I have to admit that I’ve always had a soft spot for store-bought meatless vegan meatballs. The kind that are made of isolated-soy-something-or-other, but have the most amazing chewy texture and savory flavor. I reserve those for an occasional treat, but honestly, I crave them a lot more often than that. Unfortunately, my experience with homemade vegan meatballs in the past has been that they taste nice on their own, but disintegrate in sauce. Even worse is if you end up with meatless meatballs that are mushy inside. Meh.
Thankfully, after a lot of tinkering around in the kitchen, I’ve come up with a vegan meatball recipe that is worthy of sauce, and completely rivals those vegetarian meatballs in the freezer aisle. Plus, instead of paying $5 for like 3 servings of meatballs, this recipe makes several dozen for only a couple dollars’ worth of ingredients.
The first thing I wanted to achieve in these vegan meatballs is a chewy texture with structural integrity. You should be able to use them anywhere non-vegan meatballs are used, which means that they have to stay together in a sauce. For both chewiness and binding power, I turned to vital wheat gluten. Vital wheat gluten is a flour made by washing away the starches from wheat until only the protein is left.
Sometimes gluten-based vegan meat alternatives get a little too bread-like in texture. But if this vegan meatball was going to behave like a classic meatball, I needed the gluten structure to give away to a moist, tender interior. For that reason, I decided to add chickpeas to the mixture. The already-cooked chickpeas don’t absorb any further moisture during baking, so they help the inside of the vegan meatballs stay moist.
The second thing I set out to accomplish in making these vegan meatballs resemble the real thing is an ever-so-slightly chunky interior, to mimic the behavior of cooked ground meat. There are two features of the recipe that make this happen: the first is the use of ground nuts, which have a bite to them, but soften just enough after cooking that they’re still tender. The second thing is the way that the vegan meatball mixture is combined. The other dry ingredients are pulsed together, but not completely pureed, and the gluten is mixed in in two stages. This allows the gluten to form around little pockets of the other ingredients, so that instead of having a uniform texture throughout the inside of the meatball, there’s some textural variation.
Serve with marinara sauce, teriyaki sauce, or anything else you like!
I’ve gotta say, I’m completely in love with this recipe. These vegan meatballs have been fantastic simmered in classic red sauce, teriyaki sauce, or just eaten on their own with a little ketchup for a lazy dinner. I don’t monitor my protein intake, but for those of you who do, these things are packed with protein thanks to the gluten (which is pretty much pure protein), chickpeas, and nuts. They are also whole foods, plant-based compatible due to being completely oil- and sugar-free. Take your meatless meatballs to the next level and give this recipe a try!
Vegan Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (rinsed and drained; equal to 1 15-oz can)
- 1/2 cup raw almonds
- 1/4 cup raw walnuts
- 1/4 cup raw cashews (feel free to mix and match the three types of nuts)
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp prepared mustard
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional but recommended)
- 1 tsp paprika (or smoked paprika)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 and 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten flour divided
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 and 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
Instructions
To prepare the vegan meatballs:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a food processor, add all of the ingredients from chickpeas through black pepper. Pulse until the nuts are broken into very small pieces (but do NOT puree completely). Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl.
- Add 1/2 cup of the gluten flour, and use a fork to stir it into the dry mixture. It's fine if there are small lumps.
- Add the other 1 cup of gluten flour and stir again (doing this in batches helps the mixture to retain texture during cooking). Pour the vegetable broth and soy sauce into the bowl and stir until no pockets of dry flour remain.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat liner, and spray it or lightly grease it with oil. Use a round shaped half tablespoon measure to scoop heaping half tablespoons of the mixture onto the baking sheet. The batter is fairly wet and spongy, so it will probably not be possible to roll the mixture into a ball, which is why I use a round-shaped scoop and let the bottom of the vegan meatballs be flat.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until firm enough to flip over. Flip over all of the meatballs and turn around the baking tray for even cooking, then return to the oven.
- Bake for about 15 more minutes, or until the outside is very browned and quite crunchy (the insides of the meatballs should still have a little give to them when you press down).
For cooking the vegan meatballs in a sauce:
- Bring your sauce up to a simmer, and then add the meatless meatballs directly to the sauce. These are quite absorbent, so adjust your seasoning accordingly if using a classically salty/reduced sauce (such as teriyaki).
- Simmer for just 1-2 minutes for more intense sauces (such as teriyaki), or longer for other sauces like marinara; you can always test one to see if it's absorbed the sauce to your liking! The crunchy outsides will soften when cooked with liquid but the balls will hold their shape.
Notes
Nutrition
These vegan (non)meatballs from Sparkpeople served as a starting point for my recipe.
I'm Shannon, the writer and photographer of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. My mission is to create healthy plant-based recipes that anyone would enjoy, using seasonal produce with inspiration from global flavors.
Rachel says
I just made these for the first time last night, and WOW! I’ve tried like 3-5 different vegan meatball recipes and none of them have been worth repeating until now. I especially love the crazy high protein since my boyfriend is trying to bulk and this definitely helps him reaching his macros. This was the first recipe I’ve tried of yours but definitely won’t be the last!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Thrilled to hear that Rachel! Thank you for sharing!
Danielle says
Hi! If someone is gluten free what is the best substitute for the flour? Thanks!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
The gluten flour is pretty central to this recipe. I’m afraid it would be a fundamentally different recipe without it. That being said, I did have one person message me on Facebook saying that they substituted peanut flour for the gluten flour, and enjoyed the result.
Kathy says
Its a shame that in this day that people are so aware of “gluten”, that they aren’t aware that gluten itself is not flour. It is a component of wheat and some other flours. Vital wheat gluten for vegetarian and vegan cooking is usually readily available in the baking section of most grocery stores. Of course, if a person is gluten in tolerant or celiac sufferer they cannot ingest vital wheat gluten or seitan, as the meat-like dish made from it is known.
Tami Ceballos says
Please forgive me because I know this subject has been asked and addressed several times but can I use spelt flour for this? Does spelt flour count as gluten wheat flour? Or kamut flour? I like sucking with both these. Also, I had the most amazing carnay asada tacos today and I wondering how I could turn your recipe into ground beeef if you might have any suggestions. Thank you for all you do in the vegan community!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Spelt flour is not interchangeable with gluten for these. Vital wheat gluten flour is not a whole grain flour – is a special type of flour where the starches have been removed, leaving only the wheat proteins (gluten) remaining. So it’s not the same thing as just “wheat flour” and can’t be interchanged with spelt flour or other whole grain flours.
C. Peace says
Aloha!
I truly love this recipe and I make it very frequently. I will often make a double batch (which is kind of a lot…LOL) to freeze for future uses. This is so much more economical than buying from a store- and I certainly love to save some $$! The best part is, the “meatballs” are great at absorbing any added flavor. I use these often for spaghetti and “meatballs”, and so I add fresh herbs from my garden to give them a zesty Italian flavor.
Thank you for sharing it!
Barbara says
Hi Shannon, Could you make these into burgers?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
I think these would make a tasty burger. I don’t know exactly how long they would need to cook – it would probably be quite a bit longer than for the meatball shapes for the gluten to get cooked all the way through in the middle of the burgers. Perhaps up to 90 minutes or so.
Kerstin says
I make Schnitzel with gluten and do they ever come out wonderful, also burgers, but I put only a small amount of gluten into the mix because otherwise the burger become very chewy . Being a vegan for 20 years, I have used gluten for a long time and use it in all kinds of recipes such as roasts, sausages etc. Being German, I miss my comfort foods and gluten gives me what I want
Lily-Jade Smithson says
Ok thanks for the advice and the quick reply. I can’t wait to try this recipe- I’m sure it will turn out well!
Lily-Jade Smithson says
This recipe sounds delicious and I’m eager to try it. I just want to know if I can use all-purpose flour or do I have a to use wheat gluten flour?
Lily-Jade Smithson says
Sorry have one more question: can I put avocados in the meatballs too?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Vital wheat gluten flour’s characteristics are essential for getting the chewy “meatlike” texture in this particular recipe. Hope you enjoy! I’m not really sure what would happen if you added avocado. Have never tried this. You might need to reduce some of the other moisture in the recipe if you do.
Jane Buckley says
Thank you so much. These meatballs were amazing and healthy. I’ve experimented with other recipes with mediocre results. They taste and feel like like my Moms meatballs without the cruelty. These meatballs will Have backstage passes at my place.
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
I’m delighted to hear that Jane! Thanks for your comment!
Alyssa says
Hi, I’m exited to try these meatballs! I’m not sure if I totally understand the gluten flour thing. Would it work with regular whole wheat flour?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hi Alyssa, it will not work with regular whole wheat flour. These use vital wheat gluten flour (wheat flour with everything except the protein removed). Either labeled as “Vital Wheat Gluten” or sometimes just “Gluten”. This is essential to the texture of the vegan meatballs. Hope this helps.
Kathryn says
These meatballs are the bomb diggity. I was truly amazed with house awesome they came out. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Karen clinch says
WOW! I’ve been trying to perfect a recipe and I used many of these same ingredients. Now, I don’t have to ‘test’ anymore. Thanks for being steps ahead of me. Can’t wait to try these!
Joyce says
Just tried this recipe, which was GREAT! I pretty much followed the recipe exactly only I toasted the nuts (I used cashews and almonds, did not use Walnuts which tasted bitter to me at the store) briefly and sauteed the onions and garlic briefly too. I left out the mustard as I am not a mustard fan. Anyway, the texture and taste of the meatballs were perfect (I was impressed I made them!) and the suggestion to simmer the meatballs in sauce so that they take in the flavors was a great suggestion and really sealed the deal.
I also sauteed fresh spinach, garlic, onions and ginger and let is simmer with the meatballs briefly before adding the tomato sauce.
Thank you for providing this excellent recipe! Now I am looking forward to trying more from you1
Nada says
Hello, this recipe look delicious and I would like tp make it tonight. The only problem is Im making seitan from scratch mixing flour with water then rinsing out the excess carbs until Im only left with gluten. Any idea how I would go about making your recipe? Maybe crumble up the seitan after rinsing? Qould love to hear your suggestions.
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hi Nada, I’m not quite sure what will happen if you do this but I think it might work. I would omit the vegetable broth from the recipe and crumble in the gluten in the food processor with the other ingredients, only adding more liquid as needed to bind, then proceed with cooking. You may not need to cook it as long. No promises that this will work but that’s probably what i would try doing if it were me.
Bianca says
I’m a little confused regarding the amount of the nuts, is it a total of one cup of nuts, either a mixture of nuts or one kind of nuts, say almonds?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hi Bianca, Yes, it’s a total of 1 cup of nuts, and you can mix and match or use one type.
Erika says
Hi Liliana,
My family and I are new to the vegetarian diet, and I find it’s not as hard as I thought it was. My problem is I have a child with an allergy to all nuts. Is there an alternative?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Actually, I recently remade this recipe using sunflower seeds instead of the nuts. I recommend raw sunflower seeds as the sunflower flavor was a little bit prominent. Also, I added a tablespoon or so of olive oil to account for the fact that sunflower seeds aren’t quite as buttery and rich as nuts. They came out fairly well with these swaps! Hope that helps.
Liliana says
By the way, I’m new in the vegan 🥘 food.
😊 thank you.
Liliana says
Hello there
I made these meat balls and they’re already in the oven, instead of make them with a tsp, I made them with ice cream scoop.
I have a quiestion. When you made the dough for the meatballs and you poured the vegetables brought, the texture is loose? Like a ground beef?! And if you cooked them in a tomato sauce, the meatballs won’t dissolve and n it?!
😊 Thank you.
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hi Liliana. Okay, if you used an ice cream scoop then you might need to cook them a little longer for them to be cooked through.
Yes, the texture does kind of resemble ground beef before being cooked. But after you cook them in the oven it kind of snaps together into a cohesive texture. Just be patient, they have to cook for a while for the gluten to activate.
Hope this helped.
Liliana's says
Hi, Shanon, Thai you for responding, and yes I figured it that part. Thank you, they came very good . Thank you. I wanted to show you how they came out but I don’t know how to post the picture. 😃
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
You can always tag me on Instagram or post it to my Facebook page if you want 🙂 but either way, I’m so glad to hear that they came out well! Cheers.
Sue says
Where can you find the gluten flour mentioned in the recipe?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Some supermarkets (but not all) will have vital wheat gluten available in the baking aisle. Common brands are Bob’s Red Mill or Arrowhead. I usually order it in bulk off of Amazon, Bob’s Red Mill brand. Natural markets (Whole Foods etc.) almost always have it, sometimes even in the bulk section. Hope this helps!
Jana says
Hey, so I lily have no experience with gluten flour or recipes if that sort. Do you know if sweet rice flour would work as a substitute? I have trouble finding gluten flour. Thanks in advance 🙂
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hi Jana, gluten flour is a key ingredient in this recipe – so I haven’t tried it without. However, I did have one reader comment on my Facebook page that she successfully substituted a mixture of bread flour and peanut butter for the gluten flour, so maybe give that a try? using sweet rice flour seems interesting but I have not tried it yet, not sure what other changes would be needed.
Sharyn says
Really good, I substituted chick pea flour for the chick peas. Omitted the salt and put the onions in the blender with the veggie broth. Used a tablespoon to form. Otherwise, love em. Thanks so much.
Pochacco says
Sharyn, can you share how much chickpea flour you substituted for the whole cooked chickpeas? Thanks!
Sabine says
Hello from France! I just tried your recipe and it was a huge success for my half vegan, half omnivorous family! I did it with a mushroom broth, and served it with pasta and a nice tomato sauce, yummy! Thank you!
alisa says
I’ve been making seitan for the last year or so. my recipe is basically 1 can lower fat coconut milk, vital wheat gluten 2 parts 1 part chickpea flour and a half a cup of nutritional yeast as the part that never varies (I say one part two part because the amount of flour seems to vary) depending on if I want a “chicken style” or meat style, I also use the following ( for the chicken style I leave out the fennel and all things red. )
I’ll add onion powder garlic powder italian seasoning and fennel some thing smoked like paprika or chipotle powder about half a cup of salsa.
If I think I”m going to using the seitan in sauces or soupy things I make the batter a bit stiffer. If I think I want to put it on sandwiches or the like I make the batter a little less stiffer. it holds up really well in sauces.
but basically add flour until it holds and springs back a bit. then I oil a pan and bake covered for an hour and a half at 360. you can also roll it in aluminum foil for sausage form factor. just make sure it’s loosely rolled as it will expand.
I came across this blog because i’m thinking of making an indian meatball with paneer cheese added (not vegan) and I’m not sure if I should steam boil or bake. but I thought since you already had the chickpea thing that you might be interested in this variation. it’s meat eater approved. I took it to some family gatherings in a lasagna and everyone LOVED it. it’s not overly chewy like a lot of standard seitan tends to be. I had to experiment a lot to get it. the coconut milk and chickpea flour add the tenderness it needs. I like the idea of whole chickpeas for texture I’m definitely going to try your recipe above too.
Lynda says
Trying them tonight, I’m excited. It’s so worth a little extra effort for some fresh healthy home made food.
Teresa says
Thank you for this great meatball recipe. I really enjoyed the recipe and especially the texture of the meatballs.
I baked the first batch and taste tested them and thought they needed a little more flavor so I added some Italian seasoning and a bit of liquid aminos to the second batch and thought they were then perfect for me.
One piece of advice, I didn’t dice my onions small enough so next time I would make them a little smaller so they aren’t as noticble in the completed product.
What would your advice be on sautéing the onions until translucent before adding to the recipe?
John says
Wondering if you have tried with something other than vegetable broth. I’m going to make to serve with marinara and wondering if a different liquid might be more appropriate, like tomato based?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
I haven’t tried them with something other than vegetable broth. For what it’s worth, the recipe as printed with veggie broth shouldn’t be in conflict with any savory flavors, including marinara. If you don’t have veggie broth it should be fine to use water as long as you season them well.
Kevin says
Ckickpea flour doesn’t behave exactly like vital gluten flour, but it’s close. If someone wished to do this gluten free, it might be worth a shot.
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Thanks, Kevin. I do think the amount of liquid, and cooking temperature and time may need to be significantly adjusted to make these GF with chickpea flour. I’m not really sure what would happen. If anyone does test it out I’d be eager to hear about the results.
Jason says
I am going to make these today – this recipe looks awesome (and I scoured the internet for an hour until I found the one I liked). One question tho (similar to the “soup” question that someone else asked)….. Will these hold up if I drop them in my home made marinara sauce? Back in “the day”, I’d always cook my meatballs in the simmering sauce for a couple hours. I’m guessing that would be too long for seitan meatballs. Any recommendations? Thanks!!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hi Jason, I often have these with marinara sauce! But I bake them until fully cooked, at which point they can be simmered in the sauce and will hold their shape. I haven’t tried simmering them in the sauce as the means of directly cooking them. Would be interested to see if that turns out well for you, but I really don’t know what would happen!
Benjamin says
Wow. These are really delicious. They taste better than the Trader Joe’s variety… and these are actually healthy. Great work devising this recipe! And thank you. These will certainly go into my cooking rotation.
radman says
So, do you think these meatballs would hold up if put into a soup?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Yes, I do think that they would! However, since they’ll already be cooked I would recommend adding them just a few minutes before you’re done cooking the soup.
Diane says
Do these meatballs freeze up well? I’d love to make a batch ahead of time.
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hi Diane, I haven’t frozen these myself (that I remember) but I’m pretty sure they would do well.
Jeannette Rogers says
I make meat slices with the gluten flour and they freeze very well.. 😀
Doug Zabor says
Yes they do. We put them in a soup, bubbling, for at leat 30 minutes or more and they held up, you could pick it out and cut in half and it would still hold up. Full of soup flavor.