Easy Vegan Egg Rolls | The Picky Eater
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I’ve mastered this recipe for easy homemade vegan egg rolls that’s perfect for anyone craving Chinese takeout but wants a healthier, plant based option. These egg rolls, filled with finely shredded vegetables and pan-fried until golden brown, serve as a delicious appetizer or a light lunch. Easy to customize, freeze for later, and even transform into a low-carb bowl, I’ll guide you through making these crispy delights that are sure to become a favorite in your kitchen.
If you love takeout style Chinese food, this vegan egg roll recipe is for you!
Plant-based egg rolls are just as delicious as regular ones. The only difference is that the wrapper has no egg, and the vegetable filling has no meat, but trust me when I say you won’t miss either!
Homemade veggie egg rolls are easy to make. They just require some prep work. I like to finely dice the veggies or shred them, so they can easily nestle into the wrapper for rolling.
Technically, vegan egg rolls are appetizers, but I love them for a light lunch. Pair them with cucumber salad or tofu fried rice for a delicious vegan meal!
I prefer the golden brown, crispy texture when I pan-fry them in my wok, but you can bake them or air fry them for an even healthier alternative (see directions on how to do this in my instructions section below). And if you’re looking for a low-carb egg roll, you can easily make this simple recipe into an egg roll bowl!
Super Easy: I love how easy these egg rolls are to make. Not only are they ready in just 30 minutes, I’ve found that even beginner cooks can make these and have them turn out perfectly every time.
Healthier Than Takeout: I love it when I can make takeout at home that tastes just as good as the original version, but a little lightened up. These meatless egg rolls are made with no animal products, are packed with wholesome ingredients, and are delightfully crisp and pan-fried – no deep frying needed! They also taste way better than frozen grocery store egg rolls.
Great For Meal Prep: One of my favorite things about vegan egg rolls is how well they freeze. You can double this recipe and then freeze half of it for later. It’s nice to be able to enjoy homemade egg rolls without any of the work!
Versatile: This veggie egg roll recipe works either as an appetizer, side dish, or main dish! You can also customize the veggies or the cooking method however you like!
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🥘 Ingredients
This recipe calls for simple ingredients. You can find all of them at your local grocery store – including the vegan egg roll wrappers.
Vegan Egg Roll Wrappers: I like to purchase vegan Nasoya egg roll wraps. Twin Dragon egg roll wrappers are also vegan. You can find them in the refrigerated section near the tofu. Whole Foods also carries vegan egg roll wraps.
Vegetable Oil: Vegetable oil has a high smoke point which makes it a great frying oil. Peanut oil or coconut oil works great too.
Veggies: I used shredded cabbage, carrots, green onions, and mushrooms. I also added cilantro for some herbal notes and extra flavor. You can also use napa cabbage or a coleslaw mix in place of the green cabbage.
Salt: Don’t forget to add salt! Salt is what accentuates all the flavors we’ve packed into the egg roll filling.
Sesame Oil And Soy Sauce: A little bit goes a long way with both of these ingredients. Sesame oil has a strong, nutty flavor commonly found in Asian recipes. Soy sauce brings a nice salty, umami bite. If you’re looking to cut back on sodium, you can buy low sodium soy sauce.
Garlic And Ginger: You can buy a head of garlic or purchase it already minced. Pre-minced garlic can usually be found in the produce aisle, near the fresh garlic. Fresh ginger packs a punch of flavor. You can buy the root by the pound or as a finely chopped paste.
🔪 How To Make Vegan Egg Rolls
Make Filling: Add all the filling ingredients into a large bowl and toss together.
Make Vegetarian Egg Rolls: Have a small bowl of water ready. Lay a wrapper on a flat surface with the bottom corner facing you. Place two tablespoons of filling near the center of the wrapper. I’ll sometimes use a cookie scoop for this step. Shape the filling into a log inside the wrapper.
How To Seal Egg Rolls: You don’t need egg wash to seal these egg rolls. Once you’ve added the filling, just run a thin layer of water around the edge of the wrapper before folding it. This will help it stick.
Fold And Repeat: Fold the bottom corner over the filling, then fold the left and right corners over and roll it up. Repeat with the remaining wrappers.
Fry: Heat the oil in a large wok or large skillet over medium heat to medium-high heat, and pan fry the vegetable egg rolls in batches until golden brown. Don’t fry them all at one time or crowd the wok. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels or a wire rack with a paper towel underneath, to soak up any excess oil.
Serve & enjoy: Serve with your favorite Asian dipping sauce.
Other Cooking Methods
- Air Fryer: Spray the air fryer basket with olive oil, then carefully place the egg rolls inside. Cook at 350-400 degrees Fahrenheit for 6 minutes, then flip them over. Cook an additional 6 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
- Bake: While the egg rolls won’t get quite as crisp, they still taste delicious baked. Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit on a baking sheet lined with foil. Brush the egg rolls with coconut oil before placing them into the oven. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until crispy and golden brown, turning over halfway through the baking time.
- Don’t overfill the egg rolls or they will be difficult to roll and will fall apart when you cook then.
- Be sure to let the oil heat up first, at the right temperature. If you don’t, you’ll end up with soggy egg rolls because they will absorb excess oil and become greasy. You’ll want to make sure your oil is around 350 degrees Fahrenheit – use a thermometer for accuracy.
- Adjust heat as needed. If your vegan eggrolls are browning too quickly, turn down the heat to low or medium low.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. You want to make sure each egg roll cooks properly without touching or sticking to any of the other egg rolls.
- Don’t use too much oil. These egg rolls are meant to be pan fried, which means they won’t be deep fried or submerged in oil, so you only need about 1 tablespoon of oil to cook each batch in. You can deep fry these egg rolls but it’s not necessary – they will get nice and crispy in the pan!
📖 Variations
You can customize this recipe in so many different ways! Here are some of my favorite, simple vegan egg roll ideas.
Different Veggies: Red bell pepper, broccoli, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, diced water chestnuts, and coleslaw mix are all delicious. Just be sure whatever fresh ingredients you use are shredded or thinly sliced.
Add In Glass Noodles: For a different texture and flavor, try adding in some glass noodles to the egg roll mixture before rolling them up!
Tofu Egg Rolls: Feel free to add diced, extra firm tofu to the vegan egg roll filling. It’ll add both texture and protein to the dish!
Different Spices Or Heat: Feel free to add crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper, or Chinese 5 spice powder to the veggie mixture for additional spice and heat.
Dipping Sauces: You can dip the egg rolls in sweet and sour sauce, gluten-free stir fry sauce, plum sauce, vegan teriyaki sauce, sesame ginger sauce, or sweet chili sauce.
Vegan Egg Roll In A Bowl: Omit the egg roll wrapper and add some crumbled tofu to turn this into a vegetarian egg roll in a bowl!
🍽 Serving Suggestions
Vegan egg rolls taste good with nearly anything! I like to pair them with cucumber salad, hot and sour soup, fried rice, or garlic green beans with sesame seeds. If you don’t need a side dish, simply serve them with your favorite Asian dipping sauce!
🧊 Storage Directions
Refrigeration: You can refrigerate any leftovers for up to 3-4 days in an airtight container. For reheating, see the directions below.
Freezing: Wrap each egg roll in foil, store in a freezer bag or airtight container, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating: Reheat the egg rolls on the stovetop – in a pan sprayed with cooking spray, or heat in the oven at 350 degrees until warmed through. You can also reheat in the air fryer at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until heated through. I would not recommend heating these egg rolls in the microwave as the outside will get soggy and tough.
❓ Recipe FAQs
Egg rolls can be vegan, but aren’t always. All egg roll wrappers aren’t vegan because they some brands will contain eggs. Many store-bought or restaurant egg rolls also have meat like ground pork in them. If you plan to buy premade egg rolls, it’s best to check labels and ingredients for animal products.
There are a few things you can do to make sure your egg rolls are crispy and have great texture, and don’t turn out soggy:
1) Make sure your veggie mixture isn’t too watery. Once you chop your veggies, you can salt them and add them to a mixing bowl to draw out extra moisture. Then squeeze the veggies in a paper towel or kitchen towel before adding to the filling.
2) Drain the egg rolls properly after cooking. You may want to place them on a wire rack to allow air to circulate more on the bottom to prevent a soggy bottom.
3) Serve immediately! Egg rolls aren’t meant to sit out, the longer they sit, the more soggy they’ll become.
Yes, I often prep-ahead, that way all I have to do is roll them up and cook. I recommend rolling them right before cooking, otherwise they’ll get soggy. If you prep the filling ahead of time, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days before you wrap and cook your egg rolls.
You can, but you can’t use regular egg roll wrappers, because they’re made with wheat flour. To make this recipe gluten-free, you have two options. You can make homemade gluten-free egg roll wrappers or you can use spring roll wrappers. You’ll also have to replace the soy sauce with tamari, gluten-free soy sauce, or coconut aminos. To make this recipe into spring rolls, just follow the recipe as directed but skip cooking them.
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📋 Recipe Card
Vegan Egg Rolls
Homemade vegan egg rolls needn’t be difficult and these ones are a breeze to make. Vegan egg roll wrappers are stuffed with shredded vegetables and then fried until golden brown. Easy to make and easy to freeze, great as an appetizer, side dish, or a light lunch!
Servings: 12 egg rolls
Calories: 74kcal
- Don’t overfill the egg rolls or they will be difficult to roll.
- You can find vegan egg roll wrappers in the refrigerated section near the tofu.
- Be sure to let the oil heat up first. If you don’t, you’ll end up with soggy egg rolls because they will absorb excess oil and become greasy.
- If your vegan eggrolls are browning too quickly, turn down the heat to low or medium low.
- These egg rolls are meant to be pan fried, which means they won’t be deep fried or submerged in oil, so you only need about 1 tablespoon of oil to cook each batch in. If you cook all the egg rolls at once, use 2 tablespoons of oil. If you cook them in two batches, use 1 tablespoon for each batch. You can deep fry these egg rolls but it’s not necessary – they will get nice and crispy in the pan!
Serving: 1egg roll | Calories: 74kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 513mg | Potassium: 80mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g
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