Recipe

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These quick and easy meatless meatballs are a delicious surprise made with basic pantry staples and jam-packed with nutrients and wholesome goodness.

You’re in for a delicious surprise with these quick and easy meatless meatballs. Made with oats, beans, and the classic Italian seasonings, these meatballs made without meat are sure to please the pickiest eaters.

a large plate of spaghetti and meatless meatballs

The Best Meatless Meatballs

I created this recipe in 2020 when many of my community members asked for nutritious recipes to add to our weekly meal plan with easy-to-find and affordable ingredients.

While I love traditional meatballs and sauce, my kids have called these the best meatless meatballs they've ever had. To my happiness, this recipe is wholesome, super hearty, and most importantly- 1000% delicious with no extra hassle: the food processor does much of the work and they are ready super fast!

What Do Meatless Meatballs Taste Like?

These meatless meatballs are tender on the inside and infused with garlic and herbs in each bite. It’s perfect with spaghetti sauce and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese- gah, now I’m ready to eat the screen!

What are Meatless Meatballs Made of?

At the top of the ingredient list are quick oats, to provide both texture and 100% whole grains. The other main ingredient to replace meat is beans (I use cannellini or white beans, but red, black, and kidney beans also work). Add onion, garlic, tomato paste, and seasonings, and you have the tastiest meatless meatballs!

How They’re Made

This meatless meatball recipe is easy to make with minimal mess. You can use a food processor, as I showed you in the video, or a big bowl and a fork, or a potato masher. Here are the steps:

Sauté aromatics
In a large skillet, sauté onions and garlic cloves until softened, about 3 minutes.
Make the meatball mixture
Now, transfer the onion mixture to your food processor and add the quick oats, beans, tomato paste, and seasonings. Pulse to combine until you get a coarse mixture. If you don't have a food processor, crush the beans into the mixture using a potato masher.
Shape the meatballs
Using your hands, form 12 to 16 balls and place them on a lined baking sheet.
Bake
For 15 minutes at 350F, flipping them over halfway through.
Make the sauce
While the meatballs are in the oven, simmer the crushed tomatoes with the seasonings in a skillet for 10 to 15 minutes. Once the meatballs are ready, transfer them to the tomato sauce and simmer for 15 minutes.
Cook the pasta
While the meatballs simmer in the sauce, it's time to cook the spaghetti.
Serve
Serve 3 to 4 meatballs with sauce over the spaghetti and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top if desired. Enjoy!

Top left: food processor bowl with white beans, oats, tomato paste, garlic, and dried herbs.
Top right: uncooked meatless meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Middle left: baked meatless meatballs on parchment paper. Middle right: tomato sauce in a pot. Bottom left: baked meatless meatballs placed in tomato sauce in a skillet. Bottom right: meatless meatballs served in tomato sauce with spaghetti and chopped parsley.

Shaping Perfect Meatless Meatballs

Meatless meatball dough can be a little stickier than the traditional meat mixture. Don't worry! To prevent it from sticking to your hands, lightly grease them with a little oil and repeat throughout the process as necessary. You should be able to scoop a tablespoon with a spoon and use your hands to form the "meatballs."

How to Serve This Recipe

I like to take the classic route and serve these meatless meatballs over spaghetti with tomato sauce. You can also keep it simple and serve them alongside marinara sauce for dipping or turn them into a salad topper too! They are so good I'm known for eating them straight out of the fridge.

large pan of meatless meatballs next to dish of cooked spaghetti noodles

How to Freeze Meatballs & Thaw for Later

Allow the cooked meatballs to cool down to room temperature on the baking pan, then freeze on the baking tray for 1 hour or until frozen. Transfer to a freezer-safe zip bag labeled with the freeze date and freeze for up to 2 months. To serve them, add them straight into the tomato sauce and simmer for 20 minutes.

You can also freeze them with the sauce; just portion them into zip bags and freeze. If frozen with the sauce, I recommend thawing them in the fridge overnight and simply warming them up in a saucepan while you boil spaghetti.

Quick & Easy Meatless Meatballs

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 35

These quick and easy meatless meatballs are a delicious surprise made with basic pantry staples and jam-packed with nutrients and wholesome goodness.

5 from 60 votes

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Watch how it’s made:

Ingredients

For the meatballs

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, about ½ cup, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced and divided
¾ cup quick oats
15 ounce can of white cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

For the sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
¼ teaspoon salt, omit if tomatoes have salt
28- ounce can of crushed tomatoes
½ teaspoon sugar, optional
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

For serving

12 ounces spaghetti
Parmesan cheese, optional

Instructions

Prep:

Preheat the oven to 350F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Make the meatballs:

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions and the two garlic cloves until softened, about 3 minutes.
Transfer the onion mixture inside the bowl of your food processor. Add the quick oats, beans, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Put the lid on and pulse to combine until the beans become part of the coarse mixture. If you don't have a food processor, use a potato masher to crush the beans into the mixture.
Using your hands, form 12 to 16 balls and place them on the lined baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes, carefully flipping them over halfway through.

Make the sauce:

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan or skillet with sides, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the remaining garlic and sauté until fragrant, for about 1 minute. Pour the crushed tomatoes, salt (if using), crushed tomatoes, sugar (if using), and Italian seasoning. Simmer on low for 10 to 15 minutes while the meatballs are in the oven.
Once the meatballs are ready, remove them from the oven, transfer them to the tomato sauce, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Cook the pasta:

While the meatballs simmer in the sauce, cook the spaghetti according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.

Serve & Store:

Serve 3 to 4 meatballs with sauce over the spaghetti and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top if desired.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze, once cooled, for up to 3 months.

Notes

You can also use old-fashioned or rolled oats for this recipe. I suggest you pulse them a little longer in the food processor to make sure they chop down small enough to absorb the ingredients.