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This simple Nut Roast recipe is a perfect meat-free choice as a main dish for a vegetarian or vegan roast dinner any time of year. It’s so delicious and easy to make, just follow the step-by-step method here.
This Nut Roast recipe is out of the world. Whether you’re making a roast for veggies or meat eaters, everyone will love this option.
I have had this up my sleeve for a while, and alternate serving this up for my veggie guests with my Mushroom Wellington for main course at Christmas, but it’s perfect for vegans, vegetarians and loyal turkey eaters alike.
Whether it’s for a Christmas centerpiece or a regular roast dinner, I’ll show you how to make this step by step, and what to do if you’d like to prepare it in advance (always a winning tactic during the festive period.)
Why you’ll love this Easy Nut Roast recipe
⭐️ Packed with flavour, texture and satisfaction
⭐️ Can be made ahead of time
⭐️ Perfect for Christmas veggie main course
Sarah’s Tips
✅ We’re using Marmite in this recipe for additional flavour, but if you’re a hater, please don’t be put off! It’s a fantastic addition to the overall recipe, even if you don’t usually enjoy it on its own.
✅ Be sure to chop the nuts quite finely in this (I use a mini food processor like this) as it gives the best texture for slicing the loaf without it crumbling.
Get my Christmas cookbook!
This recipe is straight out of my ‘What’s For Christmas Dinner?’ book.
Nut Roast Ingredients
- Sweet potatoes – These will need peeling and slicing into 5mm-thick slices. For this recipe that serves about 6 people, we’re using about 2 potatoes. If you’re making a smaller loaf or more than 1, adjust this accordingly.
- Oil – You’ll need olive oil ideally for frying the ingredients, plus some for greasing the tin.
- Onion – Peel this and chop it very finely.
- Sage – Finely chop the leaves only.
- Boiling water – This is for the stock and breadcrumb mixture.
- Vegetable stock cube – Leave this undiluted until step 4.
- Breadcrumbs – I use Panko.
- Nuts – Go for a mix of unsalted nuts and very finely chop them.
- Tomato puree and Marmite – Don’t miss these out!
- Cranberry sauce – Shop bought is fine, or you can use homemade Cranberry
- Pistachios – Go for the shelled, unsalted variety.
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – Season generously.
How to make a Nut Roast
1. Cook the sweet potato slices in boiling salted water until softened (as per the full recipe below). Make the stock and breadcrumbs mixture.
2. Cook the onion in hot oil until softened, then add the sage. Remove the pan from the heat.
3. Add the mixed nuts, tomato puree, Marmite, cranberry sauce, soaked breadcrumbs and mashed sweet potatoes to the onion mix. Season and mix well.
4. Assemble the nut roast in the tin with pistachios, nut mixture and sweet potato slices, then bake as per the recipe below.
To make ahead
Prepare the Nut Roast up until the end of step 7 and store the pressed mixture in the fridge for up to 24 hours until you are ready to bake.
The loaf may take extra time to cook if it’s cold from the fridge.
Ensure it’s hot through in the centre before serving.
LOAF TIN
You will need a 900g (2lb) loaf tin for this recipe.
Serving suggestions…
Side Dishes
Braised Red Cabbage
Side Dishes
Easy Cauliflower Cheese
Christmas Recipes
Vegetarian Gravy {Make Ahead Recipe}
Side Dishes
Roast Potatoes {Best Ever Easy Recipe!}
FAQs
Also known as a nut loaf, it is a roasted dish filled with vegetables, herbs, nuts and breadcrumbs, so it makes a satisfying meat and dairy-free main course.
It is often made for a special occasion, like Christmas or Thanksgiving, or can simply be a meat free centrepiece for a roast dinner.
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Delicious Christmas Nut Roast
Ingredients
- 400 g (14 oz) Sweet potatoes, Peeled and cut into 5mm-thick slices
- 2 tbsp Olive oil, Plus extra for greasing
- 1 Onion, Peeled and very finely chopped
- 15 g (0.5 oz) Sage leaves, Finely chopped
- 150 ml (0.5 cups) Boiling water
- 1 Vegetable stock cube, Undiluted
- 50 g (2 oz) Breadcrumbs, Such as Panko
- 300 g (11 oz) Unsalted mixed nuts, Very finely chopped
- 2 tbsp Tomato puree
- 1 tbsp Marmite
- 100 g (4 oz) Cranberry sauce, Shop bought or homemade
- 50 g (2 oz) Shelled unsalted pistachios
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180℃ fan/200℃/350F or Gas Mark 6 and line the loaf tin with baking paper, making sure the paper overhangs the edges of the tin so you can use this later to lift the roast out. Grease any parts of the tin not covered in paper with oil.
- Cook the sweet potato slices in a small saucepan of boiling salted water for 7-8 minutes until softened but not breaking up. Drain and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over a low-medium heat, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes or until starting to soften, then add the sage and cook for a further 5 minutes until the onions are soft but not coloured. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Mix the boiling water in a heatproof bowl with the stock cube until it has dissolved, add the breadcrumbs and stir well. Set aside for at least 5 minutes.
- Reserve half of the sweet potato slices and set aside. Mash the remaining half well.
- To the onion and sage, add the mixed nuts, tomato puree, Marmite, cranberry sauce, soaked breadcrumbs, mashed sweet potatoes and plenty of salt and pepper. Mix very well.
- Sprinkle pistachios over the base of the tin. Add half the nut mixture and press down firmly. Arrange the remaining slices of sweet potato in a neat layer (you will need to overlap and/or trim them), then pile on the remaining nut mixture and press very firmly.
- Bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes, or until the top is starting to turn dark brown and the loaf feels springy.
- Remove from the oven and leave to stand for 10 minutes before turning out, using the baking paper to help you. Carefully cut into slices to serve.
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Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutritional values are per portion unless otherwise stated.
This post was originally published on December 10, 2025 and updated later to make improvements.
I’ve tried this out already and it’s definitely getting served up to my vegetarian guests this Christmas!