These easy vegan chickpea meatballs are savory and filling. They're simple to make with wholesome ingredients and only have 10 ingredients and take 30 minutes to bake. You can enjoy these vegetarian meatballs with pasta, in a pita or hoagie, or even serve them on a toothpick as a party appetizer.
I've circled back to this recipe time and time again because it's just so good! These vegan meatballs are made with chickpeas, have a great texture and they're packed with a savory flavor. You'll be surprised at how simple they are to make!
Although they don't have the exact same texture as a real meatball, they'll definitely satisfy your meatball and pasta craving. The best part is, the ingredient list for this recipe is pretty short. No hard to find or fancy ingredients and you can find all of the ingredients in your local grocery store.
This recipe is simple to make with only 10 ingredients and takes 30 minutes to bake. Even for the busy cook, this recipe would be great as a meal prep or perfect as a quick weeknight meal. You can also get creative with them and serve them in pita bread, as a hoagie sub, or serve them with a toothpick as a quick party appetizer .
Why You'll Love This Recipe
There's many reasons to love this vegan chickpea meatball recipe. Here are just a few:
- Warm and savory comfort food
- Italian seasoning used for flavor
- Quick and simple recipe
- Satisfying enough for a meal prep or weeknight dinner
- Pairs perfectly with marinara and pasta
Ingredients You'll Need
There are so many ways to make delicious vegan meatless meatballs using various grains, veggies, beans, and legumes. Below is a list of the ingredients in this recipe:
- Ground flaxseeds and water - since this recipe is vegan, it uses a "flax egg" which consists of ground flaxseeds and water. It acts like a real egg to help bind all the ingredients together.
- Canned Chickpeas - remember to drain, rinse, and dry the chickpeas prior to mixing with the other ingredients. If not, when forming the meatballs, the ingredients may be too wet and will fall apart.
- Gluten free bread crumbs - most traditional meatball recipes use breadcrumbs as a binding and bulking ingredient to help form the meatballs.
- Nutritional yeast - helps give the vegan meatballs a "cheesy" flavor without using any dairy. If you aren't vegan you can use parmesan cheese if you prefer.
- Seasonings - some of the seasonings used in this recipe include Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and ground black pepper.
How to Make the Vegan Chickpea Meatballs
You only need about 30 minutes to make this classic vegan pasta and meatballs dish. The prep work is super simple, here's how to make them:
- Mix together the ground flax seed and water. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes.
- Add to a food processor (or blender) the chickpeas and pulse until there are almost no whole beans left. Then add the processed chickpeas to the mixing bowl with the flax and water.
- Toss in the remaining ingredients, the breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Stir until well combined. The meatballs should look and feel a little bit sticky.
- Roll into balls (about a small cookie scoop size) and place on a parchment-lined or greased baking sheet.
- Place them in the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, rotating or turning the meatballs halfway through to allow them to brown evenly.
- Remove the meatballs once they are golden brown and are done cooking. Carefully place them in a pan with the marinara sauce. Gently stir to coat, but be careful not to break apart, remember they aren't as firm as regular meatballs.
- Serve the warm vegan meatballs and marinara sauce over your favorite pasta.
Ways to Serve the Vegan Meatballs
- You can serve the meatless balls on top of your favorite pasta, or make a traditional spaghetti and meatball dish. You can substitute gluten free pasta if needed.
- Make a vegan sub sandwich, hero, or hoagie with your favorite bread. You can also substitute in a pita for a vegan gyro.
- Serve them as a side dish or appetizer. You can even stick a toothpick in them for a quick and easy party appetizer.
How to Store the Vegan Meatballs
You can store the leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. You can also freeze the meatballs for up to three months for future meals.
Tips to Making the Vegan Meatballs:
- Make sure you use ground flaxseed (not whole flaxseeds) for the flax egg.
- If you don't have a food processor or blender, you can still make these vegan meatballs. Just mash the chickpeas with a potato masher, then add them to the bowl.
- Before processing the canned chickpeas, make sure to drain, rinse, and dry the chickpeas prior to mixing with the other ingredients. If not, when forming the meatballs, the ingredients may be too wet to stick together and will fall apart.
- I prefer to bake the vegan meatballs in the oven. This way they become a lot crispier. Besides, the texture is firmer and you don't need any oil.
- You can either stir the vegan meatballs into a marinara sauce before serving or add them individually on top of each plate before serving. If you don't plan on eating them all in one sitting, I suggest only tossing the meatballs you'll be eating into the marinara sauce.
Recipe FAQ
Yes. Let the chickpea meatballs cool before transferring any leftovers to an airtight covered container. Store them in the freezer for up to three months. When you're ready to eat them, let them thaw at room temperature or in the fridge. You can reheat the meatballs in the oven, on the stovetop or in the microwave.
The vegan meatballs do not taste like traditional meatballs or meaty non vegan meatballs. Although they don't have the exact same texture as a real meatball, they'll definitely satisfy any of your meatball and pasta cravings.
The perfect combination of the dry and wet mixture keeps the meatballs from falling apart. This recipe uses breadcrumbs, chickpeas and the vegan egg (which is ground flaxseeds and water).
More Recipes You May Like:
Leftover Chili Stuffed Peppers
Butternut Squash and Cauliflower Gnocchi
Pumpkin and Spinach Lasagna Rolls
Easy Vegan Meatballs
Ingredients
Vegan Meatballs
- 3 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 cups chickpeas drained (about 2 cans)
- 1/2 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper or more to taste
Serve with:
- 8 ounces pasta
- 2 cups marinara sauce extra if necessary
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- In a small bowl, mix together the ground flax and 1/2 cup of water. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes.
- In a food processor or blender, add the chickpeas and pulse until there are almost no whole beans left. Then add the processed chickpeas to the mixing bowl with the flax and water. If you don't have a large food processor or blender, no worries. You can breakdown the chickpeas in two batches then add it to the bowl.
- Now add to the bowl the breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Stir until well combined. The meatballs should look and feel al little bit sticky.
- Roll into balls (about a small cookie scoop size, or larger) and place on a parchment-lined or greased baking sheet.
- Place them in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, rotating or turning the meatballs halfway through to allow them to brown evenly.
- While the meatballs are baking, prepare the spaghetti noodles according to package instructions.
- When the meatballs are done cooking, carefully place them in a pan with the marinara sauce. Gently stir to coat, but be careful not to break apart, remember they aren't as firm as regular meatballs.
- Serve the warm vegan meatballs and marinara sauce over theyour favorite pasta.
- The meatballs will keep well in a covered container, in marinara or not, for 4-5 days.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Although HalfPastHungry.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on which products you use, the brand that was purchased, or in other unforeseeable ways. HalfPastHungry.com will not be held liable for any reliance on given nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your physician first.
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