EV’s Take: A Plant-Based Holiday Roast Worth Celebrating
I just finished my review of Field Roast’s Celebration Roast, and I have to say that I think they made a mistake with the name. This Cranberry & Hazelnut Roast is worth the celebration!
The roast is so hearty, with flecks of cranberry and hazelnuts throughout. It’s savory, comforting, and perfect for dinner parties or family gatherings this holiday season. The puff pastry is well-executed, and I was impressed by its indulgence! I wasn’t expecting a vegan puff pastry to be this flaky and buttery, though this is likely due to the use of palm fruit oil.
Some recipes will use coconut oil to achieve a fluffy vegan puff pastry or vegan butter, which also often relies on coconut oil. I was a little concerned about Field Roast choosing palm oil, given its history of unsustainable harvesting practices, which can devastate the environment and wildlife. I don’t know which palm oil they’re using, and I contacted Field Roast for clarification on whether they’re sourcing sustainably harvested palm oil. The World Wildlife Foundation has a palm oil scorecard, and I could not find Field Roast’s parent company on the scorecard. I will update this post if I hear back.
Update November 18, 2024:
I received a response from Field Roast about their use of palm oil:
“We source our palm oil from Daabon, a family-owned company based in north Colombia along the Caribbean coast. They’ve been in business since 1915 and are now in the third generation of ownership. We’ve had one of their representatives visit our plant in Seattle! Their palm oil is expeller-pressed (made without chemical solvents), organic, and sustainable. Daabon is committed to sustainable practices through water, waste, and methane management and the preservation of biodiversity.
Orangutans do not live in South America, so they are not affected by palm oil production, but animals native to Colombia, including monkeys, iguanas, and birds, are protected. They are in alliance with Rainforest Action Network (RAN), the leading activist organization that has been most critical of palm oil agriculture. Daabon is a founding member of the Palm Oil Innovation Group (POIG), launched in November 2013 to promote innovation and improvements in palm oil production on a range of environmental, social, and supply chain issues. POIG is supported by well-known environmental NGOs like Greenpeace, World Wildlife Foundation, and RAN.”
All that aside, the puff pastry is very, very tasty and pairs beautifully with the sweet, savory, aromatic roast. I would be thrilled to receive this as a vegan entrée option at a gathering! If you’re hosting a traditional Thanksgiving feast this holiday season and are looking for meat-free options for your vegan or vegetarian guests, I recommend this roast over Field Roast’s Celebration Roast. The flavor is balanced and savory, and the puff pastry really elevates this into a stunning holiday dish.
Field Roast Cranberry & Hazelnut Roast Ingredients
Like the celebration roast, the ingredient list is quite long, though not too scary to read through. Field Roast uses vital wheat gluten as its protein source, with plenty of delicious, whole foods like cranberries, roasted hazelnuts, and crystallized ginger throughout. As with the Celebration Roast, if you’re allergic to wheat or gluten, you’ll want to pass on this option.
Here’s what’s in Field Roast’s Cranberry & Hazelnut Roast:
Filtered water, vital wheat gluten, expeller pressed safflower oil, cranberries, crystallized ginger (ginger, cane sugar), roasted hazelnuts, wheat protein isolate (wheat gluten, trisodium phosphate, malic acid, l-cysteine), yeast extract, barley malt extract, whole wheat pastry flour, dehydrated garlic, unsulfured dried apples, onion powder, yellow pea flour, ginger juice (ginger, citric acid), sesame oil, spices, lemon juice concentrate, sea salt, tomato paste, garlic, natural smoke flavor (torula yeast, smoke flavor), rubbed sage, rosemary, natural liquid smoke flavor. Puff Pastry: Unbleached wheat flour, organic expeller pressed palm fruit oil, filtered water, salt, citric acid.
Field Roast Cranberry & Hazelnut Roast Nutrition
| Serving Size | ⅛ Roast (113g) |
| Calories | 340 |
| Total Fat | 16g |
| Saturated Fat | 3.5g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Cholesterol | 0mg |
| Sodium | 600mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 26g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4g |
| Total Sugars | 7g |
| Protein | 22g |
As indulgent as this roast is, the nutrition is decently balanced. The sodium is a little high, but it’s nothing too unmanageable. The puff pastry naturally contributes to a slightly higher fat and saturated fat content than the Celebration Roast. Would I eat this every week? Probably not, but the decadence is worth it for a special occasion.
How to cook the Plant-Based Cranberry & Hazelnut Roast
As with Field Roast’s other roasts, you’ll want to thaw this in the refrigerator for 24 hours before cooking it. As I noted in my review of the Celebration Roast, I wish they listed that instruction first instead of at the bottom of the package because it’s so easy to miss. Regardless, here’s how you cook Field Roast’s Cranberry & Hazelnut Roast:
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Place the roast on a lightly greased baking sheet and cover loosely with foil.
- Transfer to a rack positioned in the center of the oven. Bake for 45 minutes.
- Remove the foil and roast for 15 minutes or until the roast reaches 165ºF.
The only thing I changed is that I brushed the roast with olive oil at the very end and broiled it briefly to deepen the browning on the top of the roast.
How did EV eat it?
I didn’t need any sides with this roast! It’s very filling and hearty and tastes delicious on its own. I simply roasted it according to the package directions and ate it on its own with no accompaniments. You could serve this with a simple side salad or roasted Brussels sprouts.
Where can I buy Field Roast Cranberry & Hazelnut Roast?
You can purchase the Cranberry & Hazelnut Roast from Amazon. You can also use the store locator on the Field Roast website to find a brick-and-mortar or online retailer near you.
What do you think?
Have you tried the Cranberry & Hazelnut Roast? Love it or hate it? Will it be on your holiday table this season? Tell us in the comments!
