These dreamy Vegan Swedish Meatballs are so comforting and always crowd-pleasing! Homemade vegan meatballs are simmered in an easy, creamy gravy and served over mashed potatoes or pasta.
Searching for more vegan meatball recipes? You won’t want to miss my Vegan Grape Jelly Meatballs, Oven Baked Vegan Meatball Subs, and the Best Vegan Meatballs.
Vegan meatballs and a rich and creamy sauce come together in this ultra-comforting recipe for Vegan Swedish Meatballs. A popular dish you might know from IKEA, I made this meat free and dairy free version with homemade vegan meatballs and smothered them in the dreamiest, creamiest vegan gravy.
Served over a big bed of my Vegan Mashed Potatoes or buttered pasta, comfort food doesn’t get much better than this!
Why you’ll love this vegan Swedish meatball recipe
- Rich, creamy, and comforting – Picture warmly spiced homemade vegan meatballs smothered in a luxurious gravy on top of a bed of fluffy mashed potatoes. It’s what comfort food dreams are made of!
- Everything is homemade – I made both the vegan meatballs and gravy from scratch to help every bite taste incredible. Running low on time? Store-bought meatless meatballs work just as well.
- No one will know it’s vegan – Between the realistic meatballs made from vegan beef and the ultra-creamy gravy, no one will notice these Swedish meatballs are actually vegan!
- Family-friendly – The whole family will adore this meal, especially after a long, cold day. And because both the meatballs and gravy are easy to make ahead of time, you get to spend less time in the kitchen.
How to make vegan Swedish meatballs
Use a wooden spoon to mix the meatball ingredients in a large bowl until well combined.
Roll pieces of the meatball mixture into evenly-sized balls. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, then brown the meatballs on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
Brown in batches: It’s important to NOT overcrowd the pan when browning the meatballs, as this can cause them to steam instead of turning brown and crispy on the outside. If your skillet isn’t quite big enough to fit them all comfortably, cook the meatballs in two or three batches instead.
Next, melt the vegan butter in the now-empty skillet. Sprinkle in the flour, cook for 30 seconds, then pour in the broth a little at a time.
Slowly stir in the vegan cream, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard. Whisk until creamy and smooth, then add salt and ground black pepper to taste.
Nestle the meatballs in the gravy and simmer until they’re heated through.
Serve the meatballs and gravy over a bed of Vegan Mashed Potatoes or cooked pasta. Enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
The difference is that Swedish meatballs use warm seasonings in the meat mixture, like allspice and nutmeg, whereas Italian meatballs use dried Italian herbs and parmesan cheese. Also, Swedish meatballs are traditionally served with a thick and creamy gravy, while Italian meatballs use tomato sauce.
Yes, you can use store-bought meatballs (like the IKEA vegan meatballs or Beyond meatballs) to make this an easier meal. And if you’re simply looking for more wholesome meatballs, try my Chickpea Meatballs instead (they don’t contain any vegan meat).
No, but it’s easy to make a gluten free version using simple substitutions! For vegan gluten free meatballs, use gluten free breadcrumbs or certified gluten free quick oats. For the vegan meatball sauce, use gluten free all purpose flour instead of regular flour and vegan and gluten free Worcestershire sauce.
Absolutely! Just like my Best Vegan Meatballs, these vegan Swedish meatballs can be frozen after browning. Lay them on a baking sheet and place them in the freezer until frozen solid. Transfer the frozen meatballs to an airtight container or sealed freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
You can make the sauce a few days ahead of time, too. Just keep it in a container in the fridge until it’s time to eat.
Before serving, warm the meatballs, either thawed or frozen, in a 350ºF oven for 10 to 15 minutes before nestling them in the simmering gravy.
The leftover meatballs and sauce can be stored together in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 to 2 days. To reheat, zap them in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes or until heated through.
Vegan Swedish Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/3 cup unsweetened soy milk or other plant milk
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 16 ounces vegan ground beef Beyond or Impossible
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Gravy
- 4 tablespoons vegan butter
- 4 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 cups vegetable broth I used 'no chicken' broth
- 1/2 cup vegan cream unsweetened*
- 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- salt and pepper, to taste
For serving
- Vegan Mashed Potatoes OR
- 12 ounces cooked pasta
Instructions
- Mix – In a large bowl, add all meatball ingredients and mix with a large spoon until well combined.
- Roll meatballs – Roll into 1 1/2 tablespoon sized balls and place on a plate. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Cook meatballs – Brown the meatballs in batches, being careful not to crowd the pan. Cook for about 1 minute on each side, using a spoon or fork to rotate them until cooked on all sides. Add more oil if needed and lower heat if needed (if they start to burn too quickly). Set all cooked meatballs aside while you make the gravy.
- Make the gravy – In the same pan you previously used, melt the vegan butter over medium heat. When it begins to bubble, sprinkle the flour in the pan and stir and cook for 30 seconds. Add the broth to the pan a little bit at a time, stirring constantly. Once all the broth is added, slowly stir in the vegan cream, Worcestershire sauce and dijon mustard. Whisk until creamy and smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add meatballs to gravy – Add the meatballs back to the pan with the gravy and simmer on low heat, uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Serve – Serve over mashed potatoes or cooked pasta.
Notes
- Gluten free? Use gluten free breadcrumbs or quick oats (ensure gluten free).
- Make it easier – You can use store bought vegan meatballs instead of homemade for an easier dinner, or make my chickpea meatballs for an option without vegan meat.
- Vegan cream – You can use store bought vegan cream, or full fat coconut milk or even cashew cream.
- The nutrition information is for 1/6th of the recipe for meatballs and gravy, and does not include pasta or mashed potatoes.
How many meatballs are in one serving ? Planning to make for a baby shower for about 50 people.
I got around 15 meatballs, but it depends how large you make them. Hope that helps!
Wow Nora 😍 This recipe is outstanding! Made as written and will absolutely make it again. Thank you!!
You are welcome, Karen! I’m so glad you love the recipe! Thanks for your wonderful review!
So good on a rainy night. My husband and I used frozen veggie meatballs on top my own mashed potato recipe, then topped it with some chives. So good and so filling on a rainy night! We decided we’re definitely making this again!
That sounds so delicious & cozy, Jessica! Thanks for your awesome review and feedback.
I made this recipe last week. I had to replace the Worcestershire sauce with shoyu soy sauce, and the vegan cream with Malk unsweetened almond milk because of what I had on hand, but it still turned out delicious! I plan on this recipe it exactly as written today.
I’m so glad your meatballs turned out wonderful! Thanks for you awesome review!
Hi, Thank you. I LOVE your cakes! Everyone loves them. If I’m making this ahead of time to take a Potluck vegan dinner, should I put the meatballs in a the last minute, or is it better to put them in straight away so they soaked up the flavour. Just worried about whether they might go soggy or fall apart if they’re in teh sauce too long. Thank you!
Thanks for loving my cake recipes! 🙂 You can put them in ahead of time and they won’t fall apart, unless you are using a different kind of vegan meatball, like a bean based recipe or something. But if made with Beyond/Impossible, they won’t fall apart in the gravy. Hope that helps!
Thank you so much Nora! Can’t wait to try!
I really enjoyed this meal. Perfect for a cold snowy day.
I have not made this yet but I really want to! Could I use more almond milk in place of the vegan cream? I have everything but the cream.
Yes, you can use almond milk instead, it just won’t be as creamy and rich. But still delicious! Hope you love the recipe!
Thank you!!! I am making this for lunch today and I can’t wait to eat it! I’m sure I will love it. Your recipes never let me down. I will let you know how the grandkids like it!
I was craving something hearty and comforting! Perfect meal on these cold winter days. I admit that I used frozen plant balls for convenience but the gravy is so creamy and delicious. Served this over noodles with some roasted Brussel sprouts on the side and it was perfection. Thanks Nora!
We are having a snow day here in East Tennessee and I saw this recipe come across Facebook and I just happen to have all the ingredients. This was delicious!! Great comfort food for a snowy day. Thank you.
It really is the perfect meal for a snow day! Thank you for your wonderful review, Nicole!
I made these last night. So delicious. I used a little less butter & flour (about 2tbsp instead of 4tbsp) and instead made a very thick homemade cashew cream to help thicken (I don’t really like the taste of vegan butter). The cashew cream was just 1/2cup soaked raw cashews blended with some soy milk. They turned out so rich and creamy, my partner loved them and wished I doubled the recipe.