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Incredible Eggplant Meatballs made with hearty eggplant, flavor packed mushrooms, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Kid-friendly and perfect for spaghetti and meatball dinners! Vegetarian and Gluten Free!
I love meatballs of any kind. If you love them as much as I do then you will love these easy Eggplant Meatballs. These vegetarian Meatballs can be made in only a few easy steps, and are absolutely the BEST I have had yet!
They don’t fall apart, resemble traditional meatballs, and are full of veggies like eggplant and mushrooms.
This eggplant meatballs recipe is so good I had to stop myself from eating too many and the kids absolutely loved them! They are perfect for a meatless Monday feast!
We are also obsessed with this healthy eggplant Parmesan that is another easy way to get some veggies in.
Things to love about these Eggplant Meatballs
- Firm on the outside but tender on the inside
- Hearty and full of good for you veggies like eggplant and mushrooms
- Oh so tasty and healthy!
- Easy “meatless” meatball recipe with only a few steps
- Perfect for meal prep
Ingredients needed to make eggplant meatballs
These meatballs are made of only a few simple ingredients.
How to make easy baked Eggplant Meatballs
- Roast the eggplant and mushrooms: Dice the eggplant, chop the mushrooms, place the chopped eggplant and mushrooms onto a baking sheet, drizzle them with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Toss and bake in the oven at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes. Remove and let cool for a few minutes.
- Blend the veggies: Add the roasted veggies to a food processor and pulse a few times to break them down. Then combine that mixture with the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly. Cover and chill the mixture in the fridge for 15 minutes to set up.
- Make the meatless meatballs: After the mixture chills, roll the mixture into even-sized balls and place onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
- Bake the meatballs: Preheat the oven 400 degrees F. Place the meatballs into the oven and bake them for 20-25 minutes until they are golden brown. Cook’s tip: I recommend using a small ice cream scoop to scoop the mixture out of the bowl to help ensure they are all the same size for even cooking times.
That’s it! Then you can cook these eggplant meatballs in your favorite tomato sauce and top them with some more fresh herbs, and you are ready for a “meatless” meatball feast.
Storage Tips
You can easily store these meatballs after you make them. Simply let them cool completely and transfer them to an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator for up to four days.
These meatballs can also be frozen. See the recipe notes below on how to freeze them.
Reheating tips
To reheat these eggplant meatballs, place them in a pan with your favorite tomato sauce, toss them in the sauce and simmer on low for a few minutes to warm them up.
You can also reheat these meatballs in the oven on a baking sheet at 375 degrees F for 7-10 minutes.
What to serve with Eggplant meatballs
There are so many ways to enjoy these meatballs.
- On top of veggies like this Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash or these Butternut Squash Noodles.
- Pair them with a delicious salad: Such as this Easy Kale Salad, Roasted Butternut Squash and Beets Salad, Italian Chopped Salad, or this Kale and Brussel Sprout Salad.
- On top of these Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes or alongside some Mashed Butternut Squash.
- Top them with some vegan parmesan cheese.
Can you cook these meatballs in the air fryer?
Yes you can! To cook them in the air fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 390 degrees F. Spray the basket with olive oil spray and place the rolled meatballs into the air fryer basket in a single layer (not overlapping). Close and cook the meatballs for 7-10 minutes until golden brown.
Here are some more meatless recipes you may also enjoy!
Looking for more meatless recipes! Here are a few I absolutely love!
- Healthy Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan
- Amazing Portobello Mushroom Parmesan
- Butternut Squash Vegan Meatballs
- Healthy Black Bean Burger
- Chickpea Cauliflower Burger
- Kale and Squash Quinoa Patties
- Easy Baked Eggplant Fries
Recipe Tips and Variations
- The best type of eggplant to use in these eggplant meatballs. I prefer to use a smaller eggplant with thinner skin like a graffiti eggplant since you don’t need to peel it before roasting it. You could also use a standard Italian eggplant but would need to peel it before dicing it up for roasting in this recipe since the skin is slightly thicker.
- How to pick a ripe eggplant. To choose a ripe eggplant, go for one that is small to medium in size and not too large since larger eggplant will not have as much flavor and tend to be less sweet and more bitter in taste. You also want to look for eggplant that has a smooth, shiny skin that is pretty uniform in color. Test ripeness by pressing a finger lightly on the skin of the eggplant. If it leaves an imprint then it is ripe!
- Best mushrooms to use in this eggplant meatball recipe. I always opt for baby Bella (cremini) or portobello mushrooms in all of my recipes since they are meatier in taste and pack more nutrition than white button mushrooms or shitake mushrooms.
- If you don’t want to use cashews, you can pulse other types of nuts like walnuts or almonds. Breadcrumbs also work fine in place of the cashews but I really love the added texture that the pulsed nuts give these meatballs.
- Can you freeze eggplant meatballs? Yes, you can! See recipe notes for how to freeze and reheat these meatballs.
Did you make this recipe? If you did, then please leave a rating and comment below. You can also tag me on Instagram @pinchmegoodfood so I can see your creation.
This recipe and post have been updated with additional process photos and an updated recipe card.
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Easy Baked Eggplant Meatballs
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 people 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Incredible ” meatless” meatballs made with hearty eggplant, flavor-packed mushrooms, garlic, and cilantro, formed into these crazy good balls of delicious joy that you MUST try! Kid-friendly and perfect for spaghetti and meatball dinners!
Ingredients
- 1 medium-size eggplant peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
- 1-pint baby Bella mushrooms (chopped)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup cashews (pulsed in a food processor or crushed)
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 cup breadcrumbs (any kind will work)
- 1 large egg (lightly whisked)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 1.5 tablespoons Italian seasoning
For serving
- 2 cups of your favorite tomato sauce
- Fresh chopped basil or parsley
- Shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
Roast the veggies
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the diced eggplant to a medium-size mixing bowl, drizzle on one tablespoon of olive oil and some salt and pepper and toss to coat. Spread the eggplant out evenly on half of the baking sheet.
- Add the sliced mushrooms to the same mixing bowl you tossed the eggplant in and drizzle them with one tablespoon of olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle on the one tablespoon of dried thyme and pepper and toss. Do not add salt to the mushrooms or they won’t brown as well in the oven.
- Lay the mushrooms out evenly on the other half of the baking sheet that the eggplant is on and bake for 12-15 minutes in the preheated oven. Once the veggies are finished cooking, set them aside to cool for a few minutes, and sprinkle the salt over the mushrooms.
Make the meatless meatball mixture
- After the veggies are cooled, add them to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until they are minced and resemble ground meat. Pour the mixture into a medium-size mixing bowl. If you do not have a food processor, then you can still make these meatballs, but they may be a little chunkier. Just use a potato masher to mash them instead of a food processor.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and mix. I just used my hands, but you can use a rubber spatula to mix everything up.
- Cover and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
Form and bake the meatballs
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and turn the oven down to 400 degrees F.
- Using an ice cream scoop or just your hands, form about 15-20 even sized balls with the mixture and place them evenly onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in the 400F degree oven for 20-25 minutes until they are nice and golden brown.
Serve
- To serve: Heat some tomato sauce in a skillet on the stove to low heat. Once hot and starting to bubble toss the meatballs in the tomato sauce and let them cook for 1-2 minutes in the sauce. Plate, top with some fresh basil and grated parmesan, and ENJOY!
Notes
- Best type of eggplant to use in these eggplant meatballs. I prefer to use a smaller eggplant with thinner skin like a graffiti eggplant since you don’t need to peel it before roasting it. You could also use a standard Italian eggplant but would need to peel it before dicing it up for roasting in this recipe since the skin is slightly thicker.
- How to pick a ripe eggplant. To choose a ripe eggplant, go for one that is small to medium in size and not too large since larger eggplant will not have as much flavor and tend to be less sweet and more bitter in taste. You also want to look for eggplant that has a smooth, shiny skin that is pretty uniform in color. Test ripeness by pressing a finger lightly on the skin of the eggplant. If it leaves an imprint then it is ripe!
- Best mushrooms to use in this eggplant meatball recipe. I always opt for baby Bella (cremini) or portobello mushrooms in all of my recipes since they are meatier in taste and pack more nutrition than white button mushrooms or shitake mushrooms.
- If you don’t want to use cashews, you can pulse other types of nuts like walnuts or almonds. Breadcrumbs also work fine in place of the cashews but I really love the added texture that the pulsed nuts give these meatballs.
- To make this vegan, you can sub the egg with a flax egg and sub the parmesan with vegan parmesan cheese.
- You can store these in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days! To reheat: warm them in a pan on the stovetop with your favorite tomato sauce or in the microwave.
- To freeze these meatballs raw or cooked: You will need to place them into a freezer-friendly airtight container and separate them with wax paper so they do not stick together. They should freeze for about 2-3 months.
- To cook them from frozen: Simply remove them from the freezer, let them thaw on the counter for 30 minutes then cook them per the recipe cooking instructions.
- To cook them from cooked-frozen state: Let them thaw on the counter for 20 minutes. Cook them on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 F degrees for 15 minutes. Add them to a pan with your favorite red sauce, cook for a few more minutes in the sauce, serve and ENJOY!
- To cook in the air fryer. Preheat the air fryer to 390 degrees F. Spray the basket with olive oil spray and place the rolled meatballs into the air fryer in a single layer (not overlapping). Close and cook the meatballs for 7-10 minutes until golden brown.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Healthy Dinner Ideas
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
I made these last night and was a little skeptical if they would really work as “meatballs.” Wow! They came our great! Great flavor, nice texture (didn’t fall apart like lots of veggie subsitutes), and worked great with pasta and tomato sauce. And they made enough for several meals. Thanks for a recipe I’ll make again and again.
★★★★★
Hi Kathy, Thank you so much! I am so glad you liked them. They are my absolute favorite meatless meatballs!
Hi! What could I use as a substitute for Parmesan cheese??
Hi Maya, vegan parmesan cheese would work or you could use breadcrumbs.
Is there a substitute for the cashews ? Thanks
Hi Linda, You could use breadcrumbs in place of the cashews.
I love these. I made them for myself for a family dinner. And my meat eaters also enjoyed them.
★★★★★
Hi Tami, I’m so happy you and your family liked them!
Excellent recipe! Made it for the second time tonight. This time I sliced the eggplant to roast it, so I could peel it after it cooked. Also used almond meal instead of cashews, cause that’s what I had. Very delicious! A big hit with my picky husband. Thank you!
★★★★★
That’s so great Debra! These are by far my favorite meatless meatballs! So glad you and your husband liked them.
Have you ever fried rather than baked them?
Hi John, I have not tried frying them since I believe they would fall apart.
Did a fried vs. baked taste test w/the hubbie and the fried definitely won (in a shallow saute pan). Did not fall apart, and the baked tends to dry out more. Delicious, even for my meat-lover husband – thank you for sharing!
★★★★
Oh that is so good to hear! Thank you so much for sharing.
Is there a substitute or can you skip the cashews for calorie reduction?
Hi Donna, I have used a combo of pulsed walnuts and almond which have less calories, and that worked very well. Also, I bet if you used breadcrumbs in place of the cashews that would work, although I have not tested that out yet.
Tried them today. Love love love them. And served them with a homemade tomato sauce with a little Panama Chile. Mmmm love. Besides I love everything that is baked Thank you for sharing
Hi Rosa! I am so glad you liked them. This is one of my family’s favorites as well!
This looks so good! What a great way to use this veggie to make a pasta dish more healthy!
Thanks for sharing! What a great way to prep this garden veggie to use throughout the year!
Thank you so much, Vanessa!
I made these tonight— these are so delicious!! They look like regular meatballs but I think are even tastier! The only thing is they fell apart a little easy — wondering if I should put 2 eggs in? But other than that they are great! I’ll have to check out your other recipes….I’m trying to work in a few meatless options.
★★★★★
Hi Pat, Thank you for your comment. Yes, adding an egg would help bind the mixture better as well as putting the mixture in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before you roll the meatballs. I will add that in the notes section of the recipe card. Also, make sure that you pulse the veggies really well so they are fully broken down. I am so glad you liked them!
Do you have any recommendations for Worcestershire sauce substitutes? Could ketchup work?
Thank you! Looking forward to making this today!
Hi LLana, ketchup would totally work as a substitute.
WOW !!!! Amazing ! ..I used no cheese and 1/2 cup gluten free panko …added 1/2 pinto more mushrooms and chopped roasted red pepper … SO Good !!! Thank You !!
★★★★★
Hi Kate! I am so happy you liked them!
Could you recommend a substitute for the mushrooms?
Hi Vanna, unfortunately the two main ingredients in this recipe are eggplant and mushrooms. You could try to just use more eggplant (same amount as the mushrooms). Although I haven’t tested it out that way, I believe it may work.
I’m going to be that person who reviews even though I changed the recipe quite a bit. The ones I made were really good though. I didn’t have mushrooms so I just did more eggplant (I’m growing it and have an abundance). I used almond flour instead of cashews and I used parsley instead of cilantro. I also smoked them in the traeger instead of cooking them in the oven (I often do this to not heat up my house in the summer). They were a lot better than I was expecting. The first night I had them with sautéed zucchini and summer squash with marinara over them. Later in the week, we ate the rest of them with a sweet and sour sauce with stir fry vegetables. Both were good.
I also don’t have a food processor so I tried mashing the eggplant with a potato masher but it didn’t work all that well. I ended up using my emersion blender thing and that worked perfectly.
The process of roasting the eggplant and then mashing it was time consuming. I’m really tempted to put them in the instant pot instead. Anyone try this?
★★★★★
Thank you for your review Ashleigh. All of your points are so good and I love the idea of cooking the eggplant in the instant pot. You can also roast the eggplant and mushrooms in the air fryer. I will be adding that as a variation to the recipe. I also really liked the idea of using the immersion blender to mash up the eggplant. All great ideas!
What is the allergic to mushrooms and peanuts and you love to make the eggplant meatballs what else can you use in place of it
Hi Christine, You can try to use zucchini or chickpeas. Although I have not tested it that way.
Do you use cashews AND bread crumbs, or just one or the other?
Hi Sue, the recipes calls for a combination of cashews and breadcrumbs.
So good! I used ground almonds since it’s what I had, panko bread crumbs, and left out the cilantro. My small cookie scoop broke so I used my ice cream scoop that made 12, and baked them for 30 minutes to account for the larger size. They will be added to the recipe rotation, thank you!
★★★★★
Hi Carrie, I am so happy you liked them.
Love these! Tastes so good! A keeper for sure!
★★★★★
These look great. From the photos, it appears you used roasted cashews, not raw? Is that correct?
Hi Rosemary, I used store-bought roasted unsalted cashews in the recipe. Enjoy!