Vegan Swedish Meatballs

Who says comfort food has to be unhealthy? These vegan Swedish meatballs are not only absolutely delicious, but meat-free and healthy too! Using ingredients like white beans, oats, and cashews gives this meal a healthy kick while giving you all the comfort feels.

For more plant-based comfort food, try this not-chicken and dumplings stew, delicious baked ziti, or these air-fryer biscuits. For more meatballs, you can check out this recipe for BBQ cranberry beanballs and Beyond Meat meatballs.

Jump to:

• They go good on EVERYTHING y’all
• How to make the gravy creamy and healthy
• What you need
• How to make it
• Allergy-Information and Substitutions
• More comfort food recipes:
• Swedish Meatballs (Vegan or Vegetarian)

They go good on EVERYTHING y’all

If you’re thinking you have to serve heaping plates of pasta to enjoy vegan Swedish meatballs, think again: these babies also go great on white/brown rice or creamy mashed potatoes.

In fact, mashed potatoes are probably my favorite option, because they’re dirt cheap, comforting, and can go a long way. Plus, by using mashed potatoes, you’re also making this meal 100% gluten-free, instead of feeling like you have to track down the perfect gluten-free vegan pasta.

How to make the gravy creamy and healthy

As a gravy enthusiast, I understand the important of having thick, creamy, and flavorful gravy. Which is why, for this recipe, I call on the amazing powers of full fat coconut milk + cashews to do the job.

You see, the coconut milk provides the creamy, delicious consistency, and the cashews act as a natural thickener while also providing healthy fats, protein, and nutrients. To make the flavor pop, I also use a bouillon cube.

However, if you don’t like the idea of using bouillon cubes, you have two other options:

• Use a scoop of this homemade vegetable bouillon
• Use one cup of your favorite veggie stock

Lastly, what takes this gravy to Swedish Meatball land is the addition of the allspice, which gives it an earthy, feel good kick.

What you need

• White beans. Cannelini, great northern, or garbanzo all work here.
• Rolled oats. I like to use Bob’s Red Mill brand.
• Mozzarella cheese. Dairy free or traditional cheese (for vegetarians) both work here.
• Tamari sauce. This keeps it gluten-free, but you can also use soy sauce.
• Nutritional yeast.
• Seasonings: Italian seasoning, nutmeg, allspice, salt, pepper, and fresh parsley.
• Unsalted cashews.
• Coconut milk, canned. I use full fat, but light also works here too. If you don’t want to do coconut, try using another plant-based milk of your choice. Just keep in mind that it may change the consistency slightly.
• Bouillon cube of choice. Not-chicken, vegetable, or your favorite flavor.
• Green onions.
• Mashed potatoes. You can also serve these meatballs over rice or pasta, if you prefer.

How to make it

Making vegan Swedish meatballs is simple, and can be broken down into these steps:

Preheat the oven to 400° F (204° C). Begin soaking cashews in the 1 cup filtered water; set aside. If you’re making mashed potatoes, go ahead and get your potatoes boiling. A note on soaking cashews: I soak mine in filtered water for typically 20 minutes, although I use a Ninja blender and it does pretty well. If you’re worried about the creaminess of your cashews, I suggest soaking them for 20 minutes in HOT water, to ensure they blend properly.

Next, make the meatballs: add all ingredients to a large food processor (I use an 11 cup and it fills up a little more than half), and pulse until half mixed. You want this to be chunky, not mushy. Grab a 9 x 13 baking pan and grease the bottom lightly with oil to prevent sticking. Then, using a mini ice cream scoop, scoop out your meatballs and line the baking pan. This will make 20 meatballs. I like to scoop out 20 balls and then go back and use my hands to reshape them. Pop in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.

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While the meatballs are baking, make your sauce. I typically let my cashews soak for about 20 minutes, but if you are concerned about consistency, you can let them soak longer if need be (see first step). Add all gravy ingredients to a high powered blender and blend until smooth. This will be RUNNY and thin, but don’t worry! Once you bake this, the cashews act as a thickener and will thicken up the sauce. When the timer is up, if you notice that it is still too runny, pop back in for a couple minutes. I’ve found that 15 minutes is the perfect amount of time to allow the cashews to work their magic.

After the timer is up, pull out the meatballs and pour the sauce on top. Use a spoon to turn the meatballs around in the sauce. Pop back in the oven for 15 full minutes– remember, this is important because the longer it is in the oven, the thicker the sauce will get. While this is cooking, tend to your mashed potatoes by draining and mashing. You can also add some butter to the potatoes if you desire.

Lastly, after the meatballs are done and the sauce is thickened, pull out your pan. Serve vegan Swedish meatballs and gravy on top of mashed potatoes, and top with chopped fresh parsley and fresh green onion slices.

Allergy-Information and Substitutions

• These Swedish meatballs are 100% vegan, meaning they are meat-free, dairy-free, and egg-free. They are also naturally gluten-free.
• Make them soy-free by omitting the tamari sauce.
• Can’t do coconut milk? Try using another plant-based milk of your choice. Just keep in mind that it may change the consistency slightly.
• Don’t want to do Mozzarella? That’s ok! Just swap it out for 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast or skip it completely. I find that the cheese helps hold these together while also providing a delicious taste.

More comfort food recipes:

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