Hearty and filling chickpea meatballs made in the food processor with nourishing ingredients like mushrooms and walnuts then baked til golden for the plant-based Italian dinner of your dreams! These freeze beautifully, too. Serve with spaghetti and your favorite red sauce for the perfect weeknight dinner.
We're makin' meatballzzzz!
So savory and nostalgic and all kinds of delish served with a big pile of spaghetti. I'm also obsessed with these crumbled on pizza with sauce and reader fave tofu ricotta or in a toasty bun as plant-based meatball subs.
Considering my meat and potato loving husband eats like ten per sitting, I like to make a double batch so we can have plenty of leftovers and some to freeze for lunches.
Bean balls, vegetarian meatballs...whatever you call 'em, know that these gems will hit the dinner jackpot every time!
The why behind star ingredients
- Walnuts: I developed this recipe with walnuts because they add unparalleled nutty flavor and crunchy texture. No one wants a mushy meatball!
- Mushrooms: It was clear in testing shrooms add amazing meaty texture. They cook down and add incredible savory flavor to elevate our bean balls from boring to extraordinary.
- Chickpeas: I've made these successfully with chickpeas and pinto beans, so use either! I tend to have chickpeas on hand more often.
- Nutritional yeast: This is my secret weapon for adding [dairy-free] cheezy flavor. Don't skip it! Dairy lover? I've made these with shredded parm, too. Delish.
- Breadcrumbs: In my opinion, these are essential to help the meatballs hold their shape and stick together paired with the flax mixture. I like panko the best for texture! Italian-style adds extra flavor so that's my go-to.
- Marinara: It's critical to serve these with a marinara you love for serving. My favorites are Rao's, Vero Gusto or Kirkland. I look for high-quality ingredients like plenty of extra virgin olive oil and onions and no added sugar.
Let's make 'em!
Dinner is calling!
I hope you're as obsessed with these meatballs as I am!
I'd be super grateful if you'd take a moment to leave a quick star rating and review below. Comments mean the world to me and your honest feedback helps me to continue to share recipes you'll crave!
Baked Chickpea Meatballs with Mushrooms
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 40 min
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 20 meatballs 1x
- Category: Main Meals
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Hearty and filling chickpea meatballs made in the food processor with nourishing ingredients like mushrooms and walnuts then baked til golden for the plant-based Italian dinner of your dreams! These freeze beautifully, too. Serve with spaghetti and your favorite red sauce for the perfect weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- 8 oz sliced mushrooms
- 3 large cloves garlic
- ½ medium onion, sliced
- 1 15oz can chickpeas or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ¾ tsp salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ¾ cup Italian-style breadcrumbs (I used Italian-style gluten-free panko)
For serving:
- 1 ½ cups marinara sauce (plus more if desired)
- 1 lb spaghetti (whole grain or gluten-free if necessary)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Place walnuts and mushrooms on lined/sprayed baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Once done, remove from oven and leave oven on.
- Combine flax and water in a small bowl, stir, and set aside.
- Place garlic and onion in food processor and pulse a few times until chopped. Add beans, Italian seasoning, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, and cooked mushrooms and walnuts (they will be hot, that's okay) and pulse until everything is chopped and mixture will hold together. There should be some texture- it shouldn't look pureed.
- Dump mixture into a bowl and stir in flax mixture and bread crumbs.
- Roll mixture into 20 balls (a bit larger than a golf ball). Place on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Flip and bake for another 20 minutes. Serve with pasta and marinara! Store leftovers separately from noodles and sauce in an air tight container for up to five days in the refrigerator.
Notes
TO FREEZE: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place leftover meatballs on the sheet in an even layer. Freeze and then transfer frozen balls to a baggie and freeze for up to three months.
To reheat, place them in the refrigerator overnight or reheat from frozen in the microwave.
Recipe by Alexis Joseph of Hummusapien™. Photos by Eat Love Eats.
Andrea says
Delicious! I made these for the first time and will definitely be making them again. I used an egg in place of the flax egg. I added a bit more breadcrumbs to make them hold together and easier to roll. They were also yummy the next day right out of the fridge. Another great recipe Alexis!
Alexis Joseph, MS, RD says
Yesss love that, thanks so much Andrea!
Chrissy Roth says
I used pintos and added a bit more breadcrumbs. Also did them in the airfryer then put them in some hot marinara for a few mins. They were hands down the best vegan meatballs I have ever made. My family went nuts for them. Thank you!!!
Alexis Joseph, MS, RD says
Oh wow you nailed it!! Thanks so much for letting me know, Chrissy!
Andrea says
These were enjoyed for dinner tonight! For the kids I served with homemade marinara for dipping and some vegan parm for sprinkling. Some garlic stir fried green beans on the side completes the meal. Thank you for sharing, so glad I found your site 🙂
Alexis Joseph, MS, RD says
Love it, thanks so much Andrea! You must try the vegan lasagna next!
PAT says
MADE THE MEATBALL RECIPE
BEST EVER. THANK YOU PAT
Alexis Joseph says
Yayyy I'm so thrilled Pat, thank you!
PAT says
LOVE THE VEGAN MEATBALL RECIPE
WILL MAKE IT SOON. THANK YOU
FOR THE GREAT RECIPES. PAT
Alexis Joseph says
Awww thank you tons, Pat!!
Robin Lucas says
Happy New Year!
I always love making these Alexis!! They are in the oven as I am typing this:) For the sauce, I roast tomatoes, blend with cottage cheese for a creamy sauce and use protein pasta for even more protein. I cant wait for dinner tonight.
I love all your recipes 🙂
Alexis Joseph says
Awww that means so much, Robin! And YUM to that cottage cheese idea!
Kolleen S Lykins says
I absolutely cannot believe how delicious these are!! I used pinto beans and followed recipe exactly as it. A little marinara on top and just incredible 😋
Alexis Joseph says
I'm so glad you loved the bean balls, Kolleen, and thanks a ton for leaving a comment and star rating!
Sarah says
What could you sub for walnuts? (My son has an allergy) Would petitas/pumpkin seeds work?
Alexis Joseph says
Sure!
Jenna Piechowicz says
The flavor of the ‘meat’balls was absolutely delicious, however the texture of the balls was a failure.
I baked them as recommended and they were still very soft so I pan seared them which helped to keep the form, but they still crumbled when they got to the plate 😏
It would be nice to find a ‘meat’ball recipe that can keep the balls firm and not crumble.
Alexis Joseph says
Hey Jenna, sorry you didn't love the texture! You could try more breadcrumbs next time and that may help. If you're not vegan, an egg would also do the trick.
Debbie Gladstones says
I have made these several times and love them!! I also make them as burgers ….thank you for sharing!!
Alexis Joseph says
Amazing, thank you Debbie!
Tara says
I've made this recipe countless times, but, it had been a while and I needed something super easy to whip up. I happened to have a can of beans, mushrooms, and walnuts but I ended up making a few subs/additions. First, I didn't whole onion or garlic so I left out the onion and used garlic powder. Next, I added in some tamari and Worcestershire sauce for some extra umami flavor. Also added in some red pepper flakes for some extra heat (I like my food a bit on the spicier side!). Lastly, after pulsing everything in my nutri bullet, I decided not to add an egg/flax egg because personally I didn't think it needed it - and I was right! I was able to form "meatballs" pretty easily.
This recipe is super delicious and is so good with jovial foods GF penne and WF marinara. I also added some parm on top which took it over the top! SO good! Not sure why I don't make these more often, but I'm going to start now! Only regret was I wish I made a double batch!!
Alexis says
Mmmm the extra umami sounds so fab. I love how easy your version sounds, and I'm totally going to try out your subs! Thanks for letting me know, Tara 🙂 I so appreciate you taking the time.
Erin says
I forgot how good these were until I made them again a few weeks ago and couldn't stop eating them for days. I love how they are easy to make and are good for vegetarians and meat eaters. They are super easy to throw on pasta, but I also sometimes get creative with them and use them on salads, sandwiches, etc. This is definitely a keeper!
Alexis says
Eeeee you're the sweetest, Erin!! So good on sammies!
Anna says
These were 10/10 - my whole family loved them!!
Alexis Joseph says
Amazing, thanks Anna!!
Sam says
Our family loves these meatballs. Delicious as a meatball sandwich! Thank you for creating this recipe.
Alexis Joseph says
Wonderful, thanks so much Sam!
Lindsay Remley says
These were great. Even our kids ate them and were none the wiser that these were vegan. I suggest doubling the recipe.
Alexis Joseph says
Heck yes to doubling! Thanks so much, Lindsay. I'm thrilled they were kiddo-approved!
BF says
These were great! My family loved them. We added a vegan Parmesan cheese on the plates dish.
Alexis Joseph says
Mmmm sounds fantastic. Thanks for the lovely review and rating!
Leigh says
Can these be made without mushrooms? Would I just omit them, or should I substitute them with something else?
Alexis Joseph says
I've never made them without mushrooms so I can't say for sure. They add bulk and "meaty" flavor, although it may work without them? If you try it, I'd love to know how they turn out.
Tiffany says
Hi Alexis! Thank you for this marvelous vegetarian creativity. These meatballs are insanely good.
Alexis Joseph says
I so appreciate that, Tiffany! Thanks!
Valerie says
Just made these tonight and they were SO good!!! Didn’t make any subs or anything and was perfect! Roasted the onion and garlic along with the shrooms and walnuts but didn’t make any subs or anything and was perf!! Served with Rao’s arrabiata and spaghetti squash for a lighter summer dinner. So versatile, will totally repeat and use w other combos also. Best part... the rest are already frozen and prepped for next meal! ☺️🎉
Alexis Joseph says
Rao's is the best, right? I'm so thrilled you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for letting me know!
Jen says
Loved these meatballs! They were so easy and fast to make and the perfect addition to our spaghetti night. The flavoring was on point too. We had plenty leftover and I definitely put them in buns and made meatball subs with marinara which was also a great way to use them. I love meals that can provide more than one meal and these meatballs are a keeper for that.
Alexis Joseph says
Me too! I'm a huge fan of leftovers--I want enough food for two nights. Thank you for such as glowing review!
Michele Bussey says
I am on a nut free, oil free vegan diet. What can I sub for the walnuts?
Alexis Joseph says
I've never made these without walnuts, but you could try adding some oats or more breadcrumbs?
Dylan says
This is a staple meal for us as well! Easy to throw together and packed full of flavor! I recommend enjoying with garlic bread and a big glass of wine 🙂
Alexis Joseph says
OMG now I'm craving garlic bread....and wine! Thanks, Dylan 🙂