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Learn how easy it is to make delicious Vegan Eggplant Meatballs from scratch! Serve as classic spaghetti and meatballs, or add them to your favorite hoagie and make an epic Vegan Meatball Sub. All you need is 10 simple ingredients plus spices!
When it comes to our favorite vegan eggplant recipes, these eggplant meatballs are easily in the top five! They’re a hearty, savory flavor explosion and a must-make recipe for weeknights, family dinners, or even entertaining during the holidays.
If you love our Vegan Eggplant Rollatini and Vegan Eggplant Parmesan, this eggplant meatball recipe is guaranteed to be a hit!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chia seeds: Acts as an egg replacer and helps to bind the vegan meatball mixture together. If desired, you can replace the chia seeds with an equal amount of ground flaxseeds to make a flax egg.
- Aromatics: A simple combination of white onion, celery, and a few cloves of fresh garlic create a flavorful base for the meatballs and infuse so much flavor!
- Eggplant: We used an Italian eggplant to make these meatballs. Italian eggplants are typically a bit smaller and denser than other varieties, making them perfect for chewy vegetarian meatballs! If you have one large eggplant, start with half and increase as needed to achieve the right texture.
- Garbanzo beans: Adds protein and addition texture to the meatballs that makes them extra hearty. We used canned chickpeas to make this recipe as quick as possible, but feel free to cook chickpeas from dry (you’ll need 1 cup).
- Panko breadcrumbs: We prefer panko breadcrumbs in these vegan eggplant meatballs because they have a lighter, more airy texture that creates more tender, juicy meatballs. With that being said, regular breadcrumbs are the next best option.
- Fresh herbs: Fresh parsley and fresh basil leaves add fresh Italian flavor that brings these meatballs ot life! We highly recommend using fresh herbs!
- Nutritional yeast: Adds a natural cheesiness and umami flavor that adds depth of flavor to the meatballs. If you’re buying nutritional yeast for the first time, look near the other spices in the grocery store.
- Spices: You’ll need a simple blend of salt, dried oregano, and freshly ground black pepper to round out the flavor in the nutritional yeast and fresh herbs. Feel free to swap the dried oregano with an Italian seasoning, if needed.
Equipment Needed
- Small bowl
- Large bowls (2)
- 2-3 large baking sheets
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
- Spatula
- Medium pan
- Food processor
- 1-2 tablespoon cookie scoop
How to Make Eggplant Meatballs
- Prepare the chia egg. Combine the chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Set aside for about 15 minutes until the chia egg thickens.
- Preheat and prep. Preheat a convection oven to 375°F or 400°F if using a conventional oven. Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Once heated, add the onions and celery and cook until translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, stirring frequently.
- Sauté the eggplant. In the same pan, add the diced eggplant and cook, stirring often, until the eggplant is soft and has reduced by about half, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add additional oil if needed to prevent burning or sticking.
- Combine the veggies and garbanzo beans. Remove the pan from heat and add the garbanzo beans. Mix until everything is uniform.
- Process in batches. Transfer half of the eggplant mixture to a large cup food processor and pulse until chopped and uniform (be careful not to puree!). Once chopped, transfer the mixture to a large bowl and repeat the process with the remaining mixture.
- Make the meatball mixture. Add the chia egg, breadcrumbs, fresh herbs, spices, and optional liquid smoke to the bowl with the pulsed eggplant mixture. Using a spatula or clean hands, mix until well combined and uniform. Taste and add additional salt as needed.
- Form the meatballs. Using a cookie scooper, scoop the meatball mixture into uniform-sized meatballs (we make ours about 1.5 tablespoons large). Place them on the lined baking sheet as you go, leaving 1/2-1 inch of space between each. We yielded 34 meatballs that were about 1 inch in diameter.
- Bake. Transfer the baking sheets to the oven and bake until the eggplant meatballs are firm and golden brown, about 24-30 minutes.
- Serve. Allow the vegetarian eggplant meatballs to cool directly on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then serve as desired. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
In addition to making the perfect bowl of spaghetti and meatballs, these meatless meatballs can be used for so much more!
We personally love using them to make our Classic Vegan Meatball Sub Sandwich with Homemade Marinara Sauce, Vegan Parmesan Cheese, and Caramelized Onions.
They can also be used to make Vegan Meatball Mozzarella Hot Pockets, chop them up and sprinkle them on a Veggie Pizza or French Bread Pizza, or add them to your favorite pasta like our Instant Pot Pizza Pasta for a fun twist! You can even serve them as is drizzled with your favorite tomato sauce and a side of crusty bread. YUM.
Recipe FAQs
This recipe contains panko breadcrumbs and is not naturally gluten-free. However, it can easily be made gluten-free by swapping in your favorite gluten-free breadcrumbs.
It can be made oil-free– simply cook the vegetables with water instead of oil.
A convection oven is very similar to an air fryer, just on a larger scale. We have tested this recipe in the oven, in an air fryer, and on the stovetop and found that the oven yields the best results. We prefer to use a convection oven for these, but they still work well if you have a regular oven!
Storage and Freezing Instructions
Leftover homemade meatballs will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.
To refrigerate, allow the meatballs to cool completely to room temperature, then layer in an airtight container. Seal tightly, then store in the refrigerator until ready to reheat and serve.
To freeze, let the meatballs cool completely, then place the baking sheet in the freezer. Allow the meatballs to freeze for 1-2 hours, or until frozen solid.
Once frozen, transfer the meatballs to a freezer-safe bag or freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat directly from frozen in a convection oven.
More Delicious Eggplant Recipes You May Enjoy:
Make sure you tag me on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan or twitter @sweetsimpleveg and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you recreate any of my recipes, I love to see your photos!
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Vegan Eggplant Meatballs Recipe
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 34 meatballs
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Learn how easy it is to make delicious Vegan Eggplant Meatballs from scratch! Serve as classic spaghetti and meatballs, or add them to your favorite hoagie and make an epic Vegan Meatball Sub. All you need is 10 simple ingredients, plus spices!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds (or flaxseed meal)
- 3 tablespoons water
- Oil, for cooking
- 1 cup white onion, finely diced
- 1/2 cup celery, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 unpeeled Italian eggplant, diced
- 1 cup cooked garbanzo beans
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup finely chopped parsley, packed
- 1/4 cup finely chopped basil, packed
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- Optional: 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the chia egg. Combine the chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Set aside for about 15 minutes until the chia egg thickens.
- Preheat and prep. Preheat a convection oven to 375°F or 400°F if using a conventional oven. Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Once heated, add the onions and celery, and cook until the onions are translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, stirring frequently.
- Sauté the eggplant. In the same pan, add the diced eggplant and cook, stirring often, until the eggplant is soft and has reduced by about half, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add additional oil if needed to prevent burning or sticking.
- Combine the veggies and garbanzo beans. Remove the pan from heat and add the garbanzo beans. Mix until everything is uniform.
- Process in batches. Transfer half of the eggplant mixture to a large cup food processor and pulse until chopped and uniform (be careful not to puree!). Once chopped, transfer the mixture to a large bowl and repeat the process with the remaining mixture.
- Make the meatball mixture. Add the chia egg, breadcrumbs, fresh herbs, spices, and optional liquid smoke to the bowl with the pulsed eggplant mixture. Using a spatula or clean hands, mix until well combined and uniform. Taste and add additional salt as needed.
- Form the meatballs. Using a cookie scooper, scoop the meatball mixture into uniform-sized meatballs (we make ours about 1.5 tablespoons large). Place them on the lined baking sheet as you go, leaving 1/2-1 inch of space between each. We yielded 34 meatballs that were about 1 inch in diameter.
- Bake. Transfer the baking sheets to the oven and bake until the eggplant meatballs are firm and golden brown, about 24-30 minutes.
- Serve. Allow the vegetarian eggplant meatballs to cool directly on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then serve as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Gluten-free: This can be made gluten-free with gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- Oil: You can cook the vegetables with water instead of oil if desired.
- Storage: Leftovers will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.
- To refrigerate, cool completely and then layer in an airtight container. Seal tightly, then store in the refrigerator until ready to reheat and serve.
- To freeze, cool completely, then place the baking sheet in the freezer. Allow the meatballs to freeze for 1-2 hours, or until frozen solid. Once frozen, transfer the meatballs to a freezer-safe bag or freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat directly from frozen in a convection oven.
- We have also tested this recipe in an air fryer and stovetop and found that the oven yields the best results. We prefer to use a convection oven for these, but they still work well if you have a regular oven!
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Entree
- Method: Oven
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What’s the best way to reheat these? I made them ahead of time due to knowing work was going to make me too lazy to cook haha.
You could use an air fryer, toaster oven, or on the stove top with sauce!
You could use an air fryer, toaster oven, or on the stovetop with sauce!
I had a lot of eggplant to use up so I did a search and came across this recipe. I had to use dried herbs because I did not have fresh ones but the meatballs turned out amazing. They are full of flavor and I am really impressed with the texture and how well they stayed together. I look forward to making them again with fresh herbs.
i made these without celery (substituted with more onion and a bit of red pepper) and with dried instead of fresh herbs (just cause I didnt have any in the house).
they came out great and the texture is really convincing as “real” meatballs.
chris and jasmine u guys r the besttttt !!!
the best.
The flavor is good but they are very mushy on the inside. I wouldn’t call them vegan “meatballs” since the consistency isn’t like that at all.
Thank you for your feedback on our recipe! We will get to retesting this and improve it based on your experience!
These are amazing! I added chopped walnuts. So good!!!!
I made this today and it turned out extremely well! The only flaw was I didn’t have a food processor and had to chop the eggplant/chickpeas as fine as I could , it caused the balls to not really stick together and it turned out more like a “ground beef” once I mixed everything together but hey it all still worked out haha. Thanks for making the instructions easy to follow and sharing this idea! 🙂
We are so glad that you liked this recipe! 🙂
Hi there, not sure if I missed it but I didn’t see the nutritional yeast, liquid smoke, chia egg, garlic powder or bread crumbs in the directions. Just wondering if there is a specific order to mixing them in or does everything go into the food processor all at once? And is the liquid smoke in addition to the tempeh bacon or added only for flavor if “bacon” isn’t used at all. Recipe looks delicious 🙂
Hi MJ! They are added in step 6 with “the remaining ingredients”. Thanks for noting that, I will add specifics now!
As for the smoke, we still like to add it even when we add the tempeh to make it super smoky but it is optional!
What type of eggplant are you using? I just have the large variety here, not the slender cucumber size. Would I just use one in my case?
We are using the large variety! I will update the recipe to reflect that 🙂 For your case, I would say you will need 1-2 depending on how many will yield 10.5 cups or so as the recipe calls for, unless you are making half a batch!
I have Ichiban Japanese egplant from the garden, so I am thinking 3 of these verus 2 traditional eggplant?
That should work! 🙂
These turned out amazing!! I loved them! They were definitely a hit! Do you think these would be good to freeze and then thaw and bake? I am trying to figure out a way to save them and eat later since the recipe makes so many! Thanks!
Hi Jennie! Yes, you can definitely freeze these. We would suggest that you fully bake, cool, and then freeze the meatballs (freezing them uncooked may cause the texture to change). I hope this helps!
Hi..just wanted to know if the meatballs could be made in advance and frozen
Hi Debi! Yes, these can be made in advance and frozen. We would suggest that you fully bake, cool, and then freeze the meatballs (freezing them uncooked may cause the texture to change). I hope this helps!
I do not use anything with soy, is there something I can use in place of the tempeh?
You can simply use more chickpeas! 🙂
How much more chickpeas?
I would use 1/4 cup 🙂
I am going to try these tonight but have one question. Do we cook the tempeh bacon first? Or cook the bacon first and add?
Just add it as is! 🙂 No need to precook it
I am super excited to try this for dinner tonight! But just to verify, I will need to add the chia egg to the mix before adding it into the food processor?
yes! so make it in a small bowl on the side so it can thicken completely before using 🙂
I’ve been drooling over these for the past week. I cannot wait to try them!!
I can’t wait to hear what you think!
I made these and the outside is firm but inside is kind of soft still, will this harden as it cools?
Yes it should slightly! But they are more pillow-y in texture overall 🙂
Hmm I definitely did something wrong then! My boyfriend loved them and said they were great, but I thought they tasted off. Like too firm on the outside and too mushy on the inside. Do you have any tips/suggestions? Maybe I initially overcooked the eggplant? I didn’t really time it.
Hi Lisa,
I am not sure of what could have caused that, did you use a convection or regular oven? I think that overcooking or over processing the eggplant mixture may have had an effect if that is a possibility. You could also try making them smaller so that the inside cooks more easily. Let me know if this works for you!
Can I use seitan instead of tempeh? I live in China and tempeh is not available in the part of China I live in.
I have not tested that yet but seitan is great for adding texture and I think that it will add a lot to these meatballs! If you do try it out, let me know how it goes 🙂
Total yumminess! ????
I’ve got ground flax seed in the fridge. Could I use that (1T flax to 1T water) in place of the chia seeds?
Btw, do you know how long flax seed and nutritional yeast last and the best ways to store them?
Ty.
Hi Lucy! Great question, gRound flax would definitely work, just be sure to use the same ratio of 1 tablespoon to 3 tablespoons water. AS for storage, the refrigerator would be the best 🙂
WOW… Jasmine, these meat(less) balls look amazing!!! I can’t wait to make this using your recipe…I’m going to make them for a girls night out event I’m attending in a few weeks…THANK YOU!!! xoxox
Julie I am so excited for you to try it, thank you SO SO MUCH for the inspiration 🙂