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Ohhh m'dear lord or lady (or in-betweenie guy), these vegan Swedish meatballs? On top of making the ones from the Ikea food court look downright dreadful, they're also about to move into your weekly dinner rotation and refuse to leave. Hyper-meaty and with delicious creamy gravy that makes this as amazing for carnivores as it is for vegan folks.
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Fun fact break: "Köttbullar" (yeah, that's how you say meatballs in Swedish) has been around since 1755. Some food nerds even say King Charles XII brought the idea back from Turkey after hanging out with the köfte crowd who are the masters of the OG vegetarian meatballs from mercimek köfte, and ciğ köfte, to less-ball-shaped fellah köftesi. Now it's a national treasure especially around Christmas time when it's served with potatoes, vegan gravy, and a festive spoon of lingonberry jam or Bourbon cranberry sauce.
In my version, we're rocking nutmeg, thyme, and lots of aromatics, but also making it so this whole meal comes together lightning fast
Now grab that bowl, channel your inner Swedish grandma (whyyyy will you not let that poor lady out from the confines of your skin suit?), and let's make the best vegan Swedish meatballs to ever have graced your noodles.
Didn't even have to ask...after the first bite, my hubs blurted out, "This is a TEN!" 🤭
Since it's just us, I made the full batch but froze most of the meatballs for easy future meals and halved the gravy. Served the rest over leftover brown rice, and wow… this one's earned a permanent spot on my monthly rotation!
The gravy's rich and perfectly seasoned...nutmeg and thyme hit just right! The meatballs held beautifully, even after freezing. Everyday ingredients, totally freezer-friendly, and guest-approved!
Jump to:
🥰 Why you'll adore this vegan Swedish meatballs recipe
✊ Vegan AF: Picture it: the smell of gravy in the air, Mariah Carey singing "All I Want for Christmas Is You" in the background, and not a single moo or oink silenced on this night. Like all my vegan Christmas recipes, this one's cruelty-free, cholesterol-free, and absurdly freakin' delicious.
🛒 Simple Ingredients, Big Payoff: Yeah, I know, I've made you Google ingredients before like "wtf even is a tatli biber salçası?" But I'm keeping it dead simple this time, just everyday pantry stuff.
✅ Tested and Approved Worldwide: I don't post any vegan recipes until they survive the trials my testers put them through. Over 800 home cooks from dozens of countries made this and sent pics that looked suspiciously better than mine and I'm not even complaining. I love to see 'em!
I'm on my knees staring weirdly into your eyes, asking you in a soothing voice to be my taste-testing partner in crime. Sign up for the recipe testing crew and get early access to new recipes before they're published.
🍝 Vegan Swedish Meatballs Ingredients
Vegan Ground Beef
Plant-based grounds like Beyond meat or Impossible deliver that "meaty but not meat" texture I always look for when mimicking a carnivore's dish. But if you don't want to make this with a store-bought meat, just throw my seitan chicken in the food processor and grind it to bits. You may need extra flour to bring them together, but I've done meatballs like this on my food truck for years, and it's a similar process to making the Beastmode Burger I am kinda famous for.
Mushroom Powder
Listen, if you aren't using mushroom powder yet, fix your life. Go with a brand that's porcini-loaded if you want that maximum dark, brooding umami. If there's any left after making this and you have no clue what to do with the stuff, you can use it in a ton of my vegan meat recipes, may it be vegan ham, rice paper bacon, or vegan carne asada.
Miso Paste
All the salting inside the balls comes from miso. White miso is my personal fave and it's the most versatile for using in other things (vegan parmesan, tofu turkey, vegan scrambled eggs etc).
Panko Breadcrumbs
For making this gluten-free, use crushed rice crackers or certified gluten free great bread crumbs.
Vegan Butter
Vegan butter works better than olive oil for the roux that will thicken your gravy. I like the Earth Balance buttery sticks for everyday use, but Trader Joe's version totally holds its own and costs a little less.
If you're the DIY typa freak, I break it all down in the vegan dairy crash course where I show how to whip up your own butter from scratch.
Vegetable Stock
The stock thins the roux and turns it from paste into full-blown gravy. I use unsalted stock so I can season it exactly where I want it. If you can't find unsalted, just pull back on the tamari to taste.
Tamari
Tamari contributes saltiness and a rounded umami tone that ties the sauce together. I use it because my wife's gluten-free, and it's annoying to keep multiple soy sauces around just for one recipe. Regular soy sauce or liquid aminos work fine here too, just tweak the amount so it's your desired level of saltiness.
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
🤯 How to make Gluten-Free Vegan Swedish Meatballs
I've got two easy options for ya:
- Simply replace the breadcrumbs in this awesome recipe with GF breadcrumbs, and the flour in the gravy with a 1:1 gluten-free flour mix, and you are good to go.
- Use my gluten-free vegan meatballs recipe, adding a little allspice to them, and then use one of the many GF gravy recipes on my site like onion gravy, or vegan brown gravy.
Grab my easy-yo-use app that builds your whole week with real, chef-tested vegan dinners in 30 seconds, customized to your budget, time, and taste, with a shopping list sorted by aisle.
📖 How to make Vegan Swedish Meatballs
Wanna crush this vegan version of Sweedie Meaties on your first try? Follow the step-by-step pics and my no-BS tips, and you'll be plating magic in no time. Or, if you're a "cut to the chase" kind of legend wannabe, scroll down to the bottom for the printable recipe card and get cookin'.
Step One
Meatwood Mac:
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly brush it with olive oil.
In a large mixing bowl, combine onions, garlic (not garlic powder), vegan mince, thyme, allspice, black pepper, mushroom powder, crushed red pepper flakes, miso paste, parsley, dijon mustard, and panko breadcrumbs. Mix until everything is evenly incorporated and the texture feels firm enough to form from the breadcrumbs.
✅ Some store-bought vegan beef blends are wetter than others. If the mixture doesn't feel like it will form balls that stay together, trust your instincts and add a wee bit more breadcrumbs.
Step Two
Ballout Boy (oh wait, that pun sounds gross):
Shape the mixture into meatballs approximately 1½ inches (4 cm) in diameter. Arrange them evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and roll them gently to ensure they are coated all around.
Step Three
Baking and Entering:
Bake for 18 minutes, turning the meatballs once halfway through, until they are firm and browned all over.
Step Four
Graved by the Bell:
While the meatballs bake, melt vegan butter in a saucepan over medium heat. After about 90 seconds, when the butter begins to bubble, whisk in the flour. Continue whisking for 2 minutes to form a smooth roux.
Step Five
Oregano Your Enemy:
Add nutmeg, oregano, and black pepper to the roux. Whisk briefly to bloom the spices in the hot oil.
Step Six
Jailhouse Stock:
Slowly pour in the plant-based milk (soy milk is ideal, but even coconut milk is fine if you hate soy) while whisking continuously. Add the vegetable stock and tamari, then continue whisking for 5-6 minutes until the sauce thickens and becomes smooth.
Step Seven
Meat Me in St. Louis:
Transfer the baked meatballs to the saucepan with the gravy. Spoon the sauce over them and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes, allowing them to absorb the flavors.
Garnish with freshly chopped fresh parsley and minced chives before serving.
💡Serving Ideas
If you're serving up vegan Swedish meatballs, back them up with sides that can vibe with it.
Plop them on a heap of dairy-free mashed potatoes so the gravy can slide in and make itself at home. Roast up some maple-balsamic Brussels sprouts and carrots, or roasted parsnips for that sweet-savory deliciousness that'll have non-veggie eaters asking for moarrrr veggies.
A side of vegan stuffing or vegan green bean casserole? Roasted garlic parsnip purée or harissa carrots keep the plate colorful and full of nourishment. And if you are rocking these balls over noodles, don't skip the vegan garlic bread which is fast and crazy-easy to make. It's there to soak up all the mess on the plate and your dishwasher will be sending thank you notes to you later.
👉Top tips
- Don't drown the mix: Not all store-bought vegan meat is built the same.If your meatball mixture is swimming in moisture, it's game over. Start with less liquid and test-roll one ball first. If it feels too wet, knead in a bit more panko or a small amount of flour to bind the meat.
- Rotate your tray: Ovens love to act shady and play favorites with which side gets more heat, so give your baking sheet a halfway spin.
- Whisk like your rent's due: Keep that whisk moving as you add the liquids to your gravy. That's how you get smoooth, lump-free gravy instead of something that looks like a bowl of leftover cereal that you found in your teenager's room. If you still end up with few lumps? Who cares! Or hit it with the blender and pretend you never saw them.
- Fix that gravy on the fly: If your sauce gets too thick, loosen it with a splash of stock or milk. Too runny? Add a bit of starch slurry. Look at you, out here fixing things like a grown-ass cowboy, or whatever.
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
Whisk together a small slurry of flour or cornstarch and water in a small cup and then stir it into the gravy to thicken it.
🥶 Refrigerating
Transfer the meatballs and gravy sauce to an airtight container once completely cooled. They'll stay solid for about 4 days. If you kept the gravy and meatballs separate, nice job! You'll get way better texture of meat when reheating.
❄️ Freezing
For longer storage, freeze the cooked meatballs and gravy in separate reusable freezer-safe containers. They'll last up to 3 months. Let them cool fully before freezing to avoid ice crystals.
🕯 Thawing
Move the containers from the freezer to the fridge and let them thaw overnight. If you're in a rush, place the sealed container in a bowl of cold water for about an hour and it'll soften up just fine.
🔥 Stovetop Reheating
Add the thawed meatballs and gravy to a saucepan and warm over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring gently to keep the gravy smooth. If it thickens too much, add a splash of vegetable stock or plant milk to loosen it.
✌️You'll love these vegan holiday recipes too:
Vegan Swedish Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for greasing the pan
- ½ cup onion minced
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 lb. Vegan ground beef Beyond Meat, Impossible, etc.
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons mushroom powder
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 4 teaspoons miso paste
- ¼ cup parsley minced
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 4 teaspoons olive oil
For the Gravy:
- 5 tablespoons vegan butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup unsweetened plant-based milk
- 2 cups unsalted vegetable stock
- 3 tablespoons tamari or other soy sauce of your preference
Optional Garnishes:
- Chopped parsley
- Minced chives
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly grease it with olive oil. In a mixing bowl, combine the onions, garlic, vegan mince, thyme, allspice, black pepper, mushroom powder, crushed red pepper flakes, miso paste, parsley, dijon mustard, and panko breadcrumbs. Mix until the ingredients are evenly mixed and the meat is firmer feeling from the breadcrumbs binding it.
- Form the mixture into meatballs roughly 1 ½ inches (4 cm) in diameter and arrange them evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle lightly with the remaining olive oil, and roll the balls around the tray so that they are coated all over.
- Bake for 18 minutes, turning once halfway through, until firm and browned all around.
- While the meatballs bake, prepare the gravy. Melt the vegan butter in a saucepan over medium heat. After 90 seconds, when the butter is hot and bubbling, add the flour and whisk continuously for 2 minutes to create a roux.
- Add the nutmeg, oregano, and black pepper, whisking briefly to combine.
- Gradually pour in the plant-based milk while whisking, then add the vegetable stock and tamari. Continue whisking for 5-6 minutes until the sauce thickens and becomes smooth.
- Add the baked meatballs to the pan with the gravy. Spoon the sauce over them and simmer for 5 minutes over low heat until evenly coated and heated through.
- Garnish with parsley and minced chives to serve.
Notes
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Meg says
The gravy is soooo good. I did add some chilli flakes because I’m addicted to chilli…I made the lentil meatballs instead of the ones here, I didn’t have any fake meat or seitan. (I don’t like cooked tomato so needed something else to smother them with!)
Saige says
I brought these to a Christmas party and they were a hit! I used a blend of Impossible beef, about 1/3, and the rest was blitzed up seitan I had saved in the freezer that was leftover from making the chicken noodle soup recipe on this site. Served with the garlic bread and ricotta recipes also from this site. All equally delicious!
Paige Davis says
We thoroughly enjoyed this dish, which I made using Beyond plant meat. I followed the recipe exactly as written and the flavors were scrumptious. Definitely a nice change of pace, easy to make, and very satisfying to eat on a cold Seattle night.
Marna says
YAY Sweden and Adam!! This is divine! I had ALL of the ingredients, too, so it came together easily and quickly! I had some Pappardelle noodles I made tossed with V. butter to serve with this SVedish classic...had just a few meatballs left over so the next day my guys delighted in making meatball sandwiches for the first time ever and are now begging for more!
Tee Hansen says
Didn’t even have to ask...after the first bite, my hubs blurted out, “This is a TEN!” 🤭
Since it’s just us, I made the full batch but froze most of the meatballs for easy future meals and halved the gravy. Served the rest over leftover brown rice, and wow… this one’s earned a permanent spot on my monthly rotation!
The gravy’s rich and perfectly seasoned...nutmeg and thyme hit just right! The meatballs held beautifully, even after freezing. Everyday ingredients, totally freezer-friendly, and guest-approved!