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This vegan breakfast casserole is a hearty make-ahead dish perfect for weekend brunches, holidays, and everything in between. Featuring fresh veggies, hash browns, dairy-free cheese, and a tofu “egg” mixture, it’s quick to throw together and versatile to fit all your needs!
Table of Contents
💛 Why you’ll love this recipe
- Great for meal prep: One batch yields 12 servings and stores great in the fridge or freezer. You’ll be able to enjoy leftovers all week long!
- Healthy: Made with fresh vegetables and plenty of plant-based protein, this hash brown breakfast casserole is an incredibly well-balanced meal.
- Customizable: Mix and match different vegetable combinations, and include your favorite toppings to suit your taste preferences.
- Quick & easy: In true casserole fashion, this recipe requires just 20 minutes of prep time so you can be in and out of the kitchen in a flash.
If you’re on team savory breakfast, you really need to check out our air fryer hash browns, tortitas de papa, enfrijoladas, and papas a la Mexicana!
🍳 What is a vegan breakfast casserole?
This vegan breakfast casserole is our take on classic egg casserole recipes. It’s a simple meal designed to make busy mornings a breeze, encouraging the whole family to share a slice before they begin their day!
All you have to do is sauté some vegetables, create the “egg” mixture, and layer the ingredients into a baking dish.
Pop your casserole in the oven, and this recipe is ready in about an hour. The final result is hearty, flavor-intense, and extremely healthy, making it the perfect option for breakfast, brunch, or even brinner (breakfast for dinner)!
📜 History
Much like other recipes, the word “casserole” describes both a type of baking dish and the meals that result from it. While it’s believed that the French were the first to coin the term around 1853, this cooking method can be traced back to Prehistoric times when food was simmered in clay pots over fires.
As a result of the Great Depression, casseroles and stews quickly exploded in popularity in the U.S., although it’s unclear exactly when the first breakfast casserole appeared.
One can only assume it didn’t take long for some clever person to try it out, and we’re so glad they did!
🌱 Is a hash brown breakfast casserole vegan?
Traditionally, hash brown breakfast casserole recipes are not vegan-friendly. They usually contain eggs, cheese, meat, and sometimes milk. With just a few modifications, it’s actually quite simple to turn any breakfast casserole into a plant-based version!
For our vegan breakfast casserole, we swapped out the cheese with a dairy-free alternative, replaced the eggs with a blended tofu-chickpea flour mixture, and used a vegan ground round instead of ground beef or bacon.
🛒 Ingredients & substitutions
- Olive oil: Used to sauté the mix-ins. If you prefer, use avocado oil or another neutral vegetable oil in place of olive oil.
- Vegetables: Yellow onion, red bell pepper, and spinach add hearty, savory, and fiber-rich elements. The ideal choice is fresh spinach, but make sure you fully thaw and drain frozen spinach if that’s all you have.
- Veggie ground: A plant-based option used to replace ground beef. Don’t have any on hand? Both vegan chorizo and vegan sausage are delicious options as well.
- Hash brown patties: Use store-bought frozen hash brown patties, or make your own air fryer hash browns. The brands that we know to be vegan are Trader Joe’s and Ore-Ida, but always double-check the ingredient list.
- Vegan cheese: Everything is better with cheese, right? We use a mixture of mozzarella and cheddar, but you can use any meltable option you prefer.
- Tofu: Extra-firm silken tofu is used to replicate the taste and texture of eggs. The texture of silken tofu is best here, but you can also use regular firm tofu.
- Chickpea flour: Provides structure to the casserole, holding all ingredients together. If you’re having trouble finding chickpea flour, it’s also sold as garbanzo bean flour.
- Nutritional yeast: For a savory, umami, and slightly cheesy flavor. Nutritional yeast is a great source of vitamin B12, making it ideal for vegans.
- Turmeric: Provides a subtle pop of yellow, giving the mixture an “egg” color. Plus, turmeric comes with added anti-inflammatory health benefits!
- Salt, pepper: To enhance the rest of the ingredients. Chickpea flour needs quite a bit of seasoning, so be generous!
For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.
📝 How to make a vegan breakfast casserole
Step 1: Sauté the vegetables
Warm the oil in a medium-sized skillet, and sauté the onions and peppers until they’re soft and fragrant.
Step 2: Add the veggie ground
Once the onions and red bell peppers have softened, add the veggie ground. Cook the mixture for another few minutes, or until the veggie ground is fragrant and nicely browned.
Step 3: Add the spinach
Stir in the spinach, and remove the skillet from the heat as soon as it has wilted. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 4: Blend the “egg” mixture
Add all of the “egg” ingredients to a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Step 5: Combine the mix-ins
Once the egg mixture is blended, add it to the skillet with the vegetables and veggie ground, stirring to combine.
Step 6: Layer the hash browns
Add the hash brown patties in a single layer at the bottom of a casserole dish, and sprinkle cheese on top.
Step 7: Add the egg mixture
Using a spatula, evenly spread the egg mixture on top followed by extra cheese, cherry tomatoes, or green onions if you’d like.
Step 8: Bake the casserole
Place the casserole dish in the oven, and allow it to bake at 350 degrees F for 55-60 minutes, or until the top has browned and the center is just set.
Step 5: Cool & serve
Remove the casserole from the oven, and let it cool slightly. Then, slice and serve with your favorite toppings. Happy eating!
If you have questions about this vegan breakfast casserole recipe, check out our FAQs or leave a comment down below!
🍉 Serving suggestions
The best part about this vegan breakfast casserole is that it contains protein, fats, and carbs, meaning it can be a standalone meal. But if you want to prepare a complete brunch spread, pair yours with some of these options:
- Fruit: Whether it’s a single piece of fruit or a mixed fruit salad, the sweet, juicy flavors complement the savory casserole unbelievably well.
- Refried beans: To up the protein even further, try homemade (or store-bought) refried beans.
- Toast: Slice and toast some dairy-free bread, and don’t be afraid to add a little strawberry compote!
- Coffee: You can’t forget a warm mug of coffee, tea, or a dirty chai latte!
🥑 Vegan breakfast casserole toppings
This vegan breakfast casserole is best eaten fresh out of the oven loaded up with all your favorite toppings like avocado slices, extra shredded cheese, scallions, cilantro, salsa, vegan sour cream, or fresh cherry tomatoes.
🌡️ Storage & reheating
For any leftover hash brown breakfast casserole, follow these storage tips:
- Fridge: Cover the casserole dish, or transfer leftovers to an airtight container to keep them fresh in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: Wrap individual slices of your casserole in foil, transfer them to a sealable bag, and freeze them for up to 4-5 months.
- Reheating: When you’re ready for more casserole, let your leftovers thaw in the fridge overnight. Pop them in the microwave in 30-second bursts, or heat them in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 5-10 minutes.
♻️ Variations
- Just Egg: For even quicker prep, swap out the tofu egg mixture with 2 bottles of Just Egg.
- Mexican-inspired: Stir in black beans, corn, and green chiles for a Tex-Mex breakfast casserole.
- Protein: The sky is the limit when it comes to protein sources for this recipe! Swap out the veggie ground for any plant-based protein options like chorizo, vegan bacon, vegan sausage, pulled jackfruit, or tempeh crumbles.
- Mediterranean: Replace the vegetable mix-ins with tomatoes, red onions, spinach, mushrooms, and olives, and add a sprinkle of vegan feta.
🧑🍳 Top tips
- Bake in the center: To ensure your casserole cooks evenly and all the way through, place the oven rack in the center of your oven.
- Don’t overbake: If the top of your casserole begins to brown before the center has set, cover it with foil and continue to bake.
- Check the ingredients: If you’re using store-bought hash brown patties, remember to look at the ingredient list to make sure there are no animal products listed. Trader Joe’s or Ore-Ida are vegan-friendly.
- Let it cool: It’s hard to wait, but it’s worth it! Letting your finished hash brown breakfast casserole cool for just a few minutes allows it to set, locking in the flavor and helping the ingredients stay together once sliced.
💬 FAQ
No, you don’t need to press the tofu for this vegan breakfast casserole. Since we’re blending and baking it, pressing the tofu isn’t required.
Yes, you can use regular potatoes instead of hash browns. However, we recommend at least partially cooking the potatoes ahead of time as they will take much longer to bake.
Don’t worry if you don’t have turmeric on hand. Since it’s purely added for color, you can simply omit it. You can also add mustard or curry powder if you’d like.
🍴 More breakfast recipes
If you enjoyed this vegan breakfast casserole, be sure to check out some more breakfast dishes like these:
- Chilaquiles verdes: Crispy tortilla chips tossed in spicy green salsa, then topped with onions, cream, cilantro, and more.
- Huevos con chorizo: A spicy sausage and egg dish made plant-based.
- Ejotes con huevos: Tofu mixed with fresh green beans and a spicy red sauce.
- Tofu scramble: The perfect replacement for traditional scrambled eggs!
Easy Vegan Breakfast Casserole
Equipment
- 9×13 Casserole dish
- Blender
- Chef knife
- Frying pan
Ingredients
Mix-ins
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ large yellow onion, diced
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced
- 1 8- ounce package veggie ground
- 2 cups spinach or another leafy green, chopped
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 7-8 frozen hash brown patties, thawed
- 1 cup shredded vegan cheese, plus more for the top
“Egg” mixture
- 2 blocks extra-firm silken tofu
- ⅓ cup chickpea flour
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F, and lightly grease a 9×13” casserole dish with cooking spray or oil.
Mix-ins
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium, then sauté the onions and bell peppers for 3 minutes, or until softened.
- Add the veggie ground and cook for 5 minutes longer, or until browned. Stir in the spinach, and remove from heat once it’s wilted. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Egg mixture
- Add the tofu, chickpea flour, nutritional yeast, turmeric, salt, and pepper to a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
- Transfer the egg mixture to the skillet, and stir to combine.
Assembly
- Place the hash brown patties in the casserole dish in an even layer, then sprinkle the tops with vegan cheese.
- Pour the egg mixture over the cheese and hash browns, spreading evenly with a spatula. Top with extra cheese, pepper, green onions, or sliced cherry tomatoes if desired.
- Bake in the middle rack of the oven for 55-60 minutes, or until the top is evenly browned and the center is firm. If the top is browning too quickly, cover it with foil and finish baking.
- Let the baked casserole cool for 10 minutes, then slice and serve. Happy eating!
Notes
- Bake in the center: To ensure your casserole cooks evenly and all the way through, place the oven rack in the center of your oven.
- Don’t overbake: If the top of your casserole begins to brown before the center has set, cover it with foil and continue to bake.
- Check the ingredients: If you’re using store-bought hash brown patties, remember to look at the ingredient list to make sure there are no animal products listed. Trader Joe’s or Ore-Ida are vegan-friendly.
- Let it cool: It’s hard to wait, but it’s worth it! Letting your finished hash brown breakfast casserole cool for just a few minutes allows it to set, locking in the flavor and helping the ingredients stay together once sliced.
- Nutritional information is a rough estimate and should not be taken as health advice.
