Vegan Breakfast Casserole
This tasty vegan breakfast casserole has layers of biscuits, sausage, tofu scramble, and is topped with cheddar cheese. And it’s all vegan!
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We had family over recently, and I made this vegan breakfast casserole to serve early the next morning. A cheesy casserole baking in the oven creates an enticing aroma. Everyone loved it — even the non-vegans!
I’ve decided from this point on a vegan breakfast casserole is the best way to welcome rising guests.
A traditional breakfast casserole includes layers like biscuits, sausage, scrambled eggs, and cheese. However, it was so easy to make the layers in this breakfast casserole vegan.
Reader Reviews
★★★★★
Carla
We make this breakfast casserole all the time! Thanks for the recipe. I will add tater tots next time!
★★★★★
Jason
I’ve made this breakfast casserole many times and it’s always a hit!
In this Post
Ingredients & Substitutions
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.
- Vegan Biscuits — Make your own using all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, vegan butter, and vegan buttermilk. Or you can use store-bought biscuits, many of which are accidentally vegan.
- Easy Scrambled Tofu — This takes around 10 minutes to make.
- Veggie Sausage Crumbles — Use store-bought sausage crumbles or bake your own.
- Vegan cheddar shreds —Either Daiya or Follow Your Heart vegan cheddar shreds work great
What Makes This Recipe Shine?
- A flaky buttermilk crust creates the best foundation for any breakfast casserole
- Vegan sausage crumbles are a flavorful plant-based protein
- Adding vegan cheddar shreds on top creates cheesy goodness in every bite, making the most irresistible vegan breakfast ever
How to Make Vegan Breakfast Casserole
Here is a summary of the steps to make this tasty dish. See the recipe card below for more detailed instructions (with step-by-step photos).
- Make the biscuits homemade or use store-bought biscuits.
- Lay biscuits or press homemade biscuit dough into the bottom of a prepared pan.
- Prepare the tofu scramble.
- Cook the vegan sausage and spread them out over the sausage layer.
- Top with tofu scramble, spreading it evenly over the dish.
- Are you adding potatoes? If so, sprinkle them evenly over the tofu layer.
- Top with vegan cheese shreds. See more on the ways to melt vegan cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake until the cheese has melted and the biscuit layer is done.
- Remove the foil and bake for a few more minutes, to get a crispy golden crust around the edges.
I am fascinated with the idea of making perfect biscuits. This article by Joe Sevier about The Fluffiest Biscuits Ever has some great advice on doing just that.
To make the breakfast casserole gluten-free, substitute all-purpose flour with gluten-free baking flour.
Don’t want to use tofu scramble? Look at this vegan frittata with Just Egg. It’s a great example of how you can make vegan scramble without tofu.
Slow Cooker Vegan Breakfast Casserole
For a simple, hands-off version of this vegan breakfast casserole, try it in the slow cooker! Here’s how to do it:
- Line the Slow Cooker: Place parchment paper in the bottom to prevent sticking.
- Add Biscuit Layer: Press the biscuit dough into a thin layer at the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Add Filling: Spread the cooked tofu scramble, vegan sausage, and optional vegetables over the biscuits, then sprinkle with vegan cheese.
- Cook: Cover the slow cooker with a towel under the lid (to absorb moisture) and cook on low for 4–5 hours, until the biscuits are cooked through.
- Serve: Use the parchment paper to lift the casserole out, slice, and serve!
Quick Fix Tip
You can skip making the vegan biscuit from scratch and use a 16-ounce can of store-bought biscuits. See these Accidentally Vegan Products for vegan biscuits to buy. There are eight biscuits in a can. Cut the biscuits into quarters and layer them in the bottom of the pan. This is a great time saver!
Marly’s Tips
Sometimes vegan cheese may take a little bit more heat to melt. If so, turn up the oven temperature by 15 degrees for the last 5 minutes to coax that vegan cheese to melt.
Make-Ahead Tips
When making breakfast, you don’t want to spend the entire day in the kitchen. This is especially true if you have family in town (Unless they’re that kind of family, then, by all means, tell them the recipe takes lots of time… Wink, wink).
Casseroles are a great way of making an easy meal because you put everything into one dish and bake it all together.
If you’ve got a big gathering in the morning, you can make this dish the night before. Here’s how:
- Make this casserole the night before by compiling all the ingredients into your prepared casserole dish.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- In the morning, turn on the oven and remove the casserole from the fridge and let it sit while the oven preheats.
- Bake the casserole as suggested.
Breakfast Casserole Flavor Options
When it comes to this casserole, you’ve got options for what you put inside it. I’m more of a maximalist when it comes to flavor, so I say add it all! Play around with these flavor option ideas until you find your favorite mix.
- Tater Tots — Add rows of tater tots on top of the tofu scramble then top with cheese before baking.
- Green onion — Remove the stem ends from 3 or 4 green onions and then chop up the rest. Add the chopped green onions over the tofu scramble.
- Gravy — Serve this easy vegan gravy on the side to create a “biscuits and gravy” vibe to your morning.
- Vegan Hashbrown Casserole — Add frozen shredded hash browns as a layer in this scramble. I prefer hash browns on top so they’ll get crispy in the oven.
- Just Egg — Tofu scramble only takes minutes to make, but if you prefer an alternative, then cook up some scrambled Just Egg and use it in place of the tofu.
- Veggie Bacon — You can substitute the veggie sausage with veggie bacon. Or add veggie bacon with veggie sausage for a “supreme” type flavor combination. Use store-bought veggie bacon or this smoky vegan tempeh bacon.
Can I Add Hash Browns?
If you’d like to transform this into a vegan hash brown casserole, let me just say, I get you. Potatoes are always a welcome addition around here! Add a layer of air fryer potatoes in between the sausage and tofu scramble.
What Makes this Casserole Vegan?
By using plant-based ingredients, you can make any casserole vegan. For example, you can use vegan cheddar shreds, tofu scramble, and vegan sausage crumbles for a vegan breakfast casserole.
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More Vegan Breakfast Ideas
If you love this make-ahead vegan breakfast casserole, here are some more favorite vegan breakfast ideas for you:
Vegan Breakfast Casserole
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Ingredients
Biscuit Layer
- 2 cups flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup vegan butter sliced
- ⅔ cup vegan buttermilk
Toppings
- Easy Scrambled Tofu
- Veggie Sausage Crumbles * See Note
- 1 cup vegan cheddar shreds
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 400°F. Prepare a 9×13 baking dish by spraying with vegetable spray.
Baking Instructions:
- Make the Biscuit Dough: (See my note on using store-bought biscuits). In a food processor combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Pulse for a second or two to combine.
- Next, add the sliced vegan butter and soy buttermilk. Pulse again for several seconds to allow the mixture to combine. If it's too crumbly, add a tablespoon or two more of plant-based milk.
- Add Biscuit Dough to the Pan: Press the biscuit mixture into the bottom of the pan. You don't have to worry if there are bits of flour here and there. Just make sure it's evenly distributed across the bottom.
- Tofu Scramble: Prepare the Easy Scrambled Tofu according to the recipe linked above. When done, spread the finished Scrambled Tofu evenly over the top of the sausage crumbles.
- Add Veggie Sausage: While you're waiting for the Scrambled Tofu to cook, spread the veggie sausage crumbles evenly over the top of the biscuit layer.
- Add Veggies: Optional: Add a layer of hashbrowns
- Add Cheese: Top with shredded vegan cheese.
- Place your dish in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, until the biscuit layer appears done and the cheese is melted. Tip: Sometimes vegan cheese may take a little bit more heat to melt. If so, turn the oven up to 425°F for the last 5 minutes to coax that vegan cheese to melt.
- Remove from the oven to cool. Serve warm.
Slow Cooker Instructions:
- Line the Slow Cooker: Place parchment paper in the bottom to prevent sticking.
- Add Biscuit Layer: Roll out the biscuit dough into a thin layer and press it into the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Add Filling: Spread the cooked vegan sausage and vegetables over the biscuits, then sprinkle with vegan cheese.
- Cook: Cover the slow cooker with a towel under the lid (to absorb moisture) and cook on low for 4–5 hours, until the biscuits are cooked through.
- Serve: Use the parchment paper to lift the casserole out, slice, and serve!
Recommended Equipment
(The products above contain sponsored links to products we use and recommend)
Notes
Vegan Sausage Options
- Homemade — Add my sausage spice mix to store-bought veggie crumbles, diced sweet potatoes, quinoa, etc.
- Gimme Lean Veggie Sausage — buy it at health food stores or some national grocery store chains. It’s soft right out of the package, so you should sauté it in a skillet before sprinkling it over the biscuit layer.
- Field Roast makes vegan sausage links, which can be broken into pieces and used in this recipe.
- Vegan Breakfast Sausage Patties — make your own at home with simple ingredients.
Biscuit Layer
You can skip making the vegan biscuits layer and use a 16-ounce can of store-bought biscuits. See my Accidentally Vegan Products for vegan biscuits you can buy. There will be 8 biscuits in a can. Cut the biscuits into quarters and then layer them in the bottom of the pan. This is a great time saver!Nutrition
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This recipe for vegan breakfast casserole was originally published in 2013 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2020.
About the Author
Hi! I’m Marly McMillen. I’m the founding editor, author, recipe developer, vegan home chef, and food stylist behind Namely Marly. I’m so grateful to you and every member of my audience for your support and dedication. More about Namely Marly ›
57 Responses to Vegan Breakfast Casserole
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Going to try this for our Christmas breakfast this year! 🙂
My parents are visiting and I wanted something easy but special to make for breakfast. I didn’t have sausage crumbles or tofu. I used the recipe for the base and then fried some spring onions, red pepper and soy mince for the topping. I added vegan cheese and sliced tomato on top. It was so good and I look forward to trying different variations in the future.
I love improvising recipes and you sound like a pro! Isn’t is so fun to make something special when family in town? Hope you had a wonderful visit with your parents!
Does anyone have an idea for a cheese alternative? I’m a new vegan (< 6 mths) and I just haven't taken to the taste of soy cheese or daiya cheese.
Hi Lindsay. It does take awhile to get used to the different flavor and/or texture of vegan cheese. I make a vegan cheese sauce that we used for a long time during the acclimation process. I still use it today – it’s very tasty and perfect to bake over casseroles like this. This sauce also includes some Follow Your Heart vegan cheese (which we really like), but because there are other ingredients involved, I’m hoping it will work for you. Namely Marly Velvet Vegan Cheese Sauce
Just made this and it’s delicious! Thank you!
Yeah! I’m so glad you tried it and let me know. Isn’t it so great to know you can have a yummy breakfast casserole and still be vegan!
Thanks for the great recipe. Can’t wait to try it. I have 4 packets of The Vegg and am always looking for recipes to use it!
Have you made this the night before? I’m hoping it holds up well!
I have not tried making this the night before…but we have eaten it the day after and it tasted just fine. I would recommend warming it up in the oven the next morning so you can get some of that crispy (just baked) texture in the recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
Looks yummy. I’m a life long vegeterian. For 70 years. Healthy too.
This looks amazing! One thing I miss as a vegan is a good breakfast casserole!
Marly, This looks absolutely delicious. I’m definitely going to make it. Thanks for the link to The Vegg. Cathy
Catherine – so glad you like the recipe. I think there’s nothing like a hearty breakfast to start the day. I think Bilbo would agree with me there…
Breakfast casseroles are such a wonderful weekend indulgence. Yours is beautiful, plus I’m with Ryan…mushrooms, please! 🙂
Yes, more mushrooms. That is what I need in my life!!
I just made this and it was super delicious!
Instead of sausage crumbles (didn’t have any) I sauteed some shiitake mushrooms in olive oil with a bit of sea salt to create a super quick faux-bacon and it made a great filling.
Ryan, I have to tell you I’m so jealous. No one in my family will eat mushrooms except for me. How can you have a vegan family that won’t eat mushrooms! It should be against some law or something. I think I might make your version of this recipe just for myself. And I will eat it in front of them and be giddy with the delight of it!
Fantastic easy recipe, Marly!
I have never seen Vegg here, can I use flax or something else in place of it?
Hi Krysi! Thanks for your comment. I provided a link to my Tofu Scramble recipe just in case you don’t have The Vegg product available. I recommend adding a little bit of nutritional yeast flakes, salt, and turmeric to help produce the right flavor for your tofu scramble. I hope that helps!
I want a piece of this right now!
I want this for brinner!
Ooo, That looks Really Good!
This looks amazing…I love breakfast like this!
This looks delicious!!! I’m vegan, but my husband isn’t 100% vegan and I think he’d love this too! Thanks! 🙂
Breakfast casserole is the only way to go for family breakfasts!
Marly, this looks so good!! I how it’s a biscuit casserole!