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.
Other suggestions for sides include vegan cauliflower cheese, vegan roast potatoes, and sprouts with tofu bacon.
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)
- Black Bean Burgers
- 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.
Full recipe
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 (affiliate link – 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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Rob
My favourite recipe ever! It's so versatile and packed with good nutrition. Currently preparing a Wellington, using this haggis as the main protein, going to put some cooked beetroot in the middle and wrap it in nori sheets before rolling it in the pastry. Did a cheeky deep fried haggis the other day, naughty but so nice! Thanks for the recipe 🙌
The Pesky Vegan
Sounds great, cheers!
Ami
Can't rate this haggis recipe highly enough. Made it the first time to cater for 20 guests at my mums 70th - veggie and non veggie. It went down really well and I now make it often. We live in France now and finding pinhead oats was impossible, so I substitute for whole oat groats (Gruau Avoine Décortiquée) and ground them down slightly, works really well. I often make a couple to freeze before baking. Definitely the best vegan haggis recipe, great job!!
The Pesky Vegan
Glad to hear you found a workaround with whole groats – thanks very much for the review!
mj
I'm not a vegan but I can't get "real" haggis here in the States, at least where I live. So, I opted for this version, somewhat hesitantly as I was making it for a birthday dinner. I was floored by how good this is! It's brilliant! This was pretty much identical to the meat haggis we had in Scotland. It was a big hit and will definitely become a special dish in our house! Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe!
The Pesky Vegan
High praise indeed – great to hear that you'll be making it again!
Genevieve
Yay Alastair! Thanks for this recipe. It was the centerpiece of our new year’s dinner this afternoon and everyone liked it. We’ve been away and our cupboards were depleted, but I had most of the ingredients, and I’ve been wanting to make this for a while.
I didn’t have cooked lentils so I used canned borlotti beans which worked great. Due to the holiday and store closures I didn’t have mushrooms so I substituted tofu. ( I only had smoked tofu, but that just adds to the flavor). I’ve never had marmite, so I used nutritional yeast. Yum. I was fresh out of cashews so I used sunflower seeds. They were roasted so the sauce was a little less creamy. But still tasty! Yes, love your recipe. Thank you!
ps I only had welsh whiskey but it worked out fine.
The Pesky Vegan
Great to hear you got good results with those substitutes, thanks for sharing and for the review!
Sue
Should the sunflower seeds be husked?
The Pesky Vegan
Yes that's right – here in the UK they're usually sold with the hard outer husks already removed.
Jules
I bought pinhead oats a while ago to make this. Marmite isn’t gluten free and I’m not sure about other yeast extract. What could be subbed? Vegan Worcester sauce maybe?
The Pesky Vegan
Hi there. Some yeast extracts are gluten-free (it comes down to the barley content), but may or may not be labelled as such. For example, Tesco's own brand does not list barley as an ingredient and so would be considered by many to GF, but you may wish to choose a brand that clearly states it. Alternatives for a rich umami flavour would include GF soy sauce or tamari, or GF vegan Worcestershire sauce (such as Henderson's Relish). Hope this helps!
Monica
I LOVE this recipe! It's become a regular breakfast for this California vegan 🙂 It takes me back to our Scotland trip every time. It's not only delicious but so nutrient-dense! Steel-cut oats, veggies, lentils, mushrooms and more!! Thank you for sharing!!
The Pesky Vegan
Great to hear – cheers for the review!
maggie
I made this as is for a visit from my vegetarian daughter. She had to cancel. So I froze it after I cooked it. When we did cook it. it was beautiful. Neither my husband or I are vegetarians but we prefer this to the meat one. Thank you for sharing
The Pesky Vegan
Yep I often make batches of the haggis and freeze it for future meals, works nicely!
April Blake
I had vegan haggis a few times in Scotland and I think this might be better than any of the restaurant versions in Edinburgh! Plus, I really need to eat more protein so this is great to have on hand, along with some neeps and tatties! Thanks for the amazing recipe.
The Pesky Vegan
Thanks – great to hear that this one might top your list!
Maggie
Wow this is delicious. Had a practice run with this recipe for when my vegetarian daughter comes to visit. My husband and I are not vegetarian but we absolutely loved it. I freezed half. To see if it spoils. It’s still delicious after it’s been freezed. Can’t wait to make it for my daughter, thank you for sharing
The Pesky Vegan
Good stuff, thanks for the review!
Amanda Pugh
This is just an amazing recipe. Plant based whole foods at their best.
I have made this recipe time and again and we really love it. It’s so versatile. It’s a good thing to cook on a weekend to provide the main event for roast dinner and a few meals in the week. Double the recipe if needed for the size of your household.
I can’t easily get pinhead oats, so I halve the oats and replace with cooked quinoa. Works great. I cook the quinoa with the lentils (cheaper and more sustainable to buy dried than tinned). Just simmer gently together with twice their volume of water for fifteen mins then let sit for another ten. They cook in the time it takes to prep and cook the veg. Easy.
The Pesky Vegan
Cheers for the tip re. cooked quinoa – glad to hear you've been enjoying the recipe!
Jan
Hi Alistair, as a former Boroughmuir girl, just down from Macsween's on the corner of Viewforth and Bruntsfield Place, I can happily say "NAILED IT!!" Thank you for all your efforts to get there! Perfection.
The Pesky Vegan
Hi Jan, I have friends who used to live in the area and I've spent many a Hogmanay there! Thanks for the comment and glad you enjoyed the haggis!
Sue
Hi Alistair. I can't give this recipe a rating as I haven't yet made it! Haggis is hard to find in Australia but I can find the ingredients you've listed here. Aussies prefer Vegemite, but I prefer the ol' Marmite. Here it's called Our Mate because there is an Aussie product with the same name. I love the detail and information you provide, but especially the enthusiasm and humour you project.
The Pesky Vegan
Cheers Sue, yes I'm aware of the ongoing cultural duel between Marmite here and Vegemite down under! Plenty of Aussies have been in touch over the years to say they enjoyed this recipe so hope you do too!
Marsha
This has become my go to Christmas or Thanksgiving dish. Love the idea of freezing the leftovers, but I cook this up, we feast on it for 2 or 3 days, and sadly there aren't any leftover to freeze. I use dried brown lentils because I can't find black, or canned lentils, and I cook them with a spoon of veggie bullion instead of the Marmite. Thank you so much for this recipe.
The Pesky Vegan
Glad you've been enjoying the haggis, cheers!
Terri
Hi PV ☺️
I finally have steel cut oats 🥳
Could this be put inside a pastry case, to create a pasty ?
Love all your recipes
Terri
The Pesky Vegan
Hi there, yes I've used this in lots of different ways and I'm sure a vegan haggis pasty would be great! The easiest thing would be to cook it as per the recipe (or slightly less time in the oven), allow to cool, and then include in something like what you've suggested. Hope this helps!
Karen peace
1 and a half tablespoons of marmite?
Or is that teaspoons?
The Pesky Vegan
Hi there, 1½ tablespoons is correct. Some people have been in touch over the years to say they like to add a little more after experimenting and tweaking – this haggis recipe has taken on a life of its own on the internet!
Lesley Boyland
Astonishingly similar to traditional haggis, only better! My carnivore partner agreed that it's a winner of a recipe. (I confess I did add a little vegetable oil, in homage to the delightfully greasy haggis of my childhood, and stir-fried the leftovers - delicious.) Well done and thank you!
The Pesky Vegan
Thanks very much, glad you enjoyed it!
Gina
I have not tried this recipe yet, just got home from Scotland and want to try to reproduce the veggie haggis I had there but have a question about the recipe. How large of portabella mushrooms do I use? I can get them about an inch or two in the small size and 4 or more inches in the large size ones.
The Pesky Vegan
Hi there, great to hear you're giving this a go! Based on those descriptions, it's definitely the larger size that's used in this recipe. Happy cooking!
Caroline Rudkin
Regularly make this lovely haggis...great combo
The Pesky Vegan
Good stuff, thanks for the review!
Therese
I’ve made this a number of times and both myself and my Scottish husband absolutely love it! He reckons it’s even better than meat based haggis (which I’ve never tried because ew!) but I’ll take his word for it 😁 It keeps so well and heats up great on day two or out of the freezer.
The Pesky Vegan
High praise indeed, glad you've been enjoying the recipe!
Marna
I have made this numerous times and left glowing comments! So... I want to make this for very good friends visiting for the first time in years. I was wondering, I would like to make it ahead of time so I'm not cooking all day when they get here. If I make the Haggis the day before, should I cook it then and reheat it the next day or should make it and refrigerate it and I wait to cook it the next day when we eat it? Also, I am making the Whiskey sauce, can I make it the day before? Sorry if this is a repetitive question. I was going to search through the comments to see if this is answered but their are too many!!!! I have never seen so many 5 star comments for one recipe!!!
The Pesky Vegan
Hi there! It depends how much time you think you have, but I'd be tempted to make everything in advance and just reheat in the microwave on the day! That said, I don't see any problems with preparing the haggis (i.e. all the steps before oven-baking) and then cooking on the day. With the sauce, I find that cashew-based sauces will thicken quite a lot after cooling/refrigerating, so it may just be a case of reheating gradually and adding a little extra liquid if necessary. Hope this helps!
Penelope Lauder
Do you think I could use bulgur wheat as a sub for the pinhead oatmeal?
The Pesky Vegan
Hi there, I'm afraid I haven't tried with bulgur but my guess would be that it maybe won't bind the mix quite as well as oats do? Afraid I can't say for sure without trying. Would be interested to hear if you did give it a go though!
Sheena Ohare
Alistair…I love all your recipes but this is always my all time favourite. As a Scot living in Australia this is my opportunity to feel at ‘home’ for a wee while. I have made this recipe many many times and it always goes down a treat with vegans and not so vegans! I like it at Christmas time for me as main course… for others as the ‘stuffing’ for the things we don’t want to think of! Thank you for all your delightful recipes… so when is the tablet and shortbread coming???
The Pesky Vegan
Thanks for your comment, it's great to hear that you enjoy the recipes and that the haggis can help bring a bit of Scotland to you down under! The requests re. tablet and shortbread have been noted!
Penelope Lauder
I always make this in advance then put it in the fridge in its tin to firm up, then I slice it and open freeze it. After I thin out all the slices into one freezer bag. To cook I put the frozen slices on a baking tray and cook for about half hour at 180°C
I’ve also thought these would make great burgers or ‘meat’ balls but haven’t tried that yet.
The Pesky Vegan
Thanks – yes I've played around with making burgers before and it works quite well!
Anita
This is a wonderful recipe. Just made it for the first time, expected it to be a bit bland to be honest but it isn't. I keep slices of it in the freezer which can be microwaved in seconds to go with whatever veg I'm having for a really quick meal. Like the rest of the site it is no faff, this is incredibly cheap and simple and tastes wonderful. Thank you. PS it also has texture which is often the thing missing in vegan dishes.
The Pesky Vegan
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! I love cooking with pinhead oats and hope to have a few more similar loaf-style recipes out soon!
Lindsay Munro
Hi, I'm making this a day ahead to keep in the fridge and freeze the rest. Can you tell me how and how long to reheat it in the oven (what temperature) and also the microwave?
The Pesky Vegan
Hi there – if it's a simple case of reheating the fully cooked haggis from the day before, I'd suggest reheating in the oven at the same 180°C (360°F) for 10-20 minutes or until piping hot (I'd also suggest covering with foil again to prevent the top from browning too much). If reheating in the microwave, it could be anywhere from around 3-10 minutes depending on how powerful the microwave is and the amount you're reheating at any one time. Hope this helps!