Looking for an easy plant-based, comfort food dish the whole family will love? You want to learn how to make tamale pie? Then, you must try this easy, yummy Vegan Tamale Pie recipe, which is a retro dish from my own mother’s kitchen years ago. My mother would make this easy plant-based recipe—which we would all greet with glee—many nights during my childhood. I took her classic, dog-eared recipe card and gave it a little bit of a healthier, more layered makeover, and I really love it. It’s great because you can literally whip up this recipe in less than 10 minutes and pop it in the oven to bake while you’re finishing up your dinner (a side salad is the perfect compliment). Use a cornbread mix to make it even easier! All you do is create a bottom crust of corn bread batter, and then top it with beans, veggie “meat” crumbles, onion, corn, salsa, plant-based cheese, green onions, and cilantro. The flavors meld together in the oven into golden, rich, satisfying perfection.
This vegan tamale pie recipe is also a great one for serving if you are new to plant-based eating. I honestly think it could satisfy any palate—from meat lovers to vegans. Once you try it, you can keep these pantry-friendly ingredients on hand quite easily in order to turn to this meal as a go-to favorite in your culinary repertoire. It’s also a really great dish to tote along to a party, picnic, or potluck. And the leftovers are great for breakfast or lunch the next day. Mix it up by personalizing it—you can add diced green peppers, jalapeño slices, sliced black olives, or chopped fresh tomatoes. Make it your own. The tamale pie recipe satisfies as a good source of protein, whole grains, and veggies all in one.
Follow along with this step by step guide on how to make this recipe below.
Step by Step Guide
Description
You can get this easy, delicious meal-in-one recipe for Vegan Tamale Pie in the oven in 10-minutes, and it’s based on many foods you probably have on hand now.
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- Pinch salt
- 2 tablespoons agave nectar
- ¼ cup canola oil, expeller-pressed
- 1 cup plant-based milk (i.e., soy or almond), unsweetened, plain
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed, drained
- 8 ounces vegan “meat” crumbles
- ¼ onion, diced
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup salsa, prepared
- 1 cup shredded plant-based cheese (i.e., Cheddar style or Monterrey Jack style)
- ¼ cup green onion, sliced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Mix cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and in a mixing bowl. Add agave, oil, plant-based milk, chia and mix until smooth.
- Spray a large casserole dish (about 9 × 13 inch) with non-stick spray.
- Pour cornbread batter into the bottom of the dish to make a thin layer.
- Top evenly with black beans and crumbled soy taco meat.
- Sprinkle evenly with onion, corn, salsa, and plant-based cheese.
- Place in the oven uncovered for about 40 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
- Garnish with green onions and cilantro and serve immediately.
Notes
Speed this recipe up by using one box of cornbread mix (enough to make 9 × 9 inch dish) in step 2, following package directions (use plant-based milk and 1 tablespoon chia seeds instead of the egg).
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Mexican, American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 345
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 143 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 47 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 17 g
Check out other plant-based comfort food recipes:
Chickpea Curry with Sorghum
Herbed Lentil Patties with Mushroom Sauce
Veggie Shepherd Pie
Vegan Jambalaya with Red Beans and Okra
Vegan Guinness Stew
As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases. For more information about affiliate links, click here.
More Tools for Eating and Living the Goodness
