How to Make Greggs Vegan Sausage Roll at Home?
How to Make Greggs Vegan Sausage Roll at Home
The first time I tried the Greggs vegan sausage roll, I was gobsmacked. Flaky pastry, savoury filling, somehow completely plant-based. So I set out to crack the recipe at home. Spoiler: it’s totally doable, and I’ll show you exactly how.
Why I Wanted to Crack This Recipe
Let me set the scene. I’m a big fan of Greggs — always have been. But when they launched their vegan sausage roll back in January 2019, the internet basically lost its mind. I joined the queue, had one bite, and thought: “I need to be able to make this at home.”
The Greggs version uses a Quorn-style mycoprotein filling wrapped in their trademark puff pastry. They’ve kept the exact recipe tightly under wraps, but after a lot of testing (and a fair few flopped batches), I’ve landed on a homemade version that’s bloomin’ close — maybe even better, because you can tweak it to your taste.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through the classic recipe, a Quorn-based version, where to buy every ingredient in the UK, and loads of tips to nail it first time.
Greggs officially uses mycoprotein (similar to Quorn) in their vegan rolls. You can get very close with off-the-shelf Quorn sausages or a seasoned vegetable/legume filling — both methods are in this guide.
📅 A Brief History of the Greggs Vegan Roll
Greggs launches the vegan sausage roll. It sells out within hours. Piers Morgan has feelings.
Goes fully nationwide. Becomes a permanent menu staple after massive demand.
Greggs expands its vegan range to include sausage, bean & cheese melts and vegan steak bakes.
You’re here — trying to recreate it at home. Excellent decision.
Check out Greggs Chicken Bake Recipe Everything below is available in major UK supermarkets. I’ve included online options too for anything harder to track down. Makes 8 sausage rolls. Uses a seasoned lentil & mushroom filling — no meat substitutes needed. Always double-check pastry labels — most JusRol ready-rolled puff pastry sheets are vegan-friendly, but their butter puff varieties are not. The one in the red packaging (shortcrust) contains butter. Go for the plain puff pastry sheet in blue/white packaging. This is the most faithful recreation of the Greggs texture — mycoprotein gives that meaty, springy bite. Check out the Greggs Sausage Roll RecipeIngredients & UK Sourcing Guide
🥐 The Classic Vegan Recipe
Ingredient Amount Where to Buy (UK) Ready-rolled vegan puff pastry 1 sheet (320g) JusRol, Jus-Rol at Tesco / Sainsbury’s / Morrisons Red lentils (dried) 200g Tesco, Asda, Aldi, Lidl (all stock own-brand) Chestnut mushrooms 200g Any UK supermarket — about £1/punnet Brown onion 1 large Any UK supermarket Garlic cloves 3 cloves Any UK supermarket Smoked paprika 1½ tsp Schwartz range at Tesco / Sainsbury’s Sage (dried) 1 tsp Schwartz, Bart Spices — all supermarkets Fennel seeds ½ tsp Tesco, Waitrose, Holland & Barrett Soy sauce (vegan) 1 tbsp Kikkoman, Pearl River Bridge — all supermarkets Tomato purée 2 tbsp Cirio, own-brand — all supermarkets Oats (rolled) 50g Quaker, Scots Porage — Tesco, Asda, Morrisons Olive oil 2 tbsp Any UK supermarket Salt & black pepper To taste Any UK supermarket Plant-based milk (for glazing) 2 tbsp Oatly, Alpro — all supermarkets 🍄 The Quorn Version
Ingredient Amount Where to Buy (UK) Quorn Vegan Sausages 8 links (~350g) Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Ocado Ready-rolled vegan puff pastry 1 sheet (320g) JusRol — Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons Wholegrain mustard 1 tbsp Maille, Tesco own-brand — all supermarkets Smoked paprika 1 tsp All supermarkets Plant-based milk (glaze) 2 tbsp Oatly Barista, Alpro Oat — all supermarkets Black pepper To taste Any UK supermarket Sesame seeds (optional) 1 tsp Tesco, Asda, Holland & Barrett 🛒 Alternative UK Vegan Sausage Brands
Brand Product Texture Availability Price (approx.) Quorn Vegan Sausages Meaty & firm All major supermarkets £2.50–£3.00 Linda McCartney Vegetarian Sausages Softer, herby Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda £2.50–£2.80 Heck! Plant-Based Sausages Juicy & chunky Waitrose, Tesco £3.00–£3.50 Richmond Vegan Sausages Classic sausage Tesco, Asda, Morrisons £2.50–£3.00 Oumph! Pulled Oumph Chunky, pulled Waitrose, Ocado £3.00–£3.80 Moving Mountains Plant Sausages Very meat-like Waitrose, Ocado £3.50–£4.00 🏪 Where to Shop in the UK
Check out Greggs v/s Pret Meal Deal This is the lentil & mushroom version — no meat substitutes. It’s hearty, savoury, and honestly? I think it might be even better than the Greggs original. Rinse 200g of red lentils under cold water until the water runs clear. Pop them in a pan with 500ml of vegetable stock (I use Kallo low-salt cubes). Bring to the boil, then simmer for 15–18 minutes until they’re soft and all the liquid is absorbed. They should look quite dry and thick — not soupy. Once done, spread them out on a tray to cool. This step can be done the night before to save time. You can use a 400g tin of green lentils (drained and rinsed) instead of cooking dried ones. Just reduce the lentil cook time — skip this step entirely and go straight to the mushroom mix. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add your finely diced onion and cook for 7–8 minutes until soft and golden. Add 3 crushed garlic cloves and cook for another minute. Now add 200g of finely chopped chestnut mushrooms. These will release a lot of water — keep stirring until all that liquid evaporates and the mushrooms start to colour. This takes about 8–10 minutes and is crucial for flavour. Don’t rush it. Add to your mushroom mixture: 1½ tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp dried sage, ½ tsp fennel seeds, 1 tbsp soy sauce, and 2 tbsp tomato purée. Stir everything together and cook for 2 minutes. The fennel seeds are key here — they give that classic “sausage” taste. Now tip in your cooked lentils and 50g of rolled oats. Mix well. The oats act as a binder and soak up any extra moisture. Season generously with salt and black pepper. Have a taste — this should be bold and savoury. The filling should taste slightly over-seasoned on its own. Once it’s baked inside pastry, the flavour mellows. So be generous with that salt and pepper now. This step is non-negotiable. Spread your filling onto a clean tray or plate and let it cool to room temperature — at least 20 minutes. If you put warm filling onto cold pastry, the pastry will go soggy before it even hits the oven. I sometimes pop mine in the fridge for 15 minutes to speed things up. Once cooled, give it a squish with a fork — it should hold its shape when pressed together. Preheat your oven to 200°C fan / 220°C conventional / Gas Mark 7. Unroll your JusRol vegan puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Don’t roll it any thinner — it’s already the right thickness. Cut it in half lengthways so you have two long rectangles. Line your baking tray with baking paper. Take half your filling and shape it into a long sausage shape along one long edge of each pastry rectangle, leaving a 1cm gap at both short ends. The filling log should be about 3–4cm in diameter. Brush the opposite long edge with plant milk (this is your glue). Fold the pastry over the filling and press the edges firmly together with a fork — really push down to create a good seal. If it cracks, pinch it back together. Repeat with the second pastry strip. Don’t stretch the pastry as you fold — let it fall naturally over the filling. Stretched pastry shrinks back in the oven and can split open. Use a sharp knife to score the top of each pastry log with diagonal cuts about 1cm deep. This is what gives you those beautiful layers on top. Now brush generously with plant-based milk all over the top — don’t be shy. Slice each log into 4 equal pieces (you’ll have 8 rolls total). Transfer to your lined baking tray with a little space between each one. Optional: sprinkle with a tiny pinch of smoked paprika or sesame seeds for extra flair. Bake in your preheated oven for 22–25 minutes until the pastry is deeply golden and the layers have puffed up beautifully. Resist the urge to open the oven door in the first 15 minutes — you want that steam to stay in and puff the pastry. When done, the pastry should sound hollow when you tap the base. Leave to cool for 5 minutes before eating — they’re molten inside when they first come out!Classic Vegan Sausage Roll – Step-by-Step Recipe
Prep Your Lentils
Build the Flavour Base
Season Like You Mean It
Let It Cool Completely
Prepare Your Pastry
Fill and Roll
Score, Glaze, and Slice
Bake to Golden Perfection
Check out the Bake-Off Ovens used in Greggs’ Kitchen If you want that bouncy, springy mycoprotein texture that Greggs themselves use, this is your recipe. It’s quicker too — roughly 30 minutes from start to finish. Take your Quorn Vegan Sausages out of the freezer the night before, or defrost in the microwave per pack instructions. They need to be fully thawed — not frozen solid or they’ll be cold in the middle when baked. Mix together 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard and 1 tsp smoked paprika in a bowl. Toss your Quorn sausages in this mixture so they’re well coated. This adds depth and that characteristic smoky flavour. Let them sit for 5 minutes. Preheat your oven to 200°C fan / 220°C conventional. Unroll your JusRol pastry sheet and cut into 8 equal rectangles. Each rectangle should be wide enough to wrap around one sausage with a small overlap. Place one seasoned Quorn sausage near the edge of each pastry rectangle. Brush the opposite edge with oat milk. Roll the pastry tightly around the sausage and press the seal firmly. Place seam-side down on a lined baking tray. Score the top with a sharp knife. Brush all over with oat milk. Bake for 20–22 minutes until golden all over. Because the Quorn is already pre-cooked and the portions are smaller than the lentil version, they bake slightly quicker. Rest for 5 minutes and tuck in!The Quorn Method – Closest to the Greggs Original
Step-by-Step: Quorn Method
Defrost the Quorn Sausages
Season the Sausages
Prepare Pastry & Preheat Oven
Wrap Each Sausage
Bake and Serve
Check out Greggs Drive Through Locations 2026 I’ve compared the homemade lentil version, the Quorn version, and the real Greggs product. Numbers are per sausage roll. The Quorn version packs nearly 15g of protein per roll — that’s 40% more than the Greggs original. The lentil version wins on fibre, with over twice the fibre content of Greggs. Both homemade versions are lower in saturated fat. Scores are relative (0–10 scale) across key factors for choosing which recipe to make. Taste Satisfaction — flavour, texture, overall satisfaction Value for Money — cost per roll vs perceived quality Protein Content — g of protein per serving Fibre Content — g of dietary fibre per serving Ease of Making — simplicity, speed, skill required Greggs Authenticity — how close to the originalHow Does It Stack Up Nutritionally?
📊 Nutritional Comparison (per roll)
Nutrient Greggs Vegan Homemade Lentil Homemade Quorn Calories (kcal) 311 287 298 Protein (g) 10.5 11.2 14.8 Carbohydrates (g) 28.1 31.4 26.8 Fat (g) 17.5 13.2 15.4 Saturates (g) 7.8 4.1 5.2 Fibre (g) 2.0 4.8 3.1 Salt (g) 1.2 0.8 0.9 Cost per roll £1.80 £0.58 £0.72 📈 Calorie & Protein Comparison
💰 Cost Per Roll
🕸 Overall Comparison Radar
📋 Scoring Key
Check out the Coffee Machines used at Greggs Cold pastry + cold filling = better puff. If your kitchen is warm, chill the assembled (uncut) rolls in the fridge for 15 minutes before baking. This helps the pastry hold its shape and puff up more dramatically. A blunt knife drags the pastry layers and stops them puffing. Use a sharp serrated knife or a brand-new chef’s knife. Score confidently — light timid cuts don’t open up in the oven. This is the number one reason homemade sausage rolls taste bland. The pastry mutes flavour. Season your filling so it tastes slightly too strong on its own — then it’ll be perfect once baked. This single ingredient makes your filling taste like a sausage. Fennel seeds have a mild aniseed-like flavour that’s present in traditional British pork sausages. Don’t skip it — it’s the secret weapon. These freeze brilliantly! Assemble the rolls, place on a tray and freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen at 200°C fan for 30–32 minutes. Perfect for batch cooking. I’ve tried soy milk, almond milk, and oat milk. Oat milk (especially Oatly Barista) gives the closest golden colour to an egg wash — it’s slightly thicker and caramelises beautifully in the oven.My Top Tips for Nailing These Every Time
Keep Everything Cold
Sharp Knife for Scoring
Season Boldly
The Fennel Seed Is Non-Negotiable
Freeze Before Baking
Oat Milk for Best Glaze
🔧 Troubleshooting Guide
Problem Likely Cause Fix Soggy Bottom Filling was too wet, or oven not hot enough Cool the filling longer; blitz mushrooms finer; ensure oven is fully preheated. Use a metal tray, not glass. Pastry Split Open Overfilled or seal not pressed firmly Use less filling; press the fork seal harder; chill rolls before baking. Pale Pastry Not enough glaze, or oven too cool Apply glaze generously (two coats); ensure oven is at the right temperature; move to top shelf for last 5 min. Filling Too Dry Lentils overcooked; not enough liquid Add 2 tbsp of vegetable stock or a drizzle of olive oil to the filling to loosen it up. Pastry Not Puffing Warm filling melted fat in pastry layers Always cool filling completely; chill assembled rolls for 15 min before baking. Bland Filling Under-seasoned; fennel seeds missing Add more smoked paprika, more salt, and make sure fennel seeds are in there.
Check out the Heated Display Cabinets used at Greggs The Greggs experience is all about eating it warm, fresh out of the bag. But at home, you’ve got more options! Here’s what I love to pair mine with: Got an air fryer? Reheat your rolls at 180°C for 6–8 minutes and they come out tasting freshly baked. The pastry goes properly crispy again. Honestly better than the microwave method by a mile. I make a double batch every Sunday — 16 rolls. I bake 8 for the week and freeze 8 unbaked. Here’s my schedule:How to Store, Reheat & Serve
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
📦 Batch Cooking for the Week
Day Action Sunday Make & freeze 8 unbaked; bake and eat 8 fresh Mon–Wed Eat from fridge batch (reheat as needed) Thu–Fri Bake the frozen batch from frozen (30 min at 200°C fan) Weekend Make fresh batch again!
Check out the Commercial Refrigeration used at Greggs Once you’ve got the base recipe down, the possibilities are ace. Here are some of my favourite twists. Add 50g of grated Violife vegan cheddar and extra caramelised onion to the lentil filling. The cheese gets melty and gooey inside. Total crowd-pleaser. Where to buy Violife: Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Ocado Replace the tomato purée with 2 tbsp of harissa paste. Gives a lovely North African heat that goes brilliantly with the mushrooms. Great for spice lovers. UK brand: Belazu Rose Harissa — Waitrose, Ocado Swap mushrooms for finely chopped tenderstem broccoli and walnuts. Roast the broccoli first for extra depth. Posh enough for a dinner party but easy enough for a Tuesday. Use tinned black beans (rinsed) instead of lentils, and add 1 tsp chipotle paste. Works brilliantly with smoked paprika. More protein, bolder flavour. Tip: Mash the beans roughly — don’t go smooth. Add a large handful of frozen spinach (defrosted and squeezed bone dry) to the lentil mixture. Massively boosts iron and folate content. Great for those watching nutrition. Roast diced butternut squash until caramelised, then mash into the filling with extra sage. Seasonal and warming — perfect for autumn and winter. Tip: Works best as a pure squash filling, no lentils needed.Tasty Variations to Try
🧀 Vegan Cheese & Onion
🌶️ Spicy Harissa
🥦 Broccoli & Walnut
🫘 Black Bean & Chipotle
🌾 Lentil & Spinach (High Iron)
🍂 Squash & Sage
Check out Greggs Vegan Menu 2026 Here are the questions I get asked most often about this recipe. Click each one to expand the answer. Yes — the standard JusRol ready-rolled puff pastry sheet (the one in blue and white packaging) is vegan-friendly. It uses vegetable fats rather than butter. However, their butter puff pastry variant is not vegan, and their shortcrust pastry contains butter. Always check the ingredients on the packet, as formulations can occasionally change. You can also check the Vegan Society website or contact JusRol directly to confirm. Greggs uses a mycoprotein-based filling — very similar to Quorn — which they developed in partnership with Quorn Foods. The filling also contains onion, black pepper, and seasoning, wrapped in their vegan puff pastry. Greggs has confirmed the filling is certified vegan by the Vegan Society. They’ve kept the exact spice blend proprietary, but the fennel seed + smoked paprika combination in this recipe gets you very close. This one’s a bit tricky, but yes! You’ll need to use a gluten-free vegan puff pastry. In the UK, Genius and Silly Yak make GF pastry options, though availability is limited (mainly Ocado and specialist health food shops). For the filling, swap the soy sauce for tamari (gluten-free soy sauce) and use gluten-free oats. The texture will be slightly different as GF pastry doesn’t puff as dramatically, but the flavour is still great. Absolutely — and homemade vegan puff pastry is genuinely incredible if you have the time. You’ll need a vegan block butter like Naturli’ (available at Tesco and Ocado) or Flora Plant (widely available). Making rough puff pastry is more forgiving than proper puff and takes about 45 minutes with chilling time. It makes the sausage rolls taste extra special. That said, for a weeknight bake, shop-bought JusRol is absolutely fine and the results are excellent. Baked rolls keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Unbaked assembled rolls can be frozen for up to 3 months — freeze on a flat tray first until solid, then bag up. To bake from frozen, add 8–10 extra minutes to the baking time (so roughly 30–32 minutes total at 200°C fan) without defrosting. I don’t recommend freezing them once baked as the pastry can go soggy when defrosted. There are three main culprits. First, warm filling — if your filling is even slightly warm when it goes into the pastry, it starts to melt the fat layers that create the puff. Always cool filling completely. Second, the oven isn’t hot enough — make sure your oven is fully preheated to 200°C fan before the rolls go in. Third, you’ve overworked or stretched the pastry — unroll it gently and don’t roll it any thinner. The fat layers are delicate. Chilling the assembled rolls for 15 minutes before baking also helps dramatically. Quorn has both vegetarian AND vegan products — you must check the label carefully. Their Vegan Sausages are clearly labelled vegan on the pack and certified by the Vegan Society. Their standard “Quorn Sausages” are vegetarian but contain egg white, so they’re not vegan. Look for the specific “Vegan” label on the front of the pack. The vegan range comes in distinctive green packaging and includes sausages, mince, fillets, and pieces. Three tips: (1) Apply glaze twice — once before baking and again halfway through. Oatly Barista oat milk gives the best colour. (2) Make sure your oven is at the right temperature with a thermometer — many domestic ovens run 10–20°C cooler than displayed. (3) Bake on a metal tray (not glass or ceramic) on the upper-middle shelf. For the last 5 minutes, you can switch to the top shelf for extra browning. If your rolls are golden but the layers aren’t as dramatic as you’d like, try rolling the pastry slightly thinner next time. Yes — party-sized sausage rolls are brilliant! Cut each pastry log into 12–14 pieces instead of 4. Reduce the baking time to 15–18 minutes. They’re absolutely perfect for buffets and parties and tend to disappear within about 30 seconds. You can also make them the day before, refrigerate unbaked, and bake fresh on the day for maximum pastry freshness. The base lentil recipe contains no nuts. However, some shop-bought pastries are made in facilities that handle nuts — always check the allergen information on the JusRol packaging. The Quorn version is also nut-free in itself, but again, check the Quorn pack. If serving to guests with nut allergies, it’s worth checking every individual ingredient label, as manufacturing practices vary and can change. For the plant milk glaze, almond milk contains nuts, so use oat or soy milk instead for a nut-safe glaze.Frequently Asked Questions
Check out Greggs Summer Menu 2026
Ready to Give It a Go? 🌱
I genuinely think this is one of the most satisfying baking projects you can take on — the smell of them in the oven is unbelievable, and that first bite of golden, flaky, savoury pastry straight from the oven? Chef’s kiss.
If you make these, I’d absolutely love to know how they turned out. Did you stick with the classic lentil version, or go for the Quorn recipe? Drop a comment below!
Check out 20 Best Greggs Outlets 2026 Makes: 8 rolls | Prep: 25 min | Bake: 22–25 min Oven: 200°C fan / 220°C conventional Key Ingredients: • 1 JusRol vegan puff pastry sheet • 200g red lentils (cooked) • 200g chestnut mushrooms • 1 large onion, 3 garlic cloves • 1½ tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp sage • ½ tsp fennel seeds (the secret!) • 50g rolled oats (binder) • 2 tbsp oat milk (glaze) Cost: ~£0.58 per roll | Cal: 287 kcal Makes: 8 rolls | Prep: 10 min | Bake: 20–22 min Oven: 200°C fan / 220°C conventional Key Ingredients: • 1 JusRol vegan puff pastry sheet • 8 Quorn Vegan Sausages (thawed) • 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard • 1 tsp smoked paprika • 2 tbsp oat milk (glaze) • Black pepper to taste • Optional: sesame seeds for top Cost: ~£0.72 per roll | Cal: 298 kcalAt-a-Glance Recipe Card
🌿 Classic Lentil Version
🍄 Quorn Version
Check out Greggs v/s Pret Meal Deal
