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.
Kate, your recipes never fail to deliver on flavour and this is yet another one. I was a little apprehensive with such few ingredients in the cashew nut cream that there would not be much flavour, but it was delicious! I varied the veggies and also added some lentils for extra protein and fibre, also some nutritional yeast to the cashew cream and it all worked out perfectly. Your delicious recipes have managed to convince my meat loving husband that meals can be equally delicious and nutritious without eating meat – yay! Thanks so much for your inspiration.
I made this for my sister who is vegan and just had a baby. I put it in one of those one time use aluminum casserole pans 9×11 because it was all I could find. I was going to tell her to freeze the whole thing. How would you recommend reheating it after it has been frozen as a whole casserole dish? By the way it looks and smells fantastic!
Hey Alexandra! That’s so thoughtful of you. I would tell her to be sure to defrost it overnight (could take even longer). Then bake as directed in the post, but it might need some extra time in the oven since it’s starting off chilled. I hope that works for her!
Thank you! I will let her know!
I made this recipe for my family this weekend and it was delicious! Your cashew sour cream was perfect, tasted just like ricotta. I didn’t miss the cheese at all! I also added a yellow bell pepper and zucchini for a little extra veg. Will definitely make again!
Oh boy was I impressed by this recipe! A few years back I learned I had a dairy intolerance and lasagna was one of the things I missed most. I’ve always been skeptical of vegan lasagna and only tried it because of how much I trust Kate’s recipes. I was SHOCKED at how similar the cashew cream was to ricotta and this lasagna came out delicious! I also love that this is a healthier lasagna option. I will definitely be making this again, thanks so much for the great recipe!
I’m glad you were impressed and love this version! Thanks for sharing, Nicole.
I made this for my son but was sceptical as I’m not vegan or a fan of meatless lasagne. I followed the instructions exactly, the cashew cream was so good and really added to the flavour, both my son and I loved this. I would definitely make again and not just for my son!!! Great recipe, thank you.
I love this lasagna! As a new vegan, I’ve tried lots of vegan cheese and can’t find any I like. This on the other hand tastes amazing! It was not difficult to make and tasted just as good if not better than regular lasagna. And of course the Raos sauce is the best. Thank you Kate! I’m a long time reader and love all the recipes I’ve tried and use your cookbook all the time!!
I have made this recipe at least 5 times! It is a family favorite and even my 6 year old asks for seconds. I’m not vegetarian but just try to eat less meat and this version is better than meat lasagna I swear!!! I have made it exactly as called for and also used ricotta cheese which I prefer to the cottage cheese (personal choose since I am not vegan). Bravo this is a great recipe – thanks for making me look good!
This lasagna is AMAZING. The cashew cream is so delicious- is it gross I could eat it by the spoonful alone? My husband and I became dairy-free vegetarians a few months ago. We couldn’t have done it without your blog. Thank you so much for continuing to make our dinners delicious and healthy!!
This was so fantastic! It’s actually a delicious vegan lasagna! Everyone loved it.
I soaked my cashews and used an immersion blender – I think it worked well. And I used the veggies you suggested but will mix it up next time.
Thanks for the great recipe.
Easy. Delicious. Satisfying. My family enthusiastically gave this a 10 out of 10. Will put this at the top of my recipe file!
Hooray! Thank you for sharing.
Cashew cream is a PITA! Also, not sure what the consistency is supposed to be like. Mine didn’t pour like the picture.
Imade this for a vegan friend. It looks and smells great. Aside from the dad-blasted cashew cream it’s a snap to put together.
Kate, this is amazing! I haven’t been able to eat dairy for the past eight months and considered lasagna to be a dish that wouldn’t be “worth” making dairy-free. But I trust your recipes and gave it a try and it is so delicious and satisfying, I even prefer it to a lot of cheesy lasagna. Thanks for your hard work, you are great at what you do!
I’m glad you have such confidence in my recipes and this was just what you needed! I appreciate your review, Melissa! You should try my vegan mac & cheese too. :) I think you would like it!
First time making vegan lasagna. Wow, fantastic! Love this recipe. The family all devoured it. So easy, and taste great!
Thanks for sharing, TJ!
I made this last night and it was AMAZING!
Best lasagna I’ve had in my life! Thank you so much for such wonderful vegan recipe!
This recipe is a revelation! I can’t have gluten or dairy and haven’t had lasagna since I was a kid. Already made this twice! I’m not vegan, so I tried mixing some ground beef with the veggies, and it works great too! Thanks Kate!
You’re welcome! Thank you for review, Em.
This lasagna is delicious! It’s creamy, tomatoe-y, and very filling. This was my first time making any lasagna (I usually get a frozen one) so I learned the hard way that you really need to make sure your top noodles are swimming in sauce or else instead of baking flat they curl up into tubes. Despite that hiccup, I still thoroughly enjoyed the lasagna and will be freezing some for future comforting dinners. I am trying to eat less dairy and this really satisfied that creamy craving.
Thank you Kate!!!
Great recipe! It was the first time I had made the cashew cream and it did not disappoint! Family loved it. Fun to make!
Love that Sheri!
Hands down, the BEST vegan lasagna I’ve ever had! It’s simply unbelievable… this is a WEEKLY staple for us!
I love it! Thank you for sharing, Emilee!
I just found your site recently and have tried 2 recipes that and they were a hit! Anxious to try this one. However, my store did not have raw cashews but did have raw almonds. Is it ok to substitute these?
I’m really happy to hear that, Janet! Thanks for sharing. I’m not sure almonds will give you the same result, sorry!
Best vegan lasagne I have made/had! We are back to eating vegan with both my daughters back home which is not a bad thing. I have made dozens of your recipes and all are fantastic, but this is one of my favorites. Your website is great with all of the pictures and detail on how to cook your recipes. Thank You!
I made this last night and it turned out great! I used button mushrooms, carrots and yellow squash and added vegan ground round. I added a tiny bit more dijon to the ricotta along with some nooch, but everything else I followed to the letter. Thank you!
This is by far the best lasagna ever!
I already reviewed this recipe in your best vegetable lasagna (I made it vegan). I’m glad to find the vegan version of it in one place.
With the and being home for a long time I try to make the foods that my little kids love which is hard not having all the ingredients. I finally got every ingredient for this recipe and I’m making it tonight. This is going to make us all happy because it’s a favorite in my house.
This was really good. Like, *REALLY* good. I actually made two lasagnas, one for adults and one for kids. The adult one was made exactly per the recipe, and I used Trader Joe’s Arrabiatta sauce. The kids’ lasagna was made using zero vegetables (sigh), so I subbed a roll of Lightlife sausage that was pre-cooked with onions, salt, pepper and garlic. That lasagna got a basic marinara sauce. No one else in my household is vegan or even vegetarian, and both variations of the lasagna were resounding hits with pleas to make them again soon. Thank you!!
I love the emphasis, Betsy! Thanks for sharing how you made it and for your review.
This honestly tastes better than regular lasagna! I am shocked! I was wondering if you could tell me, how many calories is it for this whole lasagna, or per serving? This lasagna is going to be in my permanent rotation it’s THAT good!
I’m so happy to hear that you loved it, Audrey! The nutritional information is below the notes section. You just need to click to expand. I hope this helps!
This is the best vegan lasagna I have made since becoming plant based last July, and I have tried many recipes to make up for my cheese and ricotta lasagna. I made it last week but without lasagna noodles. I used zucchini instead and it was awesome. Today I am making it with Barilla Whole Wheat lasagna and I can’t wait and neither can my meat and poatoe husband:))) I never thought I could love a lasagna without cheese and ricotta but thanks to Cookie and Kate I can. The cashew sauce is so simple, but soooo good. Thank you!
I made this for Easter and my husband said it was the best meal I have ever made! I agree! I will be making this for dinner parties to impress! Thank you!!
This lasagne was delicious! Made a Gaz Oakley one before and was so much effort and the end result was a huge disappointment. This on the other hand will now now be a weekly dinner for us, tastes just as a lasagne should!
Thank you for the recipe. It was totally yummy. I think the best vegan lasagne recipe I have tried. I will deffo make it again. Looking forward to my leftovers tomorrow. Thanks again!
You’re welcome, Ramona!
Hi Kate! I’m in love with this recipe and can’t wait to try it!! Currently, I don’t have dijon mustard, so can I replace it with anything else? Is it an essential ingredient to the cheese?
Hi there! Since this lasagna has lots of flavor, I don’t think you’ll miss the dijon.
We ate this lasagna tonight for dinner and it was delicious. My boyfriend who was very skeptical about the cashew cream when I made it earlier today absolutly loved the final result. There are a great deal of different flavors in there, which make this dish very tasty. I made the marinara sauce myself using your recipe and also made fresh vegan pasta. It took me a couple hours to make the whole dish, but its mostly because I did everything from scratch and because I did it on a relax sunday not rushing. I could reduce the amount of prep time next time by having few things prepared in advance. Thanks for this party in our kitchen!
Trying this lasagna was like the first time I tried kombucha. In the moment, I wasn’t sure I really liked it. Hours later, I couldn’t stop thinking about it and it was all I wanted to drink forever. Needless to say, this lasagna disappeared way too fast at my house. I was going to ask about any change in cooking time if I were to increase the recipe by about a third and cook in a 9×13 pan, but looks like other commenters have already tried and answered. Thanks for the great recipe!
This was phenomenal! My husband and I both agreed we didn’t miss the dairy at all. I used a 9×13 pan since I didn’t have a 9×9 pan and it worked out good, in case anyone is wondering. Only had to spread the veggies a little thin. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
You’re welcome, Amy! Thank you for sharing.
this was DELICIOUS! I didn’t change a thing (except adding lots of fresh basil leaves to all the layers when I was assembling it). so tasty and creamy!! divine!!!!
This is definitely the BEST vegan lasagna! I follow the recipe exactly and then add fresh basil, vegan parm and red pepper flakes for serving, along with a fine red wine. It’s truly divine!
Thank you, Jill! I’m happy to hear that.
This is my 3rd try for a vegan lasagna recipe.
I am so so grateful for this one! it finally worked and my husband who is struggling to transition to plant-based diet said: A+ recipe! Put it on the Favourites list!!!
It was full of flavor, juicy, and creamy!
And we still have leftovers for today! Thank you so much <3
It sounds good. I’ll try it and let you know how it goes. I had a vegan pasta on American Airlines and it tasted really great.
Hi Kate, can I use store bought cashew butter instead of blending my cashews?
Hi Ann-maire, that is an interesting ideas. However, it wouldn’t be quite the same.
I made this exactly as instructed and it fantastic, Kate! Thank you so much!
Making this for the 2nd time in a week. So tasty and filling.
Super easy to make as well.
It is always great to come across truly enjoyable vegan recipes that leaving longing for more.
I love that you are already making it again! Thank you for sharing, Elizabeth.
This was fabulous. We are a family of 5, (3 vegans, 1 vegetarian and 1 who occasionally eats meat) :) Everyone absolutely LOVED it. I followed the recipe exactly except used my own homemade go to sauce. Thanks you for the yummy rainy Sunday comfort food!
SO delicious!!! Everyone loved this. My five year old wants to eat it on repeat. She says it’s her favorite. Going to make this again soon!!! Thank you for sharing.
I prepared the vegan lasagna for dinner last night, as written, and it’s truly delicious. Lovely taste and texture, and I don’t even miss the cheese! My cheese-loving husband and our dairy-free son enjoyed it too. I just ate leftovers for lunch and again, super yummy and heats up well in the microwave. We like Rao’s too, and I mixed the leftover arrabbiata (spicy) sauce we had in the fridge with the marinara and it had a nice kick to it.
On another note, is it possible to sort reviews or ask readers to only comment after making the recipes (instead of saying they want to, etc.)? I cook from your cookbook and blog A LOT and find it helpful to read others’ feedback about the recipes. Of course, you deserve all the “this looks amazing” and “I have to make this” comments, but the best compliment is in preparing the meal and enjoying it, no?
Hi Wendy! I’m glad you loved it and I love that sauce too. :) As for your feedback on comments, I’m working on blog updates that may help with this, but I don’t have anything finalized yet. Although, I do encourage comments of all types since I like to know what people are also excited about.
The title says it all – it is the best vegan lasagna! I love this recipe and so does my (non- vegan) husband. Although I pretty much follow the recipe, I adapt according to the veggies I have in my refrigerator.
Thank you!!
This cashew cream was so easy and made the dish. I used GF noodles for the pasta and eggplant/zucchini… Delicious!!
This recipe is amazing! I have two freezer questions. 1 – Can you freeze prior to cooking in oven? (I see there are freezer instructions, but it looks like it’s after you cook.). 2 – How long do you think this would be good for in the freezer? Looking to freeze some for postpartum. Thanks!
Hi Kayla, I think freezing after baking works best here. Typically, recipes keep well for 3 months in the freezer.
Lasagna was my favourite dish before going vegan, and I have tried almost all vegan lasagna recipes I can get my hands on but this was next level! Absolutely loved it! Thank you!
Made this for my vegan friends for dinner the other night! They loved it and I’m actually considering being vegan now… It was THAT good! Thanks Kate!!
My son and his girlfriend are vegan
So hard to cook them something vegan and tasty
Never had a tasty vegetarian lasagne EVER!
This is the best, tastiest vegan/veg lasagne I’ve ever tasted and certainly the best we’ve made.
Thanks for the recipe Kate
Can you prep this in advance, say in the morning, and put it in the fridge until you’re ready to cook it for dinner? Will it hold together ok?
Hi Maple! It may get a little watery, but should be ok. Let me know how it turns out for you! May need extra time since everything will be cold.
This lasagna tasted good but was very dry. any ideas how to make it moist?
I’m sorry to hear that! Did you use the sauce recommendation? I wonder if you had less sauce or you may have cooked for too long.