9 Delicious German Vegan Recipes In 2024

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9 Delicious German Vegan Recipes

Vegan German meals will transport you back to your travels in Germany. The reason vegetarians enjoy Germany so much is because the restaurants there are particularly vegan-friendly, so you'd likely find many of these veg meals on the menu. It's enjoyable to bring the flavours of Germany to your kitchen while you're at home.

Veganism And Vegetarianism In Germany

Vegan, a vegan food maker, conducted a survey that examined the eating patterns of 2,600 people from seven European nations. According to the survey, Germany has the most vegans, with 1.3 million in 2016 more than tripling to 2.6 million in 2020, accounting for 3.2 percent of the population.

Germany offers unambiguous definitions of vegan and vegetarian for both consumers and producers. Vegan goods do not include any animal-derived ingredients, and they are not manufactured or processed in any way.

While vegetarian items are not made from animals, they may contain milk, foremilk, farm poultry eggs, bee honey, beeswax, propolis, or wool grease derived from the wool of living sheep during production. Both terms refer not only to food but also to other consumer goods that have traditionally involved the use of animals.

1. German Red Cabbage

This recipe for German red cabbage is a delicious side dish to serve alongside a hearty main. This nutritious German-inspired recipe, made with red cabbage, apple, and winter spices, would be wonderful served with Christmas dinner, Thanksgiving dinner, or at dinner gatherings. This is a popular German vegan Recipe.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

Brown onion sliced: 1
Cloves garlic finely chopped: 2
Red cabbage shredded: ½
Green apple grated: 1
Apple cider vinegar: 2 tablespoons
Cinnamon: ½ teaspoon
Liquid smoke: 1–2 tablespoons
Maple syrup: 1 tablespoon
Vegan butter: 2 tablespoons
Pickled chilli spice mix: 1–2 tablespoons

Method

Melt the Vegan Butter in a large frying pan and sauté the onions and garlic until soft.
Stir in the cabbage and apple and the apple cider vinegar, and cover with a lid for 10-15 minutes to allow the cabbage and apple to steam on their own. Stir once in a while.
Cook for another 5-10 minutes until the cloves, cinnamon, maple syrup, and liquid smoke has softened.
Pickled Chilli Seasoning and fresh chilli are sprinkled on top (optional).

2. Apple Hazelnut Cake

When seasonal apples are at their peak every autumn, I make a variant of this vegan apple hazelnut cake. This healthful coffee cake is excellent for cooler weather, with significant bits of tangy apple, crunchy hazelnuts, and cinnamon.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 50 minutes | Servings: 10

Ingredients

Light spelt flour: 280 grams
Hazelnut meal: 100 grams
Coconut sugar: 100 grams
Cinnamon: 2 teaspoons
Baking powder: 2 teaspoons
Baking soda: ½ teaspoon
Sea salt: ½ teaspoon
Oat or coconut milk: 300 ml
Avocado oil: 125 ml
Maple syrup: 60 ml
Pure vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon
Apples halved, cored, and sliced: 6
Chopped hazelnuts for topping

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and coat a 20cm springform pan with coconut oil.
Sift together the flour, hazelnut meal, coconut sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing basin.
Whisk the milk, oil, maple syrup, and vanilla in a medium mixing basin.
Toss the milk mixture into the enormous mixing basin and stir until incorporated. Fill the prepared pan halfway with batter, then top with the halved apples. If desired, a handful of hazelnuts can be added for added crunch. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until golden brown, on the center rack.
Cool the cake for 15 minutes on a rack before removing the pan and allowing it to cool completely.
Remove the pan's base once the cake has almost completely cooled. Serve with additional cinnamon and nondairy yogurt or ice cream at room temperature.

3. Vegan Lebkuchen

Around the holidays, vegan Lebkuchen, or traditional German spice cookies, are a popular delicacy. This lightened-up gingerbread version uses hazelnut flour, coconut sugar, and olive oil. These drizzled chocolate biscuits are ideal for the holidays.

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Servings: 12

Ingredients

Light spelt flour: 150 grams
Hazelnut meal: 50 grams
Coconut sugar: 100 grams
Arrowroot powder: 1 tablespoon
Baking powder: ½ teaspoon
Cinnamon: 2 teaspoons
Freshly grated nutmeg: ¼ teaspoon
Cardamom pod crushed: 1
Olive oil: 60 ml
Oat or nut milk: 2 tablespoons
Maple syrup or honey: 2 tablespoons
Dark chocolate, melted, for topping: 50 grams
Pinch salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine the flour, hazelnut meal, sugar, arrowroot, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and salt in a large mixing basin.
Whisk the oil, milk, and maple syrup in a smaller mixing dish. If you're using an egg instead of arrowroot, whisk it in.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until everything is well blended. Take about two teaspoons of dough and roll it into a ball with your hands, repeating until all of the dough has been utilized. Place them 6 cm (2 inches) apart on the baking sheet that has been prepared.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow ten minutes for the cookies to cool on the pan before removing them to a cooling rack.
Once the cookies have cooled, pour lines over them with a spoon dipped in melted chocolate. After adding the chocolate, cool them in the fridge before placing them in a covered container. The cookies will stay on the counter for about 5 days and freeze well.

4. Vegan Black Forest Cake

The most sumptuous vegan black forest cake, covered with a vegan ganache and filled with juicy sweet cherries and a delightful dairy-free whipped cream! This vegan black forest cake will astound you!

Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 35 minutes | Servings: 16

Ingredients For The Vegan Chocolate Cake

Organic flour: 3 cups
Cacao powder: 1 cup
Baking powder: 3 teaspoon
Baking soda: 1 teaspoon
Sea salt: ¼ teaspoon
Coconut sugar: 1 cup
Unsweetened applesauce, room temperature: ¾ cup
Unsweetened almond or coconut milk: 1 cup
Vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon
Dairy-free yogurt, room temperature: ½ cup
Coffee: 1 cup
Cherry reserve from cherry layer: ½ cup
Optional: Kirschwasser: 4 tablespoons

Ingredients For The Cherry Layer

Pitted cherries: 3 cups
Water: ½ cup
Arrowroot powder: 1 tablespoon

Ingredients For The Coconut Whipped Cream

Coconut cream, only using the cream: 2 cans
Powdered organic sugar: 2 cups

Ingredients For The Chocolate Ganache

Vegan butter: ½ cup
Dark chocolate: 6 ounces
Maple syrup: ½ cup

Method For The Cherry Filling

Bring the pitted cherries and water to a boil in a big pot.
Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake for 12-15 minutes.
Stir in the arrowroot powder, reserving about ½ cup of the cherries for the chocolate cake.
Put the cherries in the refrigerator. Before creating the cake, let the cherries cool for 1-2 hours.

Method For The Vegan Chocolate Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper and coconut or olive oil.
Combine flour, cacao powder, baking soda, sea salt, and coconut sugar in a medium mixing basin. Remove from the equation.
Combine the applesauce, vegan “buttermilk” (coconut milk + apple cider vinegar), coffee, vanilla, and dairy-free yogurt in a large mixing bowl.
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet components and mix until no dry streaks remain, taking care not to overmix.
Pour the cake batter evenly into each pan and bake in the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove the pan from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before removing it.
Place the cakes on a cooling rack or platter and, if necessary, level the tops of the cakes.
To soak the cakes, pour around ¼ cup of cherry reserve on top of each one. If you want to add Kirschwasser to the cherry reserve, add 4 tablespoons Kirschwasser to the cherry reserve.
Begin making the coconut whipped cream icing once the cakes have cooled.

Method For The Coconut Whipped Cream

Only whip the coconut cream on medium until it thickens in a large mixing bowl.
Beat in the vanilla extract, powdered sugar, or coconut flour and maple syrup until frothy.
Keep the cake refrigerated until ready to frost and prepare it.

Method For The Chocolate Ganache

Heat the vegan butter in a microwave-safe bowl for 45 seconds to 1 minute, or until hot.
Stir in the vegan chocolate chips until the butter is completely melted.
Now it's time to make the cake!

Method For Assembling The Black Forest Cake

Place 1 cake layer on the bottom and distribute the coconut whipped cream equally. You can either use it all or save some for a garnish.
Place the second cake layer on the whipped cream and the cold cherries. Refrigerate for 15 minutes before serving. Repeat with the third layer on top of the second layer. Re-chill for 15 minutes. The rest of the cake should be frosted.
Drizzle the ganache over this layer and spread it out evenly to drip down the sides slowly.
Refrigerate the cake for 5 minutes to allow the ganache to harden. Remove the cake from the fridge and top with any leftover coconut whipped cream and the remaining cherries.

5. Savoury Nettle Bread Pudding

This vegan Savoury Nettle Bread Pudding recipe is a lesson in regional cuisine. Stinging nettles were plentiful where I grew up in the Pacific Northwest. They were abundant in our yard and the damp, lush forests behind my childhood home. As a child, I was scared of those biting, green weeds that would bring tears to my eyes.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 50 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

Rye bread, cubed 1-inches: 5 ounces
Fresh nettles: 1 bunch (4 ounces)
Plant-based milk, plain, unsweetened: 1 cup
Ground flaxseed: 2 tablespoons
Vegan cheese (i.e., cheddar or Swiss flavour), cubed: 4 ounces
Salt and pepper, as desired

Method

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Toast rye bread cubes for about 3 minutes on a baking pan until lightly browned and crisp.
Nettles should be washed in a colander. Beat the nettles with a knife blade for a few minutes while the water flows until they are slightly macerated.
Drain the water before chopping the leaves and eliminating any long stems. Combine toasted bread cubes, nettles, plant-based milk, flax seeds, and cubed vegan cheese in a medium mixing dish. If desired, season with salt and pepper. Stir until everything is thoroughly blended.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and serve right away.

6. Vegan Potato Sauerkraut Casserole

This is a hearty, satisfying dish that your family and friends will enjoy. My Grandma's recipe was passed down to us, but we changed it by eliminating her usually used meat.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 50 minutes | Servings: 5

Ingredients

Potatoes: 4-5 cups
Apples: 3-4 cups
Sweet onion, chopped fine: 2 cups
Sauerkraut fresh: 2 14 oz jars

Sauerkraut Alternate

Shredded cabbage: 4 cups
Vegetable broth: ½ cup

Seasoning

*Spike or favourite seasoning salt optional: 1-2 teaspoons
Caraway seeds, crushed optional: 1 teaspoon

*Note: We make our own seasoning mix which we use for other dishes too.

Ingredients For Our Seasoning

Seasalt: 2 tablespoons
Black pepper: 2¾ teaspoons
Sweet paprika: 1 tablespoon
Cayenne pepper: 1 teaspoon
Onion powder: 2 teaspoons
Garlic powder: 1¼ teaspoons
Nutmeg powder: 1 teaspoon
Dry mustard: 1 teaspoon
Dried thyme leaves: 1½ teaspoons
Dried basil: 1 teaspoon

Method

Potatoes should be diced into ½” cubes. Set aside in a dish filled with cold water.
Onions should be diced into ¼” pieces. Remove from the equation.
Place apples in a dish of cold water, diced into ½” cubes.
(If you're going to use cabbage, shred it coarsely instead of Sauerkraut)
To dislodge stuck onion bits, add a splash of vegetable broth or water to the pan and scrape the pan as you pour the liquid in. Sauté onions until they are tender. (If you're using cabbage instead of sauerkraut, add ½ cup of vegetable broth to the onions before taking them off the heat and setting them aside).

Method For Layering With Sauerkraut

Potatoes
Apples
Sauerkraut with all liquids
Onions
Seasoning

Method For Layering With Raw Cabbage

Cabbage
Apples
Potatoes
Onions together with the vegetable broth you set aside
Seasoning

7. Vegan Schnitzel

On the outside, it's crispy, yet on the inside, it's tender. Everyone knows schnitzel is Austria's most well-known cuisine, but how do you prepare a vegan schnitzel? Allow us to reveal our effortless secret…

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Servings: 2

Ingredients For The Schnitzels

Celeriac (celery root): ½
Avocado oil for frying: 2 cups

Ingredients For The Breading For About 4 Schnitzels

Plain flour: 2 tablespoons
Gram flour (or substitute with plain flour): ¼ cup
Water: ¼ cup
Soy sauce: 1 tablespoon
Pepper: 1 pinch
Breadcrumbs: 1 cup
Salt: 1 teaspoon

To Serve

Lemon: 2 slices

Method

Peel the celeriac and cut it into four 5mm thick pieces. To make a smooth batter, whisk the gram flour, water, soy sauce, and pepper.
Prepare plain flour on one plate and breadcrumbs with salt on another.
To finely coat a celeriac slice, dip it in flour.
The slice is then dipped in the gram flour mixture. Allow any surplus batter to trickle away.
Finally, breadcrumbs should be used to coat the slice. Repeat until all slices are breaded and ready for frying.
Fill a frying pan with at least 1cm of frying oil and heat it. The schnitzel should be swimming in oil, not lying on the bottom of the pan, for an evenly browned crust.
Drop a few breadcrumbs into the hot oil to see if it's ready to fry. It's ready if you can see and hear them bubble and sizzle up right away.
Place a schnitzel in the heated oil with care—Cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until a deep golden brown colour is achieved. To avoid splashes of hot oil, flip the schnitzel using tongs.
Serve with a salad and a lemon slice for drizzling.

*Note: You can substitute the celeriac (celery root) with cauliflower, eggplant, tofu, seitan or mushrooms

8. Creamy Vegan Potato Salad

This vegan potato salad is a crowd-pleasing side dish that is light, crisp, and creamy. It's oil-free, healthful, and customizable, and it only takes 30 minutes to prepare! Summertime, potlucks, and gatherings are all possibilities.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

Chopped white potatoes: 900 g
Chopped celery: ¾ cup
Finely chopped Parsley: ½ cup
Dill pickles, chopped: ½ cup
Green bell pepper, finely chopped: 1
Green onions, finely chopped: 2
Mustard (optional): 1 tablespoon
Vegan mayo: ¾-1 cup

Method

Fill a big pot halfway with water and add the cubed potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Drain and chill the potatoes after they are fork-tender.
In the meantime, get the rest of your ingredients ready.
To make the cashew mayo, mix all ingredients in a high-powered blender until smooth. Salt and nutritional yeast to taste, and more water if you want a thinner consistency.
Combine cooked potatoes, celery, parsley, pickles, bell pepper, and green onion in a large mixing dish. Stir in your vegan mayo with a large spoon until thoroughly blended—season with salt, lemon juice, and mustard to taste. Serve right away, or cover and chill for at least an hour to let the flavours meld.

9. German Vegan Cheese Spätzle

In about 15 minutes, you can make the most excellent egg-free noodle dumplings with this homemade German Cheese Spätzle recipe! For the ultimate comfort food, serve these quick Spätzle noodles with my easy vegan mac & cheese sauce, caramelized onions, mushrooms, or any pasta sauce you prefer!

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients For The Vegan Spätzle

All-purpose flour or pasta flour: 3 cups
Semolina flour or more all-purpose flour: ⅓ cup
Potato flour also called “potato starch,”: ½ cup
Olive oil or canola oil: 1½ teaspoons
Salt: 1 teaspoon
Turmeric optional for yellow colour: ¼ teaspoon
Soy milk or other unsweetened non-dairy milk: 2 cups

To Serve (optional)

Onions sliced: 5
Mushrooms sliced: 500 g
Oil for frying: 2 tablespoon
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Follow the directions to make the vegan cheese sauce. In a skillet with hot oil, fry the onions for about 2-3 minutes, or until slightly softened. Cook for another 5 minutes, or until golden brown and caramelized, before adding the mushrooms.
Then season to taste with salt and pepper. In a large mixing bowl, combine all spätzle ingredients and stir thoroughly with a wooden spoon until a thick, dense dough forms.
As stated in the recipe video, it should be able to drip off the spoon. Bring a large kettle of salted water to a boil, then use a spätzle press to press the dough into the boiling water in parts. (Alternatively, use a spätzle maker or a simple wooden board with a sieve to scrape off long pieces.)
Scoop the spätzle out with a slotted spoon as soon as they rise to the water's surface. Drain briefly and rinse under cold water to avoid sticking, or immediately combine with the vegan cheese sauce.
Serve the cheese spätzle with mushrooms and caramelized onions. Enjoy! Garnish with vegan parmesan and fresh herbs, if desired.

Conclusion

According to an international culinary website, Germany is the sixth-best country for vegans, with Berlin and Hamburg ranking in the top five vegan-friendly towns. Try these German vegan recipes and let us know your opinion. If you have any questions feel free to message us.

I trust you enjoyed this article about the 9 Delicious German Vegan Recipes. Please stay tuned for more blog posts to come shortly. Take care!

JeannetteZ

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