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.
Video
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.
Is that the right amount of Worcester sauce? Maybe we are using different stuff because for me that was massively too much. I tried it without that and turned out great. Thanks for the recipe.
Soooo good. The gravy was amazing. Thanks Nora for all your recipes
Love this! If I’m using store-bought meatballs, can I add some of the spices listed to make the meatballs into the gravy instead for extra flavor?
You can if you want, yes. It’s quite flexible. Enjoy!
Is the flaxseed just for nutritional value, or is it important for the structure of the meatballs? Thanks so much 🙂
It helps them stay together a bit, but you can leave it out if needed. Thanks!
Hit the spot. Excellent comfort food. This recipe even made the store brand, sub par, vegan ground beef edible.
I’ve made these twice and will be making these again this week. I’ve never had this good luck with gravy. Superior!
Hi Ms Nora
Love your recipes.
May I use soy curls for the Swedish meatballs?
Instead of the meatballs? Sure I suppose you could if you wanted. I haven’t made meatballs with soy curls, so if that’s what you’re asking I’m not quite sure, but you could give it a try. Perhaps if you processed or chopped them really small. Thanks for loving my recipes!