Firm and flavorful baked eggplant "meatballs", perfect for plant-based spaghetti and meatballs or vegetarian meatball subs. We're baking these up without any oil and there's no egg in the mixture, so they're totally vegan. They freeze really well, so you can have meatballs anytime.

a white plate with spaghetti and eggplant meatballs with marinara sauce and a fork lifting the noodles and an eggplant on the end of the fork

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🎙 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

🧄 Very useful ingredient notes

Ingredients for eggplant meatballs with no egg: chopped eggplant, bread crumbs, ground flaxseed, water, fresh basil, fresh parsley, italian seasoning (dried), crushed garlic, salt, pepper and marinara sauce

Italian eggplant - Look for large purple Italian eggplant that isn't bruised and the skin is firm and not wilted.
Bread crumbs - Plain, whole wheat, panko or Italian-seasoned bread crumbs will all work in this recipe. We've tested them all, based on what the store had and what was in the house when I wanted to make these meatballs!
Ground flaxseed - Ground flax mixed with water will serve as a binder and egg substitute.
Marinara sauce - Use your favorite jar of marinara or tomato basil pasta sauce to simmer the meatballs in after they bake. Or, make your own homemade oil-free tomato basil marinara using my recipe.

📋 Substitutions and variations

Italian eggplant - You could use long Asian eggplants also. (I would not recommend using the little round Indian eggplants, since they are tougher.)
Fresh herbs and fresh garlic - 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

🔪 Instructions

Here's the step-by-step for how to make these delicious little vegan meatballs! One recipe is enough to make about 20 meatballs, which is enough for 4 people to have 5 meatballs each.

Process step 1 making flax egg by whisking together water and ground flax

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. To make a flax egg, combine 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed (also called flaxseed meal) with 3 tablespoons warm water. Stir together and let sit for about 5-10 minutes.

Process step 2 cooking cut eggplant in stainless steel pan with water until tender

Step 2: Sauté eggplant in a little water on the stove over medium-high heat until tender (about 10-12 minutes). Stir it to prevent sticking. Add a little more water, if necessary.

Process step 3 when eggplant is tender, turn off heat

Step 3: Season the eggplant lightly with salt while cooking. This is what the eggplant will look like when it's tender. It will be mushy.

Process step 4 mash eggplant with potato masher

Step 4: Mash the cooked eggplant with a potato masher really well. You could also use a handheld immersion blender for this.

Process step 5 - add eggplant ingredients to bowl

Step 5: Add the mashed eggplant to a large bowl along with the bread crumbs, herbs, seasonings and flax egg.

Process step 6 - mix everything together well and form a ball to test consistency

Step 6: Mix together with a wooden spoon. Remove your rings because your hands are about to get messy.

Process step 7 - if it forms a ball without falling apart and feels firm, they're ready to bake

Step 7: Try to roll a meatball to test the texture. 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 it cracks when you roll it, mix in a little water.

Process step 8 - form small eggplant meatballs by rolling dough using your hands

Step 8: Use a spoon to scoop up the dough. Then, form small golf-ball sized meatballs by rolling the dough in your hands.

Process step 9 - line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place meatballs on parchment

Step 9: Place the meatballs on the lined baking sheet. Continue until all the dough has been used.

Process step 10 - baked until browned and firm

Step 10: Bake until very firm and dark brown, about 45 to 50 minutes.

Process step 11 - add meatballs to hot marinara sauce before serving

Step 11: Heat marinara sauce in pan to warm the sauce. Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.

six eggplant meatballs with marinara sauce in a white bowl over a purple napkin with fresh basil garnish and fresh basil leaves on table

Step 12: Serve over spaghetti, in a meatball sub sandwich or as a main dish and garnish with basil leaves.

Expert tips

If your dough is too wet, add more breadcrumbs.
If it is too dry, you can add a little water.
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 a sauce (like marinara or bbq).
This recipe makes about 20 meatballs. These freeze really well, so feel free to double or triple the recipe! Freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months and then just heat them up by simmering them in marinara sauce. Or, you can air fry or bake them for 10-15 minutes.
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, meatloaf and meatballs like these.

👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 Serving suggestions

We love these the best as spaghetti and meatballs! They're excellent as meatball sub with vegan cheese melted inside, too.

My husband and kids also enjoy heating the plain, cold meatballs from the fridge or freezer in the microwave and eating them with mustard, ketchup or BBQ sauce.

🥡 Make ahead and storage tips

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.

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

Recipe inspired by and adapted from Skinnytaste's eggplant meatballs.

Comments

4.50 from 16 votes (14 ratings without comment)