Make these gorgeous homemade vegan meatballs with real whole-food ingredients and douse them in a luscious pumpkin sauce. The resulting dish is delicious, and wholesome, and will make your tastebuds happy!
This recipe for vegan meatballs is made with wholesome, real ingredients. They are incredibly versatile and our favorite comfort food.
Why You'll Love Our Vegan Meatballs Recipe
- These meatballs aren't filled with highly processed meat substitutes. Instead, you'll find mushrooms, chickpeas, and oats. Plus they are allergen friendly with no eggs required.
- You can serve these delicious vegetarian meatballs with any variety of sauces, with or without pasta. See below for our serving suggestions.
- These meatballs are also fantastic on a vegan meatball sub.
- Many of us remember the meatballs of our childhood with great fondness, and this dish brings all of that nostalgia to the forefront with food that tastes amazing and warms your belly and heart.
Ingredients for Vegan Meatballs
- Portabello Mushrooms.
- Organic Chickpeas. You can also use black beans if you prefer.
- Rolled Oats. These help to lock moisture into the vegetarian meatballs.
- Dijon Mustard. This helps keep it all together.
- Hamburger or Grilling seasoning. Use your favorite burger seasoning to amp up the comforting familiar flavor in this recipe. We don't add black pepper to this recipe because more than likely it will be in this seasoning.
- Spices: Onion Powder, Paprika, Chili Powder, Garlic Powder, Salt.
- Shredded Vegan Cheese. We used cheddar but you could also use vegan parmesan cheese or dairy cheese if vegetarian.
Ingredients For the Pumpkin Peanut Sauce
- Onion.
- Grated Ginger.
- Fresh Thyme. Sub with fresh basil or rosemary if you can't find this ingredient.
- Tomato Paste.
- Maple Syrup.
- Balsamic Vinegar.
- Soy Sauce. Tamari works if you need a gluten-free form of soy sauce.
- No-Chicken Broth. Vegetable broth will work.
- Canned Pumpkin. Do not accidentally grab pumpkin pie filling.
- All-natural Smooth Peanut Butter. It is preferable to use a newer jar of peanut butter; try to avoid the thicker and drier peanut butter at the bottom of a jar.
- Fresh Parsley or Cilantro.
How to Make Veggie Meatballs
- Step 1: Combine all of the meatball ingredients except the cheese in a food processor and pulse according to the recipe instructions.
- Step 2: Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and fold in the cheese by hand.
- Step 3: Form meatballs from this thick and clumpy mixture. Bake in the oven for twenty minutes.
- Step 4: Serve with savory peanut pumpkin sauce
Recipe Tips
- Do not over-process the meatball mixture in your food processor, it will get too mushy, and you won't be able to form the meatballs. This ruins the texture as well. You do not want a puree.
- When first making the sauce, stir the contents of the skillet often to prevent the onions from burning until you add liquid.
- You may add a couple of tablespoons of water if needed to keep the onions from burning.
Make Ahead Tips
The sauce and meatballs can be made 2-3 days ahead. Keep them in separate air-tight containers in the fridge. When ready to enjoy, place the meatballs and sauce in a large pot and heat through.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this delicious vegan meatballs recipe over prepared quinoa, brown rice, or pasta such as spaghetti. Add a nice crusty bread like French bread or focaccia. Round out the meal with a fresh tomato cucumber salad and roasted veggies.
Plant-based meatballs are great with pasta and marinara sauce, but if you're looking for something a little different, here are some flavorful sauces to try:
Storage and Reheating
- When preparing your veggie meatballs, keep the meatballs and sauce separate until ready to serve. Storing the sauce and meatballs in separate containers will yield the best results.
- Veggie meatballs can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze for up to 6 months.
- Allow the vegan meatballs and sauce to thaw overnight in the fridge, then combine them in a sauce pot and heat through.
More Great Vegan Meatball Recipes
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Vegan Meatballs with Pumpkin Sauce
- Yield: 22 meatballs
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Make these gorgeous homemade vegan meatballs with real whole-food ingredients and smother them in a luscious pumpkin sauce. The resulting dish is delicious, and wholesome, and will make your tastebuds happy!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the meatballs
- 6 ounces Portabello mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 1 - 15.5oz can organic chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 2 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon hamburger or grilling seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt (to taste)
- 8 tablespoon shredded vegan cheese, you may use dairy cheese if you prefer
For the Pumpkin Peanut Sauce
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium-size onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped or 1 teaspoon dry thyme, chopped
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 ¾ cup no-chicken or vegetable both
- 1 teaspoon salt (add more to taste)
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 1 /2 cup all-natural smooth peanut butter. See Note 1
- Fresh chopped cilantro or parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, and grease it well with olive oil.
- Combine all the meatball ingredients, except the shredded cheese, in the food processor, and pulse 20 times, pinch the dough with your hands to see if it comes together, if it doesn't pulse a few more times, and check again. The dough will look chunky, not smooth. Do not overprocess, it will get too mushy and you won't be able to form the burgers. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Add the cheese and mix by hand
- Form 22 meatballs using a 1 ½ tablespoon ice cream scoop or by hand and place them on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 minutes
- While the meatballs are baking make the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet. Add the onions and cook over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes, until translucent. Add the ginger, and thyme and continue cooking for another 3 minutes, stirring often to prevent the onions from burning, you may add a couple of tablespoons of water if needed to keep the onions from burning.
- Add the tomato paste, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, and soy sauce. Stir well and cook for 3 minutes. Add ¾ cup of the broth and salt, stir well, and continue cooking for 2 more minutes
- Whisk in the pumpkin and peanut butter and mix well. The sauce will thicken, add the remaining broth and more if needed to achieve the desired consistency. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat.
- When ready to serve, place veggie meatballs in the sauce and heat
Notes
- It is preferable to use a newer jar of peanut butter, try to avoid the thicker and drier peanut butter at the bottom of a jar.
- Make-ahead instructions: make the sauce and bake meatballs and keep them separately. Make 2-3 days ahead. When ready to enjoy place meatballs in the sauce and heat. Serve with rice, quinoa, or pasta.
- Freezing instructions: make the sauce and bake meatballs and freeze them separately. When ready to enjoy, thaw, place meatballs in the sauce, and heat. Serve with rice, quinoa, or pasta.
- Do not overprocess the meatball mixture in your food processor, it will get too mushy, and you won't be able to form the meatballs. This ruins the texture as well. You do not want a puree.
- When first making the sauce, stir the contents of the skillet often to prevent the onions from burning until you add liquid.
- You may add a couple of tablespoons of water if needed to keep the onions from burning.
- Category: dinner
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 meatballs with sauce
- Calories: 392
- Sugar: 12
- Sodium: 1192
- Fat: 18.8
- Saturated Fat: 4.8
- Unsaturated Fat: 11.6
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 43.2
- Fiber: 9.2
- Protein: 12.8
- Cholesterol: 0
Linda
Suberp! Very rich and creamy.
Vicky and Ruth
Yes! Thank you very much for talking the time to leave a comment!