10 Vegan German Recipes: The Best Vegan Food Inspired by Meals From Germany (2024)

Vegan German recipes can bring memories of traveling through Germany to your own home. Germany is one of our favorite countries in the world. We’ve traveled to several cities and towns and it’s one of those places we hope to visit again and again. It’s also one of the best international cuisines in the world for vegans.

One reason why we love Germany so much is because the restaurants there are very vegan-friendly, so you’d likely find many of these veg dishes on the menu there. While we’re at home, it’s fun and delicious to bring the flavors of Germany to our kitchen.

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German Beer is Vegan

First things first, let’s start with one of the best flavors to come out of Germany…beer! Fortunately, if you’re in Germany and you’re drinking beer, it’s more than likely naturally vegan. According to Reinheitsgebot, or the German purity laws, only malted grains (barley), hops, water and yeast can be used to brew beer.

This means that beer brewed according to Reinheitsgebot in Germany isn’t produced with any animal products. The German purity laws are over 500 years old, and German beer is among the most delicious in the world.

10 Vegan German Recipes

Now that you’ve grabbed that stein of German beer (or glass of vegan Riesling!), let’s get to the vegan German recipes. There are so many German vegetarian recipes out there and other traditional meals that are easily prepared without the meat. It’s easy to create your very own vegan Oktoberfest at home with these yummy meals.

Vegan Schnitzel

Schnitzel may have originated in Austria, but you’ll find them all over German restaurant menus. This vegan schnitzel recipe by Vegan on Board has a secret ingredient that totally makes the dish an amazing one. You won’t see any mock meats on this plate, just pure plant-based goodness. Serve it with some potato salad on the side and garnish with fresh lemon.

Beer Braised Sausages

This is one of the best vegan German recipes because it combines my favorite vegan sausages with German beer! It’s such a treat. This beer braised sausage recipe uses Field Roast Apple & Sage Sausages, which happen to be my very favorite kind that you can buy at the store. This is a quick and easy recipe to whip up and it’s some of the yummiest vegan German food you can make.

Creamy Potato Salad

Potato salad is totally my weakness. I could eat potato salad until the end of time and never grow tired of it. This vegan creamy potato salad by Nutriciously includes its own vegan mayo recipe using cashews. It’s a healthy version of this classic German dish that doesn’t hold back on the comforting flavors. Bring it on a picnic or to your next potluck gathering.

Potato Sauerkraut Casserole

This German casserole combines some of the best traditional German ingredients: potatoes and sauerkraut. You’ll make this up in a snap. It’s hearty, filling, and delicious. Enjoy one of the top vegan German recipes at home for vegan potato sauerkraut casserole by Your Mom’s Vegan. If you don’t have any sauerkraut on hand, you can substitute cabbage (although I recommend using sauerkraut because it’s delish!).

Savory Nettle Bread Pudding

This is a really interesting take on a German bread pudding recipe that uses nutritious stinging nettles. Stinging nettle grows all over the place in the wild, and it can also be made into a delicious tea. You’re likely to find this ingredient at a local farmers market if you aren’t able to forage it for yourself. This recipe for savory nettle bread pudding by Sharon Palmer uses just five simple ingredients, and you might even get bonus points in the kitchen for trying new ingredients!

German Spiced Cabbage

Looking for vegan German recipes for side dishes? This one will pair well with most of the German vegetarian recipes listed here and beyond. Prepare this German spiced cabbage recipe by Simply Healthy Vegan to add a healthy dose of deliciousness to any meal. This dish uses a chili sesame seasoning for an extra burst of flavor.

German Soft Pretzels

Okay, so the image above shows a soft pretzel that I bought from a pretzel stand in Germany. But, you can make these delightful treats at home quite easily. Pair your pretzel with some fancy spicy mustard or beer cheese sauce and you’ve created a gourmet vegan Oktoberfest snack. It’s easy to make your own soft pretzels at home. If you want something quicker, the Superpretzel brand of soft pretzels that you can find at the grocery store are sneakily and accidentally vegan.

Vegan Black Forest Cake

Chocolate, cherries, and a coconut whip…sounds yummy, right? Try baking this vegan Black Forest cake by The Banana Diaries for the perfect sweet treat to wrap up any meal. There’s even a dairy free ganache on top of the cake. To top it all off, it’s free of refined sugar and there’s even a gluten-free version. It’s one of the best vegan German recipes for dessert.

Lebkuchen (German Spiced Cookies)

It’s time for cookies! This vegan version of Lebkuchen (German spiced cookies) by Occasionally Eggs are a little bit like gingerbread, drizzled with chocolate. These are perfect for the holiday season, and they’ll remind you of evenings spent wandering around traditional German Christmas markets. You don’t need to wait for Christmas to make these yummy little morsels. Optional: pair with Gluhwein (mulled wine).

Apple Hazelnut Cake

Let’s wrap up this vegan German recipes guide with another sinful dessert! It’s a healthier plant-based take on a traditional German apple cake recipe. This apple hazelnut cake by Occasionally Eggs is a treat for the senses. First, it’s beautiful to look at. Next, it combines apple, cinnamon, and crunchy hazelnuts, and it’s sweetened with maple syrup. That’s one of my favorite flavor combinations, how about you?

Learn How to Cook Vegan German Recipes

New to cooking or veganism and don’t know what to do? I recommend taking some cooking classes from the comfort of your own home. There are all vegan cooking classes waiting for you atVeecoco!

Veecoco offers all vegan cooking classes by trained chefs in various cuisines from all over the world. There’s anonline German cooking classwhere you’ll be whisked away to Germany to learn how to make authentic German food. You’ll learn from the renowned vegan chef Johannes Nicolay who shares his experiences from over 30 years of cooking German food.

Looking for More Vegan Recipes?

I’m rounding up plant-based recipes for cuisines all over the world. With so many worldly flavors to discover, you’ll never get bored in the kitchen. You’ll want to take a look at these:

• Vegan Italian Recipes
• Mexican Vegan Recipes
• Vegan Greek Recipes
• Vegan Japanese Recipes
• Thai Vegan Recipes
• Vegan Indian Recipes
• Vegan British Afternoon Tea Recipes

Have you ever traveled to Germany and where did you go?