This vegan ham recipe is an incredible seitan recipe flavored with liquid smoke, maple syrup, and coated in a pineapple mustard glaze. The pink color – from the beet puree – makes this vegetarian roast the perfect centerpiece to a holiday gathering or any special occasion when you want to really impress! It takes a little planning ahead, but I can tell you from personal experience, it is SO worth it.
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This vegan ham, my friend. It’s the kind of recipe that really gets me excited around the holiday season.
Why? Because it reminds me – yet again – that ANYTHING can be veganized for plant-based diets.
To me, this great recipe is EMPOWERING. It reminds me we can still participate in our holiday traditions but align them to our evolving sense of ethics. And more so, that we can prove these points to our loved ones in the form of deliciously tender pineapple-and-mustard-glazed vegan ham.
A wonderful combination of spices mixed with beet juice and vital wheat gluten give this vegan version of traditional ham not just a great meaty texture and savory flavor, but also a perfect match in appearance. And that pineapple brown sugar glaze is the stuff dreams are made of.
Make it for a dinner party, a holiday meal, or just to have on hand for a nice vegan ham sandwich.
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What is our vegan ham made of?
Remember, the full recipe can be found in the recipe card below! This section is meant to give you a better understanding of the ingredients you’ll be using and what their purpose is in the recipe!
Here’s what you’ll need to make an awesome vegan holiday ham:
- A can of beets – This will add a beautiful pink color to our seitan ham giving it that “real ham” look!
- Vital Wheat Gluten – This is a main ingredient in all seitan and vegan meat recipes and cannot be replaced.
- All purpose flour – This will add a tender texture to our seitan that you will LOVE!
- Spices: salt, ground black pepper, onion powder, and smoked paprika
- Pineapple juice – Pineapple juice and ham are a classic combo that really ups the nostalgia factor in this recipe!
- Refined coconut oil – This is key for the best fatty texture. Make sure you’re using a coconut oil that is labeled “refined” and NOT one labeled “unrefined” or “virgin”. This is super important because you don’t want your vegan ham to taste like coconuts!
- Maple syrup
- Liquid smoke – for a deep smoky flavor
- Coconut sugar – You can also use light brown sugar or date sugar!
- Spicy mustard – Dijon mustard or stone ground mustard also work.
- Blackstrap molasses
How to Make Seitan Ham
This vegan ham recipe is a lot like our vegan corned beef recipe (another fav) with a few differences, like it uses a steamer instead of a slow-cooker. The full recipe card can be found at the bottom of this post, but we’ll summarize the steps for you here!
Step 1: Make the beet puree.
First, make the beet puree. This will give your roast that beautiful, pinkish, ham-like color! Pour a full can of beets (water + all!) into your food processor. Then, fill the can to the brim with water and pour that in too. Blend it up until completely smooth.
It’s important to note, you’ll use some of this puree for the seitan roast itself AND some for the glaze. You WILL have leftover beet puree which can be used as a little nutrition boost in soups and smoothies. You can also freeze it in an ice cube tray for ease.
Step 2: Make the seitan.
Next, we make our seitan dough!
Whisk the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and then make a well in the center for the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients in and mix everything together with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until a dough ball forms.
Then, get in there with your hands and knead for no longer than 1 minute.
Step 3: Steam the seitan ham.
Use your hands to form a rough loaf with the seitan (try not to handle it too much though!) and wrap it in aluminum foil. You want it to be secure in the foil but still have a little room to expand in the steamer basket.
We use an electric steamer to make this seitan ham recipe. If you’re working with limited counter space (we hear ya there!), bamboo steamers can also be a great option!
Of course, you can use whatever steaming basket you have on hand; even a colander covered and placed over a large pot of boiling water works!
Step 4: Bake and glaze the seitan roast
Time to finish the roast! In a casserole dish, you’ll first bake the seitan IN the tin foil (with a small opening at the top for some steam to escape) for 20 minutes.
While it bakes, mix all the glaze ingredients together in a small pot over medium low heat. You want to mix the ingredients until the coconut sugar completely dissolves.
Finally, you’ll remove the ham from the foil, pour half of the glaze over the roast and bake it another 30 minutes.
How to Serve Vegan Ham
Remove the ham from the oven once more, pour the remaining 1/2 glaze over it, and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes before slicing.
You can also use a sharp knife to do the fancy diamond pattern on top before adding the remaining glaze.
We highly recommend serving this vegan ham alongside our vegan au gratin potatoes and applesauce for a traditional Easter brunch / holiday dinner made VEGAN! It’s also fantastic sliced thinly for vegan ham sandwiches.
How to Use Plant-Based Ham Leftovers
This vegetarian ham recipe makes fantastic leftovers! Store any leftover seitan ham in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 8 weeks.
This vegan ham is SO good fried up in a skillet the next morning for breakfast. Pair it with a tofu scramble and roasted potatoes OR make a HAM-AZING vegan breakfast sandwich.
You can even add it to a vegan quiche, JUST egg omelet, or make vegan ham & cheddar hot pockets…ohhhhh, the possibilities!
More Seitan Recipes:
When you make this recipe, let us know!
You can leave a comment and star rating below or tag us in your drool-worthy food photos on Instagram. If you’re not already hanging out with us over there, we’re @theplantpowercouple with the “the”.
We can’t wait to hear allll about your experience!
Enjoy, friends!
Vegan Seitan Ham with Pineapple Mustard Glaze
This vegan ham recipe is made with seitan and flavored with liquid smoke, maple syrup, and a pineapple mustard glaze. The pink color - from the beet puree - makes this roast the perfect dish to bring to a holiday gathering when you want to really impress! It takes a fair amount of time, but most of that is cooking time, and I can tell you from personal experience, it is SO worth it.
Ingredients
Beet Puree:
- 1 (15-oz) can beets
Dry Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups vital wheat gluten
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Wet Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup beet puree
- 1/3 cup pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup refined coconut oil, melted
- 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp liquid smoke
For the glaze:
Instructions
- Get your steaming mechanism ready and open your can of beets. Pour the beets (and the water in the can) into a blender. Fill the can to the rim with water and pour that into the blender as well. Blend on high until a smooth puree is formed. Set this aside to use in the recipe as directed.*
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients with a whisk. Create a well in the center of your mixture and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir with a big wooden spoon until a dough starts to form. Then, get in there with your hands and knead for no longer than 1 minute.
- Next, use your hands to form a rough loaf with the dough. Wrap this loaf (tightly but leaving a little room for it to expand) in tin foil, and place in the steamer with the seam down for 45 minutes.
- When the steaming is almost done, preheat your oven to 325F and get out a square glass baking dish. Carefully remove the roast from the steamer, flip it upside down, and place it on the dish. Open the foil a bit at the top to give the steam a place to escape and bake it for 20 minutes.
- While the roast bakes, make your glaze by mixing all the ingredients together in a small pot over medium low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- When the timer goes off, carefully remove the roast from the oven and the tin foil. Place it back in the baking dish and pour 1/2 the glaze over it. Bake this again, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
- Remove the ham from the oven once more, pour the remaining 1/2 glaze over it, and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!
Notes
*You'll have excess beet puree which can be used in smoothies and soups!
MAKE AHEAD OPTION: You can make this roast a day or two ahead of time. Just reheat, wrapped in foil, in the oven at 300F for 20 minutes.
LEFTOVERS: Leftovers freeze well for up to a month. This vegan ham is A-MAZING fried up in a skillet the next morning for breakfast.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1 servingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 457Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 2gSugar: 16gProtein: 44g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and may not always be accurate.
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