Firm and flavorful vegan eggplant "meatballs", perfect for spaghetti and meatballs or a vegan meatball sub. You'll love this plant-based, oil free comfort food recipe!
Want to save this post?
Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox. Plus, I'll send you quick & simple plant-based recipes every week!
🎙 What people say about this recipe
"I love eggplant however I realized that I love eggplant cooked with oil. I have been looking for a way to eat eggplant without adding oil. This recipe is a keeper."
- Dorothy
"Just sayin, I really like these! On my 8th batch! More going into our freezer! Love the varied texture levels—crunchy outside and tender inside. No oil either!"
- Jeannie
🧄 Ingredient notes
For this recipe, you'll need:
- eggplant
- bread crumbs
- garlic
- italian seasoning
- ground flaxseed
- fresh basil and parsley
- jar of marinara sauce (or homemade tomato basil marinara)
If you don't have fresh basil, parsley or garlic, you can substitute dried herbs and granulated garlic instead (reduce quantity by one third).
🔪 Instructions
Keep in mind that I normally make several batches of these at a time, so these pictures will show larger quantities than one recipe makes.
One recipe is enough to make about 20 meatballs, which is enough for 4 people to have 5 meatballs each.
Sauté eggplant in a little water on the stove until tender.
Then, pulse in food processor or blender a few times to break it down into smaller pieces.
Add to a bowl with bread crumbs, herbs, seasonings and flax egg. Mix together with a wooden spoon.
Remove your rings because your hands are about to get messy.
Form small golf-ball sized meatballs by rolling the dough in your hands and placing them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
The meatballs should stay round on the cookie sheet.
If your dough is too wet, add more breadcrumbs.
If it is too dry, you can add a little water.
Bake for 45 minutes, until very firm.
👨👩👦👦 Serving suggestions
- Vegan Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Vegan Meatball Sub
- Snack Meatballs with mustard or ketchup
- Meatballs and Creamy Mushroom Gravy
Straight out of the oven, these meatballs will be a little dry on the outside. This helps them to hold up when they are added to marinara sauce.
I typically serve these by simmering the baked meatballs in marinara sauce for 5-10 minutes, then pouring over spaghetti.
My husband and kids also enjoy heating the plain meatballs in the microwave and eating them with mustard, ketchup or some kind of sauce.
❓ FAQ
How long will these last?
These will keep in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
These freeze really well! Freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
To thaw:
- On the stove, simmer marinara sauce until hot, add frozen meatballs to sauce for 5 minutes to heat.
- Microwave 8-10 meatballs on a plate for 1-2 minutes, then dip or cover in sauce.
Can I substitute fresh for dried herbs?
If you don't have fresh basil, parsley or garlic, you can substitute dried herbs and granulated garlic instead.
If using dried instead, use:
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 ½ tablespoons dried basil
- 1 ½ tablespoons dried parsley
What is a flax egg?
So, if you mix ground flax seed with a little bit of water and let it sit for a 5-10 minutes, it will start to congeal and basically has the consistency of scrambled egg.
This mixture helps to hold ingredients together. It is useful in replacing eggs in baked goods and "meatloafs" and "meatballs" like these.
How do you make a flax egg?
To make a flax egg, combine 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed (also called flaxseed meal) with 3 tablespoons warm water.
Stir together and let sit (preferably in the refrigerator) for about 5-10 minutes.
💜 More recipes you'll love
- Vegan One Pot Pasta Puttanesca
- Vegan No Oil Creamy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
- Fauxveeta Vegan Cheese Sauce
Love this recipe?
Please rate it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a comment below, so I know which recipes you like the best. This helps me know what to make more of!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Eggplant Meatballs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ pounds eggplant about one medium to large italian eggplant, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 4 tablespoons fresh basil minced
- 4 tablespoons Italian parsley minced
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 2 cups breadcrumbs regular or panko
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 3 tablespoons water
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 24 ounces marinara sauce store-bought or homemade
- fresh basil leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Make a flax "egg": Mix 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water in small bowl or cup and set aside to chill in refrigerator.1 tablespoon ground flaxseed, 3 tablespoons water
- Heat a dutch oven or large skillet over medium high heat. Add eggplant and ¼ cup water. Season lightly with salt and cook, stirring occasionally until tender, 10 to 12 minutes.1 ¼ pounds eggplant
- Add cooked eggplant to blender or food processor and pulse a few times until the eggplant is mostly pureed (this will not take long). Or, you can use an immersion blender to puree the eggplant in the pan without having to transfer it.
- Transfer eggplant to a large bowl and add garlic, basil, parsley, Italian seasoning, bread crumbs and chilled flax "egg" to bowl. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper and mix with wooden spoon.2 cloves garlic, 4 tablespoons fresh basil, 4 tablespoons Italian parsley, 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, 2 cups breadcrumbs, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Use a soup spoon to scoop up the dough. Then, form small golf-ball sized meatballs by rolling the dough in your hands. Place the meatballs on prepared baking sheet. Continue until all the dough has been used. (The meatballs should stay round when you place them on the cookie sheet. If your dough is too wet and is not holding it's shape when rolled, mix in more breadcrumbs. If it is too dry and crumbly and cracks when you roll it, mix in a little water.)
- Bake until very firm and dark brown, about 45 to 50 minutes.
- Heat marinara sauce in dutch oven or large skillet to warm the sauce. Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve over spaghetti, in a meatball sub sandwich or as a main dish and garnish with basil leaves.24 ounces marinara sauce, fresh basil leaves
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe inspired by and adapted from Skinnytaste's eggplant meatballs.
LTaylor says
Loved these so much so that I make ahead and freeze for quick dinner night. My family is not vegan but these kinds of dinners give us great veggies full of flavor and we don’t miss the meat.
Deryacenter says
Had a bit of trouble getting these to bind maybe an egg or something might help? Delicous and the kids loved them though ??
Abi Cowell says
Hi there, yes, if you eat egg, then adding one will help them bind better. The flax egg in the recipe helps, too. A few things that may help: Did the flax egg gel properly before you added it the batter? Also, did the eggplant need to be pureed more?
I'm glad you guys enjoyed them, even though they were a struggle to bind for you.
paulina says
If I wanted the meatballs to have a bit firmer of a consistency, would a combination of mashed chickpeas with the eggplant work ok?
Abi Cowell says
Hi Paulina! I'm not sure if mashed chickpeas would work, but you could try it. If I wanted this "meatball" mix to be firmer, I would likely add more breadcrumbs, some flour (all purpose, whole wheat or chickpea flour, even) or even some ground up rolled oats. I hope that's helpful!
Diana says
Hi, mine were very firm on the outside but the inside was soft. Is this how it is supposed to be?
Abi Cowell says
Hi Diana,
So sorry for the delay in getting back to you! Yes, that is how they are supposed to be. Then, when you add them to the sauce, the outside of the eggplant meatball will soften in the sauce, but in the inside will be tender. If you're finding the inside still wet (like super raw batter), then I would bake them a little longer.
Hope that helps!
- Abi
Jeannie says
Just sayin, I really like these! On my 8th batch! More going into our freezer! Love the varied texture levels—crunchy outside and tender inside. No oil either!
Abi Cowell says
Yay!!! So glad you love them as much as we do. I LOVE freezing these, because they make an excellent fast dinner since they defrost in the hot spaghetti sauce (or in the microwave). Enjoy!
Jessica says
Mine are hollow! Not sure why. Any ideas? I tried to follow the recipe as written. I used gluten free bread crumbs and might have over puréed the eggplant. Wasn’t sure how long to purée it. They taste ok… just hollow inside.
Abi Cowell says
Hmmm... I haven't encountered that at all with this recipe, although perhaps the gluten-free breadcrumbs contributed to it? If the eggplant was pureed a lot it could have incorporated too much air into the eggplant, maybe. Was it frothy out of the blender?
Dorothy says
I love eggplant however I realized that I love eggplant cooked with oil. I have been looking for a way to eat eggplant without adding oil. This recipe is a keeper.