Author: Get ready to wow your taste buds with the Best Vegan Pâté Recipe! It's quick and easy to make, taking just 30 minutes and 9 simple ingredients to create a delicious appetizer that everyone will love. This savory mushroom and walnut pâté, is the perfect way to add a fun and flavorful twist to your gatherings. Everyone (vegan or not) loves this recipe, it's a surefire crowd-pleaser!
After a few test rounds of making this vegan pâté recipe I served the final test to my friends at book club. It was met with a lot of satisfactory groans, rapid bread slicing, and recipe demands. Even though I told them the recipe would be released in only a few days, they persisted with questions asking if the dish was easy to make (it is) and why exactly it tasted so very good. Don't you just love the magical powers of plants?
Sometimes simplicity is best. This is only a 9 ingredient recipe, it's super easy to whip up, and it can be made ahead of time, making it the perfect appetizer for a party this holiday season. I will be bringing this with me to my family events this December as I know it's a total crowd-pleaser.
Vegan Mushroom & Walnut Pâté is made with pan-toasted walnuts, sautéd mushrooms, and seasoned with lots of garlic, rosemary, and parsley for a rich, flavour-packed, aromatic spread that is totally ah-mazing. New favourite snack right here!
How to make this Vegan Pâté Recipe:
Toast the walnuts in a large dry skillet over medium heat. Keep a careful eye on them and shake the pan often as they can burn quickly. As soon as they start browning on the edges remove them from the heat. Remove the walnuts from the pan onto a heat-safe dish, or directly into your food processor if your food processor can handle hot food.
My Breville Sous Chef food processor is made of high-quality materials but I once damaged a cheap food processor before by filling it with hot food, so this is your warning!
Return the pan to heat and add the olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions soften and turn translucent after about 4 minutes. Add in all the remaining ingredients, the mushrooms, parsley, rosemary, salt, and pepper and sauté until the mushrooms have cooked and reduced in size, another 5 - 8 minutes.
If the mushrooms are sticking to the pan you can add a small splash of water to help release them. As the mushrooms cook they will release their own liquid, so you don't want to add too much.
If your food processor can handle hot food, add the mushrooms to the food processor along with the walnuts. If not, just let the mushrooms and walnuts cool first.
Pulse, stopping to scrape the sides as needed until you reach a pâté texture. I like to leave mine with a bit of texture and colour variation. Press the vegan pâté recipe into a container for serving using a spatula to smooth it, and let chill completely in the fridge before serving. Store in an air-tight container for 2 - 3 days. Serve with bread or crackers.
Common Questions:
Does this vegan pâté recipe freeze well? Yes! As long as you wrap in a cling film and keep in an air-tight container it should last in the freezer for about 3 months.
What is vegan pâté made of? walnuts, olive oil, onion, garlic, mushrooms, parsley, rosemary, salt and pepper.
Can vegan pâté be made gluten-free? Yes! This is a gluten-free recipe!
Can this vegan pâté be made nut-free? Yes, by swapping out the walnuts for either sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.
This vegan pate recipe is...
- quick and easy to make, just 30 minutes and 9 ingredients
- so delicious, everyone will love it!
- can be made ahead of time and freezes beautifully
More vegan appetizer recipes you might like:
Vegan Baked Brie Dip
Quick and Easy Vegan Cheese
Vegan Bacon Wrapped Dates
Easy Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms
Vegan Baked Brie in Puff Pastry
Deviled Potatoes
If you try this recipe let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don't forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
(click stars to vote)
Vegan Mushroom & Walnut Pâté
Servings: (makes about 1 ⅔ cups)
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Ingredients
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 oz button or cremini mushrooms, sliced (about 2 cups)
- ½ cup parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Toast the walnuts in a large dry skillet over medium heat. Keep a careful eye on them and shake the pan often as they can burn quickly. As soon as they start browning on the edges remove them from the heat. Remove the walnuts from the pan onto a heat-safe dish, or directly into your food processor if your food processor can handle hot food.
- Return the pan to the heat and add the olive oil. When hot add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions soften and turn translucent about 4 minutes. Add in all the remaining ingredients, the mushrooms, parsley, rosemary, salt, and pepper and sauté until the mushrooms have cooked and reduced in size, another 5 - 8 minutes. If the mushrooms are sticking to the pan you can add a small splash of water to help release them. As the mushrooms cook they will release their own liquid.
- If your food processor can handle hot food, add the mushrooms to the food processor along with the walnuts. If not, just let the mushrooms and walnuts cool first. Pulse, stopping to scrape the sides as needed until you reach a pâté texture. I like to leave mine with a bit of texture and color variation.
- Press into a container for serving using a spatula to smooth it, and let it chill completely in the fridge before serving.
Nutrition
⭐ Did You Make This Recipe?
I’d love if you left a rating and comment, it helps others find the recipe and makes my day! 💕More Vegan Appetizers You Might Enjoy...
Stina says
I make this recipe every two or three weeks! My sister-in-law introduced me to it as a spread for breakfast sandwiches, instead of using cheese all the time. It's consistently delicious, easy, affordable, and healthy!
Pauline says
I love this recipe. It’s my favourite go-to snack. Sometimes I add some cooked lentils for a bit of protein.
Lisa says
I do the same! That said, this recipe is missing something. I added a splash of a sweet wine I had hanging around. I think a touch of mustard would be a nice addition.
Loretta says
My vegetarian/wannabe vegan neighbor was coming to join me for an evening visit al fresco (because of COVID-19), and I wanted to wow her with some nice vegan appetizers. I made a very nice white cannellini bean dip with lemon and garlic, and this... but not this. I had no fresh rosemary or parsley, so I decided to adapt the recipe, finding the right flavors as I went. It turned out amazing! Always, when I adapt a recipe, I give credit to the original recipe, as we can only build on a good foundation. For that reason, I feel that five stars is a fair rating, as this recipe turned out to be a great foundation. Here is what I added in lieu of rosemary and parsley:
1 tsp thyme, ground with a mortar and pestle
1 tsp fenugreek, ground with a mortar and pestle
1 bay leaf (be sure to remove before putting mixture into your food processor)
1/2 tsp cumin (I find that a little cumin goes a long way)
1/2 Tblsp fig jam (taste as you go and decide if you need a bit more for the right amount of sweetness - not all fig jams are the same)
My neighbor and I both loved the sweet-warm-spice flavor of the fig jam with Indian spices. I've just gobbled up the last of it for lunch today. It was so good, I wanted to share the idea with you. Please let me know if you try it and what you think.
Julie Ann Gardner says
I used half the ingredients and should have made the full amount. I ate it all in one day. Not hard to do since it was so delicious. I added a small dash of brandy which certainly gave it a bit of depth. I love strong, intense flavours.
Pauline says
I love this recipe. It’s my favourite go-to snack. Sometimes I add some cooked lentils for a bit of protein.
Emabean says
This was so easy and yummy! My family all enjoyed it!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful!!
Charisse says
Hi Sam, about to try out this recipe, looks amazing... just a quick question.., can it be frozen?
Sam Turnbull says
Mushrooms don't generally freeze well so I don't think so.
Karla says
I can not confirm this. Mushrooms freeze fantastically well, both raw and cooked. When we pick mushrooms in the forest, we freeze them by the kilo. They taste exactly the same as the fresh ones.
L Norton says
I freeze it. I a little bit crumbly but still tastes delicious. I spread it on toasted rye bread.
Meg Selby says
This was THE FAVORITE item on the appetizer buffet for a cocktail party with friends. It was gone in no time. Thank you for great recipes that are easy to make and so delicious!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! Amazing!!
Donna says
Way overdue on commenting but wanted you & your followers to know this Mushroom & Walnut Pate was SO delicious, & a true hit at a Christmas Eve get together. The carnivores in the crowd were ah-mazed they were having a vegan "faux gras" & kept asking if it really was "just" walnuts and mushrooms. Incidentally, I also made your Vegan Orzo salad with Tofu Feta (Delicious! & my new absolute go-to recipe for Feta), AND your Garlic & Herb Vegan cashew cream cheese AND your Cranberry & Thyme Vegan Cheese Ball. Again, all of the carnivores were over the moon and amazed at the consistency and flavors of the 2 "cheeses". Thanks Sam for your outstanding recipes 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! That's wonderful!! Thrilled the were a hit, Donna 🙂
Leigh Norton says
Finally made this recipe. Delicious!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!
Corrine says
Sam, this was another winner at the Carnivore vs. Vegan Christmas yesterday! Allow me to explain. With the exception of a ham that my carnivore cousin smoked, the balance of the meal was prepared by the two Vegans in the bunch - myself (a skilled vegetarian but newbie Vegan) and my cousin-in-law, Wilma (Vegan x 4 years). Last year - and all prior years - Christmas was per the usual carnivore fixing with some "Wilma Safe" items tossed in (generally, by Wilma). Shoot, even I would try my best as an ovo-lacto veg to figure out how to make my normal 'rich and creamy' celebration contributions 'Wilma safe' but never succeeded. THIS YEAR, the Vegans took over. We had: This pate (gone), everything but the bagel dip (your sour cream + everything but the bagel mix),Thyme and Cranberry cheese ball (demolished), your spinach and artichoke dip (raved over), your lentil loaf en crouton (minus the en crouton and instead made into a meatloaf with BBQ sauce. Enjoyed, but tweaking to our taste buds for the next attempt), your chocolate chip cookies (fought over), and the piece de resistance; your CHEESECAKE (jaws dropped--more below). There were many, many comments of "That can't be Wilma safe", "No way", "Dang, Cuz!", "Bring that again". Which was very cool, but the magic was that those comments came from the carnivores!!
Now, about that cheesecake. Some backstory is necessary. You see, my cheesecake is quasi-famous in my family. As in; this is the desert that my kids ask for as a birthday cake and if I forget to make one for a special dinner, I am not allowed to sub in a store bought cake because they say it just won't do. And, family/friends rise to my defense for anything I might do wrong with "Yeah, but did you taste the cheesecake?" I know the recipe by heart and have perfected it over the past 20 years because I make this cake 6-7 times a year. So, imagine my trepidation about trying to bring a vegan version. I made yours the night before early enough to abandon it and make the traditional one if I didn't think it would pass the family test. But, once your version cooled enough to take a sneak taste, I almost came to tears realizing that ANYTHING can be veganized. Anything.
For reference, my traditional cheesecake recipe is a spin off of a Burt Wolf "New York Cheesecake" recipe and includes:
- 2 lbs cream cheese
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup sour cream
-1 tsp vanilla
- pinch of salt
This was the cake to beat and your version pleased everyone who tried it.
Thank you, Sam.
Sam Turnbull says
Haha that's so amazing!!! Thrilled everything was such a hit. Anything can be veganized!! 🙂
Kirstin says
I thought this recipe was a little bland and weirdly sweet. I even added dry sherry and truffle oil. The only way my family liked it was with lots of hot sauce.
Val says
I made this with a combination of freshly foraged winter oysters, some enoki as well as some rehydrated honey mushrooms. It was excellent. I did add some sherry as well to de-glaze the pan. Definitely a keeper in my mushroom repertoire.
Corrine says
Oh this sounds heavenly - wild mushrooms are so wonderful! I used store bought baby portobella and it was amazing. I'm going to try that sherry deglaze next time, too.
Sam Turnbull says
Wow sounds excellent!!
Krystle Turnbull says
I’ve made this recipe 4 times now and I love it. I did add some thyme to it as well as red Chili pepper flakes. And it tastes amazing!
Thanks again for another awesome recipe Sam!
Sam Turnbull says
Hey, great last name, Krystle! Haha. Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Erin B says
I thought this pate was really excellent. I'm catering a Christmas party and needed to add some vegan options to accommodate some of the guests. The options also need to be gluten and grain free. This pate is just perfect as an addition to the menu. I did add a good splash of dry sherry to deglaze the mushroom mixture in the sauce pan and a tiny waft of white truffle oil to amp up the mushroom flavor as I was processing the mushroom mixture. I think the vegan guests will love this, but I can't imagine that the carnivorous guests wouldn't love it as well (I could eat the whole damn thing by myself!)
Erin B says
Oh, forgot to mention that I used a mix of shiitake, cremini and dried porcini mushrooms!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! That's awesome, Erin! Thrilled you enjoyed it and I hope your guests do too 🙂 Another good option is this cranberry and thyme cheeseball. It's always a hit at parties and can be made ahead of time too.
Anne says
A few days ago, I made wild mushroom stock with dried morels, black trumpets, and maitake. Not wanting to throw out the mushrooms after boiling (like I did last time I made it), I used them in this recipe. While not having the full flavor they would if used before the stock, it was still excellent and I'm thrilled that I could enjoy them 'twice'. Thank you!
Sam Turnbull says
Glad you enjoyed!
Jenna says
This is the 7th or 8th time I have made this, always a hit at holiday parties! I am now 110% convinced this is the "grey stuff" they sang about in Beauty and the Beast because it really is just delicious!
Sam Turnbull says
Bahahahaha! I love that so much, Jenna!
Di says
Made this and I think 2T of fresh rosemary was way too overpowering and 1c walnuts was also too much walnut v mushroom flavor. I would suggest trying 1t fresh thyme instead of the rosemary, 1/2c toasted walnuts and 1 medium onion (~1c). My mixture also ended up being really dry so I ended up adding some warm mushroom broth as I was pulsing in the food processor. Pretty sad the mushroom flavor didn’t come through on this recipe.
Sam Turnbull says
Sorry you didn't enjoy it more, Di!
Lucy says
This reminds me of the gehakte leber (chopped liver) my mom used to make. Growing up in Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh, Polanski’s had an incredible sandwich of corned beef and chopped liver on rye, with brown mustard, a kosher dill pickle, and Dr Brown’s Black Cherry Soda to wash it all down. Hmmm...pickled seitan, and this pate, yum!!!
Sam Turnbull says
Awesome!
Christiane Delhaes says
Ho my god this is too much it taste so good I sent the recipe to my sister and she too liked it thank you very much
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! You're most welcome, Christiane! Thrilled you enjoyed it so much 🙂
Bex says
Tastes great but found mine had a waxy texture? Have you come across this before? Maybe the brand of walnuts..
Sam Turnbull says
I have no, and no one else has mentioned that before so I'm not sure what happened. Perhaps it was overmixed? Sorry I can't be more help!
Hope says
Fabulous recipe! Thank you. Just the right amount of herbiness and so easy to make.
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you loved it, Hope 🙂