Best Vegan Lasagna
Who knew vegan lasagna could be so delicious? This dairy-free lasagna recipe is easy to make with simple ingredients and tastes amazing! It's the best!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
I used to be skeptical of vegan lasagna—could it really be that good? This recipe is proof that yes, it really can. This vegan lasagna tastes as good as it looks.
My husband, who has a major weakness for creamy pastas, also found the concept of a cheese-less lasagna questionable. I figured this recipe would convince him, so I brought some home and put it in the fridge. I soon found the man in the kitchen, going back for seconds. Then thirds.
If you’ve been paying very close attention to my recipe substitution notes over the years, you may have tried this technique already. It’s based on the vegan variation of the cheesy roasted eggplant lasagna in my cookbook, Love Real Food (page 163). I shared the concept in my classic vegetarian lasagna recipe, too.
Today, I wanted to show you the results with photographic proof. If you’re in the mood for a dairy-free alternative to traditional cheesy lasagna, this recipe is for you.
How to Make the Best Vegan Lasagna
You’ll find the full recipe below, but here’s why this recipe works:
1) Cashew cream in lieu of dairy
We’re replacing traditional mozzarella and ricotta with cashew-based sour cream. It’s easy to whip up in a blender. I’m still amazed by how well this “sour cream” concoction replaces all kinds of creamy, dairy-based cheeses and sauces. Some other recipes suggest blended tofu for this component, but cashew cream tastes much, much better.
One caveat—if you don’t have a heavy-duty blender, you’ll need to soak your cashews for a few hours before blending. If you’re blessed with a Vitamix (affiliate link) or similarly powerful blender, you don’t need to bother with the soaking step.
2) Vegetables for flavor and nutrition
We’re also building flavor by sautéing lots of vegetables and spinach. I used onion, carrots and mushrooms, but feel free to use whichever vegetables you have on hand (zucchini, bell pepper, or even butternut squash would work). Mushrooms are particularly good because they offer some umami depth to this meatless lasagna.
3) Garnish with more cashew cream, vegan Parmesan and fresh basil
We’ll layer up and bake this lasagna just like a regular lasagna. Once it’s out of the oven, we’ll drizzle a little leftover cashew cream on top. The cashew cream on the inside condenses as it bakes, so this adds a nice touch of irresistible creaminess.
Lastly, we’ll sprinkle on some vegan Parmesan, which is made with hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, and garlic and onion powder. It’s the perfect salty flavor booster. Add some fresh basil leaves if you have them!
Wondering what to serve with your lasagna? I’d pair it with roasted Brussels sprouts or broccoli, a simple side salad with balsamic dressing, or my Greek lentil salad for some additional protein.
If you’re craving more hearty vegan meals, here are a few delicious options:
- Pasta e Fagioli (Italian Pasta and Beans) or Classic Minestrone Soup
- Hearty Spaghetti with Lentils & Marinara Sauce
- Ratatouille
- Mujadara (Lentils and Rice with Caramelized Onions)
Or, browse all of my vegan recipes here.
Watch How to Make Vegan Lasagna
Best Vegan Lasagna
Who knew vegan lasagna could be so delicious? This dairy-free lasagna recipe is easy to make with simple ingredients and tastes amazing. It’s the best! Recipe yields 8 servings.
Ingredients
Cashew cream
- 2 cups raw cashews, soaked for at least 4 hours if you do not have a high-powered blender
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
Vegetables
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium-to-large yellow onion, chopped
- 2 large or 3 medium carrots, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 8 ounces Baby Bella mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 5 to 6 ounces baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
Everything else
- 2 ½ cups marinara sauce, homemade* or store-bought (I used Rao’s)
- 9 no-boil lasagna noodles**
- Suggested garnishes: vegan Parmesan (or a light sprinkle of nutritional yeast) and fresh basil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. If you soaked your cashews, drain and rinse them until the water runs clear.
- In a blender, combine the cashews, water, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and mustard. Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. If you’re having trouble blending the mixture, slowly blend in up to ½ cup additional water, using only as much as necessary. Set aside.
- Then, we’ll prepare the vegetables: In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Once shimmering, add the onion, carrots, mushrooms, salt and several twists of black pepper. Cook, stirring every couple of minutes, until most of the moisture is gone and the vegetables are tender and turning golden on the edges, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add another splash of olive oil if necessary to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
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Add a few large handfuls of spinach to the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, until the spinach has wilted. Repeat with remaining spinach and cook until all of the spinach has wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, stirring constantly, about 30 seconds. Remove the skillet from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.
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Spread ¾ cup tomato sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9” by 9” baking dish. Layer 3 lasagna noodles on top (snap off their ends to fit, and/or overlap their edges as necessary). Spread 1 cup of the cashew cream evenly over the noodles. Top with half of the veggies. Top with ¾ cup tomato sauce.
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Top with 3 more noodles, followed by another 1 cup cashew cream (save the leftover cream). Then add the remaining veggies.
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Top with 3 more noodles, then spread ¾ cup tomato sauce over the top to evenly cover the noodles.
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Wrap a sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil around the top of the lasagna, making sure it’s taut so it doesn’t touch the top. Bake, covered, for 25 minutes, then remove the cover, rotate the pan by 180° and continue cooking for about 5 to 10 more minutes, until it’s steaming and lightly bubbling at the corners.
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Remove the pan from the oven and let the lasagna cool for 15 to 20 minutes, so it has time to set and cool down to a reasonable temperature. Drizzle leftover cashew cream on top (if it’s too thick to drizzle, thin it out with a small amount of water first). Sprinkle vegan Parmesan and fresh basil on top, if using, then slice and serve.
Notes
*Homemade marinara sauce note: You’ll need to double my marinara recipe to yield enough for this recipe, and then you’ll have extra. If you don’t think you’ll use it up within a few days, you can freeze it for later.
**Lasagna noodle recommendations: I like to use DeLallo’s Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles (affiliate link) and Whole Foods’ 365 No-Boil Lasagna Noodles. See below for gluten-free suggestions.
Make it gluten free: Substitute gluten-free lasagna noodles. Choose no-boil (oven ready) noodles if possible; if not, cook them according to package directions. (Fair warning, I tried using DeBoles brand of no-bake lasagna noodles and they weren’t quite done cooking in the time specified here. Reheated leftovers were ok, though.)
Change it up: Feel free to play around with the vegetables here. You’ll want to use about 3 cups chopped veggies total (excluding the onion). Butternut squash might be nice, or try one zucchini and one red bell pepper in place of the mushrooms.
Storage suggestions: Leftovers will keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for about 4 days. Gently reheat individual servings in the microwave or oven as needed. Or, freeze it for later—it’s generally easier to reheat single servings than to defrost a big block of lasagna!
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
BEST LASAGNA EVER!! I made this last night and everyone loved it- even my non-vegan family members! The dish has tons of flavor and creaminess that mimicks traditional lasagna. The cashew cream even somewhat tastes like real cheese. This is now my go to recipe lasagna recipe and one of my favorite vegan dishes!
I’m so glad you love it, Sydney!
Holy poo on a stick! This is BEST lasagne I’ve ever eaten! Even my husband who normally hates lasagne went back for seconds. Will 100% be making this again. Thank you!
I’m excited you love it!
Absolutely delicious! Cheesy and creamy – this has blown my mind how good vegan food can be. Also, it was a simple recipe. Very easy to follow. First substantial recipe I’ve tried since becoming vegan about a year ago that has come out perfect.
I’m so happy to hear you loved it! Thank you for your review, Frances.
We have tried with varying results many vegan lasagnas, none have been repeats..until I made yours Kate. So easy and so tasty. definitely on my regular yummy repeat meals there are so many tasty vegan recipes out there today to have to put up with ho hum food. I must admit your website is always a go to for me ..next thing I try will be your macaroni cheese recipe, cant wait to try that!
Hi,
Just wanted to say I’ve been vegan for 5 years and have tried so many different recipes and I have to say that your website is the best! So many incredible tasty recipes. Thank you so much for sharing everything!
This recipe is just really amazing as well, I made it and the nostalgia kicked in–I haven’t had lasagna in FOREVER–and much less vegan lasagna. Very delicious. I think if I were to change it, I would add more spices- like red pepper and more oregeno. Overall, it was very tasty but I made the mozzerella and I added a bit too much to the recipe.
Thank you so much for all these amazing recipes!! Amazing
Thanks for the recipe. Have you ever made ahead and baked a day or two later?
Hi Elizabeth, I haven’t tried it with this one. Leftovers tend to reheat well.
I put mine in the fridge for a few hours and baked it later and it was great.
I made this for Father’s Day for my Omni father who rarely ever eats veggies. He loved it and it was a hit!!
Wow! Phenomenal. One of my carnivores said this was one of my top 5 meals ever. I’ll never look for another recipe. The cashew sour cream will be a perfect substitute in other dishes also. Thanks!
Its oh so good! I’m moving to more plant based diet and this is excellent. I also like the cashew “cheese” as it becomes a protein. I also used gluten free pasta sheets and on the top layer, used eggplant as my final pasta sheets (make sure the eggplant is thinly sliced so it cooks through). This will definitely become a staple to make sure i get a rainbow of veggies (used bell peppers, carrots, mushrooms and pumpkin). Btw, i prepped and cooked everything for about 2 hours. Maybe i need to chop faster :)
I love your creativity, Melissa! Thank you for sharing.
BEST lasagna ever…. vegan or otherwise. Made this for a crowd filled with meat eaters who were very skeptical about a vegan dish but they ALL loved it. Cashew sauce is delicious!!
I’m excited it was a hit with a crowd! Thank you for sharing, Nikole.
I finally made this other night and I LOVE it. So much flavor! This is sure to be one of my go-to dishes from here on out.
Hi Kate – Great recipe. I used Kroger oven ready lasagne sheets and it came out a bit undercooked. I’m wondering if I should have precooked the sheets in water or make the cashew cream a bit more watery. Do you know what is the trick to get perfectly cooked lasagne sheets without boiling? Except for the sheets being undercooked, the rest was tasting heavenly. Instead of mushrooms, I added some zuchini and bell peppers. If appreciate recommendations for getting perfectly cooked lasagne sheets. Thank you.
Hi Vish, I’m sorry your lasagna seemed undercooked. If you used no-boil they should have worked. Changing the sauce to be more watery won’t get you your desired outcome, it will just impact your flavor. Boiling the noodles some would help or you could try another brand of no-boil noodles. Make sure to let it set some as well when you bring it out of the oven, that may help.
Absolutely delicious! We were all totally wowed by this recipe and my Italian husband says he’s never going back to traditional lasagna. We all loved it and it was truly amazing – thank you for sharing your knowledge and love of food!
The Mancini’s
Is it possible to do this recipe as make-ahead, and store in the fridge for a couple of days before baking? Wanting to try this for a weekend family holiday.
Hi Katie! I don’t tend to have as much luck with recipes like this as a make ahead option as the ingredients tend to get watery for me with out baking. You could get some parts ready (vegetables, cheese prepped, sauce made, etc) and the assemble and bake that same day.
Tried it and it came out pretty good. Thanks
Loved it! My husband has just started eating more vegetarian and this recipe was a big hit! This would be a perfect dish to serve to guests vegan or not. I also appreciate that it is a vegan recipe. Thank you so much!
I made for my granddaughter and daughter in law who,have so many food restrictions. I couldn’t find gluten free noodles last minute so I replaced zucchini for noodles. Needless to say. They loved it. And I became a hit. Thanks
Thank you for this amazing recipe! My husband is slowly transitioning from high animal product diet to more plant based and he absolutely loved this lasagne and asked to take to work each week.
I’m happy you love it, Jackie! Thank you for your review.
This lasagna was so, so good!! I made it for our family of 5, and everyone loved it (even the meat-eaters). Honestly, if I hadn’t told them that the cashew cream wasn’t real cheese, I doubt they would’ve caught on. The recipe was also super quick, which gave me time to clean up/make more complex sides. I’ll definitely made this recipe again in the future.
This is amazing!! I made it tonight for the first time. I used Jovial Gluten free noodles and cooked them for 4 minutes first. That cashew cream is delicious!!!!!!!! Thank you!
I want to double the size of this fabulous lasagna but when I hit the 2X square on the recipe the only thing that doubles is the marina sauce and lasagna noodles. Could this be correct or should I double all of the ingredients. Please help asap as I’d like to fix this for dinner This weekend.
Your site is my “go to” place for most recipes and they never disappoint.
Hi Sonny! Yes, you want to double everything. Sorry about that! I understand there may be some glitches in the plug-in. So you will want to increase everything x2. Thank you!
I’ve never made this. Could I freeze it after putting it together and then thaw/cook later?
I’m hoping to make some meals in advance so reduce cooking time at camp.
Hi Sandy! I didn’t like the results when I froze this one, but others didn’t mind it. I suggest freezing once baked.
Made this today and it was a hit with the kids and hubs! I blended some medium firm tofu in the blender with the cashews (for extra protein) and replaced the mushrooms with peppers and zucchini and each bite was amazing!! Thank you, this will become a regular on our menu!
This is a great recipe, and the first lasagne i’ve made without a covering of cheese!
Also the first time I made the white sauce with cashew nuts – will make it again for sure.
Thanks
I have to say this is absolutely the best. I made lasagna for family, meat and cheese and one of these for me. And I ate the meat and cheese one because it looked so good. I just had a serving of your vegan lasagna and it is absolutely delicious. I used jarred marinara sauce because I was lazy. The ONLY work is making the cashew cream but I cannot imagine it without. Wonderful recipe. A definite keeper. Oh, I eliminated oil and cooked vegs in vegetable broth prior to assembly.
I’m happy you loved it, Suzanne! Thank you for sharing.
Making this for dinner guests tonight! Have followed this recipe 5-6 times already and am totally in love with it. I’m not vegan but this is still my go-to lasagne. Thank you for sharing your talent with us!
Love this, it’s a huge hit with everyone, regardless of dietary preferences. When i clicked on the Nutrition information nothing came up, though. Wondering if the cashew cream sauce is calorically better or worse than the cheeses that usually keep me from making lasagna. I used eggplant noodles in place of lasagna noodles for half of the layers, and would make this once a week if I knew it wasn’t a diet-buster.
Hi Karen! I’m sorry you were having issues. Sometimes it can take a second to load. You may need to clear you cache. I don’t know if I would consider one better than the other. It’s all on what your particular needs are
OMG!! Your recipes never fail!! So thankful for your site!! This was beyond delicious !!could drink this cashew cream straight! That good!! Even kid approved!
I am new to a plant-based diet and I love your recipes. Well I tried this vegan lasgna and surprisingly I really liked it, it was so creamy and flavorful. Thank you for all flavors! Keep them coming.
I am speechless!!! After trying SO MANY vegan lasagna’s, I kind of lost a bit of hope. I almost died when I put this lasagna in my mouth, my eyes rolled back. It is outstanding!!! The only changes I made is that I used sliced then grilled eggplant instead of adding carrots to the filling. I also made my own sauce (3 TBS evoo to a pot & sauté 2 cloves garlic, add 2 cans San Marzano that’s been squished with hands, 1 cup water, chilli flakes, fresh basil, salt & pepper. Simmer for 25 mins). But the cashew cheese almost made me cry because it was so good! No weird nutritional yeast & satisfied my creamy cravings. Wow I look no further! Thank you so much!!!
I just made this and it’s the first vegan, and the only vegan lasagna I will make! My husband loved it and he doesn’t like “vegan cheese” and eats dairy and meat. The only thing I changed was to use fire roasted tomatoes along with crushed tomatoes to make my marinara. I think this would be delicious with eggplant, but I really liked it with baby spinach. I added your vegan parmesan on top and then added some store bought vegan parm to my half and some dairy italian cheese on top for my husband. Thanks for excellent directions and for a delicious meal.
Wow! So worth the time … We like bed it, thank you!
Can I prepare this recipe the day before? Sauté the vegetables and do the layers refrigerate it and cook it the next day?
Hi! I wouldn’t recommend refrigerating it assembled, not cooked over night as it may become watery. But, you could try what you suggested-preparing the vegetables and then assembling next day and bake. Let me know how it goes!
OMG – I made your Best Vegan Lasagna for my husband and I and WOW it was AMAZING. I am so looking forward to trying your other recipes.
This looks great – can’t wait to try it!
This may be a silly question but why do we cover it with aluminum foil when baking for the first 25 min? To retain moister? Can we get away with not covering if we don’t have the material? Thanks!
Hi Kay! Foil or parchment paper works well. It helps to make sure the cheese doesn’t get too overdone before the rest of it is baked. Hope that helps!
I am new to vegan hood, I googled vegan lasagne , and this recipe came up, wow!! Even my sceptic non vegan kids loved it, I followed it to the letter and it will definitely being going into my rotation
Thank you Katie! This is the best vegan lasagna I’ve tried and my whole family loved it!
Its the cashew cream that makes this recipe pop.
I didnt use the veggie part as I had some lentil bolognese to use up but followed the rest of the recipe and its so good. I will definitely want to try it “properly” next time for an even better experience.
AMAZING recipe!!!! So creamy and flavorful. This is going in my go-to recipe collection. Thank you so much!!!!
Thank you for this recipe, it turned out amazing! So impressed, and will be making it again. I added a bit of nutmeg to the cashew cream, a chiffonade of fresh basil in the layers, some dried basil, thyme, parsley and oregano to the vegetable mixture. I shredded the carrots rather than chopping them for a more elegant look and texture.
Also added some red pepper flakes and 4 slices of plant-based provolone to the middle layer. Thanks again for the recipe, it’s a keeper!!
Thank you for sharing how you made this fit your tastes, GG! I appreciate it.
This looks amazing! Are there any other alternatives to AVC? I have a very slight intolerance to it. Thanks!
Hi Niki, you could try another vinegar or lemon juice instead.
This is the best lasagna ever!! Thank you so much for sharing your recipes!!
This recipe is delicious! I am amazed how yummy the cashew cream is and we never missed the cheese! I couldn’t wait to eat the leftovers the next day. I shared this recipe with several friends because I was so impressed. My husband is not a vegetarian and he loved it too.
Great to hear, Tiffany! Thank you for your review.
Absolutely delicious! The cashew cheese was so creamy. This is the best vegan lasagna I’ve ever had. My family enjoyed it as well.
Thank you for your review, Michelle! I’m glad it was a hit with the entire family.
I made an adapted version of this recipe last night and it was awesome! I can’t leave a recipe as-is, so here are my adaptations.
Instead of having a marinara layer, a cashew cream layer, and a vegetables layer, I mixed some of the veggies into my tomato sauce layer and some into the cashew cream layer.
Tomato sauce layer included onions, garlic, dried herbs (oregano, basil and fennel), diced bell peppers, diced eggplant, and shredded carrots.
The biggest change I made related to the cashew cream layer: I turned it into a creamy pesto layer. I made the cashew cream as-is but found that it was a bit bland. So I added a teaspoon of powdered garlic, more mustard (2 teaspoons altogether, including what the recipe called for), and a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. Then, I sauteed 2 cups of sliced mushrooms with about 1/4 cup of vegan pesto (Sunflower Kitchen brand here in Canada), then folded in the cashew cream and heated it up. Just before I started assembling the lasagna, I also folded in about 2 cups of shredded Tatsoi.
My cashew cream mixture ended up very thick and a bit difficult to spread evenly, so the next time I make this I think I will use more liquid (maybe mix in about 1/2 cup of cashew milk).
This is so delicious! The cashew cream makes all the difference. I used lentil lasagna noodles and they were great in it. Only complaint is that there wasn’t more of it! I’ll definitely make this a double batch next time :)
I’m glad you loved it, Bailey!
You are a heaven sent. Every recipe I make of yours is just delicious. On this evening, Election 2020, when we have so much at stake and I cannot deal with reality, I have zoned out making your marinara and this vegan lasagna – and that was awesome. But, my family went crazy for it. And, for a minute, we forgot where we are and what could potentially happen in a few hours…. Thank you! I’m praying for Cookie. She will be okay, you’ll see.
I’m so glad that you mentioned that the DeBoles no-bake noodles didn’t cook thoroughly. I par-boiled mine first, just soft enough to be flexible, but not cooked too much. It gave me a perfect noodle at the end of baking. It was still firm enough to cut easily, yet hold its shape. We added some zucchini to the other veggies in the recipe. It was delicious, and a big hit with our grandchildren, too! Thank you so much!
Absolutely delicious; thank you so much! I made it exactly per your instructions and will make it again and again. (I did make one substitute, because I had two portobello mushrooms in the frig, I used them instead of creminis).
I know this will be a big hit for a company dish–even for friends and family who aren’t vegan. (whenever it is we will have company over again!). I may try adding a little cooked sweet potato to the layering, for extra bulk. But it is so perfect exactly as you have written it.
I am new to your site and it’s a great find for a vegan! Thank you so much.
Made a double recipe tonight – one gluten free and the other regular noodles. The entire family loved it. Best Vegan recipe for lasagna I have made – Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome, Shelly!
As you say, Best Vegan Lasagna! Love it and will make it regularly, thank you!
This recipe is fantastic! I made it for my husband, 3yr old and 1yr old and everyone loved it (take that, picky children!!). I included some boiled cauliflower to the cashew sauce (riffing off two different recipes) and didn’t even bother with parm on top. Filling veggies were oven-roasted zucchini, mushrooms and butternut squash, all tossed with olive oil, salt and garlic. Served garlic bread, Brussels sprouts and broccoli on the side. Very filling, satisfying meal, thank you!
I like your combination, Jenni! Thank you for taking the time to review.
Another absolute hit from your blog! Your blog and recipes have made me feel so much more confident in the kitchen! And I discovered a new found love for cooking! Can’t thank you enough as this new coking hobby is good for the budget (I used to buy snacks/food from bakeries or meal delivery companies which can get quite pricy) and I am living a much healthier life while enjoying every meal/snack so so much! I am buying your book for myself and as a Christmas present for 2 of my friends. This lasagne is top notch! x
That’s great! I’m excited you loved it, Barbara. I appreciate your review.