Roasted eggplant has this amazing texture and fairly neutral flavor, so with proper seasoning they can be turned into many tasty things. If you would like to try eggplants for the first time or just looking for vegan recipes with eggplants, this 5-ingredient (plus spices) vegan eggplant meatballs recipe might be exactly what you need.
When I feel sad or depressed or in a serious need of comfort food, I almost always think of tomato sauce-based dishes. No idea why, all my favorite comfort foods are somehow tomato-based. Just like these Spaghetti Meatballs, I love a flavorful Lasagna, a hearty Shepherd’s Pie, or a spicy Chili. Maybe the only exception is this Vegan Alfredo Sauce which won me over by how quick I can make it. In less than 15 minutes! What is your favorite comfort food?
⇒ Get our FREE 7-DAY VEGAN MEAL PLAN now! or check out all vegan meal plan recipes here! ⇐
Eggplant balls? What are they exactly?
If you are looking for a meatless meatball alternative, eggplant balls are a great choice. We don’t need to call it vegan or vegetarian or veggies, as I haven’t come across any other recipe where they listed meat as one of the ingredients.
The star is eggplant of course and all other ingredients are only there to make sure you can form a ball. There are many versions to prepare this meal:
- You can roast or fry the eggplant or just blend them with the other ingredients.
- Some recipes add eggs to make sure the balls stick together.
- Other recipes add breadcrumbs for crunchiness.
- To finish off you can bake or deep fry the balls at the end.
What do you need for our eggplant meatballs recipe?
I have to say our eggplant meatballs are somewhat simpler and healthier. You can make delicious meatballs without eggs, oil or breadcrumbs. Eggplant has such a spongy texture, you have to watch the amount of oil especially with these veggies as they can soak up too much and become too oily and heavy at the end. I love how enthusiastically Chef Pasquale cooks eggplant balls but it is hard to watch the amount of oil he uses.
We use only 5 ingredients to make eggplant meatballs:
- roasted and pureed eggplants
- oats and brown rice flour will give you texture
- flax egg to make the balls stick together
- marjoram will give you zing
The idea to use marjoram comes from the seasoning of sausages we grew up with. We were just experimenting with our Vegan Lentil Loaf recipe using marjoram when we thought of trying it also with this recipe. And it worked. At least for our taste buds. You can – of course – season it with basil and oregano. Options are described in the recipe card below.
⇒ Get our FREE 7-DAY VEGAN MEAL PLAN now! or check out all vegan meal plan recipes here! ⇐
How to make vegan eggplant meatballs?
Roasting eggplant
First, you need to roast the eggplants, which is easy to do. I usually use a glass container or a baking mat so I can roast them oil-free. After washing the eggplants I cut them in half vertically and place the halves upside down. You can cut off the stem, but not necessary. You need approx. 30 minutes to get the eggplants soft in enough that you can peel or spoon out the eggplant flesh. You can see it in the below photo of how eggplants look like after roasting without oil in the oven.
Making the mixture
First, peel or spoon the eggplant “meat” and blend it until you get a puree using a food processor or a hand blender. Now, take a glass bowl and add the pureed eggplant and all other ingredients (oats, brown rice flour, flax egg, and the seasoning) and mix them with a wooden spoon (photo #1). You don’t need to add the mixture back to a food processor or blender.
Resting to form the balls
Now, the mixture for your vegan, egg-free and gluten-free eggplant meatballs is ready. I usually pop it in the fridge for approx. 10-15 minutes so that the oats and the flax egg can work their magic and get all ingredients to stick together so to speak. After that, it will be easy to form small (2-3 inch wide) veggie balls (photo #2), which can even be fun for the kids to help out with.
Baking or frying
Take your frying pan, add a bit of oil and fry them on medium heat for a couple of minutes on each side. If it is a truly non-stick like these ones*, then you wouldn’t need to add any oil and the eggplant balls will still get a crispy brownish crust.
If you prefer baking, then take a baking mat or a sheet pan with parchment paper and bake them on 350 Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius) for 15-20 minutes turning them at half-time.
Top tips to make perfect eggplant meatballs
- Roasting in advance – you can roast the eggplants in advance and store them in the fridge for 1-2 days without a problem. The only thing you need to pay attention to is that they might release liquid, so you need more oats or flour to get to the right consistency
- Size matters – Baking and frying time depends on the size of the meatballs you make. The smaller they are, the cooking time will be shorter.
- Balls or patties – You can make burger-shaped veggie patties, the mixture will hold it together.
- Turn them gently – In my experience with gluten-free cooking and baking, whatever mixture I make it is usually soft to work with or when hot, but firms up after cooling.
More vegan recipes with eggplant meatballs
When your vegan eggplant meatballs are ready, you can serve them in many different ways. Try also our easy and quick Chickpea Meatballs or Mushroom Meatballs or our Copycat IKEA Veggie Balls recipe. They are delicious!
- Drop them into our homemade marinara sauce and make spaghetti with “meatballs”. You can even pop it in the oven top it with lots of grated cheese to turn it into a pasta bake or casserole.
- Try it with our delicious caramelized carrot pasta sauce.
- You can make a complete meal by adding Vegan Mashed Potatoes, your favorite Fried Rice, or any combination of roasted veggies (asparagus, mushroom, root veggies…)
- Make an eggplant meatballs sandwich with marinara sauce.
- Put them on a stick or skewer, add a dip (like vegan BBQ sauce) and serve them as appetizers.
- Take a vegan and gluten-free biscuit and make meatball biscuit sliders.
- Drop them in your Vegan Mac and Cheese.
- Stuff pita bread with veggies and eggplant balls top with your favorite vegan yogurt dip.
- Add them to your vegan shakshuka to make it more filling.
- Can it be a delicious pizza topping? Why not?
Let us know in the comments what is your favorite combination!
FAQs and Substitutions
What can I use instead of rice flour?
If you don’t need to eat gluten-free, then you can use all-purpose wheat flour. If gluten-free, you can use oat flour, chickpea flour or buckwheat flour for sure.
What can I use instead of oats?
I have only tried to make it with oats. If I need to change it, I would try it with breadcrumbs. Any other grain would be too hard when they are uncooked, or too moist if they are cooked.
How do you store eggplant balls?
You can keep it in the fridge for 4-5 days tops without any problem. We recommend storing the meatballs by themselves and not dipped in any sauce.
Can you freeze them?
Yes, you can. We recommend freezing after frying/baking, not as an uncooked mixture as the eggplant will release moisture when uncooked and thawed. If you are ready to enjoy them, pop them back in the oven or warm them up in a frying pan to get crispy crust back.
⇒ Get our FREE 7-DAY VEGAN MEAL PLAN now! or check out all vegan meal plan recipes here! ⇐
Why do we love eggplant recipes?
Did you know?
Eggplant is technically a fruit, but we rather think of it as one of the nightshade vegetables.
According to Cronometer eggplants are great to boost the fiber content of any dish. It is high in Vitamine B1 and B6 as well as copper and manganese. Furthermore, purple fruits and veggies are usually high in antioxidants just like eggplant. If you are interested in learning more, here is an article about the 7 surprising health benefits of eggplants. So it is really worth it to incorporate eggplants in your weekly meals.
Choosing the right recipe may determine whether you like eggplant or not at the end. They can be quite bitter if not properly cooked or baked. It has a spongy texture similar to mushrooms. However, there are so many great recipes you can try apart from having them as “meatballs” for example make it a star in this Asian Caramelised Eggplant Salad or go with a Middle Eastern flow and make Lebanese Stuffed Eggplants or a Vegan Sabich Sandwich. Do you have a favorite eggplant recipe? Let us know in the comments below.
This Eggplant Meatballs recipe is vegan (so egg-free and dairy-free), vegetarian, nut-free, soy-free, and WFPB-friendly (whole foods plant-based). However, it is only gluten-free if you buy certified gluten-free rolled oats like this one. Oats are naturally gluten-free, although they are usually cross-contaminated with other grains. If you are interested to read more about oats, you can always visit UK’s Coeliac Website.
⇒ Get our FREE 7-DAY VEGAN MEAL PLAN now! or check out all vegan meal plan recipes here! ⇐
More quick dinner recipes
You can browse through our Vegan and Gluten-free Dinner Recipes or our Quick Vegan Meals collection or check out
- Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese
- Vegan Jackfruit Stew
- Vegan Portobello Fajitas
- Quick Broccoli Lentil Stir Fry
- Easy Vegan Alfredo Sauc
Eggplant Meatballs (Vegan & Gluten-free)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Eggplant / Aubergine (medium) 20 oz
- 1 cup Fine or quick oats
- ½ cup Brown rice flour
- 2 Ground flax Flax egg = 2 Tbsp ground flax + 6 Tbsp water
- 2 Tbsp Nutritional yeast (optional)
- 2 Tbsp Marjoram or 1 Tbsp basil + 1 Tbsp oregano
- ½ tsp Garlic powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
Instructions
Roasting eggplants
- Wash the eggplants then cut them half vertically. You can cut off the stem, but not necessary. Take the eggplant halves to an oven-safe glass container or a baking mat and turn them upside down (peel is up). No oil needed.
- Preheat oven to 400 F (200 degrees) and roast the eggplants for 30 minutes. Take them out and let them cool until it is comfortable to touch them with your bare hands.
Making mixture
- First, peel or spoon the eggplant “meat” and blend it until you get a puree using a food processor or a hand blender.
- Mix flax meal and water and wait until they get a gelee consistency.
- Take a large dish and add pureed eggplant, oats, rice flour, nutritional yeast (optional), spices, flax egg, salt, and pepper and mix them thoroughly with a wooden spoon. You don’t need to add the mixture back to a food processor or blender.
- Leave in the fridge for 15 minutes for the oats and the flour to absorb any excess moisture.
Frying or baking
- Now you are ready to form the small eggplant balls. Take a tablespoon of the mixture and form the balls with your hands. It will be soft and may stick to your hands. If it is too sticky add more oats.
- Take a frying pan and heat it on medium heat. Add a bit of coconut oil or olive oil if you don't have a non-stick pan. Fry them for a couple of minutes each side to give them a nice brown color.
- If you prefer baking, then take a baking mat or a sheet pan with parchment paper and bake them on 350 Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celcius) for 15-20 minutes until they get a crispy brownish crust. Turn them at half-time.
Serving (more suggestions above the recipe card)
- Cook your spaghetti according to instructions on the package.
- Prepare homemade marinara sauce (our recipe is here). When the eggplant balls are ready, pop them in the sauce to warm them up before serving.
- When spaghetti is ready, pour the marinara sauce and eggplant balls on it. Sprinkle them with fresh basil or parsley and you are ready to serve. Good appetite!
Notes
- Roasting in advance - you can roast the eggplants in advance and store them in the fridge for 1-2 days without a problem. The only thing you need to pay attention to is that they might release liquid, so you need more oats or flour to get to the right consistency
- Size matters - Baking and frying time depends on the size of the meatballs you make. The smaller they are, the cooking time will be shorter.
- Balls or patties - You can make burger-shaped veggie patties, the mixture will hold it together.
- Turn them gently - In my experience with gluten-free cooking and baking, whatever mixture I make it is usually soft to work with or when hot, but firms up after cooling.
Video
Nutrition
UPDATED: This recipe was originally posted in Jan 2019, but was rewritten and republished with new photos, instructions, and tips in April 2020.
Tassiana Kohl
i don’t have flax eggs in my city, what can I use???
My Pure Plants
You can add a bit of corn or tapioca starch (1 Tbsp). The dough will be a bit on the softer side but once the starch is activated in the oven or frying pan it will firm up and will get the eggplant balls nice crispy.
Jon
Made these for dinner tonight. They turned out great! My wife had the idea to put a little bit of balsamic on top of the meatballs and it really elevated them. I’d definitely recommend it
Jon
Also added fennel and red pepper flakes.
My Pure Plants
Jon, thanks for trying our recipe. We are so glad you liked it. All these add-ins sound great. Thanks for the tips.
kim
This was fabulous! So easy to make and had a wonderful flavor! Will definitely make again!
Kelly Anthony
Roasted eggplant is one of my favorite vegetables but I never thought to use it as a meatball. Such a great idea.
Alisa Infanti
I had no idea eggplant could be used this way! What a delicious idea.
Vicky
Love this creative recipe for vegan meatballs! Sometimes it’s hard to figure out what to do with eggplant and this is great!
My Pure Plants
Yes, indeed eggplants can be tricky. I definitely have some go-to ways to use them and this is one of them.
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
I love roasted eggplant so this sounds like a great recipe to try.
My Pure Plants
Let us know how it goes if you do try it.
Deirdre
This was such a simple and healthy recipe and even the kids loved it! Great way to use up aubergines
My Pure Plants
It is definitely in my top 3 ways to use eggplants.
Sarah
We loved this recipe! I used Italian seasoning vs. marjoram because that’s what I had in my pantry. We veganized a sausage, egg and cheese biscuit sandwich with this recipe.
My Pure Plants
Wow, the sandwich sounds amazing. Thanks for trying our recipe.
Bianca
Unfortunately, I was disappointed in this recipe ? I tried it last night and it’s definitely way too many oats and too little spices/flavor. I had added additional garlic and other spices and it was still too bland. I love the concept but feel it needs to be adjusted. Keep trying!
My Pure Plants
I am really sorry to hear that. Have you changed anything or substituted any ingredients? Maybe your eggplants were smaller? Or have you used rolled oats instead of quick oats? We’d love to know what went wrong so we can make the recipe better for you. Thanks for trying our recipe.
Suzanne
question, I don’t have Marjoram can I use something else?
My Pure Plants
You can use for example basil and oregano.
Patricia
Could I use normal flour and egg if I’m not glutenfree or vegan? Massive lover of eggplant!
My Pure Plants
I think that should work, although normal egg (depending on size) might have more moisture than flax egg, so add more flour or oats if need be.
Lucille
I can’t believe that eggplant could be a meatballs with gluten free. You are genius.I don’t like eggplant but I would love to try this.
My Pure Plants
Who knew, right? Eggplant and oats are the secret weapons in gluten-free vegan cooking. Let us know how you like it.