Easy Vegetarian Sausage Rolls (Freezer-Friendly and Fussy-Eater Approved)

If you’ve read my Mary Berry Sausage Rolls recipe, you’ll know how often sausage rolls turn up in this house. The trouble is, not everyone at my table eats meat, and I got fed up serving one child a slightly sad cheese or hummus sandwich while everyone else tucked into something golden and flaky straight from the oven. So I set about making a proper vegetarian sausage rolls recipe, one that would satisfy the veggie in the family without being obviously “the healthy option” nobody wants. These are also perfect for the kids’ pals when they’re over, a handful of which are veggie.

This is the version I’ve settled on after more batches than I care to admit, some with too much mushroom, one memorable attempt with far too little seasoning that Adam still brings up. It’s a mushroom and lentil filling with a good hit of cheese to bind it and add flavour, plus a sneaky grated carrot that nobody has ever clocked. It freezes brilliantly, which matters enormously in a house with three lunchboxes to fill, and it holds its own next to the meaty version rather than feeling like an afterthought.

Vegetarian sausage rolls recipe

Makes about 16 regular sausage rolls or 24 mini ones
Prep time: 25 minutes, plus 20 minutes chilling
Cook time: 25 to 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 250g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped (a food processor makes short work of this)
• 1 medium carrot, finely grated
• 400g tin of green lentils, drained
• 100g mature Cheddar, grated
• 50g fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp dried sage
• Salt and black pepper
• 2 x 320g sheets ready-rolled puff pastry
• 1 egg, beaten, for glazing
• A few tsp sesame or poppy seeds, optional

Method

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the onion gently for about 8 minutes until soft, then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Tip in the mushrooms and carrot and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the mushrooms have released their liquid and it’s mostly cooked away. You want the mixture fairly dry at this stage or the pastry will go soggy.
• Take the pan off the heat and stir in the lentils, breaking a few of them up with the back of a spoon so the mixture holds together better. Add the Cheddar, breadcrumbs, mustard and sage, season well with salt and pepper, and mix thoroughly. Taste it. This is the point where you can adjust the seasoning, and I’d genuinely encourage it, an underseasoned vegetarian sausage roll is a sad thing indeed. Cover and chill the mixture for 20 minutes, which makes it much easier to shape.

• Preheat the oven to 200C, 180C fan, gas mark 6, and line two baking trays with baking paper.
• Unroll one sheet of pastry and cut it in half lengthways to give you two long strips. Spoon half the filling in a line down the centre of each strip. Brush one long edge with beaten egg, then fold the pastry over the filling and press the edges together to seal. Use a fork to crimp the seam, then turn the roll over so the seam sits underneath. Repeat with the second sheet of pastry and the remaining filling.

• Cut each long roll into pieces, about 4 for regular sausage rolls or 6 for mini ones, and place them seam side down on the baking trays. Brush the tops with beaten egg and scatter over the seeds if using. Snip a couple of small slits in the top of each one so the steam can escape.

• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the pastry is a deep golden brown and crisp all the way through. Mine are always ready closer to the 28 minute mark in my oven, but ovens vary enough that I’d check from 22 minutes onwards the first time you make these. Leave them on the tray for 5 minutes before moving them, as the filling needs a moment to firm up.

What actually makes a good veggie sausage roll

The mistake I made early on was assuming a vegetarian sausage roll needed to imitate meat as closely as possible. It doesn’t, and trying too hard in that direction usually ends up bland. What it does need is enough texture and savouriness to feel substantial rather than like a pastry parcel of vegetables.

Mushroom does most of the heavy lifting here because it browns and adds a genuinely meaty depth once the liquid’s cooked out of it. Lentils bulk the mixture out and give it some bite, cheese brings salt and richness, and the breadcrumbs stop the whole thing being wet. If you’d rather lean further into a lentil sausage roll, you can swap the ratio the other way, more lentils, less mushroom, and it works just as well. It’s closer to Mary Berry’s lentil version, which uses goat’s cheese, sun-blushed tomatoes and cumin for a more grown-up flavour, well worth trying if that sounds like your sort of thing.

Getting veg in without a fuss

If you’ve got someone at your table who eyes anything green with suspicion, this recipe is a decent way round it. The carrot practically disappears once it’s cooked down with the onion and mushroom, and the lentils, once mashed slightly and mixed through, don’t read as “lentils” to a fussy eight or nine year old, they just read as filling. I’ve had mine finely grate courgette into the mixture too when I’ve had one going soft in the fridge, squeezed out well first so it doesn’t add extra moisture. Nobody has ever asked what’s in these, which I count as a win.

Swaps and variations

• Butternut squash sausage rolls: roast 300g diced butternut squash until soft, mash roughly, and use in place of half the mushroom mixture. Add a pinch of chilli flakes if you want a bit of warmth.
• Sweet potato sausage rolls: the same idea works well with roasted sweet potato, and it pairs nicely with a bit of smoked paprika in the filling.
• Vegan version: swap the Cheddar for a plant-based alternative, use a vegan puff pastry (most shop-bought puff pastry is made with vegetable fat rather than butter, so check the packet) and brush with plant milk instead of egg.
• No mushroom: if mushroom isn’t a favourite in your house, increase the lentils and add a grated apple for moisture and a touch of sweetness instead.
• Shop-bought shortcuts: ready-rolled puff pastry is what I use every time, homemade pastry is a lovely thing to attempt on a quiet weekend but not something I’ve got the bandwidth for on a Tuesday.

Freezing and batch cooking

These are made for the freezer, which is half the reason I make a double batch most times. You can freeze them raw or cooked.

To freeze raw, assemble the rolls up to the point of baking, brush with egg, then open freeze on a tray until solid before transferring to a bag or container. Bake from frozen, adding an extra 8 to 10 minutes to the cooking time, and check the middle is piping hot before serving.

To freeze cooked, let them cool completely first, then freeze in a container with baking paper between layers. Defrost fully in the fridge before reheating in the oven for about 10 minutes to crisp the pastry back up. The government’s food safety guidance on keeping your freezer around minus 18°C is worth a read if you want the detail on doing this properly, and it’s a good general rule for batch cooking anything for lunchboxes.

When you haven’t got time: my honest verdict on shop-bought

Some weeks, homemade anything is not happening, and that’s fine. I’ve worked my way through most of the supermarket vegetarian sausage rolls over the years, so here’s where I’ve landed.

Linda McCartney’s vegetarian sausage rolls are the ones I reach for most often. The filling has a genuinely sausage-like texture and flavour, and they’re widely stocked, so I’m not hunting round three shops to find them. My only gripe is that the filling to pastry ratio can feel a bit stingy, I’d always want a touch more inside.

Quorn’s version does a decent job too, and if you fancy dressing them up a bit, their own recipe wraps the sausages in pastry with red onion chutney for extra flavour, which is a nice trick to borrow even with a different brand. Quorn mini sausage rolls are handy for lunchboxes or a party plate, since the size is right for smaller hands without you having to cut anything down.

Neither is going to taste identical to a homemade batch, but on a school night with three lunches to sort and no time to stand over a frying pan, they’re a genuinely useful thing to keep in the freezer.

Frequently asked questions

Is puff pastry vegetarian?

Most shop-bought puff pastry is vegetarian, made with vegetable fat rather than lard or suet. Some traditional pastry recipes do use animal fats, so it’s worth checking the packet if you’re catering for vegetarians and vegans, as the Vegetarian Society points out, pie and pastry crusts can sometimes contain suet or lard even when the filling itself is meat free.

Can you freeze vegetarian sausage rolls?

Yes, both raw and cooked. Raw rolls can go straight from the freezer to the oven with a slightly longer cooking time, while cooked ones are best defrosted fully before reheating so the pastry crisps back up properly rather than staying soggy in the middle.

What can I serve with vegetarian sausage rolls?

They’re happy on their own in a lunchbox, but for a more substantial meal I’ll serve them with a green salad, some chutney or brown sauce, and either new potatoes or oven chips depending on how much effort the rest of the meal is getting.

What’s the difference between vegetarian and vegan sausage rolls?

Vegetarian sausage rolls, like this recipe, can contain dairy such as cheese and egg for the glaze. Vegan sausage rolls leave out any animal products entirely, including the egg wash and any cheese, and use a pastry confirmed to be free of butter or animal fats.

Can I make these ahead for a party?

Yes, and it’s what I’d always recommend if you’re feeding a crowd (check out some more inspo with my 10 Christmas Day nibbles ideas here!). Assemble them the day before and keep them covered in the fridge unbaked, or bake them fully and reheat gently in the oven for 10 minutes before serving so they’re warm rather than fridge cold.

Easy Vegetarian Sausage Rolls

A mushroom, lentil and cheese filling wrapped in flaky puff pastry, with a sneaky grated carrot that fussy eaters never spot. Freezer-friendly and just as good as the meaty version.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 28 minutes mins

Additional time (if chilling) 20 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 13 minutes mins

Servings: 16 Sausage Rolls

Course: lunch, party food, Snack

Cuisine: British

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves crushed
• 250 g chestnut mushrooms finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot finely grated
• 400 g tin green lentils drained
• 100 g mature Cheddar grated
• 50 g fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp dried sage
• Salt and black pepper
• 2 x 320 g sheets ready-rolled puff pastry
• 1 egg beaten, for glazing
• Sesame or poppy seeds optional, for scattering

Method

 

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the onion gently for about 8 minutes until soft.
2. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
3. Tip in the mushrooms and carrot and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released their liquid and it's mostly cooked away.
4. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the lentils, breaking a few up with the back of a spoon.
5. Add the Cheddar, breadcrumbs, mustard and sage, season well with salt and pepper, and mix thoroughly. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
6. Cover and chill the mixture for 20 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 200C, 180C fan, gas mark 6, and line two baking trays with baking paper.
8. Unroll one sheet of pastry and cut it in half lengthways into two long strips.
9. Spoon half the filling in a line down the centre of each strip.
10. Brush one long edge with beaten egg, fold the pastry over the filling, and press the edges together to seal.
11. Crimp the seam with a fork, then turn the roll seam side down. Repeat with the second sheet of pastry and remaining filling.
12. Cut each long roll into 4 pieces and place seam side down on the baking trays.
13. Brush the tops with beaten egg, scatter over seeds if using, and snip a couple of small slits in each top.
14. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until deep golden brown and crisp all the way through.
15. Leave on the tray for 5 minutes before moving, to let the filling firm up.

Notes

• To freeze raw: assemble up to the point of baking, brush with egg, open freeze until solid, then transfer to a bag or container. Bake from frozen, adding 8 to 10 minutes to the cooking time.
• To freeze cooked: cool completely, freeze with baking paper between layers, defrost fully in the fridge, then reheat in the oven for about 10 minutes to crisp the pastry back up.
• For mini sausage rolls, cut each roll into 6 pieces instead of 4, reduce the bake time slightly and check from 20 minutes.

See more of my baking posts and party food ideas!

Becky

Meet the award-nominated UK lifestyle blogger behind Spirited Puddle Jumper – a mum of three living in South East London! Becky shares the real ups and downs of family life, parenting tips, and lifestyle inspiration, proving that being a mum doesn’t mean you stop being fun or having other interests! Follow along for honest insights into UK family life and opinions on a whole range of topics, from travel and food, to beauty reviews, home and DIY, business and health and wellness.