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This cruelty-free vegan “foie gras” is SO buttery, creamy, and surprisingly close to the real one! It is prepared from raw cashews and infused with aromatics like miso, nutritional yeast, tahini, and truffle oil. Even meat-eaters are amazed by how good this vegan foie gras tastes!
📔 Introduction
I’m SO EXCITED to share this recipe with you guys! I present you with the most astonishing vegan foie gras, taste and texture-wise.
Making foie gras vegan is quite a challenge. The real one has a silky and soft texture with a buttery and subtle taste. This vegan foie gras has that rich and creamy texture that melts in your mouth, just like real foie gras.
This recipe is the result of over ten trials, testing with tofu, flavorings, herbs, agar-agar, mushrooms, chestnuts, and many other ingredients until achieving what I believe is the most accurate vegan foie gras.
⭐️ Why You Should Try It
- Incredibly close to the real one. The combination of cashews, cocoa butter, and coconut oil creates a buttery and velvety smooth texture that literally melts in your mouth! You will be amazed by how close this plant-based version tastes compared to the real thing.
- Perfect for the holidays. Served on toast, this vegan foie gras makes a wonderful appetizer that will become the star of your holiday table.
- A reader’s favorite. Over the years, this recipe has been one of our top-rated recipes during the holidays. Vitki, a reader, said: ★★★★★ “I’m a meat-eater, and I use Foie Gras sometimes, knowing the texture and taste very well. So, I can compare this recipe with the real thing. It is amazingly identical!”
📘 What is Foie Gras
Foie gras is a popular French delicacy made of duck liver. It is often served during the Christmas holidays as an appetizer.
I’m not going to go into details. You know how foie gras is made. The ducks are force-fed with a metal tube inserted into their mouths. If you have never seen how the ducks are treated, quickly search on Google images. I guarantee you will feel disgusted or might even shed a tear. I did eat foie gras in the past, and I liked it but was unaware (or maybe didn’t want to know) of what was happening.
Thankfully, this “foie gras” is completely vegan and made from plant-based ingredients!
🌿 Ingredient Notes
Here are the ingredients you will need to make vegan foie gras:
- Raw cashews – They make the base of the foie gras. You must use raw cashews, not the roasted ones.
- Cocoa butter – Cocoa butter creates a buttery mouthfeel and helps the foie gras firm up once chilled. Ensure you are using deodorized cocoa butter. Otherwise, it will alter the flavor of the foie gras.
- Coconut oil – Just like cocoa butter, use refined deodorized coconut oil. Combining cocoa butter and coconut oil is essential for a firm yet spreadable consistency.
- White miso – For umami and saltiness. Use sweet white miso, not the brown kind. It should have a very light brown, almost yellow color. If your miso is darker, use half the amount and reduce the salt. Using a strong miso will make the foie gras too salty and cover the flavor of all the other ingredients.
- Nutritional yeast – Again, for umami and extra flavor.
- Cognac – Since cognac is used in the authentic recipe, we also use it here to add fruity notes. You can use port wine or Armagnac if you don’t have cognac.
- Tahini – Tahini adds a mildly nutty and earthy flavor.
- Truffle oil – It’s hard to describe the taste of truffle oil, but once again, it is used as an aromatic.
- Shiitake powder – Ground shiitakes add depth and an earthy aroma. You can learn how to make mushroom powder here. If you do not have shiitake powder, omit it.
- Black pepper – For a hint of spiciness.
🥣 How to Make Vegan Foie Gras
- Soak the cashews. Start by soaking raw cashews overnight in cold water. This will help soften them.
- Transfer to a high-speed blender. Drain the cashews and transfer them to a blender.
- Add the remaining ingredients. Add the water, white miso, cognac, nutritional yeast, tahini, shiitake powder, and truffle oil to the blender.
- Melt the cocoa butter and coconut oil. Heat the cocoa butter and coconut oil over low-medium heat until melted. Be careful not to overheat them. They should be melted but not hot. Pour the melted cocoa butter and coconut oil into the blender.
- Blend until smooth. Next, blend the cashews with all the other ingredients until completely smooth.
- Transfer to a mold. Once your mixture is smooth, transfer it to a springform pan lined with parchment paper.
- Chill. Transfer to the refrigerator and let it rest for at least 24 hours. The mixture will firm up as it cools.
Which type of mold should I use?
If you want foie gras in a log shape, I recommend stacking three 2.75-inch cake rings.. You can also make it easier and simply transfer the mixture to small glass jars.
📔 Tips
- Do not omit any ingredient. Except for the shiitake powder, I do not recommend omitting or substituting any ingredient.
- Adjust the consistency. If you live in a hot country, you might want to replace the coconut oil with more cocoa butter. This will help the foie gras stay firmer and prevent it from melting too quickly.
- Adjust the saltiness. Depending on the brand of miso and type of miso used, you might have to adjust the amount of salt. Start by blending all the ingredients together and give it a taste before adding more salt.
- Give it a pink hue. Add one teaspoon of tomato paste if your foie gras appears too pale or yellow. It will give your foie gras a subtle pink color without altering the flavor.
- Serve it chilled. Just like real foie gras, this one will soften if you let it sit too long at room temperature. I recommend removing it from the fridge about 5 minutes before serving for an optimal texture.
📙 Variations
- Give it a more authentic appearance. To make it look even more authentic, you can recreate the yellow grease usually present on the outside of real foie gras. To do so, melt a tablespoon of coconut oil and add a pinch of turmeric for color. You can then pour it on top of the foie gras and chill until firm. Please note that it’s completely optional and has absolutely no impact on the taste. It just makes it look more like real foie gras (perfect to trick your guests!).
- Add spices. You can infuse the foie gras with 1/4 teaspoon of five-spice powder for a hint of anis and cinnamon.
- Add dried fruits. For a combination of sweet and savory flavors, stir in chopped dried figs, raisins, or dates.
🥖 What to Serve It With
You can serve this vegan foie gras on small toasts, with a rustic baguette, or with sandwich bread. It’s best served as an appetizer but can also be used as a base to make other recipes!
❄️ Storing and Freezing
- To store: You can keep this vegan foie gras in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, although it will taste best the first three days.
- To freeze: Once the foie gras has chilled in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours, wrap it in cling film and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
💬 FAQ
While I personally would not recommend it, some readers had success replacing the cocoa butter with coconut oil. You have to be aware that if using only coconut oil, the foie gras will be much softer at room temperature.
Unfortunately, no. Cognac brings a ton of flavor to this foie gras. Do not worry; considering the low amount used, it is perfectly safe to serve to kids!
If you want to shape it into a log, I recommend using 3 stacked cake rings.
If you are looking for a vegan foie gras recipe, look no further! This is the best recipe you can find! A wonderful dish to place on your table on Christmas Eve!
🇫🇷 More French-Inspired Recipes
⭐️ Did you like this recipe? Let us know in the comments below, and tag us on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Disclaimer: This recipe was posted originally in 2016 and updated in November 2023. This is the original recipe. Unfortunately, it has been copied times and times again by other bloggers as well as companies trying to sell the product. Please credit Full of Plants if you make this recipe. It helps us a lot!
The Best Vegan Foie Gras
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw cashews
- 1/4 cup deodorized cocoa butter melted
- 1/4 cup deodorized coconut oil melted
- 2 tbsp water
- 3 tbsp sweet white miso
- 2 tbsp and 1/2 tsp cognac
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 1 tsp truffle oil
- 1/2 tsp shiitake powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper or white pepper if you prefer
Yellow fat (optional)
- 3 tbsp refined coconut oil
- 1/8 tsp turmeric
Instructions
- Soak the cashews overnight or bring a large pot of water to a boil, pour over the cashews in a bowl, and let sit for 3 hours. Drain and rinse the cashews.
- To make the shiitake powder: Grind 3 dried shiitake mushrooms in a small grinder or food processor until you get a very fine powder. Set aside 1/2 tsp powder and keep the leftover in an airtight container for other uses.
- Add the cashews to the bowl of a blender with the water, white miso, cognac, nutritional yeast, tahini, shiitake powder, and truffle oil.
- Melt the cocoa butter in a small saucepan and measure 1/4 cup of melted cocoa butter and add them to the blender. Do the same for the coconut oil.
- Add the salt and pepper and blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides from time to time. The mixture will be very thick, if you don't have a powerful blender, use a food processor.
- Stack two 3-inch (2.75-inch tall) cake rind molds and line them with parchment paper (sides and bottom). Pour the mixture into the molds and flatten the top. Alternatively, you can use any pan you have on hand: round, rectangular, etc. Smooth the top using a knife and cover it with plastic film.
- Place in the refrigerator for at least one day, it will become much firmer and the flavors will have time to merge.
- For the yellow fat (optional): Melt the refined coconut oil and turmeric over low heat and mix well. Let sit at room temperature until the coconut oil becomes spreadable again. Using your fingers, spread some colored coconut oil around the foie gras to make it look like yellow fat.
- Serve cold and spread on toasted bread, crackers, etc. This vegan foie gras pairs well with sweet white wines.
Video
Notes
- You must absolutely use deodorized cocoa butter, otherwise, the cocoa butter taste will cover the main flavors.
- The miso is important in this recipe, use white miso (with a pale yellow color), if your miso is darker use half the amount and reduce the salt. Using a strong miso will make the foie gras too salty and cover the taste of all the other ingredients.
- This foie gras has the same texture as the real one, which means it will soften at room temperature.
- For a slightly more reddish color: add 1 tsp of tomato paste. It won’t affect the flavor.
Nutrition
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
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Bonjour Thomas,
I’ve just stumbled upon your blog, this post in particular, and am extremely excited at the prospect of trying this. The beurre de cacao doesn’t seem so easy to find. Since I am not vegan, do you think I could just use regular butter in its place?
Thanks again so much for posting, I’m sure it will be delicious.
Bonjour Carole,
Le beurre de cacao est très facile à trouver ! Il te suffit de rechercher “beurre de cacao barry” sur google et tu devrais en trouver sur des sites comme Cuisine Addict ou Amazon.
Je ne pense pas qu’utiliser du beurre donnerait la même texture, le beurre de cacao a la particularité de devenir très dur quand il refroidit (encore plus que du beurre).
Thank you, Thomas, for your quick reply. I shall try to find the beurre de cacao in smaller quantities than 700g, considering that your recipe only calls for a few tbsp.
Une dernière question quant à l’huile de coco raffinée (je ne trouve que de la vierge dans mes boutiques bio): pourrait-on envisager — sacrilège! — du gras de canard à sa place?
Merci de ta patience!
J’ai peur qu’avec autant de changements le résultat ne soit pas très satisfaisant… De plus, c’est une recette vegan donc si c’est pour y ajouter du canard je ne vois pas trop l’intérêt 🙂
L’huile de coco raffinée est aussi disponible sur Amazon, elle est d’ailleurs moins chère que l’huile vierge.
N’ayez crainte, je vais essayer de mettre la main sur du beurre de cacao, de préférence chez un commerçant du quartier, plutôt que de faire appel à Amazon. Si nécessaire, l’huile de coco itou. Comme j’ai mentionné au passant, je ne suis pas végan, mais les abats de toutes sortes sont interdits pour mon mari. J’essaie juste de faire en sorte qu’il ne se sente pas trop brimé pendant la période des fêtes.
Merci encore de ta patience. J’ai vraiment hâte de tester avant de le servir aux copains du sud-ouest!
J’éspère que la recette te plaira !
Hello Thomas,
Well, after all this time, I finally made this on Friday and we tasted it tonight. Pretty brilliant! I copied your trick and used two stacked pastry circles and my (very) French husband was fooled by the appearance. I’d held back on the salt, but won’t on the next round; I’d also used port wine, since that was all I could find at the moment. The cognac may give it just the little oomph it needs.
We had this tonight with your king oyster scallops, and will probably have it again tomorrow in a “salade riche”.
Thank you so much for having developed the recipe, and have a lovely Christmas.
Hi Carole,
Thanks for the feedback! 🙂 Enjoy the holidays too!
Bonjour Thomas,
Combien de temps peut-t-on garder un Vegan Foie Gras au frais ? Je compte tester cette recette et en faire directement pour mes proches.
meilleures salutations
Bonjour Sandrine,
Vous pouvez garder le foie gras 4-5 jours au frigo et plusieurs mois au congel. Pour décongeler, il suffit de le mettre au frigo la veille et le laisser décongeler tranquillement.
Hey!
Another french 😉
Thank you for all your amazing work!
I have the same question than Janet Paula… can it be frozen? how long can i keep it in the fridge??
I can’t wait to have the cocoa butter to try it!
Oh and another question, i guess someone else asked it but i couldn’t find the answer again… is it such a blasphème if i put olive or sunflower oil without truffe??
Thank you again!
Hey Alice,
It can be frozen and will keep for months in the freezer. You can keep the foie gras in the refrigerator for up to 5-6 days.
Yes, you can use sunflower oil instead of truffle oil, or simply omit it.
can you freeze it?
And how long does it last in the fridge?
Thank you !!
You can keep it in the fridge for up to 5-6 days. Yes, you can freeze it and thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Hello, where can i get shiitake powder and truffle oil?
Thank you!
Hi Ann,
It depends on where you live, maybe try searching on Amazon. I don’t buy shiitake powder, I just buy dried shiitakes and grind them into a powder.
I’ve just put it in my Fridge to harden it. The color and texture is more like a hazelnut spread, due to the use of dark miso I guess, even though I cut the quantity in half as indicated.
I have bought cashew already mixed, which turned out to still have very small bits of cashew.
I have used the quantities in grams shown above by another user and the mix turned out too liquid, so I have added a bit of tahini and more cashew mash + more cocoa butter, also to correct the powerful taste of dark miso.
I have reduced the Salt.
For the Time Being, i just want to go buy cashew nuts and white miso to try it all over again the right was, but i will wait to taste it first!
What do you mean by cashews already mixed? If you are talking about cashew butter, then it’s not really a substitute for raw cashews, and it’s probably why your mixture turned out too liquid.
It is not à butter, It is called Cashewmus in german, purée de cajou en français.
I found it on Nu3.
Yes, it’s cashew butter. Next time try using raw cashews, the texture and taste will be very different.
You named this one right but it is so great you could of called it The Very Besy Vegan Foie Gras. It is truly very best we have tasted
I’m glad you liked the “foie gras”! Thanks for the feedback!
I like the log shape you used in your pic, do you have a link for that mold please?
I used a few cookie cutters stacked together. You could also use 2-3 small springform pans stacked, or maybe cut a bottle to make a tube and use it as the mold.
I’ve also just removed both ends from an empty tin (think 400g of tomatoes), and have had pretty good results. If you don’t fill them all the way to the top, you can actually get two lovely logs. Just make sure that the inside is well-lined with parchment, and that it doesn’t shift as you’re filling your mold.
Brilliant recipe, Thomas!
I used to love pate with black truffle pieces. Can I use that instead of the oil and if so, how much of it do you suggest please?
Of course, you can add a few pieces of black truffle if you want. I used oil as a flavoring to get a very subtle mushroomy flavor, it’s not essential to the recipe but it gives the foie gras a more complex flavor. If you use fresh black truffle, I would recommend not using too much so it’s not overpowering.
This recipe is nothing short of genius, thank you so much! I recommend leaving it in the fridge for a few days, it really improves the taste. Also, if you’re over the age of 40 I would add extra cognac and salt 😉
Thank you so much Lisa! I’m super happy you liked it 🙂
Hello can you update the link for the cocoa butter? The thing is about the deodorized… can’t find one like that. Thanks a lot
I had all but two of the ingredients to make this dish (cocoa butter and truffle oil) yet it still took me a few weeks to make it. I’m glad I finally did. I made it yesterday and we are eating it now so it’s been over 24 hrs. The only thing that is missing is a little fresh garlic. I will add some next time, two small cloves will probably be plenty. Thank you for this wonderful recipe. It will be perfect for parties and holidays.
Thank you for the feedback Gigi! Happy to hear you liked the “foie gras” 🙂
Dear Thomas,
I’m meat-eater and I use Foie Gras sometimes, knowing the texture and taste very well. So, I can compare this recipe with the real thing. It amazingly identical! 🙂
Congratulations, this is great (and important) recipe!
P.S. I didn’t have cocoa butter so I used coconut – and it worked well. I will look for coco next time.
Hi Vitki,
Thank you so much for your feedback and rating! I’m so happy you liked it, especially as a meat-eater, that is awesome!
Hey Thomas, thank you so much for this! Question: do you know if this would sear if I tried to or if it would just melt into a mess? By the way, my blue cheese worked out and tastes delicious – thank you!
Hey Lucas,
It can be seared but just like real foie gras it becomes quite soft and a bit hard to handle, but it doesn’t melt completely and keeps most of its shape. If you pan sear it, make sure to use a non-stick skillet.
Glad to hear you successfully made the blue cheese! 🙂
Hello, this recipe looks good. However I sometimes cook for a reformed alcoholic. Is there a replacement for the cognac>
Thank you,
Elaine
Hi Elaine,
That is a difficult one. You could boil the cognac for 1 minute to remove the alcohol content and you will still get the flavor (but I’m not sure if it’s okay if it has an alcohol taste?). Or you could simply omit it, it will still taste very good.
I am wondering if a chickpea miso would work?
I haven’t tried but I think it should work!
Salut Thomas,
J’adore tes recettes, je galère cependant pas mal avec les mesures en cup, très américaine je le sais bien mais au combien impressises et nécessitant la fameuse cup. As tu les masses de chaque ingrédient ?
Hi Thomas,
I love you’re recipes but I’m strugling a lot with the cup “unit”. I know it is what americans use but it requires the cup to succeed ^^Do you have the weight for each ingredients ?
Thanks Julie
Salut Julie,
Merci ! J’essais désormais de mettre les mesures en grammes dans les nouvelles recettes mais effectivement certaines n’ont que les mesures en cup.
Cette recette sera surement mise à jour bientôt avec les grammes quand j’en referais pour les fêtes. En attendant, tu peux trouver les équivalences cups/grams/ml sur Internet.
Just made this yesterday—the flavor is phenomenal! I found a great way to make a cylindrical mold: my Diamond kosher salt shaker was almost empty. I popped off the metal bottom, used a carton knife to cut off the top, and lined it with freezer paper (coated side in). After stuffing the carton, I wrapped both ends tightly with plastic wrap.
I’m so glad you liked the “foie gras” Jill! Thanks for sharing your mold technique!
Hi Thomas,
This recipe looks amazing! I would love to be able to try it but unfortunately I’m allergic to nuts. You mention trying with tofu, chestnuts and other methods, were there any I could try that came close?
Thanks,
Felicity
This recipe is not really versatile honestly, all the ingredients are important here. You could try using chestnuts, the flavor should still be pretty good but I’m afraid it won’t taste as close as the original.
Hello there! I made this dish over the weekend. Loved the flavors. Thank you for creating an amazing recipe!
I am wondering how long I can store it in the fridge? Is a week too long? I am hoping to bring it to a party on Thursday. I made it on Saturday. So, that’s 5 days. Do you think the dish would still be good?
Thanks so much!
Anzela.
You’re welcome Anzela!
I would say about 3-4 days. A week will be too long and it won’t taste the same, I found that the flavor tends to ease after 3 days.
Nooooooo, I used not desodorized cacao butter… :'(
I was thinking when I tasted it, that I must have been wrong with conversion from cups to grammes as some websites gives different result… but here is my mistake ^^
Has the coconut oil has to be desodorized or not also ? I don’t know if refined = desodorized
Yes, it’s better if the coconut is also deodorized. Refined coconut oil is usually deodorized.
Sorry to hear about that! That’s why I’m recommending using only the deodorized one.
Hi 🙂 I had a heck of a time finding deodorized cocoa butter last year, this year subbed vegan butter and it turned out great. I think the buttery flavour working really well. Adding tahini is such a master stroke! It definitely tastes better than most of the foie gras peddled in French supermarkets.
Thanks for the feedback Lisa 😉
Hello! I am extremely interested by your recipe but in Bosnia in my town I do not find miso or deodorized cocoa butter. My issue is not about being vegan. I just don’t want to use the duck liver. Do you think I can replace the cocoa butter by butter and what about the miso? Thank you!
Hi Flore,
Well the thing is this recipe is not versatile…You can try using butter instead of cocoa butter but the texture won’t be the same, it will probably be a lot softer.
Regarding the miso I’m afraid there is no good substitute.
I understand ! Will keep on searching here. thank you for your answer.
Salut ! Je pense faire cette recette pour les fetes mais je ne supporte vraiment pas le gout ni l’odeur des truffes, peut-on le remplacer par autre chose ou juste l’omettre ?
Salut Julie,
Oui bien sûr, il suffit de ne pas en mettre, ça ne devrait pas jouer beaucoup sur le gout.
I’m going to make this for Christmas with my omnivore family, really excited! But I’m so afraid of messing it up with the wrong ingredients! For the miso I have Clearspring Sweet White Miso (https://www.clearspring.co.uk/products/organic-japanese-sweet-white-miso-paste-pasteurised), and for cocoa butter I have this one from Rapunzel (https://www.rapunzel.de/en/organic-product-cocoa-butter-mild-hand-in-hand–1435020.html). Is this okay?
Hi Tine,
I have never tried those brands but from what I read it should be okay! As long as the cocoa butter doesn’t have a strong smell it should work!
Hello, what product i can replace cocoa butter? In Poland I cant find it anywhere. If I will add again coconut oil instead cocoa butter , it would be everything taste? Many thanks for your answer. Best regards!
Hi Natalia,
If you use only coconut oil then the texture will be softer, you probably won’t be able to make slices but it should still taste great!
Bonjour !
Au vu des commentaires, j’imagine que cette recette a ete publiée il y a un moment déjà. J’espère que vous verrez tout de même mon commentaire.
Je souhaitais savoir s’il était possible de remplacer le beurre de cacao par du beurre de karité (qui est plutôt neutre en goût)?
Aussi, puis-je conserver mon foie gras dans un pot en verre ? Je n’ai pas de cercles à pâtisserie 🙁
Merci !!
Bonjour Eva,
Honnêtement je ne savais même pas que le beurre de karité était utilisable en cuisine ! Dans ce cas, oui il est tout a fait possible de remplacer le beurre de cacao, à condition bien sûr que votre beurre de karité soit consommable et pas uniquement utilisable pour les cosmetiques.
En ce qui concerne le pot en verre, aucun problème 😉
I bought the cocoa butter off of your link, but it’s non-deodorized. I haven’t yet made the recipe but, based on other comments here who used non-deodorized cocoa butter, I’m concerned this will not go well.
Did you use the exact stuff you’re linking to in your recipe?
I will check the link as sometimes products change on Amazon. For this recipe, you need deodorized cocoa butter, you are right.
I’m not always using the exact same brands as I don’t live in the US and some brands are not available in Europe.
Will this foie gras roast in a pan well?
Yes it will! Be careful though as it will soften like real foie gras if heated.
I want to make this recipe but I cant find cocoa butter….what can I subsitute for it? thanks
You can use coconut oil, just be aware the foie gras will be a bit softer.
The links for the deodorized cocoa butter and refined coconut oil are not working. DO you have a specific brand you buy or might you have new links? Thanks 🙂
I buy mine in France so I’m afraid I don’t have specific brands to recommend, sorry.
I have some family in France thar could but it for me. What are the brands over there? Thanks
I recommend Barry Cocoa Butter