Savory meatballs made with roasted eggplant and mushroom nuzzled in a homemade marina over gluten-free noodles. This easy vegan eggplant meatballs dish is the ultimate nourishing and delicious comfort food.
Growing up spaghetti and meatballs were my absolute favorite. It still holds a very dear place in my heart and has grown to be one of my go-to comfort meals. To switch things up, I decided to make my childhood favorite but with a plant-forward twist.
I am so happy with how these Vegan Eggplant Meatballs came out and happy to transfer my childhood favorite into a delicious plant-based meal!
Making these vegan meatballs is very easy and requires only a few steps. I love the versatility of these meatballs. They can easily be topped with homemade BBQ sauce (my bbq sauce recipe is vegan and gluten-free), OR you can place them on a bed of homemade marina sauce and noodles.
What do you need to make these Easy Vegan Eggplant Meatballs
- 1 large Eggplant: When choosing an eggplant you want to pick one that has smooth skin and uniform color. The heavier the eggplant the better.
- 8 ounces Mushrooms: White, Crimini or Oyster mushrooms work great
- 1 can Great Northern White Beans: This helps to bind the ingredients together. It works well so that you will not need to add flax eggs (or eggs).
- 1 cup Oat Flour: Oat flour, which also helps to bind the ingredients, is easy to make if you do not already have some on hand. All you need to do is blend Rolled Oats in a high powered blender or food processor until a fine grain is achieved. (which is exactly how I made my oat flour for this recipe)
- Fresh Herbs: Parsley is a must for these meatballs. Oregano is also a good addition.
- Simple Seasonings: I seasoned my meatballs with a little salt, pepper, and dried herbs. You do not need a lot of seasonings because the savory flavor of the eggplant and mushroom shine in this dish.
How to prepare Eggplant Meatballs
First, you will slice the eggplant, mushrooms, and onion (optional) and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roasting the vegetables is essential as it helps to achieve the perfect texture and to create a deep savory finish for the meatballs. I prefer to dry roast my vegetables for the best results.
After the Eggplant and other vegetables are roasted and caramelized, transfer all the meatball ingredients into a food processor or blender. Blend the ingredients for 30 seconds at a time, making sure to scrape the sides so all the ingredients are evenly combined. Blend until you achieve a thick, uniform texture with no large chunks.
After the mixture is formed, roll the eggplant into bite-sized meatballs. I generally get about 18-20 eggplant meatballs from this recipe.
After the meatballs are formed, transfer the meatballs to the oven and bake for 30 minutes, flipping them (gently) halfway through. Once a golden crust has formed these meatballs are all done and ready for you to enjoy!
How to serve eggplant meatballs
These Vegan Eggplant Meatballs taste phenomenal over a bed of marinara pasta. Banza is my new favorite gluten-free pasta. It’s the perfect texture and it is made purely from chickpea flour making it high in protein and low in carbs!
Here are a few more side dish options:
I hope you enjoy these vegan eggplant meatballs!
Next time you think comfort food, try these for a healthy, nourishing, soothing meal. If you try the recipe, don’t forget to share pics with me on Instagram! Nothing makes me happier than seeing you all enjoy my recipes. 🙂
More Vegan dishes to try!
Easy Vegan Eggplant Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 large Eggplant
- 8 oz Mushrooms
- 1 cup Oat Flour
- 3 Garlic Cloves
- 1/2 Onion
- 1 15oz can White Beans (like Great Northern Beans)
- 1/3 cup Fresh Parsley
- 2 tbsp Fresh Oregano
- 1 tsp Italian Seasonings (or Herbs de Provence)
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Cumin
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Slice the eggplant, mushroom, and onion. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, until eggplant is slightly golden.
- After the vegetables are roasted, add them to the food processor along with the remaining ingredients. Blend the ingredients for 30 seconds at a time, making sure to scrape the sides so all the ingredients are evenly combined. Blend until you achieve a thick, uniform texture with no large chunks.
- Scoop out a tablespoon or so of the mixture and using your hand, roll into a bite sized meatball. This recipe makes about 16-20 meatballs depending on the size.
- Place the meatballs on the same baking pan, and roast for 15 minutes, gently flipping halfway through. They should develop a golden-brown crust on the outside
- Serve with your favorite marina sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can easily make oat flour by blending a cup of oats in a high-powered blender until a fine grain is achieved.
- If you do not have oat flour, you can use almond flour, rice flour, or gluten-free all-purpose flour.
- Serve these meatballs over a bed of marinara pasta.
- Store any leftover meatballs in an airtight container for up to three days. These meatballs freeze well and can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, simply let them thaw and then warm on the stove.
Nutrition
I’d never thought of using eggplant in place of meat until trying this recipe. It was perfect. I am so glad I had the courage to make this dish for my family. Great job.
Hi Renia! I am so happy you and your family enjoyed it! I find that eating meatless is easy when it resembles foods that we are used to seeing!
I’ll have to add this to my Meatless Monday meal planner!! These look scrumptious!
Hi Shani! I hope you enjoy!
This looks so delicous and will be the first meatless Monday recipe we incorporate into our meal plan. thanks for the photo tutorial and step by step pointers
You’re welcome Portia! Hope you like!
This recipe was soooo good!! I’ve never made eggplant meatballs until now, but I will definitely be putting these in rotation on the regular!
Hi Desiree! I am happy you enjoyed the eggplant meatballs! They are def my fav!
I’m a huge fan of meatless dishes, and this one was incredible! I love eggplant and this was one of the most perfect ways to use it!
Hi Mila! I am a HUGE fan of eggplant too! Such a versatile vegetable!
I love eggplant and although i’m not vegan, I truly enjoyed this meal.
I am glad to hear you enjoyed it!
When I saw eggplant and mushrooms I knew we were going to love this recipe! They came out so tender and flavorful. Awesome recipe!
Thanks Eric! I am glad you liked!
This was the perfect meal for Meatless Monday!!
I was surprised by how much I loved the texture of these meatballs! This recipe is now a staple in my household.
Such a fun (and DELICIOUS) take on spaghetti and meatballs. Being vegetarian sometimes I get nostalgic over family dinners and this dish brought back such fond memories and is now one of my favorites of all time. You’ve got to try this!
Hi Kelton! Same here! Such a nostalgic meal! I am happy you enjoyed this healthy, veggie-loaded rendition!
Hello,
Is the flour optional? Because it’s not appearing in the recipe.
If it’s not, could I use almond or coconut flour instead of oat flour?
Thank you very much!
Wishing you a happy and loving day!
Hi Vivi! Almond flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour are great substitutes! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Thank you very much, Capri! I will try it!
Let me know how it goes 🙂
Is the liquid from the beans used?
Hi Karen! No, drain the beans first. Thank you!
I’ve made these several times now and wow are they good! I add a tablespoon or two of tahini and a few walnuts for healthy fats for the kids. Thank you for the recipe, it’s been on regular rotation for a while now!
Hi Tara! That makes me so happy! I’m glad you and your family enjoy the recipe! Walnuts and tahini sound like a great addition!
I had high hopes for this recipe. I have made many recipes for eggplant meatballs and this one seemed so easy. Well I made it last night with the only change being I cut the cumin & paprika in half. OMG they were bitter with a heavy cumin taste on top of that. They were so bad I threw the whole batch away. I think eliminating the 2 spices and salting out the bitter juices of the eggplant before roasting might make this dish palatable. Unfortunately I am not wasting my time or money trying this again.
Sorry, the recipe did not work out for you. Thanks for leaving a review!
I really enjoyed this recipe. Especially like that it is oil free and very nutritious. I followed the recipe exactly, will make again but with a little salt.
Hi Janet, I am happy you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for leaving a review!
These meatballs came out very dry and with hardly any flavour