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Cauliflower quinoa meatballs on a baking tray.

Easy Vegan Meatballs (gluten free & oil free friendly)

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 30 meatballs
Author: Tracy Halasz

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 head cauliflower, florets (5-6 cups)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ - 1 teaspoon black pepper coarse ground

Meatball Mixture

  • 2 cups quinoa, cooked
  • 2 teaspoons dry oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dry basil or Italian spice
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ cup breadcrumbs (or panko)
  • 2-4 tablespoons flour, all purpose or gluten free
  • 2-3 tablespoons plant based milk, aquafaba or water
  • 2-3 tablespoons basil, parsley or cilantro, chopped
  • 1-2 tablespoons sriracha (optional)

Optional Additions

  • ⅓ - ½ cup vegan cheese
  • 2 flax eggs

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400º F.

Bake the Cauliflower (can be prepared in advance)

  • Chop the cauliflower into florets (approximately 5-6 cups). Toss with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and the spices in a large bowl. Arrange on a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer.
  • Roast for ~20 minutes, stir and return to oven for another 5 minutes until the cauliflower is tender and taking on some color. *The cooking time will depend on the size the chopped cauliflower.
  • Transfer the roasted cauliflower to a food processor and pulse several times to rice it; but don't overprocess so it's mushy. Should be the size of rice (see photos for texture).

Make the Quinoa (can be prepared in advance)

  • Cook ¾ cup quinoa* as per package instructions. Quinoa can be made several days/weeks in advance to save time. *(If you have leftover cooked quinoa, you'll need ~2 cups).

Veggie Meatball Mixture

  • Transfer the cauliflower, quinoa, and all other ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir until everything is incorporated. The mixture will be sticky and bind together when squeezed in your hand. If not sticking, add another tablespoon of flour and/or water and mix thoroughly.
  • Using 1 heaping tablespoonful of filling, roll ~28-30* ping pong size balls by squeezing the filing together to make a tight ball. Use a bit less filling to make more meatballs ~40.

Oven Baked Method (meatballs)

  • Place the balls on a parchment lined baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray or brush with olive oil.
  • Bake for 15 minutes or until they start to turn golden on top. Gently roll them to flip and cook another 5-10 minutes or until golden (*cooking time will depend on meatball size).

Oven Baked Method (mini muffin pan)

  • Spray the mini muffin pan with cooking spray OR lightly grease the pan with some vegan butter so the meatballs don't stick. Press a meatball into each baking cup. Lightly spray the top with cooking spray or brush with oil for extra crispiness (optional).
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes at 400ºF until golden (depending on the size of balls).
  • Remove from oven. Let cool 1-2 minutes then flip out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Air Fryer Method

  • Spray air fryer basket with cooking spray or use parchment. Preheat for 2-3 minutes at 360º F.
  • Place veggie balls in the air fryer basket with space between. Give them a light spray with cooking spray for extra crispiness (optional).
  • Air fry the vegan meatballs for 9-15 minutes* total. Stop halfway through and gently shake the basket to flip the meatballs to ensure even browning. *The cooking time will vary depending on the type of air fryer, how many meatballs are in each batch, and how big the meatballs are. Cook until golden and crispy.
  • Once cool enough to touch, transfer to a cooling rack.

To Serve

  • The cauliflower balls firm up as they cool down. Enjoy AS IS or with your favorite dipping sauce, pasta sauce, soup, salad or in a sandwich or wrap!

Notes

Yield: This recipe makes 20-28 ping pong size meatballs or up to 40 smaller meatballs.
Cauliflower Options: Could sub in same amount of frozen cauliflower rice then follow the recipe for seasoning and roasting.
Play with Spice: Swap the Italian spices and use taco seasoning, Greek or Indian spices. Add more or less seasoning to suit your taste.
Binder Options: Swap the plant based milk/water for 3-4 tablespoons of aquafaba (chickpea liquid) or use 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons ground flax + 5 tablespoons water mixed together and left to set) or ⅓ - ½ cup vegan cheese.
Cooking Times: The cooking times for all 3 methods will vary depending on the meatball size, how hot your oven runs, what type of air fryer you have, how many meatballs are in each batch, etc. So use this recipe's cooking times as a guideline and tweak as needed.
MILLION DOLLAR TIP: Out of the 3 cooking methods, the oven baked are the lightest and most delicate, the air fryer meatballs are the crispiest even without any oil, and the bites (made in the mini muffin pan) are the sturdiest and best size finger food for toddlers and kids. 
Leftovers (fridge): Leftover, cooked vegetarian meatballs keep well in the fridge for 3 or 4 days.
Leftovers (freezer): Place any leftover meatballs in an airtight freezer bag or container in the freezer for up to several months.