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Home » Recipes » Vegan Dinners

Easy Eggplant Meatballs (aubergine, vegan)

Published: May 1, 2018 · Modified: Apr 21, 2020 by Kate Hackworthy · 24 Comments

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Make these 5 ingredient vegan (aubergine) eggplant meatballs in just 30 minutes! They have a dense texture and are full of flavour. Perfect with spaghetti and a quick tomato sauce, topped with vegan parmesan cheese. #veggiedesserts #eggplantmeatballs #auberginemeatballs #veganmeatballs #vegetarianmeatballs

Make these 5 ingredient vegan eggplant meatballs in just 30 minutes! They have a dense texture and are full of flavour. Perfect with spaghetti and a quick tomato sauce, topped with vegan parmesan cheese. 

A plate of spaghetti with tomato sauce and (aubergine) eggplant meatballs and vegan parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

Vegan Eggplant Meatballs (aka aubergine balls)

Aubergine/eggplant gives a dense and ‘meaty’ texture to these balls.

I’ve kept any spices to a minimum so the garlic and oregano don’t overpower the balls – making them perfect for fussy kids, as well as grown ups.

Our whole family love these balls and they’re a great way to subtly introduce the flavour of aubergines.

My husband always said he hated eggplant, but after he tried these, he's converted and enjoys them now!

These vegan balls are a perfect addition to a plate of spaghetti.

I also love them in a 'meat'ball sub sandwich or on their own dipped in smokey baba ganoush.

 

A plate of spaghetti and vegan meatballs.

Ingredients for Eggplant Meatballs

You will need:

eggplant (aka aubergine) - choose a nice firm one.
red onion - or substitute yellow/brown onion.
garlic - leave it out if you don't like garlic.
breadcrumbs - use store bought or make your own by whizzing a few slices of bread in a food processor or blender until fine.
dried oregano - this adds a lovely Italian flavor. You can also use Italian seasoning, thyme or rosemary.

Then the pantry staples of oil, salt and pepper. That's it.

Just a few ingredients and less than 30 minutes and you can have these flavourful, dense and delicious vegan meatballs.

Spring cleaning the pantry

Hurrah, the sun is at last peeping from between the dark clouds of winter.

But wait, I can’t bask in the sunbeams streaming through my living room because they’re illuminating dust on the mirror.

The windows are no longer a place to view the spindly brown branches of trees outside and now all I can see are the streaks of outside grime and a few yogurt fingerprints from my little mess makers.

I hope it’s not just me. Please tell me that you’re in desperate need of a spring clean too.

Short of calling my kids urchins and sending them up the chimney to sweep it out, I’m making an effort now to make them help out.

Sure, they can make their beds and ‘tidy’ their rooms (by tidy I of course mean that they use their little arms like bulldozers to sweep all toys from the floor under the bed).

But I want to harness their boundless energy and channel it into something productive.

I’ve tried strapping sponges to their feet in a fun game of ice skating/mopping the floor, however after an initial few minutes of productivity they inevitably squelch off in search of something better to do.

For now, I’m getting them to help me spring clean the pantry.

They love to group and categorise things, so they can sort through the cupboards and hopefully learn about new foods along the way. It’s a great opportunity for me to sort through the pantry and ensure nothing expires and goes to waste.

We’ll need to fuel this flurry of cleaning activity, so I suggest using up those tins of tomatoes (I’m sure I’m not the only one who seems to stockpile them!)  to make a sauce for these tasty aubergine (aka eggplant) ‘meatballs’.

It’s a great way to get more veggies into the meal and they’re delicious with easy vegan parmesan cheese.

 

Aubergine Eggplant Meatballs ingredients: eggplants/aubergines, red onion, breadcrumbs, spices

How to make vegan eggplant meatballs

This recipe is super easy. Just mix up the ingredients and fry! Check out the step by step instructions below. 

Then scroll down to the recipe card for the full instructions and ingredients list with amounts.

How to make eggplant meatballs: Step 1 - combine the cooked aubergine/eggplant and onion, plus all other ingredients in a food processor
1 - fry the aubergine/eggplant and onions until soft, then add them and all other ingredients to a food processor

 

How to make eggplant meatballs: Step 2 - whiz ingredients until it forms a thick paste, but keep some chunks for texture
2 - whiz ingredients until it forms a thick paste, but keep some chunks for texture

 

A cast iron skillet with eggplant (aubergine) meatballs
3 - roll the mixture into balls and fry until golden.

Scroll down for the full recipe and ingredients list. 

Looking for more vegan dinner recipes? Try these!

Vegan Peanut Stew
Red Lentil Dahl
Spanish Beans
Chickpea Curry
Tofu Curry

A plate of spaghetti and (aubergine) eggplant meatballs (vegan) with tomato sauce.

Get the easy eggplant meatball recipe

Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out for you!
Leave a comment and star rating below and share a picture on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook with the hashtag #veggiedesserts.

📖 Recipe

A plate of spaghetti and vegan meatballs.

Spaghetti and Aubergine ‘Meat’balls

Kate Hackworthy | Veggie Desserts
Aubergines give a dense and ‘meaty’ texture to these balls. I’ve kept any spices to a minimum so the garlic and oregano don’t overpower the balls – making them perfect for fussy kids. Our whole family love these balls and they’re a great way to subtly introduce the flavour of aubergines.
4.89 from 9 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Course Main Meals
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4
Calories 238 kcal

Equipment

  • food processor
  • Frying pan

Ingredients
 

For the tomato sauce (optional):

  • 1 teaspoon oil (olive, rapeseed etc...)
  • ½ onion diced
  • 1 clove garlic finely chopped
  • 1 can (15oz/400g can) chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon tomato puree
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

For the eggplant meatballs:

  • 1 teaspoon oil plus more for frying
  • 2 eggplants / aubergines finely diced
  • 1 red onion finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic diced
  • 1 + ½ cups (175g) breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoon plain flour
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • Salt and pepper

To serve:

  • 9 ounces (250g) dried spaghetti
  • 2 tablespoon vegan cashew parmesan https://veggiedesserts.com/easy-vegan-parmesan-cheese/

Instructions
 

For the tomato sauce (optional):

  • Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat and add the onion. Cook, stirring often for 5 minutes or until soft but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Add the tin of chopped tomatoes, puree and oregano, as well as ¼ of the tin of water and allow to simmer and reduce while you make the eggplant meatballs. 

For the eggplant meatballs:

  • For the meatballs, heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the aubergines, onion and garlic and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until soft and cooked through.
  • Add the aubergine mixture, flour, breadcrumbs and oregano to a blender or food processor, and whiz until it comes together in a sticky mixture. If it’s too dry, add a little olive oil and if it’s too wet, add a small amount of breadcrumbs.
  • Roll tablespoonfuls of the mixture into balls. Heat some more oil in a frying pan and cook the balls, in batches, until browned all over and cooked through.
  • While cooking the eggplant meatballs, cook the spaghetti according to packet instructions.
  • Serve the spaghetti topped with tomato sauce and eggplant meatballs.

Nutrition

Calories: 238kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 7gFat: 4gSodium: 379mgPotassium: 851mgFiber: 10gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 190IUVitamin C: 18.5mgCalcium: 121mgIron: 3.1mg

The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.

Tried this recipe?Mention @kateveggiedesserts or tag #veggiedesserts! I love seeing your recreations.

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Comments

    4.89 from 9 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Lorna

    December 13, 2022 at 1:14 pm

    These sound delicious. Do I need to peel the eggplant first?

    Thanks,

    Reply
    • Kate Hackworthy

      December 14, 2022 at 9:05 am

      No need to peel them. Enjoy!

      Reply
  2. Queen Ricca

    February 07, 2020 at 12:10 pm

    5 stars
    My kids said its the yummiest thing i have ever cook.. 😂😂

    Thanks for sharing the recipe. 🥰

    Reply
  3. Lacey

    August 07, 2019 at 4:06 pm

    Thees look amazing! I just picked up some eggplant at the fruit stand! I'm excited to try them! What could I use as a gluten free sub for breadcrumbs? I was thinking oat flour or rice flour? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Kate Hackworthy

      August 08, 2019 at 7:52 pm

      Hi, both of those should work as substitutions! Or whiz a few slices of gluten free bread in a blender or food processor. I hope you enjoy them!

      Reply
  4. Suzanne

    February 20, 2019 at 10:29 pm

    I have tried different versions and they are always soft in the middle. I have also tried more bread crumbs. I love them but my daughters who is vegetarian says they are too soft . The outside is amazing and yummy.

    Reply
  5. Wilhelmina

    January 16, 2019 at 12:15 pm

    5 stars
    I am so excited to try this dish!

    Reply
  6. Charlotte

    November 05, 2018 at 1:41 pm

    Hello, these look wonderful and can't wait to try them. Can they also be frozen or would they fall apart on defrosting?
    Thanks

    Reply
  7. Julie

    October 17, 2018 at 1:39 pm

    Can u make the meatballs in advance and keep in the fridge ?

    Reply
    • Kate Hackworthy

      October 18, 2018 at 10:56 am

      Hi Julie, absolutely. They should last a day or two covered in the fridge. 🙂

      Reply
  8. Jay

    May 16, 2018 at 10:02 am

    4 stars
    Made these last night, and while the flavour was fantastic, they ended up being mush on the inside. Any tips for making them denser and chewier? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Giselle

      February 19, 2020 at 4:39 am

      Hi Jay, what I did to make them denser was I added an egg to mix in the blender. Then when forming the mixture into balls I would coat them in oat flour and fry them till they are crisp on the outside. Then I put them in a 350 F oven for about 30 mins. They turned out perfectly just like a regular meatball.

      Reply
  9. Anna

    May 14, 2018 at 7:16 am

    These look fab. I'm always looking for new ways to get veg into my kids, I'll definitely try these.

    Reply
  10. Rachel

    May 05, 2018 at 5:08 pm

    5 stars
    I love alternative takes on classics and this sounds so tasty. I definitely will be giving it a try.

    Reply
  11. Fritha Quinn

    May 05, 2018 at 10:24 am

    5 stars
    oh these looks wonderful! We're a veggie family so will defo be trying them out! x

    Reply
  12. Katrina

    May 04, 2018 at 10:20 pm

    Oh these sound tasty not to mention healthy- one to
    add to the cook book for me

    Reply
  13. Erica

    May 04, 2018 at 12:28 am

    Hi there, I just made these and everything was going beautifully until th frying step. The browned coating stuck to the bottom of the pan every time I tried flipping them--I couldn't actually get a coating on them... Any advice on how to fix this?

    Reply
    • Kate Hackworthy

      May 04, 2018 at 2:04 pm

      Hi Erica,
      That's a shame that they stuck to the pan. You might need a little more oil, or to get the oil hotter before adding the balls and then giving them a quick toss to coat. I hope that helps!
      Kate

      Reply
  14. Kirsty

    May 03, 2018 at 8:27 pm

    I can’t say I have ever tried aubergines before so I really don’t know what there flavour is like. I think it’s a interesting way of making the balls thought to replace the meat!

    Reply
  15. Anosa

    May 03, 2018 at 5:58 am

    5 stars
    I would never have thought to make eggplant into meatballs but this looks absolutely delicious and a healthier option I think. Thanks for the recipe

    Reply
  16. Claire

    May 02, 2018 at 12:54 pm

    5 stars
    Oh my these sound delicious.

    I think even my fussy eaters would try them

    Reply
  17. Emily Leary

    May 02, 2018 at 11:39 am

    My mouth is watering! They look incredibly delicious and perfect for a mid-week meal.

    Reply
  18. Eva Katona

    May 02, 2018 at 11:13 am

    I love this, looks so yummy. will definetely save this as I'm a vegetarian and I'm always looking for new and exciting recipes.

    Reply
  19. Stacey

    May 02, 2018 at 10:53 am

    5 stars
    Oo now these look delicious and as a vegetarian I'm always on the lookout for new tasty recipes to try, thank you 🙂

    Reply

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Hi, I'm Kate, a journalist, author and multi-award-winning food blogger. Here you'll find vegetarian recipes and vegan recipes celebrating vegetables, from dinner to dessert! If you love vegetables, you've come to the right place. About Me

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