Vegan Swedish Meatballs
The perfect savory and flavorful vegan Swedish Meatballs coated in a creamy gravy. Made with simple ingredients, easy to make, and high in plant protein.
Surprisingly, one thing that I really enjoyed eating before going vegan was Swedish Meatballs. Not really sure how it started, but pretty sure I ordered it somewhere and then kept ordering it. I think it’s the gravy that got me hooked because after making it more recently, I haven’t been able to get it off my mind. And it’s actually really simple to make vegan.
Why You’ll Love About These Meatballs
- Super easy to make. They are indulgent, but require very minimal ingredients and they still come out hearty and rich in flavor.
- Comes together quick. Just mix your meatballs, pan fry them and then make the gravy in the same pan.
- These meatballs are completely vegan and nut-free, and they can be modified depending on certain preferences, which I detail in this blog.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Vegan Ground: I used Lightlife Smart Ground Original, but your favorite vegan ground will work here as well.
- Onion: Yellow or white onion work best for this. Make sure to mince it really well.
- Breadcrumbs: Panko or your favorite seasoned breadcrumbs will work. Just make sure that your breadcrumbs are vegan by checking the ingredients.
- Flax Egg: A combination of 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed and 2 tablespoons water. Provides moisture and helps bind everything together. Bonus, you get extra omega 3s thanks to the flax.
- All Spice: Super common spice in traditional Swedish meatballs.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is the base and thickener for our simple gravy. I have some alternative options in case you wish to make a gluten-free sauce listed in the Frequently Asked Questions section.
- Plant Based Milk/Cream: For the meatballs and gravy, plant milk is recommended. I used oat milk for the meatballs and gravy, but the gravy can be extra rich by using coconut cream instead. This is the firm coconut layer that forms at the top of most canned coconut milk.
How to Make Vegan Swedish Meatballs
We start with some basics, which includes sautéing some finely minced onions until nice and soft. Once cooked, set to the side to cool slightly.
Set your flax egg by whisking the ground flax with some water and wait for it to gel. Now to a medium mixing bowl add in your bread crumbs, milk, seasonings and flax egg and mix everything well. Then add in your vegan ground and onions. With your hands, mix everything very well until the mixture starts to become moldable.
Form meatball shapes with 1-2 tablespoons of the mixture and place on a lined plate or tray. Heat up some oil in a pan and then sauté the meatballs until browned on all sides. Set cooked meatballs aside on a plate and in the same pan, prep the gravy.
Add additional oil as needed and then sprinkle in your flour and cook it in the oil until there is no more flour smell. Then add in the soy sauce, mustard and slowly whisk in your vegetable broth until there are no lumps of flour. Pour in your milk or creamy and continue to stir until the gravy has thickened to your desired consistency.
Place the meatballs back in the pan and coat with the gravy, then serve your meatballs as desired.
Tips for the Perfect Dish
- Whisk your gravy. This will make sure that you remove as many lumps from the gravy as possible while thickening it.
- Don’t overcook the flour. Make sure to continuously move the flour in the pan to avoid the flour from burning. If you burn your flour, it’s better to start over again as you don’t want the taste of burnt flour in your gravy.
- Adjust the consistency of your gravy by adding more vegetable broth and whisking until you are satisfied with the thickness.
- For a really rich gravy, use butter instead of oil for the gravy. About 1-2 tablespoons is enough for sautéing the flour.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can choose a couple of different options. Try 1-2 tablespoon of cornstarch, potato starch or arrowroot powder. Depending on how it thickens, you may wish to add a little more broth to the base to thin it out to your desired consistency.
You can make the meatballs without the gravy in advance and place them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To freeze, place the meatballs on a parchment lined plate or tray and place int he freezer to freeze. Transfer the meatballs to a freezer bag or airtight container and place in the freezer for up to one month.
Yes, you should be able to bake the meatballs in the oven. Bake at 375F for 20-25 minutes and make sure to flip the meatballs to help them brown evenly midway through baking. Or you can air fry at 375 for 10-15 minutes until cooked evenly.
How to Serve
Traditionally, Swedish meatballs and gravy are served with a side of mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam. Lingonberry jam might not be available depending on where you are, so a good substitute would be small side of cranberry sauce.
I have also enjoyed these meatballs personally with a side of rice (because rice just goes well with about everything personally) or some pasta. They are truly tasty to the point I just eat them as a little appetizer sometimes.
More Hearty Vegan Favorites
- Vegan Pastelitos
- Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
- Winter Farro & Kale Salad
- Skillet Spiced Chickpeas and Kale
- Roasted Tahini Cauliflower Steaks with Lentils
Vegan Swedish Meatballs
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 16 meatballs 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
The perfect savory and flavorful vegan Swedish Meatballs coated in a creamy gravy. Made with simple ingredients, easy to make, and high in plant protein.
Ingredients
Swedish Meatballs
- 2 tbsp + 1 tsp avocado oil
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, finely minced
- 1/2 cup vegan bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup unsweetened oat milk or almond milk
- 1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 2 tbsp water – mix and let stand for 5 mins)
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/8 tsp all spice
- 12 oz vegan ground (I used Lightlife)
Gravy
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth or mushroom broth
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup unsweetened oat milk or coconut cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat up 1 teaspoon of oil in a large skillet and sauté your onion with a pinch of salt until softened then allow to cool.
- Mix together your breadcrumbs, milk, flax egg, white pepper and allspice in a bowl.
- Add in vegan grounds and onions, and with your hands work it into the breadcrumb mix until fully combined.
- Take a tablespoon of the mix and roll into meatball shapes and place on a lined plate or baking sheet.
- Heat up 1 tablespoon of oil in the same skillet as the onions and cook your meatballs until all sides have browned.
- Remove from skillet and then add in the remaining oil to the pan. Sprinkle in the flour and stir it around the pan until the smell of flour is gone, about 1 minute.
- Slowly pour in your broth in small batches while whisking to break up all the clumps of flour.
- Continue to whisk and add in the soy sauce and mustard as the gravy thickens. Once combined, pour in the milk, stir again and adjust salt and pepper to your liking.
- Add the meatballs into the gravy, and allow to heat back through for a minute before serving.
Notes
Whisk your gravy. This will make sure that you remove as many lumps from the gravy as possible while thickening it.
Don’t overcook the flour. Make sure to continuously move the flour in the pan to avoid the flour from burning. If you burn your flour, it’s better to start over again as you don’t want the taste of burnt flour in your gravy.
Adjust the consistency of your gravy by adding more vegetable broth and whisking until you are satisfied with the thickness.
For a really rich gravy, use butter instead of oil for the gravy. About 1-2 tablespoons is enough for sautéing the flour.
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.
★ Catherine
