This sweet vegan noodle kugel is easy to make and a perfect casserole dish to serve up on a Jewish holiday or your next family gathering. Noodle kugel is usually vegetarian, but it’s also traditionally packed with dairy. This delicious plant-based kugel recipe is totally dairy-free.
Noodle kugel is a favorite sweet dinner casserole among many Jewish families. Unfortunately, traditional noodle kugel is one of the least vegan-friendly dishes around. It’s typically made with egg noodles, cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, butter, milk—pretty much every type of dairy there is.
We got to work perfecting this classic Jewish comfort food—which was no small feat. But friends, we nailed it! This is hands-down the best vegan noodle kugel recipe we’ve ever made and will bring you right back to those celebratory family dinners you enjoyed in your pre-vegan days.
Wanna know the best part about this recipe? We were able to create a perfect copycat kugel without calling for a bunch of hard-to-find specialty items like vegan sour cream. We did our best to keep this recipe as simple and accessible as possible, while still making a spot-on replica of the kugel of our dreams. You will need the following ingredients though:
Other than that, you can lean on pantry staples you likely already have at home! Easy peasy.
Kugel, pronounced “KOO-gel” or “KUH-gel”, comes from the German meaning “ball or something round”. In the Jewish culture, it refers to a sweet casserole with noodle (or potato) base. Either way, it’s super rich, creamy, and covered with a scrumptious layer of sweet cinnamon sugar crunch.
All you need to know is that noodle kugel is encouraged to be eaten all year round.
Noodle Kugel, where have you been all my life? As a die hard dessert lover, I can’t believe I haven’t tried a single vegan noodle kugel recipe before now. After hearing that it’s most like a mash up of cheesecake and pasta with a crispy cinnamon topping, all I could think was fill my belly––now!
Traditionally, this casserole is made with as much dairy as possible––eggs, milk, cottage cheese, sour cream, and butter––oh, my! It was a small feat to re-create a recipe that has the same texture, flavor, and spirit of the dish. Difficult, but entirely possible.
Here are the smart swaps that Michelle made in order to ditch the dairy:
Every family makes their noodle kugel a little differently. Some make it with raisins, some make it with fruit (such as pear or pineapple), and some keep the base simple without add-ins. Some make really thick creamy kugels that taste like pudding or even cheesecake and are served for dessert, while others make dinner-style kugels that are a little less decadent. Some add a crispy corn flake topping, while others leave their kugel bare.
This noodle kugel is inspired by my favorite noodle kugel from my family’s Jewish holiday gatherings. It’s a lighter noodle kugel that can be served for dinner (still decadent though, don’t get us wrong) and is topped with a crispy cinnamon sugar encrusted cereal topping. It’s divine.
Shout-out to Carrie Lande who brought kugel to my family dinners and inspired this recipe!
For this sweet-topped holiday casserole, here are a few suggestions for how you can serve vegan noodle kugel recipe that will make it extra special:
Store any leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for a few months. Reheat in a microwave or oven when you’re ready to enjoy your leftover vegan noodle kugel.
Noodle kugel can be served up any time of year. This dish is not passover friendly, but it’s a sweet celebratory meal on any other holiday or day of the week. Some popular jewish holidays and occasions include:
Vegan Noodle Kugel recipe by Michelle Cehn for World of Vegan. Copyright of World of Vegan™, all rights reserved.
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If I were to want to make this ahead, do you recommend getting it in the pan, keeping it in the fridge, and then baking? Or baking and reheating in the oven? Or…something else? 🙂 Thank you! I made this for our first night of Chanukah and loved every bite.
Yay, we’re so happy you enjoyed it!! You can make this ahead both ways! However, baking and reheating will leave a denser texture than if baked fresh. If assembling, then baking when ready, store the topping separately, then add right before baking 🙂
We prefer savory kugels as opposed to sweet. Would this recipe still be OK if I omit the sugar, vanilla, and topping?
We haven’t tested it but I don’t see why that wouldn’t work! If the cream sauce seems a little thin you could add more yogurt or cook for slightly less time so that it doesn’t dry out too much. Let us know how it goes!
Ooooh this is soo delicious and it’s fun to say too lol. I would have never thought of this combination but it’s amazing!
Easy and delicious! And vegan!! Thanks for such a great recipe.
this noodle kugel was such a hit, never thought I could find a vegan recipe to try.
I’m so glad!! 🙂
i love flora plant based butter toO!!! wonderful recipe
Never imagined I could have kugel again! This recipe is great, thank you!
I’d never made noodle kugel before but WOW. Blown away!! This will be a nice “special treat” recipe to pull out for special occasions.
Interesting, I’ve never tried this before so I’m excited to give it a go!
Wow looks super delicious! 😀
This noodle kugel looks incredible!!! I need to make it for the kids on a special occasion 🙂
Noodle Kugel was an entirely new thing to me this year! So mouthwatering, interesting and delicious. I love anything with cinnamon and this combination of ingredients is crazy good. Sweet and savory at the same time with such great textures 😀
I grew up eating this, especially at Rosh Hashanah, which is the Jewish New Year, to ensure a sweet year ahead! Ive made a vegan version of this many times for my family and this one is fabulous. My addition/change is my topping which is corn flakes, vegan butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.
When I made this my hubby was like “wow, that’s one of the best things you’ve made in a while!” Excited to make this for my Jewish family 🙂
Noodle kugel was one of my absolute favorite dishes growing up and I’m so glad this recipe exists! Can’t wait to make this!