These vegan black bean meatballs are simple to prepare, packed with protein, and taste delicious served alongside this aromatic curry gravy or with tons of other dishes. Plus, this recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and perfect for a simple mid-week meal or meal-prep, to be frozen!
Hearty, Healthy Black Bean Meatballs
Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian, or just want a simple recipe for ‘Meatless Mondays,’ these black bean meatballs may just be exactly what you’re looking for. They are made from a combination of black beans, sunflower seeds, oats, and several herbs, spices, and seasonings (but are also super versatile to substitutions and variations!).
Not only are these vegan meatballs packed with protein, but they’re flavorful with a firm, crispy outside and tender middle. Having experimented with several vegetarian meatball recipes, I found the biggest issue with any meatless meatballs is avoiding crumbling, and a gummy texture, while achieving enough ‘bite’ to mimic that firm but tender texture you want from a meatball. Luckily, these tick all the boxes!
Want to know the secret to delicious meat-free meatballs (or one of them, at-least)? It’s all in the seasoning! The ingredients list for this recipe may seem quite long at first glance. However, you will likely have the majority of the herbs/spices already in your kitchen. There’s nothing worse than spending the time to blend, fry, and bake a batch of any meat alternative and finding it lacking in seasoning – don’t worry, I’ve been there!
When served alongside a creamy, rich, dairy-free curry gravy (recipe also below!) and some Mashed Potatoes, you’ll have a delicious bowl of healthy, flavor-packed comfort food at its finest. However, if gravy isn’t what you’re in the mood for, then these black bean meatballs pair well with tons of meals. Just check out my ‘how to serve’ section below for several of my favorite ideas.
How To Make Vegan Meatballs?
For The Black Bean Meatballs
Step 1: Add all of the meatball ingredients (except the oil) to a food processor or blender and blend to a thick paste consistency.
Note – If you don’t have a food processor/blender, then you can add the ingredients to a bowl and use a potato masher or fork. It will be a chunkier consistency, but it will work.
Step 2: Roll the mixture into tablespoon-sized balls (there should be around 15).
Note – if the mixture is a little wet, add a little more oats and/or allow the mixture to chill in the fridge for 30-60 minutes. You can also lightly oil your hands when rolling the meatballs to avoid sticking.
Step 3: Preheat the oven to 390F/200C. Meanwhile, lightly fry the meatballs in a large, oiled pan/skillet over medium heat, until lightly browned, turning occasionally.
Step 4: Transfer to a baking sheet and bake until crispy and browned.
Note – By using a stovetop and oven combo, you get a slight crust from the pan before further crisping up and drying out their centers (so they’re not mushy!) during the baking time.
For The Spiced Gravy
Step 1: As the vegan meatballs bake, add the tomato paste and plant-based cream to your pan/skillet on the stovetop and whisk until smooth, slowly adding the veggie broth as you whisk.
Step 2: Bring to a boil, add all of the remaining ingredients (apart from the cornstarch and parsley), and simmer for 10-12 minutes.
Note- Reduce the amount of curry powder for less heat and a more ‘muted’ gravy flavor, if preferred. I suggest adding half, tasting, and then increasing as needed.
Step 3: Mix the cornstarch with a little water to create a slurry and then mix into the gravy, heating for a further couple of minutes while it further thickens- then it’s ready to serve!
You can check out my potato method here if you want to serve the vegan meatballs and gravy with mashed potatoes.
For the full ingredients list, measurements, complete recipe method, and nutritional information, read the recipe card below.
How to Store
Store the leftover vegan meatballs and gravy (separately) in the fridge for 4-5 days.
You can also freeze them in their uncooked or cooked form. They tend to become even crispier when reheating after they’re already baked once, so that’s what I prefer to do.
To freeze, layer in a freezer-safe container between layers of parchment paper, so they don’t stick as they freeze. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating, bake from frozen (increase the time in the oven a bit), or drop them into a pot of sauce on the hob from frozen or thawed until warmed through.
How to Serve
These meatless meatballs are super versatile, perfect for serving with tons of meals apart from the spicy gravy so that they’re never becoming boring. Here are a few of my other favorite options:
- With Marinara sauce – either alone or with spaghetti, mash, or rice.
- Spaghetti & meatballs
- Or other pasta dishes – like this Roasted Red Pepper Pasta, Alfredo Pasta, or even German Schupfnudeln.
- In a meatball sub/wrap with this Vegan Cheese Sauce.
- Add the vegan meatballs to soups and stews – like this easy Tomato Pasta Soup, Lasagna Soup, or Creamy Pasta Soup.
- As part of traybake with roasted veggies.
- Use, halved, as a Pizza topping.
- They also become firmer as they cool, so they are great for serving in cold pasta salads or as finger-food alongside some Yum Yum Sauce or other dips.
And don’t forget to serve with a liberal sprinkle of Vegan Parmesan to top- delicious!
Ingredient Substitutions
- Oats: You can substitute the oats with your flour of choice – such as buckwheat. You can also use grain-free options, including almond, quinoa, and chickpea flour. Avoid coconut flour as it’s very absorbent and could lead to crumbly meatballs.
- The Cream: You can use plant-based cream, coconut cream, or full-fat coconut milk. You could also use any other plant-based milk (soy, oat, etc.), but the gravy won’t be as rich and creamy.
- Sunflower Seeds: Or you can use the seeds/nuts of your choice (Pumpkin, hemp, walnut, cashew, almond, hazelnut).
- Beans: Feel free to sub the black beans for kidney beans or even chickpeas.
- Optional Add-ins: You could add a splash of liquid smoke or soy sauce/tamari (GF option) for additional flavor.
- Cornstarch: Substitute this with arrowroot or tapioca starch.
Other Helpful Tips
- To cook these in an air-fryer: I haven’t tried, but I suggest using the same temperature, spray lightly with a little oil and cook for between 10-15 minutes.
- To only pan-fry: Simply heat for longer in the pan. They will be slightly softer/mushier this way, except if you deep-fry them.
- To only oven-bake: Bake in the oven for an extra few minutes. They won’t be quite as crispy this way.
- Readers’ Tip: You can omit the pan-frying and bake these veggie meatballs in a Muffin tin. That way, they get crispy all over but with no need for excess oil or turning them over.
- You can adjust these black bean meatballs into vegan burger patties by shaping them into patties and increasing the cooking time.
Related Recipes without Meat
- Vegan Hungarian Goulash
- Meat-free Meatloaf with Mushroom Sauce
- Vegan Shawarma Kebab
- Meat-Free Sausage Recipe
If you try this vegan meatball recipe, I’d love a comment and recipe ★★★★★ rating below. Also, don’t forget to tag me in re-creations on Instagram or Facebook with @elavegan/ #elavegan – I love seeing your recreations.
Vegan Meatballs
Ingredients
Vegan meatballs:
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans drained and rinsed (250 g)
- 1/4 cup (35 g) sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup (45 g) oats (gluten-free if needed)
- 2 tbsp (60 g) tomato paste
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 large onion chopped
- 2 tbsp ground chia seeds or flax seeds
- 1/2 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- Oil for frying
Gravy:
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) vegetable broth or water
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) plant-based cream or canned coconut milk
- 2 tbsp (60 g) tomato paste
- 1/2 tsp fresh ginger (minced)
- 3 tsp curry powder
- 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp turmeric (optional)
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 tsp coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp cornstarch (to thicken)
- Fresh parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Prepare mashed potatoes or make your favorite pasta or rice (whatever you want to serve with your vegan meatballs).
Vegan meatballs:
- Put all the meatball ingredients (except oil) into a food processor (or blender) and pulse a couple of times. Scrape down the sides and pulse again. Repeat for about one minute or until the mixture sticks together in a thick paste.
- Roll the mixture with your hands into balls. I used 1 tbsp per ball (the recipe makes about 15 balls).
- Preheat oven to 390 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- Heat 2-3 tbsp oil in a pan/skillet and fry the balls for about 6-8 minutes over medium heat. Shake the pan from time to time to fry the balls evenly on all sides.
- Transfer the balls onto a baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes.
Gravy:
- To make the gravy, add the tomato paste to a pan (use the same pan which you used for the meatless balls), pour in the plant-based cream, and stir with a whisk to smooth out the tomato paste. Then slowly add the vegetable broth, while stirring.
- Bring the sauce to a boil, add all other ingredients (except cornstarch and fresh parsley) and allow it to simmer over medium heat for 10-12 minutes (the longer you simmer the gravy, the more flavorful and thicker it will be).
- In a small bowl mix cornstarch with a little bit of water into a 'slurry' and then add it to the pan. The gravy will get a little bit thicker. Keep simmering for a further 2-3 minutes.
- Pour the gravy over the meat-free balls and serve with either mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice! Store leftovers of the gravy and meatballs (separated) in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Notes
- Feel free to use fewer spices for the gravy if you don't like it too spicy.
- If you don’t have a food processor/blender, then you can add the ingredient to a bowl and use a potato masher or fork. It will be a chunkier consistency but will work.
- If the meatball mixture is a little wet when trying to form the balls, add a little more oats and/or allow the mixture to chill in the fridge for 30-60 minutes. You can also lightly oil your hands when rolling the meatballs to avoid sticking.
- Read the recipe and ingredient notes section in the blog post above for more suggestions and top tips! You can also find additional serving suggestions.
- Recipe serves 3. Nutrition facts are for one serving (without the mashed potatoes).
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
If you are using Pinterest, feel free to pin the following photo:
I’m baking these for an event tomorrow, can I serve them in a slow cooker or might they break up?
That should be fine, Debbie! Merry Christmas. 🙂
This gravy looks SO flavorful and the meatballs seem so filling! I need to make this!
I hope you will enjoy this dish, Lea. 🙂
Hey Ela,
I want to make these today, the recipe says flax seeds- do they need to be grounded? Also, why do we need to add them? I know usually they act like eggs but there are no fluids in the meatballs
Hello Galit, yes, you can use ground flax seeds. The wet ingredients are the beans and the tomato paste. 🙂
Hello, I did the vegan meatballs without the gravy, i made the spaghetti sauce, and they taste delicious. Thank you.
I am glad you liked it, Rania. 🙂
I was wondering, which food processor are you using? The texture looks perfect with yours!
Hello Carlos, I linked the food processor in the first instruction step of the recipe (under vegan meatballs). 🙂
I made these yesterday and they were very tasty, never will I get shop bought vegan balls.
The sausages are the best ever.
Thank you for these recipes.
Hi Jean! I am so glad you liked them. Thanks for your kind feedback. 🙂
Have you made this in the Air Fryer for an Oil-free Option?
Not yet, but I think it should work well. 🙂
I made this recepie last night and it was really delicious..One thing about the meat balls was that they were’nt easy to work with specialy while frying..they kind seperated..wich I think will be fine if I add more oat next time😁. Thank you so much for this recepie
Thanks for your feedback, Zara! 🙂
5 stars!
I never leave comments but this was SO DELICIOUS and comforting that I simply had to! Thank you for sharing! I’m sharing this link with all my people.
That’s amazing! Thanks for your feedback, Maya. 🙂
Hi Ela,
I have tried many of your recipes, they have all been fantastic. Thank you
Do you think the meatballs and gravy could be frozen?
Thanks so much
Yes, you can freeze both separately in plastic containers. I would suggest freezing the meatballs after frying them (once cooled). So happy you like my recipes, Sarah. 🙂
I rarely leave reviews on recipes. This recipe was absolutely phenomenal. The only change I would make is to double the meatballs!
I am so glad you loved the recipe, Julie! Thanks for your great feedback. 🙂
Other than being a complete nightmare to blend in the food processor these meatballs are delicious.
I am glad they turned out delicious, Dominica! 🙂
This was absolutely delicious! My 11 year old son tells me this is 10 out of 10. I cannot want to try more recipes from your site.
Aww, how sweet of him to say! I am so glad you enjoyed the meal, Marisa. 🙂
Delicious! It was a bit long to prepare as it was the first of your recipes I tried. I am confident the future recipes will take less time. I am looking forward to cook your other recipes. I should add that my spouse and I are wanting to eat more vegan food but so far we were quite disappointed by the recipes. This experience is leading us to continue cooking your recipes.
I am glad you liked the recipe and I hope you will also enjoy my other recipes. 🙂
I haven’t tried these but was wondering what a substitute for the cream/ coconut milk would be? This entire recipe sounds delicious and I’d love to try it!
Hello! You can use plant-based milk of choice, it just won’t be as creamy. 🙂
I always like to recommend cashew cream because it’s very creamy but also doesn’t add too much taste to recipes. I use cashew cream in any recipe that asks for cream or milk of any sorts.
Do you think I could cook meatballs instead of baking?
Hi Leja, I never tried that. I would be afraid they could fall apart, but maybe it would work if you cook them in a thick tomato sauce. 🙂
I made the meatballs today. Very tasty! I added BBQ sauce while they were baking and served them with potato wedges. Thanks for posting this recipe💖
I am so glad you liked the recipe, Susan! Adding BBQ sauce sounds like a great idea. 🙂
Hi, Ela! Would it be possible to replace oats with something else? Thank you! 🙂
Hi Manca, you can replace the oats with any flour of choice. You just need some kind of thickener for the mixture. Hope this helps. 🙂
Hi there I was wondering if you had a suggestion for how to cook the meatballs in an air fryer?? My air fryer has a ‘bake’ function as well. Just trying to simplify the cooking process to one step. Thanks!!
That should be fine! I would suggest the same temperature but only 10-15 minutes or so. Please report back if you give it a try. 🙂
Hi Elma, are sunflower seeds a must in this recipe? Also could I use oat flour instead of whole oats?
Hi, you can use nuts of choice, e.g. walnuts. Oat flour is fine. 🙂
I tried the meatballs today and they were delicious. I did not have time to do the gravy but used tomato sauce. Thank you for putting this up.
I am glad you enjoyed the recipe, Melissa! 🙂
Hi, Ela . This looks amazing. Would it be ok to substitute black beans with red beans?! Thank you and big fan of your recepies 🙂
Hello! Yes, that’s totally fine! I am glad you enjoy my recipes, dear. 🙂
Hi Ela,
In the recipe, you mention 15 oz can or 250 grams, but if you google it, it shows 425 grams. I don’t have any cans at home to compare as I cook beans at home. I would suggest double-checking this info. 🙂
I love your recipes Made the chocolate pie for my birthday!
Janice
Hi Janice! The 250 grams is after draining the liquid. Hope this helps. 🙂
So glad you love my recipes dear.
Much love, Ela
Love your recipe’s thank you. Can’t make this dish.
You are welcome, Emily! I hope you will love it as much as I do. 🙂
I love this recipe and have been making them for holiday dinners, it wins all the hearts at dinner parties.
Quick question: do you think I can prepare the mixture a day before and cook the next day?
Christmas dinner prep gets pretty hectic and I wanna save some time.
Please let me know and thank you so much for all of your wonderful recipes!
Yes, that should be totally possible! 🙂
Happy holidays.
I’m sorry but these were not good. The balls have no flavor and the curry is way too many seasonings. I would not make this again. If you are making this make sure to add about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of salt in the ball mixture.
Such a pity you didn’t like the recipe, Mona. It has lots of 5-star reviews and got amazing feedback on Pinterest and Instagram. Every taste differs though. 🙂
Once again you have perfected a recipe! I am confident that when I try one of your recipes it will be a good one and I’m not wasting ingredients. Thank you for sharing!!! These are great, nice texture and flavor gravy is perfect!
Aww that’s awesome! I am so glad you liked it and thanks for your compliments 🙂
What grain free option can I use instead of oats? Would flax, almond flour, chickpea flour, or just omitting it work? I can’t have buckwheat either…
Almond flour sounds good! I am pretty sure the other options will work as well. I wouldn’t omit! 🙂
I’m not vegan,but delicious as these recipes look,I may become one 😊
Sounds great, Wanda! I hope you will give plant-based eating a try. 🙂
These sound great buy I do not like curry. It bums be out so much that there are so many vegan recipes depending on curry. Can you suggest another kind of gravy to use that these balls will go with?? Thanks much
You can simply leave out the curry and turmeric powder. 🙂
Hi Ela!
How can I substitute the oats?
You can use any flour of choice (I would probably not recommend coconut flour though because it’s too absorbing).
I made these for my family along with the potato noodles and it was a big hit. I was so surprised by this gravy. I have never made a gravy with such ingredients, and when you taste it, you could never tell what was in it. Furthermore, it is by far the tastiest gravy I have made.
That’s wonderful, Ashley! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
Can I use kidney beans instead of black beans?
Yes, you can! 🙂
These were so good and I want to make them again but before doing so have a question. How did you make them perfectly round? I struggled with how sticky they were and they wouldn’t roll easily without getting completely stuck to my hand lol. Is there anything I might be doing wrong?
Hi Rachel! It sounds like your mixture was too wet. I would recommend adding more oats next time. Also, you can add a little oil to your hands which makes it easier to shape the balls. 🙂
Do you think I could replace the beans with chickpeas? My husband is allergic……
Yes, that should be fine! 🙂
The only oats I have in the house are steel cut. Will they work? I have made these a few times in the past and love them! I’m just out of regular oats.
It should work, Denise, but I never tried it with steel-cut oats. 🙂
Accidentally bought milled flaxseed, will this work?
Yes, it will!
I made the meatballs tonight. I decided to double the recipe which became interesting when it filled my 10 cup processor to the brim! I divided up the mixture and did two batches then combined them. Even those I made mine a little on the large size, I came out with 34 total. I baked them them instead of frying. While they were in the oven, I made a red sauce from the leftover tomato paste, a few spoonfuls of fresh salsa and some broth. Dropped in a few meatballs and it delicious! I’m freezing the others in meal size portions and look forward to making the gravy! Thank you for the great recipe!
Thanks for your feedback, Susie! I am so glad you liked the recipe. 🙂
I only made the gravy portion of this recipe, but it is PHENOMENAL. I will be remaking this for many types of meals!
Awesome! I am so glad you liked it. 🙂
Looks yammy! Can flax or chia seeds be replaced with psyllium husk?
That should work fine, Vera. 🙂
WOW ! I congratulations 😀 beautiful recipes 😉 I will make it one soon
Awesome! Enjoy. 🙂
Perfection! I love this recipe so much I could eat it every week. Thank you for sharing!
That’s awesome, Sarah! Thanks for your great feedback. 🙂
Even my hubs who doesn’t like curry enjoyed these. So hearty and yummy!!!
That’s awesome, Kristy! Thanks for your amazing feedback. 🙂
This was amazing, I’m new to the vegan / gluten free lifestyle and this was perfect winter comfort food. I added a few portobello mushrooms to the meatball mixture. The magic bullet whipped everything nicely. I had to altar the gravy a bit because of our 8yr old. I used less curry and was out of cumin. I added a vegan gluten free “beef broth” powder from our organic section. I and increased the tomato paste. It was a wonderful tangy gravy. The entire combination of vegan meatballs, mashed potatoes and gravy was A+! Thank you for sharing. I will try vegan alterations to this to make a meatloaf, pizza burgers and taco meat.. This is a fantastic “meat” recipe
You are very welcome, Heather! I am glad you enjoyed these vegan meatballs. Please check this recipe for my vegan meatloaf, it’s quite similar: https://elavegan.com/vegan-meatloaf-gluten-free-recipe/ 🙂
I love your recipes. I have made quite few and i just wanna go to sleep in happiness once I cook and eat. Greetings from Tenerife, Spain. ?
Awww, that’s awesome, Mar! So glad you like my recipes. 🙂
Hi, I was wondering, I don’t have a good processor, will a stick blender work as well?
Hi Win, it should work but I think even a cheap food processor (mine was also inexpensive) would work better. 🙂 Here is the one I am using: https://amzn.to/2D9WTz0
Hi Ela.my daughters are vegan and i always use ur receipes.they are yummy..i am becoming vegan too.about the vegan meatballs can we skip the oven and cook them in the pot after frying?
Hi Yolla! Please keep in mind that they will be rather soft and not crispy if you skip the oven. I made it a couple of times though (I just fry them longer in the skillet) and they taste still very yummy. 🙂
I don’t have sunflower seeds on hand right now… What would it be a good replacement? Thanks for the recipe
Hey, Sofi! You can use any other seeds (e.g. pumpkin seeds) or nuts of choice (walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, almonds, etc.). 🙂
I made this recipe tonight after having looked at it for a while. I wish I had made it sooner — so delicious! The vegan balls were a great consistency and the gravy reminded me of a veggie currywurst I had when visiting Germany. Paired with mashed potatoes for a hearty dinner. Thank you Ela for a great recipe!
You are very welcome, Pam! I am so glad you liked the recipe. 🙂
I just wanted to thank you for the recipe. This sauce is the absolute bomb!!!
You are very welcome, Alex! I am glad you like it. 🙂
Omg its so good made it with a friend and Im in love.
Fantastic! I am glad you both enjoyed the recipe, Nina. 🙂
Hello,
Great recipe was so yummy! However I replaced the black beans for chickpeas and my meatball consistency was quite dry. they crumbled while cooking in the pan and were soft in the oven. Any recommendations for next please?
The gravy was super delicious.
Thanks
Yasmin
Hello! I never tried the recipe with chickpeas. I would suggest using black beans next time. 🙂
my 15 yo daughter has been wanting to go vegetarian for awhile. she found site and we made the meatballs tonight. so yummy. I think she is hooked. thanks. Mary Beth
That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Omg !! thank you so much for this meatball recipe !!
I’m trying to eat only vegan since a week now, and I’ve been disappointed few times in food. I’m so glad I’ve found your blog ! It motivates me to continue ?
In general I’m not a big fan of sauce with meatballs so I did a meatball sandwich instead with vegan cheese, pickles, fresh tomato, a piece of avocado and it was EXCELLENT!
Love the mix of different spices, the texture was perfect ! So much better than the taste of many vegan “meat” I’ve tried in restaurants. Thank you thank you ?
Greetings from Barcelona ?
That’s really awesome! Thanks so much for sharing, Nathalie! 🙂
The gravy was a bit spicy. I used all ingredients listed for spices 3 tsp curry and all spices after that. Was it supposed to be the 3 tsp of curry or the other spices?
Yes, 3 tsp curry and the other spices as stated. 🙂
These were so good, whole family enjoyed! At forst glance I was sceptical to oats but so good! Will definitely try again
Wonderful! I am happy the recipe was a hit. Thanks for your feedback, Liz! 🙂
Hi Ela, I really want to make this recipe, looks great. Do you have a suggestion for substituting the sunflower seed? My daughter has a sensitivity to them. Could I use a seed of some kind? Thanks in advance.
Of course! Any nuts or seeds of choice. 🙂
took us 2 hours, from the moment we saw the pictures, till we started eating 🙂
made some replacements, but it was lovely nonetheless. thank you!
I am glad you enjoyed the recipe, Marwan. 🙂
I can’t do any type of seeds- what can I use instead or should I just leave them out?
You can use nuts instead!
Everything is fantastic about that recipe.
I am glad you like the recipe! 🙂
Hi Ela! These look amazing! I am wondering if you’ve made a similar recipe without frying in oil? Maybe baking the balls for the entire cooking time instead? I’m trying to eat whole food plant based so I’m avoiding oil. Would it even work without frying them in oil? I surely hope so because I want to try them. Thanks!
Please check the comments, I think some people already tried it with success! 🙂
Any recommendations for an oat substitute? Unfortunately they give eme terrible indigestion. Thank you. Your recipes are great!!
Hey Heather! You can try buckwheat flour, quinoa flour, chickpea flour. 🙂
I can’t have the tomato paste due to an allergy. Is there a substitution? Anything with the same moisture level?
You could try pumpkin puree?!
This recipe is sooooo good! I have made it several times and it has been amazing each time! My husband loves it and he is a meat eater. I do eat fish so sometimes I will make a couple of frozen crispy fish fillets and serve over those and mashed potatoes or will do the meatless meatballs which are also really good. I love all your recipes, thank you!
I am happy you like the recipe, Danielle! Thanks for your feedback! 🙂
Okay so I am trying out new things I have an inflammatory disease and other issues that would benefit from eating less meat
What’s makes vegan and not vegetarian?
I am not sure if I understand your question, Tricia. Vegan food is entirely plant-based, without any animals products such as dairy or eggs.
You answered my question. I had asked someone previously and a while back. They gave me a long winded pretty sure incorrect answer. Not on hear fyi. Years ago I had went ovo vegetarian for about 18 months. I thought maybe I had that classification wrong for vegan.. I am researching and I am thinking about. Does anyone care to share what the main reason is for vegan eating choice?
For me, it’s mainly because of ethical reasons, environmental reasons and for my health. 🙂
Loved this recipe, I just wished I’d started with the gravy and it had more time to thicen and come together. Really reminded me of peppercorn sauce. Will be making again.
Thank you.
Thanks a lot for your feedback! ?
I thank you for this amazing recipe, sous were amazing I will make this meal again:)
Awesome! I am glad you like it, Sarina! 🙂
Fabulous recipe thanks. Made this tonight and totally stuck to the recipe. It was so tasty and just delicious. And surprisingly easy and quick. Will definitely be making this again and again. And there’s enough for work lunch tomorrow. Thank you.
Wonderful! I am glad you liked the recipe, Heidi. 🙂
I have just tried this – I didn’t have black beans so I used lentils. I also added same nutritional yeast. This worked great! And a TB or so of tahini but I think this is why my mixture was way too wet! So I added some gf flour which helped but still very damp and hard to roll into balls so they’re very rustic looking… but hey still worked! Don’t taste like meat at all but wasn’t expecting that. Great recipe! Will definitely make again. Made for meal prep so will be freezingtk use during the week but are so yum fresh!
Thanks for your helpful feedback, Taylor! 🙂
use beans I have cooked from dry then portion size them in freezer, can make the balls and freeze them using the beans I have already defrosted.
thanks
Awesome! Thanks for your feedback! 🙂
Thank you so much for the gravy recipe! It was delicous! I did not have all the ingredients for the veggie balls but will try them another time. I did not have the nutmeg for the gravy either but it didn’t matter. I subbed some of my pre-made bean burgers instead and was so pleased I wanted to thank you.
Very happy you liked the recipe, Kate! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
Hi,
What could be a substitute to oats the meatballs? Thank you
You could use buckwheat flour instead! 🙂
Made this tonight and it was delicious! That gravy is fantastic! Really good comfort food! Thanks for another fabulous recipe?
So happy the vegan meatballs turned out delicious! Thanks so much for your amazing feedback, Ali! 🙂
We made it yesterday!
I must say it tasted like basic Polish dinner, which I love and the fact that it was so low in kalories and vegan is amazing. Thank you for sharing it was delicious!
That’s awesome! I am pleased you loved the recipe, Izabela. 🙂
Can you replace the oats with almond flour? If not what would be a good grain free option?
What can I replace the cornstarch with?
I would rather recommend buckwheat flour or quinoa flour. 🙂
You can replace cornstarch with either arrowroot flour or tapioca flour.
I can’t have that either. Would chickpea flour work? Any other grain feee suggestions?
Yes, chickpea flour should work as well. I mentioned others in the comment above. 🙂
I feel so lucky I randomly found your website! What you do seems so tasteful, often healthier than the original non vegan recipes and it is explained so clearly that the recipe cannot be missed.
My mouth’s water after seeing all these gorgeous meals. I am definitely going to try out some recipes of yours very soon!
Thank you for sharing them with us.
Amanda from Paris
Aww, thank you very much, Amanda! So glad you love my blog. Thanks for your lovely comment! 🙂
Hi Ela, I made this recipe last night and it was DELICIOUS! We loved the creative ingredients in the meatballs, but the best part was the gravy which was SO flavorful and out of this world!!! I will be making this when I want to impress someone who is skeptical about vegan food next time 😉 Thank you!
That’s awesome! I am so glad you loved the vegan meatballs and also the gravy! Thanks for your feedback, Rasika. 🙂
Hey Ela, i wanted to cook this but I couldn’t find black beans in the supermarket :/ can i use kidney beans (red beans) ? I hope you can answer quick 🙂
Of course! 🙂
I’m SO excited to try this recipe!! Small question. What point does the sunflower seeds serve? I’m trying to see if I can replace them since I have no form of those or other nuts in the house at the moment. I do have chia, hemp, sesame and flax seeds though. Do you think I’d be able to use one of those instead? Thanks!! ♥️
The sunflower seeds add flavor and some texture. You can definitely use hemp seeds or sesame seeds instead! 🙂
Great!! Thanks hun!!
My husband and I enjoyed this recipe very much as I do most of your recipes. Thanks for your help for a new vegan.
That’s wonderful! Thanks so much for your feedback, Henrietta! 🙂
These are an absolute favourite in our house. I make them regularly. So easy and tasty. Even my carnivore son loves them.
Incredible! So happy you all love the recipe. 🙂
These were absolutely amazing. I made these for many people (some meat eaters) and EVERYONE loved them! What I like best about this recipe is that it is not traditional, the flavors and spices are paired so wonderfully! This will become a regular in my diet. Thank you for sharing your recipe!!
Yay, that’s wonderful! Makes me so happy. 🙂
Hello Ela:
Great recipe I loved it. I’m so happy it’s nut free because of a serious allergy I have. I find myself trying to tweak a lot of vegan recipes due to this problem of mine. Anyway I didn’t see a need to change anything on your creation as all the ingredients are fantastic together. The only thing I did was change the chia and flax to hemp seed because of its higher protein and less fat contents. I did the same with custom smoothie recipes I created for myself. Fantastic work you’re doing you have a new fan.
Wonderful! I am so glad you like my recipes. Much love, Ela 🙂
I made these and didn’t have enough time to cook them the same time I prepped the veggie ball mixture, so they stayed in the fridge for about a day before I fried them up! they were really easy to roll into balls after refrigeration, I’d like to say that helped! Danke für das schöne Rezept, Elavegan 🙂
Awesome! So happy they turned out great. 🙂
Wow, this recipe looks absolutely delicious and I am so excited to recreate them and try them for mysel!! I was wondering, however, if there is anyway that I could sub out the oats with something else to replace them, as I am unfortunately allergic to oats. Thank you for the recipe!
Can you eat buckwheat groats? That could be a good substitute. 🙂
The gravy is sooo good! I love the meatballs too! It’s a great recipe!
Thank you very much for your great feedback, Amanda! 🙂
Loved the recipe…meatballs were perfect (and diverse, could use them with other sauces). The gravy and I fought for a while (to spicy and the curry was to prominent) for my taste. Also, I didn’t use the cornstarch, I let the gravy simmer and the thickness was perfect. I think I expected the gravy to be a little more neutral but overall an excellent recipe
Thanks for your feedback, Patricia! 🙂
Hi 🙂
What is ” ground chia seeds “? I only have the
Regular chia seeds.. can i ground if in the Food Processor or just use the regular ?
Thanks .
Yes, you can process them in a blender or food processor! I use an electric coffee/spice grinder.
Hi! I made the meatballs and all the family loved it.
In Greece we called them “soutzoukakia”.
We are meat lovers (sorry) but your recipe and photos made me a little skeptical!
I will definitely try more recipes and will read a little more about vegan way of life!
That makes me so happy! Thanks for trying out my recipe. ❤️
O mada it today and was delicious!!!
Thank you for the receipe 🙂
Awesome! I am glad you liked this recipe. 🙂
Can you use any other flour other than oat flour?
Yes, that’s possible.
Hi there! This recipe looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it! I just have a few questions, how long can I store the vegan meatballs and can I freeze them? Also can they be made entirely in the oven or do I have to fry them a bit in the pan first as stated in your recipe? 🙂
Thanks a lot in advance!
/N
Hi, you can store them in the fridge for up to 4 days I would say. And yes, you can freeze them. You can bake them in the oven without frying them first, however, they won’t be as crispy. 🙂
Hi Ella I’ve been eyeing out your recipes for ages but haven’t yet tried one. I’d love to try out this one today but I’m loathe to go shopping again to look for black beans. 🙁
I’m wondering if white beans will make a huge difference, taste and texture- wise?
Thank you for posting these delicious creations!
Anni
Hi Anni, white beans should be ok. But I haven’t tried it out yet. 🙂
I made these meatballs to serve over mashed celery root/cauliflower for our Christmas dinner and they were a big hit!
I made the meatballs a few days ahead of time and froze them (unccooked) on a sheet pan. Once they were frozen, I stored them in a tupperware container in the freezer. Before cooking them, I moved the tupperware constainer into the fridge in the morning and then about an hour before dinnertime, I cooked them according the to instructions in the recipe.. They were perfect! It was nice to be able to make them ahead of time, and I will make another batch so I can keep some in the freezer for a quick dinner.anytime.
Thanks for the great feedback and also tips about freezing, Sherri! Happy holidays! 🙂
Hi, Just discovered your blog through Instagram, I’d love to make these but want to check, when you say veg water do you mean veg stock, can u use a vegan veg stock cube/pot ? So many delicious looking food, sweet potato brownies and vegan alfredo are first on my list.
Yes, you can use a vegan veg stock cube. I hope you will like the recipe. 🙂
Loved this recipe!
Made it last night for my partner and I, he adored the taste and said it reminded him of the butter chicken sauce ( it’s one of his favourite curry sauces so that’s a good thing) I loved it too, so creative!
The “meatballs” have a fabulous textures and a great taste, Bravo Ela!
I will be posting my attempt up on Insta, I’ll make sure to tag you!
Thanks again!
Wonderful! Thanks a lot for your great feedback, Rhia. 🙂
Hi Ela,
I just made the meatballs today. I can’t believe how tasty they are! Thank you so much for sharing your ideas. This was a whole new experience for me and my family.
Thank you, Daria! I am so happy you liked my recipe. 🙂
Question regarding the gravy recipe. Totaling all the spices in the gravy recipe it comes to more than 3/4 of a cup. Am I supposed to put all these spices into the gravy mix OR am I supposed to make the spice mixture and then add only a tablespoon or so to.the gravy. In the meatball section the spices only come to a reasonable 4.25 teaspoons but the gravy seems way out of balance. What to do please and thanks..
Hey Mary, I never measured the spices in cups. If you are afraid that the gravy might be too spicy I would suggest using just half of the amount. The recipe makes more than 2 cups of gravy in total. So far the feedback has been great and nobody actually complained that the gravy turned out too spicy. Hope this helps. Let me know how it turned out if you give it a try. 🙂
Thank you so much for your reply. I just wanted to make sure all the spices were to go into the gravy recipe and not end up throwing it out. Your feedback from others on this recipe sounds good so I shall try the recipe as stated.
Thank you once again for the clarification. My mind is worry free now.
You are welcome, Mary! ❤️
What do you think if I skip frying these maetballs and only bake them in oven? Has anyone tried that?
Hi Sonja, yes, someone tried it. I will copy and paste the comment from “Karen”: “Your meatballs were delicious! A mini muffin pan bakes meatballs beautifully all round, no need to shake the pan or turn over . (Just thought l would share how l cook mine. )…”
So I found a picture of this on my discovery page on instagram and I decided to make this since I had a half-full can of coconut milk and some ginger left from a soup I made yesterday. And all the other ingredients I always have at home so I thought this was the perfect recipe! This is the first time I’ve managed to make vegan “meatballs” that holds together well! Since my IBS doesn’t always like me eating spicy foods, I didn’t follow the exact measurements of the spices. I also forgot to add salt until after I had already mixed everything else together. So the “meatballs” didn’t taste much but the gravy tasted sooo good! I will definitely make this again but add more spices to the veggieball-mixture 🙂 Thank you for this recipe!
Hi Michaela, I am glad you liked my recipe. Thanks for leaving a feedback. ❤️
Your recipes are my absolute favorite ~ thank you so much for sharing all your creativity with good ingredients that are flavorful and most of all so yummy. I’m making these tonight with some vegan pasta ????
Thanks for the compliment, Anna! I hope you enjoyed the dish. 🙂
Dear Ela
Thank you for all your wonderful recipe ideas. What do you mean by (GF if needed) in the below sentence in your recipe ?
1/2 cup instant oats (GF if needed) (45 g)
Dear Karen, GF means gluten-free. Best wishes, Ela 🙂
thank you so much !
Oats are often cross contaminated with wheat making them not gluten free. Some people who are alleric to gluten or have Celiac disease must have oats without contamination of any wheat gluten so they have to use gluten free (gf) oats. I hope this helps answer your question! 🙂
Hi, das sieht ja wirklich toll aus! Veggie-Bällchen mit Kartoffelbrei zu essen ist eine mega idee, die irgendwie in meinem Hirn nicht ganz da war (obwohl ich Bouletten früher immer mit Kartoffelbrei gegessen habe). Ich bin kein Fan von Bohnen, v.a. shwarze bohnen kann man da vllt was ersetzen? Ich werde es mal mit roten Linsen probieren… ????
LG
Linsen sollten kein Problem sein. Viel Spaß beim Nachkochen. 🙂
Made these tonight for dinner. They were very good, sturdy not gummy. Will make these again
Thanks for the recipe
Awesome! I am glad you liked my recipe, Lisa! 🙂
This recipe looks amazing. We are going to try it out but I did wonder if plant based milk could be subbed for plant based cream/coconut milk?
Yes, that’s no problem at all. 🙂
Hi! I’m trying to make these and I’m having trouble with it being to sticky for me to roll them into balls. What should I do?
Hey! If the mixture is too wet/sticky then add more ground oats or ground flax seeds/chia seeds or put the mixture into the fridge for maybe 15 minutes, then it shouldn’t be sticky anymore. Hope this helps.
This looks delicious! Did you use plant based cream or coconut milk? I know that would make a big difference in taste.
Hi Claudy, I used coconut milk. 🙂
Am busy with this recipe at the moment and can’t wait to eat. There’s too much for me though. Can I freeze the meatballs? At what point can I freeze them? Before or after frying/baking?
I never tried freezing them but I guess it would be better to freeze them after frying/baking. Let me know how it goes. 🙂
HI Ela, how many cups of beans if I am soaking them and not using canned? Also, thanks so much for all of these beautiful recipes!
Peace,
Melissa
Hey Melissa, I am not sure, since I always cook a huge amount of dry beans to have some leftovers but I just asked Google and here is the reply:
One cup of dry beans = 3 cups cooked beans, drained
One 15-oz. can of beans = 1.75 cups cooked beans, drained
So I would suggest cooking a heaped 1/2 cup of dry beans for this recipe OR 1 1/4 cups dry beans to double the recipe.
Hope this helps! 🙂
Hi Ela can I use normal oats if I dont have instant oats?
Of course! That’s no problem at all. 🙂
I’m gonna try these today – wondering how strong the ginger flavour is in the gravy though? 🙂 Not sure my fam would like that – safe to just leave it out, Ela? 🙂
Hello Alina, yes, you can simply leave it out or use just a tiny bit. 🙂
Ela, These meatballs and gravy look and sound amazing. I’m definitely going to give them a try! xo Debra
Thank you very much, Debra! 🙂
Your meatballs were delicious! A mini muffin pan bakes meatballs beautifully all round, no need to shake the pan or turn over . (Just thought l would share how l cook mine. ) And to thank you for sharing such wonderfully delicious recipes.
Thanks for sharing, Karen! That’s amazing. 🙂
I’m making these recipes, they look amazing. I will let you know what we think. So excited!
We recently became vegan and you have helped me so much with your recipes. Thank you for all your hard work.
Aww, that makes me super happy! Thanks for your kind comment, Eileen! 🙂
Karen, coolol, so you skipped the frying altogether and just baked in muffin tins? Trying to figure out how to make these oil free.
ELA , THESE MEAT BALLS WERE SIMPLY FANTASTIC!! Non-vegan family members were surprised and delighted. Thank you for your hard work
Yay, that’s awesome! So happy you liked them. Thanks for your great feedback! ????
This meatballs are wonderful. DELICIOUS!!!
Thanks for your great feedback. 🙂
This recipe definitely makes my mouth water!????
It looks so delicious! Will definitely give it a try.
So excited how it will taste.
Much love,
Bianca ❤️
Thank you, Bianca! I really hope you will like it as much as I do.
Sending love back, Ela ❤️
Hallo Ela,
leider wird das Rezept nicht ins deutsche übersetzt. Könntest du mir bitte die deutsche Version zusenden? Danke Yvonne
Hallo Yvonne, das Rezept wird bis morgen auch auf Deutsch verfügbar sein. Ich muss den Blogpost noch in Deutsch verfassen, was sehr viel Zeit in Anspruch nimmt und leider nicht automatisch geht. LG, Ela 🙂
Hallo, danke für die schnelle Rückmeldung.. Uhi..deine Rezepte sind super.. schmeckt auch den Nichtveganern der Familie.. ????????????Herzlichst Yvonne
Ela, these ingredients are wonderful! Black beans, sunflower seeds, oats – they add such flavor and texture, well done!! Thanks so much for sharing your creative recipe❤️ Dee xx
Thank you for your sweet comment, Dee! Much love, Ela ❤️
Wow Ela, I’ve never had gravy before but looking at your pictures makes me crave it! Your vegan meatballs look very good as well, I love that your recipes are always very healthy 🙂
Have a nice weekend!
Thank you very much, Nolwenn! I hope you will give this recipe a try. Happy Sunday! 🙂