vegan
Cheers Bill, great to hear you enjoyed it!
Fiona
Delicious recipe. On a par with a “real” meat haggis. I am not vegan but some of my family are. We all loved it. Served with mash and vegetables and onion gravy.
I added a handful of chopped chestnuts too just for some extra texture. I also used all the liquid from the tin of drained lentils as the mixture was a bit dry.
Will definitely make this very quick and easy recipe again.
The Pesky Vegan
Cheers for the review, glad to hear you all enjoyed it!
Susan
Love it! Happy to have a veggie version of one of the few “meat” dishes I miss. Non-veggie family members love it too! Tripled the recipe and froze 2 for future meals. Will make the haggis cakes if there are any leftovers😊
The Pesky Vegan
Glad everyone enjoyed it, and yes it freezes really well!
Sandra
So very good - with pearl barley too. Had it made for us today by our daughter and her man up from Catalunya for my birthday and nearly Saint Andrew’s day. Always a good meal. Recommend.
The Pesky Vegan
Cheers Sandra, glad it continues to go down well!
Annie
Absolutely brilliant! As an Englishwoman who lived in Scotland for two years and acquired a taste for haggis, I was amazed to find this vegan recipe.
My daughter is vegan and gluten free, so swapped the Marmite for Tamari. Everyone loved it. Thank you so much.
The Pesky Vegan
Glad to hear you enjoyed it, thanks very much for the review!
Elena
This was fantastic! Made it for a special heritage dinner for the family. It is a well thought out recipe that is relatively easy to make. Thank you Pesky Vegan!
The Pesky Vegan
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for the review!
Janice
This haggis is a must have recipe for any vegetarian (or meat eater) wanting to eat a healthy, cost effective substantial meal!! I’ve cooked it loads of times and it’s a firm favourite in our family and with guests as part of a roast dinner! It can be adapted to whatever you happen to have available but always with steel/pin oats. It freezes and defrosts well too!!
The Pesky Vegan
Great to hear you've been enjoying it, thanks for the review!
E D
I haven't made this recipe yet but I am SO glad I read the reviews. I have been looking at loads of vegan haggis recipes but this one looks gorgeous! I will be making this for my beautiful Scottish mother. I'm first generation Aussie and haven't eaten Haggis since I was a kid at Highland dancing competitions and Ceilidhs on Burns Night. Thank you so much!
The Pesky Vegan
Good stuff! I've had a few Aussies get in touch to say something similar so hope you all enjoy it!
Kathryn
Amazing! My whole family and our friends from Scotland all loved it! Thank you for sharing; we are hooked!
The Pesky Vegan
Thanks for the rave review, glad you all enjoyed!
Lauren
Would it be possible to make this without mushrooms? Would I just leave them out or need to substitute with something? Any suggestions? 🙂 Thanks!
The Pesky Vegan
Hi there! If you don't want to use mushrooms, you could try something with a similar soft texture to help contrast against the oats and seeds. Finely chopped aubergine or tofu would work quite well, but you could also leave it out and still get good results. Hope this helps!
Lauren Harris
Super helpful. Thank you!
Pauline Anderson
Kia ora from Aotearoa,
Made the haggis for dinner on Sunday. Was really really good. I have plated up ready meals for the freezer too. Flavour and texture was spot on. Am going meat free now but finding eggs and dairy a bit harder to give up so will check out some more of your recipes soon.
The Pesky Vegan
Kia ora from Sheffield! Great to hear you enjoyed this recipe and that you've decided to cut down on animal products - plenty more recipes around these parts for you to try out!
Sue
Wonderful recipe. I’ve made this 3 times now and it’s fabulous. My husband requested it again yesterday. Thank you very much for giving us this.
The Pesky Vegan
My pleasure, great to hear it's going down well!
Jonathan Lasko
I was in Edinburgh last month and enjoyed vegan haggis out there and wanted to make it. I used your recipe-plus the cashew cream and the whisky sauce recipes. It all came out great! I made tatties and neeps and some stir-fried greens and it was a wonderful meal. Thank you.
The Pesky Vegan
That's what we like to hear, thanks very much for the review!
Henni
Absolutely delicious
The Pesky Vegan
Thanks, glad you enjoyed!
Johanna
This is a lovely recipe!
The Pesky Vegan
Thanks Johanna!