These hearty vegan meatballs made from eggplant, beans, and walnuts are the perfect plant-based twist on a classic comfort food. They’re packed with protein, rich in flavor, and hold together beautifully without any eggs or dairy. Serve them over pasta with marinara, in a sub sandwich, or as a tasty appetizer — these wholesome, satisfying meatballs prove you don’t need meat to make a meal everyone will love.
Vegan gluten-free eggplant meatballs are tender, meaty, and packed with flavor. These meatballs are little plant based balls of savory deliciousness that pair perfectly with marinara or a cream sauce, like my easy Vegan Alfredo. And, I am positive that these eggplant meatballs would make an epic meatball sub sandwich.
Here are a few reasons why these plant based meatballs are so great:
- Oil and gluten free
- Meal-prep friendly & freezable
- Made with whole plant foods
- Tender & not mushy!
- Healthy & full of fiber
The wholesome ingredients in this vegan gluten-free meatball recipe include eggplant, mushrooms, walnuts, and pinto beans.
These meatballs are not mushy because the beans and eggplant are baked to remove most of the moisture. Then, they are seasoned to perfection with Italian herbs and a touch of fennel.
I hope you love these meatballs! If you make it, tag me in your post so I can see your tasty creations =]
I am a bit addicted to pasta, even though I try not to be. There is just something about noodles and their texture that gets me. Plus, you can make so many different sauces for pasta, like Mac & Cheese, Alfredo, Bolognese, and Stroganoff!
I like to mix it up and use zucchini noodles too. Have you tried zoodles yet? It is an awesome way to have “pasta” and lose weight or just add more veggies to your meals. They can completely replace pasta, or be used with pasta to add more fiber and help you get more veggies in.
How to Make Zucchini Noodles:
- Use a veggie spiralizer, like this one, to turn the zucchini into noodles. Optional: peel the zucchini before spiralizing.
- Use the zoodles like regular pasta and eat them raw, or steam for about 1-2 minutes depending on how soft you want them.
For more vegan meal inspiration and recipes, subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me on social media @rootyfruityvegan
Vegan Eggplant Meatballs
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 20-24 meatballs 1x
Description
These vegan gluten free eggplant meatballs are tender and full of flavor. This vegan recipe is meal-prep friendly and freezable so you can have easy vegan meatballs anytime!
Ingredients
- 2 cups peeled and diced eggplant
- 1 cup cooked pinto beans, rinsed and patted dry
- 1 cup raw walnuts
- 1 TBSP flaxmeal
- 2 TBSP minced fresh parsley
- 1 TBSP nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp Italian herb seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free breadcrumbs
- 1 TBSP soy sauce
- 1 TBSP tomato paste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place eggplant and pinto beans on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or baking paper. Bake for 15 minutes; keep the oven on after to bake the meatballs.
- Meanwhile, pulse the walnuts, flaxmeal, parsley, nutritional yeast, Italian herb seasoning, garlic powder, fennel, salt, and pepper in a food processor until the mix is roughly a flour-like texture.
- When the eggplant and beans are cooked, add them to the food processor and add, breadcrumbs, soy sauce, and tomato paste. Pulse until well combined, but still with some chunky texture remaining.
- Form the mixture into balls and place on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the outside is firm and the inside is tender. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 30
Do you think these can be frozen?
Yes I think they can be. However, I have not tried it yet.
I tried them and they were very tasty. I took a couple photos but didn’t see how to attach them to this post.