There is something about a patty melt that is inherently comforting. The toasted bread, gooey melted cheese, and caramelized onions are what make it a classic dish. It’s got that crispy, crunchy, melt-in-your-mouth magic.
While we weren’t always patty melt gals, we had a change of heart after eating one of the best burgers we’ve ever had at a trendy cocktail bar and bistro in St. Petersburg, Florida. We were there for the drinks but found ourselves ordering their vegan patty melt with a side of pickles.
It exceeded all expectations; every bite was satisfyingly rich. This recreation encompasses everything we love about that sandwich, plus pickles and a homemade vegan Thousand Island dressing. It’s the fixings that make this vegan patty melt shine.
Pro tip: serve with french fries so you have another vehicle for the homemade Thousand Island.
What Makes This Recipe Vegan?
The main vegan swaps are the plant-based burger patty, vegan cheese, and vegan mayo. Working with certain plant-based meat alternatives is very similar to working with ground beef, and you can form the patties to your liking.
The vegan cheese requires a bit more time to melt but ends up being perfectly gooey. Vegan mayo in the dressing is an easy swap—any brand will do!
If you’re vegetarian but not vegan, you can swap the vegan cheese and vegan mayo for the dairy versions. Skip microwaving the bread and cheese since dairy cheese is easier to melt.
Délice Maison / Alison Bickel
What Plant-Based Burger Patties Can You Use?
You can use any plant-based patty that you like. We recommend using an option that is not sold pre-cooked because it allows you to thin out the patty and shape it to fit your bread.
Here are four plant-based patties we tested with this recipe:
Impossible Burger Patties : Our favorite! If you purchase the patties or ground “beef” frozen, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. The patties are easy to work with, cook quickly, and have the best flavor and texture. They’re rich, fatty, and the thin patty melts in your mouth.
Beyond Burger Patties: The patties are thicker to begin with so they require a little more shaping for a patty melt. The cooked patty is juicy and very meaty. The texture is a little tougher than Impossible and it has what we call the “classic Beyond flavor” that we can never quite pinpoint. Still very delicious!
Dr. Praeger’s Perfect Burger: It’s cooked from frozen so it can’t be formed to fit your bread. Other than that, it’s a good option. It has a meaty flavor but is less rich and fatty than Beyond or Impossible.
Gardein Ultimate Burger: Also cooked from frozen but a thinner patty than Dr. Praeger’s. This was our least favorite because it had a chargrilled flavor that distracted from the patty melt. It was also much tougher and lacked the rich, meaty texture of the other burgers.
Choosing The Right Cheese
You really can’t go wrong here if you’re choosing a sliced cheese that you like! We enjoy using a smoky cheese like Violife’s Smoked Provolone or Smoked Gouda slices. Daiya’s Cheddar or Swiss slices are also delicious in this recipe.
Just make sure to use our tip—microwaving the cheese and bread for 10 seconds—to ensure the cheese fully melts.
Délice Maison / Alison Bickel
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