Please note that some of the links are affiliate links and I will earn a commission if you purchase through those links.
Amazing vegan meatballs with butternut squash, carrots and the most delicious combo of spices. Very easy recipe to make in only a few steps, and a meatless veggie ball recipe you have to try! Vegan + Gluten-Free!
Lately I have been making a lot of butternut squash since it is in season and so flavorful this time of year. It is also very versatile. You can make so many recipes with it, including these delicious Butternut Squash Vegan Meatballs.
I love to use leftover mashed anything to make cute little bite size dishes like this that my kids can dip in yummy sauces. Plus it gives me a chance to sneak some veggies into their food.
One of the best parts of this recipe is the fact that it only contains a few ingredients and I was able to pull it together while my kids were eating breakfast. If you have small children then you understand how triumphant I felt!
Why you will love this recipe
- It is an incredible meatless meatball recipe you will love!
- Super easy and can be pulled together in no time at all.
- Perfect for meal prep and to take on the go!
- It has butternut squash and carrots so you can easily sneak some veggies in.
- They are perfectly crispy but still tender and packed with flavor.
Ingredients needed to make these vegan meatballs
How to make these butternut squash vegan meatballs
- In a medium-size mixing bowl combine the squash, grated carrots, grated onions, flour, parsley, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, salt & pepper.
- Mix into a thick but slightly wet, chunky batter.
- Using a small ice cream scoop roll the batter into 12 even size balls and place them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet
- Brush each of them with a little olive oil and bake at 300 degrees F, for 35 minutes.
- Then increase the oven temperature to 350F degrees and cook them for another 12-15 minutes to get them nice and crispy.
- 1. Combine all ingredients into a mixing bowl
- 2. Mix to form a wet, chunky batter
- 3. Roll into even-size balls
- 4. Bake at 300 degrees for 35 minutes. Increase temp to 350 and bake for 12 more minutes
When they are done cooking, heat up a pan with some tomato sauce. Once the sauce is warmed, roll the vegan meatballs in the tomato sauce and top with more parsley and parmesan cheese. So good!!!!
Recipe Tips
- I like to make these with leftover squash but you can easily make some mashed squash by simply making roasted butternut squash and then blend it up with a splash or dairy-free milk, garlic and salt & pepper. You can even do this step ahead of time and store it in the fridge for a few days before making these meatballs.
- You can keep these gluten-free and use oat flour or gluten-free all purpose flour or regular flour if you don’t need them to be gluten-free.
- If the dough is too wet, then add in one tablespoon of flour. Make sure to use wet hands when rolling these meatballs.
- These can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- You can serve these over spaghetti squash, regular pasta, or even zucchini noodles. My kids also just like to dip them in tomato sauce mixed with ketchup.
Did you make this recipe? If you did, then please leave a rating and comment below. I would love to hear from you.
PrintButternut Squash Vegan Meatballs
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 people 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Amazing vegan meatballs with butternut squash, carrots and the most delicous combo of spices. Very easy to make in only a few steps, and a meatless meatball recipe you have to try! Vegan + Gluten-Free!
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked, mashed butternut squash
- 3/4 cup oat flour (or gluten-free all-purpose flour)
- 1/2 cup grated carrots
- 1/4 cup grated onion
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix to combine. Add more flour if the batter is too sticky.
- Using a small ice cream scoop or spoon, form the batter into 12 even-size balls and place them onto the parchment- lined baking sheet and brush each of the vegan meatballs with a little olive oil.
- Cook in the preheated oven at F 300 degrees for 35 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 350F degrees and place the baking sheet with the balls on the top rack of your oven. Cook for 12 more minutes, until brown on all sides.
- Remove from the oven, let cool and serve. You can also warm up some tomato sauce in a skillet and roll the meatball in it and server over your favorite pasta or veggie noodles.
Notes
- I like to make these with leftover squash but you can easily make some mashed squash by simply making roasted butternut squash and then blend it up with a splash or dairy-free milk, garlic and salt & pepper. You can even do this step ahead of time and store it in the fridge for a few days before making these meatballs.
- You can keep these gluten-free and use oat flour or gluten-free all purpose flour or regular flour if you don’t need them to be gluten-free.
- If the dough is too wet, then add in one tablespoon of flour. Make sure to use wet hands when rolling these meatballs.
- These veggie balls can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- You can serve these over spaghetti squash, regular pasta, or even zucchini noodles. My kids also just like to dip them in tomato sauce mixed with ketchup.
- Category: Healthy Dinner Ideas
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
I just made these and I’m not sure what went wrong for me, but they’re not fluffy inside at all, just gooey. I used white whole wheat flour instead of oat flour but I can’t imagine that would be the issue. I followed the bake time exactly, and it’s not that they’re too dense, they’re just still gooey. This looked super tasty, I’m bummed they didn’t turn out.
Hi Kathleen, so sorry they didn’t turn out well for you. It may be because white whole wheat flour is denser than oat flour, which is much lighter and therefore using white whol wheat flour can really impact the results of this recipe.
I just made these, texture and flavor was really good. Rolled up so similar to meat balls, I was pleasantly surprised by how well they did. I made my oat flour by grinding oatmeal. I also substituted oregano, Italian seasonings, 1 tsp each for the cumin as I was starving with spaghetti sauce and I added some cayenne pepper. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
★★★★★
Hi Kelly, so glad you liked them!
Question: Would you recommend freezing for these if I wanted to whip up a larger batch?
Hi Stacia, I tried freezing these and they did not freeze well. They got mushy and lost flavor when reheated from frozen. After you make them, you can store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days and reheat them on the stove top or in the oven at 350 degrees F.
Can you use almond flour?
Hi Cathy, I tried these with almond flour and they did not stay together as well. The Gluten Free All Purpose Flour holds up much better since it is a blend of flours.
Also should the carrots be cooked prior to making the balls?
Hi Cathy, because the carrots are shredded, they do not need to be cooked before adding them to the mixture. They will cook up once you bake the veggie meatballs.