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    Vegan Cauliflower Meatballs

    January 12, 2018 By Rene 35 Comments

    These Vegan Cauliflower Meatballs are perfect for an easy dinner and packed full of healthy ingredients - plus they taste AMAZING! Serve over pasta with a classic marinara.

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    These Vegan Cauliflower Meatballs are perfect for an easy dinner and packed full of healthy ingredients (plus they taste AMAZING!). Serve over pasta with a classic marinara | ThisSavoryVegan.com #vegan #veggiemeatballs #veganuary

    I've tried a lot of the faux meats out there.

    The burgers, the hot dogs, the bacon, the sausage, the chicken.

    And while I think a lot of it tastes really good, there have definitely been a few duds.

    What do you expect though?

    Vegans have been around forever. But packaged vegan food has just seen a huge boom over the last couple years.

    It's going to take some time to perfect everything. Plus, we all have different tastebuds.

    I hear vegans say all the time that nutritional yeast tastes like cheese.

    Meanwhile I taste chalk.

    Hence why you will rarely see me use it in a recipe.

    These Vegan Cauliflower Meatballs are perfect for an easy dinner and packed full of healthy ingredients (plus they taste AMAZING!). Serve over pasta with a classic marinara | ThisSavoryVegan.com #vegan #veggiemeatballs #veganuary

    And while I have found plenty of meat substitutes that I love. One thing I haven't been able to buy pre-made is a good vegan meatball.

    And just because I haven't had it, doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

    But if I can create it at home, quickly & easily and made out of whole food ingredients, then why not do that instead?

    I mean, it tastes good and is good for you...I'm down with that.

    That is where these Vegan Cauliflower Meatballs come in.

    We're talking crispy on the outside, moist on the inside.

    We're talking fresh garlic & onions mixed in with Italian seasoning, bread crumbs and riced cauliflower.

    Basically...vegan heaven.

    If you're scared of cauliflower, the time has come to move past your fear.

    Believe me - I was afraid of it at a point in my life too.

    I know it can have a funky smell while you're cooking it. But with the right spices, you can transform cauliflower into a really amazing meal.

    And in this recipe in particular, you're not even going to know there is cauliflower in there.

    These Vegan Cauliflower Meatballs are perfect for an easy dinner and packed full of healthy ingredients (plus they taste AMAZING!). Serve over pasta with a classic marinara | ThisSavoryVegan.com #vegan #veggiemeatballs #veganuary

    Once you have your meatballs crispy and delicious, you can serve them with your favorite marinara sauce, fresh basil and vegan parmesan.

    Or add some pasta into the mix for a super filling meal.

    You could even serve these over zucchini noodles to really pile on the veggies.

    These are sure to be a hit with everyone at your dinner table!

    Need a tasty homemade marinara to go with those meatballs? Try out my Spicy Marinara Sauce recipe.

    These Vegan Cauliflower Meatballs are perfect for an easy dinner and packed full of healthy ingredients (plus they taste AMAZING!). Serve over pasta with a classic marinara | ThisSavoryVegan.com #vegan #veggiemeatballs #veganuary
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    4.43 from 7 votes

    Vegan Cauliflower Meatballs

    These Vegan Cauliflower Meatballs are perfect for an easy dinner and packed full of healthy ingredients - plus they taste AMAZING! Serve over pasta with a classic marinara.
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 30 minutes
    Total Time 40 minutes
    Servings 14 meatballs

    Ingredients

    • ½ head cauliflower cut in florets
    • 3 teaspoon olive oil separated + more for frying
    • ¼ red onion roughly chopped
    • 2-4 cloves garlic peeled and roughly chopped
    • 1 cup oats
    • ½ cup bread crumbs
    • 2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
    • salt & pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    • Spread cauliflower florets on baking sheet and drizzle 1 teaspoon of olive oil on top. Mix to spread oil evenly.
    • Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
    • While cauliflower is cooking, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Saute until onion is translucent (approx. 5-7 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside.
    • Remove cauliflower from the oven.
    • Add cauliflower, oats and garlic & onion mixture to a food processor. Pulse until combined. Transfer to a bowl.
    • Add bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper and remaining teaspoon of olive oil. Stir to combine.
    • Take 2 tablespoons of mixture in your hand and roll into a ball.* Place finished balls on a parchment lined baking sheet.** Once all of the balls have been formed, place them in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.***
    • Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the same pan and place on the stove over medium-high heat.
    • Place meatballs in the pan and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until browned on all sides and warmed through. Lower heat to medium if they begin to brown too quickly.
    • Serve with warm marinara, fresh basil and vegan parmesan.

    Notes

    *If mixture isn't sticking together, place in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm everything up.
    **Be sure to press meatballs firmly together so they don't break apart while cooking.
    ***If you plan on using these at a later time, freeze them for the 10-15 minutes and then place them in a parchment lined tupperware. Place back in the freezer until ready to use. Follow remaining instructions as stated.

    This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase I will receive a small percentage of the sale. Please know I would never link a product unless I have personally used it and loved it!

    If you make this recipe be sure to snap a photo + post it + and tag #thissavoryvegan and @thissavoryvegan!

    These Vegan Cauliflower Meatballs are perfect for an easy dinner and packed full of healthy ingredients (plus they taste AMAZING!). Serve over pasta with a classic marinara | ThisSavoryVegan.com #vegan #veggiemeatballs #veganuary
    « 3 Oil Free Vegan Dressings
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Randy

      May 05, 2020 at 5:20 am

      Had these twice and really enjoyed them. First time was using your recipe exactly the second time a I added 3/4 cup of pre-cooked quinoa and reduced the oats by half and reduces breadcrumbs by 1/3. I had to up the Italian seasoning and added a pinch of red pepper. Wow they were great and the quinoa added protein. They are on the edge of needing a binder so...

      Reply
      • Randy

        May 05, 2020 at 2:26 pm

        5 stars
        Sorry, I missed rating these in both recipe options. Five star for both.

        Reply
        • Rene

          May 07, 2020 at 8:51 am

          Thanks so much! So glad you liked these 🙂

          Reply
    2. Sue W

      April 24, 2020 at 4:14 pm

      1 star
      These need a binder and more seasonings. Mine just fell apart in the skillet. I also put in fridge to help hold them together. I compressed them all I could. What a mess! ?

      Reply
      • Rene

        April 29, 2020 at 6:51 am

        So sorry this didn't work out for you!

        Reply
    3. Hayley

      December 09, 2019 at 5:50 pm

      Could you bake the meatballs instead of pan frying?

      Reply
    4. Max Bledsoe

      September 03, 2019 at 2:34 pm

      5 stars
      Made these for the first time last night for the family and I. They were freaking awesome. Taste like they came from the store. No joke. Our girls are very picky. They loved them (: Thank you for a great recipe. Will be saving and making again.

      Reply
      • Rene

        September 06, 2019 at 9:58 am

        Awesome! So glad they were a hit with the whole family. Can't go wrong with great taste while sneaking in some veggies 😉

        Reply
    5. Patty Malek

      May 16, 2019 at 2:02 pm

      5 stars
      We loved it!! I doubled the recipe to have extra to freeze. I'm so happy I found you, this is the third recipe from your site, they are all winners!!!

      Reply
      • Rene

        May 24, 2019 at 7:30 am

        Woo who - so happy you've liked everything you've tried so far. And I love having these in the freezer - makes for such an easy dinner later on!

        Reply
    6. Naomi

      March 29, 2019 at 3:37 am

      I am so glad you do not use nutritional yeast as it is MSG. So many vegans are eating it and harming their health in the long run. Source: Medical Medium by Anthony William. I only tried it once and it gave me a head ache and researched it to find the truth.

      This looks delicious. I will be making it today lasagne style to save time. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Rene

        March 30, 2019 at 8:10 pm

        Yum! Lasagna-style sounds amazing!

        Reply
      • SG

        April 07, 2020 at 2:24 pm

        Nutritional yeast does not contain MSG unless it is added. It contains some of the same compounds as MSG, but they do not behave the same in the body.

        Reply
    7. Nikki

      March 16, 2019 at 2:31 pm

      Do you think, or know if using Panko crumbs vs breadcrumbs would work just the same? I realize it calls for Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, so I was thinking I could add my own blend of Italian seasoning to my Panko breadcrumbs? That is, if the use of them would suffice. Thank you in advance.

      Reply
    8. Margaret

      February 28, 2019 at 8:23 am

      What is the nutritional value of these?

      Reply
    9. Lynn

      February 22, 2019 at 5:05 pm

      I would also like to know what kind of oats you used.

      Reply
      • Rene

        February 23, 2019 at 4:13 pm

        Just good old traditional Quaker Oats. Nothing fancy. 🙂

        Reply
      • Kelsey

        January 21, 2020 at 10:28 am

        I would too like to know what type of oats?.. one minute? Old fashioned?

        Reply
        • Rene

          January 21, 2020 at 3:14 pm

          Just traditional old fashioned oats 🙂

          Reply
    10. Asante

      January 18, 2019 at 9:25 am

      The oats, are they quick, steel cut, rolled? Are the for texture or absorption?

      Reply
    11. Abbi

      October 06, 2018 at 8:57 pm

      Could these be made without the oats?

      Reply
    12. Robyn

      October 02, 2018 at 3:29 pm

      5 stars
      Made these for the family - 14 yo vegetarian and 11 yo gluten free (used gf bread crumbs) - a home run!! Everyone loved them, thanks for the great recipe! Will make these again for sure.

      Reply
      • Rene

        October 03, 2018 at 8:39 am

        Awesome - so glad everyone liked them!

        Reply
    13. Marsha

      June 03, 2018 at 3:59 pm

      Could this be turned into a meatloaf?

      Reply
      • Rene

        June 05, 2018 at 7:27 am

        I'm sure it could...I haven't tried it though so I can't say for sure that it will turn out. Let us know if you try it!

        Reply
    14. Mary

      March 11, 2018 at 11:49 am

      Hey I was wondering if anyone has the nutritional vales on these meatballs? Thank you

      Reply
    15. Ashley

      February 16, 2018 at 10:36 pm

      These look great!! And I definitely like your zucchini noodle suggestion.

      Reply
    16. Shelby

      January 15, 2018 at 8:38 am

      These sound delicious! Any chance you could bake these meatballs? Thanks 🙂

      Reply
      • Rene

        January 15, 2018 at 8:41 am

        I haven't tried baking them yet, but I think it is definitely possible. I would start by baking them at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Check them, and add additional bake time if needed.

        Reply
        • Lisa

          June 13, 2018 at 6:49 pm

          5 stars
          I did bake them at 350 for 20-25 mins - they were delicious!

          Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. #recipe #food #family #delicious #Vegan #Cauliflower #Meatballs – Recipes Food says:
      May 2, 2019 at 9:08 pm

      […] Ingredients1/2 head cauliflower cut in florets3 tsp olive oil separated + more for frying1/4 red onion roughly chopped2-4 cloves garlic peeled and roughly chopped1 cup oats1/2 cup bread crumbs2 tbsp Italian seasoningsalt & pepper to tasteInstructions1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.2. Spread cauliflower florets on baking sheet and drizzle 1 teaspoon of olive oil on top. Mix to spread oil evenly.3. …Get full recipe ==> @ thissavoryvegan.com […]

      Reply
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      April 23, 2018 at 1:49 pm

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      April 23, 2018 at 1:46 pm

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    I’m Rene! So-cal native, dog mom and lover of all things spicy. Learn more.

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