These vegan stuffed mushrooms are a simple, irresistible, perfect appetizer for so many occasions. Tender mushroom caps are filled with a cheesy and garlicky breadcrumb filling. Even better, prep is SO easy! All you need are a bowl, baking sheet, and about 35 minutes!
This vegan stuffed mushroom recipe is also gluten-free and nut-free.
Why You'll Love Them
Vegan stuffed mushrooms are great for so many occasions, from Thanksgiving and Christmas, to dinner parties, birthdays, and game day with friends.
They're wonderfully savory, tender and juicy with crispy breadcrumb tops, and taste great hot, warm, or at room temperature.
In other words, stuffed mushrooms are fairly fuss-free as far as appetizers go!
So what makes this recipe different? First of all, they're vegan and free from gluten and nuts.
Also, prep is so easy you just might find yourself whipping up a batch of vegan stuffed mushrooms any old day of the week!
There's no sautéing or pre-baking involved. All you do is simply pluck out the mushroom stems, stir together the filling, stuff the shrooms, and bake!
But don't think that by taking shortcuts we're sacrificing flavor. These Italian vegan stuffed mushrooms turn out perfectly tender and flavorful every time.
We also love that they're just rich enough to taste amazing but not so heavy they'll ruin your appetite.
Ingredients
- Mushrooms - look for medium-large button mushrooms, either white or baby bella. If your store carries mushrooms in bulk in the produce cooler, that's the best option because you can hand-pick larger, similarly-sized mushrooms.
- Cheese - I spotted some Chao Original shreds at Whole Foods and took this opportunity to try them for the first time. I'm also a fan of Violife's Mature Cheddar block, which you can grate by hand. But any shredded vegan cheese you like is fine here. You can even use a homemade vegan mozzarella (more on this below).
- Breadcrumbs - use any Italian breadcrumbs you like; I went with Ian's gluten-free. They have a crunchy, panko texture that pairs well with the creamy cheese.
- Olive Oil - I often share oil-free recipes but for today's dish I decided to go with a more traditional preparation. ---> I've linked to some oil-free options in the Variations section below.
- Parsley - a small amount of fresh Italian parsley adds nice flavor and a beautiful pop of color. Curly parsley is also fine.
- Garlic - you'll need 2 or 3 cloves, depending on their size.
- Salt and pepper
See the recipe card below for quantities and full instructions.
How to Make Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms
- First, prepare the mushrooms. Wipe away dirt with a damp towel, and carefully pluck out the stems. Rub the mushroom caps with olive oil, place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and sprinkle with salt.
- Combine the filling ingredients in a bowl. Tip: If using pre-shredded cheese and the shreds are really long, place the ½ cup of cheese on a cutting board and run your knife through it a few times. Smaller shreds pack in better and make the stuffing easier to work with.
- Stuff each mushroom with about 2 teaspoons of filling. Try to mound the filling up slightly. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes.
Voila! Gorgeous, golden brown, vegan stuffed mushrooms.
Tip: I like to use a teaspoon to stuff the filling into the mushrooms. It's about the same diameter as the cavities which makes for neater and easier stuffing than using a larger spoon.
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Substitutions
- Breadcrumbs - since easy is the name of the game with these stuffed shrooms, I opted for store-bought breadcrumbs, but you can also make your own from a couple of pieces of bread. Pulse the bread in a food processor, and spread the crumbs out on a baking sheet. Season with a dash of garlic powder and oregano and toast in the oven at 300°F for a few minutes, just until crisp.
- Cheese - as mentioned above, I was going for super simple prep, but if you'd rather use an oil-free homemade vegan cheese, that's totally up to you! Try my Almond Ricotta, Vegan Tofu Ricotta, Vegan Feta, or this reader favorite Vegan Mozzarella. All of these are creamier cheeses and will add more moisture to the filling, so you may want to reduce the amount slightly and increase the amount of breadcrumbs.
- Parsley - curly parsley can be used instead of flat leaf Italian parsley if needed.
- Seasonings - for more Italian flair add a generous pinch of dried oregano to the filling. And for a spicy kick add crushed red pepper flakes or a few dashes of cayenne pepper.
Variations
Interested in an oil-free version? Here are some options:
- Italian Stuffed Mushrooms by Healthy Midwestern Girl
- Cranberry Risotto Stuffed Mushrooms by This Healthy Kitchen
- Stuffed Mushrooms With Walnuts and Pine Nuts by From My Bowl
Related: Love mushrooms? Us too! Check out these recipes:
Do Ahead
If you're making these for a party or holiday meal and want to do some prep ahead of time, you can mix the filling and prep the mushrooms the day before. Keep covered and refrigerated overnight. It's best to bake the mushrooms just before serving.
Storage
Stuffed mushrooms are best served fresh, but if you do have leftovers they'll keep for several days in the refrigerator. They reheat well in the microwave or toaster oven.
Stuffed mushrooms are not freezer-friendly.
Helpful Tips
If the stems on your mushrooms are short and difficult to remove, it helps to take the handle end of a spoon and run it around the outside of the stem. Then carefully pop out the stem.
A teaspoon works best for filling the mushrooms because the diameter is similar to that of the mushroom cavities. You'll use about 2 teaspoons of filling per mushroom.
Finally, vegan shredded cheese doesn't have the best reputation for melting. We thought it turned out fine here thanks to the natural moisture released by the mushrooms. But if you're concerned about the cheese drying out, I recently discovered a little trick (you can see it here in my Vegan Potato Skins recipe):
- Place the cheese in a bowl with a tiny splash of water. Microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring in between, until gooey and melted.
Keep in mind that this affects the overall moisture content of the filling, so you may also want to increase the amount of breadcrumbs slightly. And finally, after stuffing the mushrooms, sprinkle the tops with seasoned breadcrumbs to ensure they get nice and crisp on top!
You Might Like
I hope you love these super easy Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms! If you try the recipe be sure to leave a star rating and comment below to let us know!
Recipe
Easy Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms
Equipment
Ingredients
- 15 medium/large button mushrooms, white or cremini (baby bella)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ½ cup shredded vegan cheese - I used Chao Original; see Notes for tips on melting
- ⅓ cup gluten-free Italian breadcrumbs - I used Ian's brand; sub other store-bought or homemade if desired.
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt - plus a pinch for sprinkling on bare mushroom caps
- black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare the mushrooms by wiping away dirt with a damp towel. Carefully pluck out the stems. If some stems are difficult to remove, I find that it helps to run the handle end of a spoon around the inside of the cap (outside of the stems), then pry it out.
- Rub the mushroom caps with about 1 ½ tablespoons of the olive oil, place on the baking sheet, and lightly sprinkle with salt.
- Tip: If using pre-shredded cheese and the shreds are really long, place the ½ cup cheese on a cutting board and run your knife through it several times. Smaller shreds are easier to work with. In a bowl combine the cheese, breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, and remaining 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil. Stir very well. Note that the mixture will seem dry; this is okay as the mushrooms will release moisture in the oven. But if you used a different type of breadcrumb than the one linked above (anything with a finer texture and/or wheat-based absorbs more moisture), you can add a bit more olive oil to the mix.
- Stuff the mushrooms with about 2 teaspoons of filling. Try to mound the filling up slightly. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until the mushrooms are sizzling hot and the breadcrumbs are golden.
Notes
-
- Place the cheese in a bowl with a tiny splash of water. Microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted.
- Breadcrumbs - feel free to make your own from a couple of pieces of toasted bread. Season with a dash of garlic powder and oregano.
- Cheese - interested in homemade options to replace the store-bought vegan cheese? Try my Vegan Mozz, Almond Ricotta, Tofu Ricotta, Nut Parmesan, or Vegan Feta. The creamier cheeses will add more moisture to the filling so you may want to reduce the amount slightly and increase the amount of breadcrumbs.
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used.
Pablito
Very delicious I added a little cumin, paprika, oregano, and onion powder. Deeeeelliiicccioouususss!!! And very hydrated and juicy!
Jessica
I made these exactly as is & they were amazing! My foodie friends loved them too, so consider this multiple rave reviews. Delicious!!
Nikki
These were great! I've tried much more complicated stuffed mushroom recipes in the past and honestly these tasted much better and were wayy easier to prepare. Chao cheese shreds worked well for us (I ran a knife through them first as suggested). I thought the mixture was dry at first, but as the recipe states, the moisture from the mushrooms releases when cooking and the ratios were spot on. Thanks for the tasty recipe!
Ann
These are the best vegan stuffed mushrooms I’ve ever had! Even my non-vegan relatives enjoyed these. I made two batches, the first was following this recipe exactly and the second was with a few minor tweaks. Firstly, I do not recommend the chao cheese as it melts very badly and feels almost like hard hair gel. Instead I recommend using the nature goodness Parmesan shreds from Meijer, they melt much better and taste more like non-vegan stuffed mushrooms. I’d also only add salt on the outside of the mushrooms, not the inside mixture because it’ll be too salty. Finally, use 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs and 1/3 cup of vegan cheese, this gives it a much better crispy texture instead of looking soupy. Overall, I will be making these again for other holidays.
Carol
My idea of the perfect appetizer is one that doesn't stress me out (always so much to do when entertaining) or take too many steps. Of course it has to taste amazing too. And this recipe ticks all the boxes! Everyone loved them. Thanks, Lori!
Rachel Barker
I used Chao vegan shreds. The mix was pretty dry. I had to find a way to moisten without using egg to keep it vegan. The flavor is good though.
Lori Rasmussen
Hi Rachel - Adding a bit more oil to the breadcrumbs will help with that. Glad you liked the flavor!
Vicky
This recipe is a keeper. My whole family loves it. The second time I made it I added some fresh chopped spinach to the mixture. It was fabulous!
Jenny
I made this recipe tonight. It was awesome. I did add a little more garlic and some onion powder so the stuffing. Thank you for the recipe.
Shay
Incredible! Used follow your heart Parmesan. Will be making for any and all special/holiday occasions.