Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms with Cranberry Risotto [Oil Free]

Vegan stuffed mushrooms with Italian style, creamy cranberry risotto. It’s a gorgeous and delicious appetizer, perfect for gatherings of any kind. Delicious finger food, you’ll want to make again and again.

This recipe was originally published in December 2018. It has been updated for content and photos.

I’m a big fan of stuffing delicious food into other delicious food. So good right? 🙂 From recipes like these loaded sweet potatoes, lasagna stuffed portobellos, Mexican stuffed peppers or these taco zucchini boats, there’s something quite incredible about stuffing veggies.

These vegan stuffed mushrooms will easily become another of your favourites.

Why you’ll love these stuffed mushrooms

• They’re fun little appetizers, perfect for parties, or a romantic dinner for two.
• Stuffed with cranberry risotto makes them festive, if you want to enjoy them over the holidays. Think Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s eve appetizers. Also great for Valentine’s day, Mother’s day, or truly you can enjoy these any time of year.
• Only six ingredients required for a flavour filled bite that will knock your socks off!
• You can prep these vegan stuffed mushrooms in advance and bake just before serving. Easy peasy!

How to make them

(This is a summary with step by step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)

Gather your ingredients, you’ll only need 6, plus a little salt and pepper.

To prep your mushrooms

Wash or scrub your mushrooms clean. Then use a paring knife to slowly and carefully cut out the mushroom stems. Set the stems aside and finely chop them. (photos 1-3)

Gently scrape out any remaining gills, using a small spoon, to make more space for the stuffing. Your mushrooms should, more or less, look like they do in photo 4.

Now place your mushrooms, hollow side down on a prepared baking tray. Bake for 10 minutes and remove from the oven. (photos 5-6)

The mushrooms will shrink slightly and release water as they bake. So use a paper towel or clean dish towel to dry them. Dry the mushrooms and any excess moisture on your parchment paper. Then place them back on your tray, but this time, hollow side up. Set aside. (photos 7-8)

To make the cranberry risotto

Add the onion, mushroom stems and garlic to a pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dry sauté until soft and reduced. The mushrooms will release moisture as they cook, so you shouldn’t need oil or water to sauté. (photos 9-10)

Then add the arborio rice, and stirring constantly, sauté for about 30 more seconds. (photos 11-12)

Start adding your vegetable broth to the pan, using about half a cup at a time. Stir often, and let the broth completely absorb, before adding the next half cup. Continue doing so, until all the broth is consumed and your rice is cooked. This process will take about 20 minutes. (photos 13-16)

Stuff and bake

Finally, add your cranberries to the risotto and mix to distribute. Then remove from the heat. (photos 17-18)

Generously stuff your mushroom caps with the cranberry risotto and sprinkle with parmesan cheese, if using. Now, return the vegan stuffed mushrooms to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes. (photos 19-20)

Remove your vegan stuffed mushrooms from the oven and enjoy warm. You may sprinkle them with fresh parsley, more parmesan cheese, or enjoy as is.

Do I have to use arborio rice?

I highly recommend arborio rice, for the absolute best texture here.

Arborio rice gets creamy as it cooks, and truly the best rice for making risotto.

However, if you cannot find any, or don’t wish to use white rice, you may sub for another rice, following the cooking instructions for the particular variety you choose.

NOTE: You will need LESS broth for another variety of rice. Follow the ratio for your rice of choice.

Can I make any substitutions?

If you decide the sub the rice, as mentioned above, make sure to decrease the broth as well. Follow the directions and ratio for the variety of rice you’re choosing.

You may sub the dried cranberries for another dried fruit of choice. Raisins, chopped dried figs, or chopped dates all work beautifully here.

Expert Tips for Success

• Use care when removing your mushroom stems. Don’t rush, especially if it’s your first time making stuffed mushrooms.
• If it’s your first time making stuffed mushrooms, I recommend buying a couple extra, just in case some break. Then, if you do end up with a couple of broken ones, finely chop them and add them to your stuffing. No waste.
• Make sure to dry the excess liquid after the first round of baking your mushrooms. Don’t skip this step, or the mushrooms may be watery later.
• Do NOT add all the broth at once, to your pan of arborio rice. When making Italian risotto, the slow way, is the best way for perfectly creamy texture.

More delicious risotto recipes

• Vegan Pumpkin Risotto
• Mushroom Risotto Burger
• Vegetable Brown Rice Risotto
• Asparagus Lemon Risotto
• Mushroom Risotto

If you tried this recipe, please let me know about it in the comments below. I always love hearing from you! Don’t forget to Subscribe to This Healthy Kitchen to be among the first to get my new recipes! You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter to see more delicious food and get all the latest updates.

Buon appetito,
Rosa