Do these sausages have a skin like real Frankfurters?

No, these sausages don't have the thin casing you'd find on traditional Frankfurters. You could probably achieve something similar with vegan casings, but I decided not to go that route to keep this recipe simple with easy-to-find ingredients.

Do I absolutely need to wrap them in aluminum foil?

Yes, wrapping them in aluminum foil is essential. It helps prevent the gluten from expanding too much during steaming and keeps the sausages compact. If you steam them without wrapping, they'll puff up.

Can you make larger sausages?

Absolutely! You can make them larger if you prefer, but they'll need a longer steaming time to cook through. For sausages that are roughly twice the size, steam them for about 1 hour instead of 30 minutes.

The aluminum foil broke during steaming. What happened?

The layer of foil was probably too thin. The sausages expand slightly as they steam, so the foil needs to be sturdy enough to hold them in place. Next time, wrap each sausage in at least two layers of aluminum foil to prevent it from breaking.

Vegan Hot Dogs (Frankfurter Sausages)

Name: Vegan Hot Dogs (Frankfurter Sausages)
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 90 min
Ingredients: 14 ounces firm tofu; 1/4 cup water; 2 tbsp oil; 2 tbsp white vinegar; 2 tbsp nutritional yeast; 1 tbsp maple syrup; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce; 1/2 tsp liquid smoke; 1 and 1/4 tsp salt; 1 tsp each: ground coriander, smoked paprika, onion powder; 1/2 tsp ground white pepper; 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg; 1/2 cup tapioca starch; 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten

After more sausages than I care to count, we finally got these vegan hot dogs just right. They're well-seasoned, smoky, tender, and have that smooth, slightly springy texture that makes a Frankfurter a Frankfurter. They're also surprisingly high in protein for just 80 calories per sausage. Serve them in buns with your favorite toppings, use them to make casseroles, or add them to banh mi for a protein-packed meal.

Vegan hot dog sausages on a small white plate.

Introducing the best vegan hot dogs you've ever tried!

Behind the recipe: This recipe is based on one I published a few years ago, but that version had a few issues. The sausages were too soft, the seasoning wasn't quite there, and I was using plastic wrap to shape and steam them.

So, I completely reworked this recipe from the ground up. We spent over a week tweaking the texture, adjusting the seasonings, and testing different versions until we were happy with the result. At one point, our fridge was basically full of sausages!

This brand-new version is:

Well-seasoned. Spices are a must in a good Frankfurter. They're a big part of what gives them their signature flavor. We looked at traditional Frankfurter recipes and used similar spices to find the right balance of flavor.
Tender, slightly bouncy, and a bit chewy. Texture was the other big thing we worked on. If you've had Frankfurters before, you know they are not as chewy as regular pork sausages. They are smoother, more tender, and have that soft but slightly springy texture. Our recipe reproduces that.
High in protein. Thanks to the tofu and vital wheat gluten, each sausage packs 6g of protein for just 80 calories! Use them in bean casseroles, banh mi, or sandwiches for a protein-packed meal!

What are Frankfurters? Frankfurters are smoked, seasoned sausages named after Frankfurt, the city where they were first created. Often called hot dogs in the US or knacks in Europe, these sausages are soft and smoky with a smooth texture.

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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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