Vegan Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

I love meatballs because you can do so many things with them. You can throw them in pasta, you can eat them on their own, as an appetizer, switch up the sauces to create different flavors, or switch up the fillings to make them different. Seriously, there are so many different variations of meatballs out there, even for vegans. This vegan meatball with mashed potatoes recipe is so good and seriously the ultimate comfort food for the fall and winter.

❤️ Why You’ll Love These Vegan Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

• Full-Blown Comfort Meal: This is the ultimate cozy dinner that satisfies all your comfort food cravings.
• Easy to Make: Simple techniques that deliver restaurant-quality results without complicated steps.
• Completely Plant-Based: Everything from meatballs to gravy is vegan without sacrificing any flavor.
• Family-Friendly: Your whole family will love this hearty, satisfying meal that brings everyone together.

🍲 Ingredients

Oat Milk – Oat milk provides natural fiber from oats while being gentle on digestion and naturally cholesterol-free. Unlike many commercial oat milks loaded with fillers, quality oat milk delivers beta-glucan fiber which helps regulate blood sugar and supports heart health. It’s also naturally rich in B vitamins and contains beneficial compounds that support sustained energy levels.

Lentils – These protein powerhouses contain all essential amino acids needed for muscle maintenance and repair, plus they’re loaded with folate, iron, and potassium. Lentils provide complex carbohydrates that fuel your body steadily without blood sugar spikes, while their high fiber content supports digestive health and helps you feel satisfied longer. They’re also naturally low in fat and sodium.

👩‍🍳 How to Make Vegan Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Vegan Meatballs

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Heat a large skillet on medium for 20 seconds before adding the plant butter.
3. Melt for 1 minute before adding to mushrooms and garlic. Cook for around 10-15 minutes while stirring very often. You want to avoid burning but really brown and develop those brown butter characteristics.
4. Meanwhile, place your oats into a food processor and process till fine and flour-like. To the processor, add the lentils, walnuts, thyme, sage and rosemary. Pulse till a dough forms, it will be dense and heavy.
5. Transfer mixture to the mushrooms, stir and incorporate till combined. Season to taste as desired.
6. Transfer the dough mixture to a bowl and stir in the vegan egg.
7. Begin forming the balls as desired. I went with larger sized ones, around 4 tbsp per ball. Place each ball onto the lined baking sheet and bake for at least 20 minutes and up to 25 minutes. If you do small balls, bake for less time (around 16 minutes) and vice versa. You will know they are ready when they are golden brown and steamy, cooked on the inside. Go with your gut.

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook your potatoes until soft and fork-tender.
2. Into a high-speed blender add your strained potatoes, plant butter, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper and plant-based milk. Using a blender tamper push the ingredients down and blend for around 1 minute or until perfectly smooth.
3. Serve hot with a drizzle of oil or plant butter

Gravy

1. Heat a medium-sized pan on medium-high heat. To the pan add the vegan butter. Cook for 30 seconds before adding your onion. Cook for at least 15 minutes on low-medium heat. This is an essential flavor building step. Do. Not. Skip. Be sure to stir often to avoid burning. You want the onions lightly browned, not crispy.
2. Now add your garlic, vegetable stock paste, liquid soy seasoning and nutritional yeast. Cook for 5 minutes before adding 2 cups of boiling water. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Check for taste and consistency. If the mixture is too thick add more water, 1/4 cup at a time. You want to make sure it’s loose enough to be thickened. The goal is for it to be a soup consistency before adding the flour + water mixture.
3. Once you have achieved a good simmering consistency then go ahead and add your flour + water mixture. Act fast and stir aggressively for around 1 minute with a whisk. Cook for 3-4 minutes to remove flour flavor.
4. Blend till smooth with a hand blender and serve.

🪄 Tips and Tricks

• Onion Patience: Don’t skip the 15-minute onion cooking step – this builds essential flavor depth for the gravy.
• Blender Method: Using a blender for mashed potatoes creates ultra-smooth, restaurant-quality results.
• Consistency Control: Add water gradually to the gravy to achieve the perfect pouring consistency.
• Meatball Combo: The lentils, mushrooms, and walnuts create the perfect texture and protein content.

🗒 Variations

• Plant Butter: Any vegan butter works, though Califia provides superior taste and nutrition.
• Plant Milk: Any unsweetened plant milk can substitute, though protein-enriched versions add nutritional value.
• Potatoes: Yukon Gold can replace russet for slightly different texture and flavor.
• Thickener: Cornstarch slurry can replace flour for a gluten-free gravy option.

🗒 Best served with

• 7 Greek Layer Dip
• Goat Cheese Salad Towers with Beets
• How to Make the Perfect Greek Salad
• Pull Apart Cheese Bread with Maple “Whiskey” Smash

👝 How to Store Leftovers

Store components separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat mashed potatoes with a splash of plant milk, warm gravy gently on the stove, and reheat meatballs in the oven to maintain texture.

🤔 Common Questions

Vegan Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

4.50 from 8 votes

🍽️ This Vegan Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy recipe is ultimate plant-based comfort food! Perfect for holidays and cozy family dinners!

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 23 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Vegan Meals, Vegan Comfort Food

Cuisine Italian

Servings 14 Balls

Ingredients

  

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Vegan Meatballs

• 2 tbsp. plant-butter
• 3 cups cremini mushrooms finely chopped like corn kernels
• 3 large garlic cloves minced
• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• 1 400 mL can lentils drained and rinsed
• 1 cup walnut whole or halved walnuts cannot be pulsed or pieces
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp sage
• 1 tsp rosemary
• 2 tbsp. oat milk
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper
• 3/4 to 1 teaspoon fine sea salt to taste
• 1 vegan egg*

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

• 5 medium-sized russet potatoes peeled, washed – cut in 1-2 inch chunks for boiling
• 2–3 tbsp plant butter
• 2–3 nutritional yeast nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp oat milk
• olive oil garnish

Gravy

• 2 tbsp plant butter
• 1 large sweet white onion finely sliced
• 4 cloves garlic pressed
• 1 1/2 tbsp vegetable stock paste I like to use Better Than Bouillon brand
• 2 tbsp liquid soy seasoning
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2–3 cups boiling water
• 1 heaped tbsp all-purpose flour

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Instructions

 

Vegan Meatballs

• Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Heat a large skillet on medium for 20 seconds before adding the plant butter.
• Melt for 1 minute before adding to mushrooms and garlic. Cook for around 10-15 minutes while stirring very often. You want to avoid burning but really brown and develop those brown butter characteristics
• Meanwhile, place your oats into a food processor and process till fine and flour-like. To the processor, add the lentils, walnuts, thyme, sage and rosemary. Pulse till a dough forms, it will be dense and heavy.
• Transfer mixture to the mushrooms, stir and incorporate till combined. Season to taste as desired.
• Transfer the dough mixture to a bowl and stir in the vegan egg.
• Begin forming the balls as desired. I went with larger sized ones, around 4 tbsp per ball. Place each ball onto the lined baking sheet and bake for at least 20 minutes and up to 25 minutes. If you do small balls, bake for less time (around 16 minutes) and vice versa. You will know they are ready when they are golden brown and steamy, cooked on the inside. Go with your gut

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook your potatoes until soft and fork-tender.
• Into a high-speed blender add your strained potatoes, plant butter, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper and plant-based milk. Using a blender tamper push the ingredients down and blend for around 1 minute or until perfectly smooth.
• Serve hot with a drizzle of oil or plant butter

Gravy

• Heat a medium-sized pan on medium-high heat. To the pan add the vegan butter. Cook for 30 seconds before adding your onion. Cook for at least 15 minutes on low-medium heat. This is an essential flavor building step. Do. Not. Skip. Be sure to stir often to avoid burning. You want the onions lightly browned, not crispy.
• Now add your garlic, vegetable stock paste, liquid soy seasoning and nutritional yeast. Cook for 5 minutes before adding 2 cups of boiling water. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Check for taste and consistency. If the mixture is too thick add more water, 1/4 cup at a time. You want to make sure it’s loose enough to be thickened. The goal is for it to be a soup consistency before adding the flour + water mixture.
• Once you have achieved a good simmering consistency then go ahead and add your flour + water mixture. Act fast and stir aggressively for around 1 minute with a whisk. Cook for 3-4 minutes to remove flour flavor.
• Blend till smooth with a hand blender and serve.

Notes

1 Vegan Egg = 1 tbsp. ground flaxseed with 3 tbsp. warm water

You could also just use a premade powdered Vegan Egg, Bob’s Red Mill and Follow Your Heart have one

If you prefer using egg, that is fine, just use 1 but know this is now no longer plant-based.

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