If you’ve ever had classic Canadian poutine, you already know it’s the ultimate comfort food: crispy fries, melty cheese, and savory gravy. But here’s the best part — you can make an incredible vegan poutine at home without compromising any richness, creaminess, or nostalgia. If you really want to take things up a notch, try this recipe with my truffle fries for an indulgent twist.
And if you’re craving more crispy potato dishes, make sure to check out my crispy oven roasted potatoes, cheesy korean potato pancakes, and fondant potatoes!
Key Ingredients for Vegan Poutine
- Gold potatoes: These are naturally creamy, with a buttery interior and crisp exterior, making them ideal for homemade fries.
- Earth Balance butter: A plant-based buttery spread that delivers richness and depth to the gravy without dairy for this vegan poutine.
- Crimini mushrooms + onions + garlic: This trifecta builds a savory, umami-rich foundation for the mushroom gravy.
- Vegetable broth + soy sauce: These create a flavorful base with saltiness, umami, and body.
- Flour: This is your thickening agent. It turns the broth into a silky, spoon-coating gravy that clings perfectly to fries.
- Oregano, thyme, and onion powder: These add warmth, fragrance, and that signature “gravy” flavor that makes the dish taste nostalgic and deeply savory.
- Vegan cheese: You can use vegan mozzarella, vegan cheese curds, or any melty non-dairy cheese for this poutine. This is what gives this recipe its iconic stretchy, gooey factor.
The full written recipe with measurements is below on the recipe card.
Best Vegan Cheeses for Poutine
Not all vegan cheeses melt the same — and for poutine, meltability is everything. Here are my top picks:
- Vegan mozzarella (shreds or cubes): Most reliable melt. Brands like Violife, Miyoko’s, or Trader Joe’s melt beautifully over hot fries.
- Smoked vegan cheese: Adds an extra layer of flavor that mimics smoked gouda or cheddar — great for elevating your poutine.
My Expert Tips
Use gold potatoes for the best texture: Russets work too, but gold potatoes deliver a creamier center and crisp exterior with less oil.
Shake the air fryer basket halfway: This ensures even browning and prevents sticking.
Melt the cheese in the air fryer: Adding vegan mozzarella during the last minute guarantees a perfect melt without burning.
Please remember to leave a review if you make this recipe! The feedback helps me to become a better cook and develop amazing recipes for you.
Vegan Poutine
Equipment
- air fryer
Ingredients
Mushroom Gravy
- 1 c crimini mushrooms, finely chopped
- 1/4 c yellow onions , finely chopped
- 1 tbsp garlic
- 2.5 tbsp earth balance butter
- 1.5 c vegetable broth
- 1 c water
- 1/4 c all purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1.5 tbsp soy sauce
- salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Fries
- 2 medium-sized gold potatoes
- 1/2 tbsp oil
- Salt , to taste
Cheese
- 1/3 c vegan mozzarella
Instructions
- Make the gravy base: Sauté onions in earth balance butter until softened, then add mushrooms and cook until tender.
- Add garlic and liquids: Stir in garlic, then pour in vegetable broth, soy sauce, and all seasonings. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Thicken the gravy: Mix flour and water separately until smooth, then add to the pot and simmer for about 10 minutes until thickened.
- Prep the fries: Peel and cut potatoes into fries. Coat with oil and salt.
- Air fry: Cook fries in the air fryer at 400°F for 18 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through.
- Melt the cheese: Add vegan mozzarella or cheese curds during the last minute to melt.
- Assemble: Remove fries, top generously with mushroom gravy, and enjoy immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
FAQ
Yes! Bake at 425°F for 30–35 minutes, flipping halfway. They won’t get as crispy as air-fried, but still taste amazing.
Vegan mozzarella shreds, vegan cheese curds, and Violife slices torn into pieces all melt extremely well.
Absolutely! Use high-quality frozen fries and cook according to package instructions for a quicker recipe.
These were a super tasty comfort meal. I’m not a huge mushroom girly but they worked really well in this recipe!
The mushroom gravy was so flavorful!