• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
    • Contact
    • Photo Use Policy

Connoisseurus Veg logo

SUBSCRIBE

Sign up for email updates and receive a free copy of my veggie burger e-book!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • Free Veggie Burger Book
  • About
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    You are here: Home / Entrees / Vegan Swedish Meatballs & Noodles

    LAST UPDATED: June 7, 2019 • FIRST PUBLISHED: February 6, 2018

    Vegan Swedish Meatballs & Noodles

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Vegan Swedish Meatballs & Noodles

    Savory mushroom balls are drenched in luscious dairy-free sauce to make these flavor-packed vegan Swedish meatballs. Serve them over pasta for a delicious and cozy dinner.

    Vegan Swedish Meatballs with Cream Sauce over Noodles in a Bowl

    I never told you guys this, but a couple of years ago I spoke with a publisher about writing a cookbook exclusively dedicated to vegan meatballs. I mean, the meatball theme was their idea. I just wanted to write a cookbook. In fact, I really wanted to write a cookbook (it's an exciting prospect), so much that I almost took them up on the offer.

    But in the end I just couldn't. All that rolling. And would you guys even be into a book just about vegan meatballs? And could I even come up with that many meatball recipes?

    Vegan Swedish Meatballs on a Baking Sheet Just Out of the Oven

    Well, in hindsight, I think the answer to at least that last question is a resounding "yes."

    I'm not sure if I just had more meatball recipes in me than I thought, or if my discussions with those guys infected me with the meatball bug, but I've been rolling them out ever since. (<-- Yup. Pun intended.)

    You all actually seem to respond really well to any recipe involving meatballs I post on this site, so I've got no plans of letting up.

    It's time for some more vegan meatballs, Ikea style.

    Vegan Swedish Meatballs & Noodles in a Bowl with a Fork and Knife

    I've never actually had those Swedish meatballs they serve at Ikea. I'm pretty sure I went vegetarian before any Ikeas were built in my vicinity. But I get what they're all about and I think I hit it with this recipe. And even if I didn't, they're really, really tasty!

    I mentioned recently that I'm trying to switch up the dairy substitutes and rely less on cashews, because I know I've got a bunch of readers out there with allergies. Coconut milk has quickly become my favorite alternative. It sounds weird, but it's absolutely delicious in the cream sauce for this one. If you hate coconut and would rather go with something cashew-based, try the sauce I used for my stroganoff.

    Vegan Swedish Meatballs in a Skillet with Cream Sauce Being Poured Over Them

    The main ingredient in the meatballs themselves is mushrooms. They're great for adding savory flavor and meaty texture. I'm also trying to give my mushroom haters alternatives, so if you're one of those folk, try using the chickpea based meatball portion of my Salisbury steak meatball recipe.

    Ingredients for Making Vegan Swedish Meatballs in a Food Processor Bowl

    Served over pasta, these vegan Swedish meatballs are pure comfort food.

    FAQ & Tips for Making Awesome Vegan Swedish Meatballs

    • To save time on the day of serving, you can blend up the meatball mixture up to a day in advance, then just roll and bake when you're ready to serve.
    • You could probably get away with making the sauce ahead of time too — if it thickens up too much during storage, just thin it with some water.
    • Does the sauce taste like coconut? Not to my tastebuds.
    • But is there a substitute for the coconut milk? You could probably use another type of unflavored and unsweetened milk, like soy or almond, but the sauce won't be as rich and creamy.
    • Doesn't Worcestershire sauce contain anchovies? Most brands do, but there are vegan ones. Look for Annie's or Edward & Sons. (See my Amazon link in the recipe!) Also check the ingredients of store brands — you might luck out and find a vegan one!

    Like this recipe? If so, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter. And please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you make it.

    Vegan Sweedish Meatballs & Noodles
    4.75 from 12 votes
    Print

    Vegan Swedish Meatballs & Noodles

    Savory mushroom balls are drenched in luscious dairy-free sauce to make these flavor-packed vegan Swedish meatballs. Serve them over pasta for a delicious and cozy dinner.

    Course Entree
    Cuisine American, Swedish
    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Cook Time 30 minutes
    Total Time 50 minutes
    Servings 4
    Calories 640 kcal
    Author Alissa Saenz

    Ingredients

    For the Meatballs

    • 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, cleaned and roughly chopped
    • 1 ¼ cups panko breadcrumbs
    • 1 cup canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
    • 1 small onion, roughly chopped
    • 1 garlic clove, minced
    • 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • Olive oil, for brushing

    For the Sauce

    • 3 tablespoons olive oil
    • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
    • 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
    • 1 (14 ounce) can full fat coconut milk
    • 1 ½ tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
    • ¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste

    For the Noodles

    • 8 ounces dried pasta of choice (I used shells)

    Instructions

    Make the Meatballs

    1. Preheat the oven to 400° and lightly oil a baking sheet or large oven-safe skillet.

    2. Place the mushrooms, breadcrumbs, beans, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, pepper and nutmeg into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the ingredients are finely chopped and well mixed.

    3. Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls (about 24 of them) and arrange them on the baking sheet or in the skillet. Bake for about 30 minutes, turning once halfway through, until lightly browned.

    Make the Sauce

    1. While the meatballs bake, coat the bottom of a medium saucepan with olive oil and place it over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Bring to a simmer and continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture darkens a bit and begins to smell nutty, about 5 minutes.

    2. Whisk in the broth, coconut milk, and Worcestershire sauce. Raise the heat and bring the mixture to a simmer. Allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until the mixture thickens a bit. Remove from heat and allow the mixture so sit for at least 5 minutes — it will continue to thicken up. Season with salt to taste.

    Make the Noodles

    1. While the meatballs bake and the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Drain into a colander and toss with a bit of olive oil.

    To Serve

    1. Divide the pasta among 4 plates or bowls. If the meatballs are in a skillet, pour the sauce over them, or if they're on a baking sheet, add them to the pot with the sauce. Divide the meatballs and sauce over the pasta. Serve.

    Nutrition Facts
    Vegan Swedish Meatballs & Noodles
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 640 Calories from Fat 267
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 29.7g46%
    Saturated Fat 16.1g81%
    Sodium 1102mg46%
    Potassium 681mg19%
    Carbohydrates 75.5g25%
    Fiber 7.8g31%
    Protein 18.7g37%
    Calcium 30mg3%
    Iron 4.1mg23%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

     

    « Vegan Buffalo Baked Potato Pizza
    Spicy Sriracha Tofu Jerky »

    Sharing is caring!

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Email

    About Alissa Saenz

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors! You can read more about me here.

    I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

    Subscribe

    Subscribe for email updates and receive a free copy of my veggie burger e-book!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. gloria of Veghead, Etc. says

      February 06, 2018 at 9:56 pm

      I'd love to make this dish, but I don't eat anything coconut. What do you think about making the sauce with a plant-based milk instead and adding some cashew cream to make it creamy?

      Thanks for your lovely recipes and inspiration!
      -gloria

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        February 08, 2018 at 4:05 pm

        I think that's a great idea! I'd love to hear how it works out if you try it. :)

        Reply
        • Audrey Maqks says

          February 14, 2018 at 10:25 pm

          5 stars
          made them and loved them. I added more nutmeg to the sauce. These were as good as the ones I remember as child that mom made. I plan on making an Italian version as well. Thanks for bringing back a great dish now that I am a vegan

          Reply
          • Alissa Saenz says

            February 18, 2018 at 3:15 pm

            That is so awesome to hear!! Thank you so much Audrey!

            Reply
    2. Lauren Smith | The Oatmeal Artist says

      February 07, 2018 at 7:17 am

      This reminds me of my childhood. :) My mom would cook meatballs with Campbell's cream of chicken (ugh hahaha) in the slow cooker and we'd eat it over pasta or potatoes. Can't wait to make this!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        February 08, 2018 at 4:04 pm

        Oh man! I grew up on SO MANY cream of chicken soup based recipes too! I hope you enjoy this!

        Reply
    3. Maureen Cram says

      February 07, 2018 at 8:10 am

      5 stars
      Don't get panko breadcrumbs here in South Africa so I am assuming that as long as my breadcrumbs are quite stale and dry that would work?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        February 08, 2018 at 4:03 pm

        I think that would be fine! I just use panko because it's the only vegan store-bought breadcrumbs I can find where I live (and I'm too lazy to make them myself). :) But I think just about any type of breadcrumbs would work.

        Reply
    4. Kay Baker says

      February 11, 2018 at 12:24 pm

      5 stars
      Made this for dinner last night. Once again you ha e a winner recipe and it will definitely be a regular in our home. Alissa I don’t know of any other website with such consistently delicious family friendly recipes. Many thanks.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        February 13, 2018 at 10:22 pm

        Thank you so much Kay! That's so nice of you to say, and I'm so glad you enjoyed this!!

        Reply
      • Yvi says

        November 12, 2019 at 3:40 am

        5 stars
        That sounds good. Can I use oats instead bread crumbs?

        Reply
        • Alissa Saenz says

          November 13, 2019 at 8:51 pm

          I think so! You might just want to cut down on the amount by a few tablespoons.

          Reply
    5. Zoey says

      February 11, 2018 at 2:49 pm

      4 stars
      Turned out really tasty. Exceeded all my expectations honestly.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        February 13, 2018 at 10:20 pm

        I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Zoey!

        Reply
    6. Ashley says

      February 15, 2018 at 11:37 pm

      Easy and delicious comfort food! Love the cashew chickpea options as well. 🙂

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        February 18, 2018 at 3:08 pm

        Thanks Ashley!

        Reply
    7. Audrey Maqks says

      February 16, 2018 at 9:31 pm

      5 stars
      Made them and they were great. Awesome comfort food. Thanks for sharing

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        February 18, 2018 at 3:02 pm

        I'm so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks Audrey!!

        Reply
    8. Kristin says

      March 05, 2018 at 6:13 am

      these look so comforting (and delicious)!

      Reply
    9. Wendy says

      April 26, 2018 at 1:52 pm

      4 stars
      I made these last night. Hubby is not vegan and didn't care for them. Mine didn't look as nice as these in the picture but overall I liked them. My daughter and I both thought they needed more cooking as ours turned out mushy and moist inside. I was thinking maybe use less beans next time. Also. I thought it would be extra tasty to saute the onions and mushrooms (in water or broth) first, just to give that additional depth of flavor. It may make the finished meatball less moist, too. My sauce did not thicken like the picture but it still tasted good. If you don't like coconut you won't like it though. I agree with another commentor on adding a little more nutmeg next time.

      Reply
    10. Jendayi says

      June 20, 2018 at 2:15 pm

      This sounds delicious, but does anyone have any suggestions as to how to cut down on the calories?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        June 24, 2018 at 6:51 pm

        You could try replacing some of the coconut milk another non-dairy milk like almond or soy.

        Reply
      • De Dee says

        June 24, 2019 at 8:48 pm

        Thank you for this recipe I added more nutmeg to the mixture.
        my meatballs were mushy in the middle not sure if they needed more bread crumbs or to
        cook longer. All in all I liked them my meat eating husband ate them he liked them as well

        Reply
        • Alissa Saenz says

          June 30, 2019 at 2:35 pm

          I'm glad you both enjoyed them! Usually if they come out mushy it means you blended the mixture a bit too much - try holding back a bit next time and make sure the mixture still has some texture to it. :)

          Reply
    11. Jennifer P. says

      September 09, 2018 at 11:25 am

      Hi! I hate mushrooms but really want to make these. Are they very mushroom-y tasting? :) Love the site! Thanks!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 09, 2018 at 8:52 pm

        I didn't find them too mushroomy, but if you'd like you could try using one of my other meatball recipes with the sauce from this one. These would work well: https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/vegan-salisbury-steak-meatballs-with-garlic-mashed-potatoes-mushroom-gravy/

        Reply
    12. Kerrie says

      November 16, 2018 at 11:27 pm

      Do you think I could freeze these?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        November 18, 2018 at 5:24 pm

        I haven't tried, but I don't see why not!

        Reply
    13. Laurie says

      November 30, 2018 at 3:45 pm

      Just last night my son and I were talking about needing a vegetarian Swedish meatball recipe, so I am thrilled to find this! Swedish meatballs have been a family tradition at Christmas for us, so I was planning to start experimenting. I've never had the meatballs at Ikea, but I am wondering about adding allspice to the recipe. My Swedish grandmother always put that in hers, and I would love to get a similar taste. Will probably try tonight. Fingers crossed!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        December 02, 2018 at 10:54 am

        I never thought to add allspice, but I bet it would be great! I'd love to hear how it turns out if you try it. :) Enjoy!!

        Reply
    14. Crystal Tenty says

      December 09, 2018 at 11:55 pm

      This sounds so delicious! Any idea how many calories a serving of meatballs would be without the noodles?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        December 13, 2018 at 5:05 pm

        Thank you!! The noodles account for about 200 calories per serving, so with just the meatballs and sauce it would be around 440.

        Reply
    15. Kristen says

      February 28, 2019 at 12:33 pm

      How necessary is the Worcestershire in the sauce? I can't get it where I live. Can I substitute something?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        March 03, 2019 at 4:44 pm

        It adds a lot of flavor, but you could leave it out if you need to. Or you could try making your own: https://www.marthastewart.com/258132/homemade-vegan-worcestershire-sauce

        Reply
    16. Mia says

      February 14, 2020 at 1:38 pm

      5 stars
      These vegan meatballs turned out just great ! The only thing I changed is I sauteed the mushrooms in olive oil beforehand and then I oven backed the balls for 20 minutes.

      Reply
    17. Jess says

      February 24, 2020 at 8:17 pm

      5 stars
      They were a bit crumbly when I first started rolling them so I added more beans (I used garbanzos that I cooked the day prior) and they ended up rolling nicely into balls, and I omit the nutmeg because I didn't have any. The flavor was so wonderful and the sauce is too, thank you so much for the recipe!

      Reply
    18. Elise Wilkosky says

      March 23, 2020 at 7:43 pm

      5 stars
      Made these for dinner tonight, cooked the meatballs an additional 20 min due to being mushy inside (I over processed them), but on point for flavor. also for the gravy I subbed a cashew cream for the coconut milk came out delicious! Defiantly making this again soon!!

      Reply
    19. Teresa says

      May 26, 2020 at 5:13 pm

      4 stars
      My meatballs came out super mushy, but if I had added more breadcrumbs that might have fixed them. I did cook them longer, but they were still so soft and wet inside. The flavor of the meatballs was good and the sauce was tasty. To eat the dish I just mashed the meatballs down so they blended into the sauce and that wasn't too bad, but my husband couldn't take the mushy texture even then. I probably could have broken them into crumbles and fried them in a pan to make them more easy to swallow.

      Reply
    20. Linda says

      July 29, 2020 at 7:28 am

      Can you give alternative ingredients to substitute for mushrooms?
      Thank you

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        July 29, 2020 at 9:28 am

        You might be able to get away with simply omitting them. You could also try working from one of my other meatball recipes: https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/vegan-meatballs/ Just adjust the seasonings to suit this recipe.

        Reply
    21. Romi says

      October 28, 2020 at 3:02 am

      Hi, can I use normal (frozen) mushrooms for this recipe pls? Thanks

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        October 28, 2020 at 8:58 pm

        I haven't tried myself, but I don't see why not!

        Reply
    22. K says

      December 22, 2020 at 10:02 pm

      5 stars
      BANGER
      I come to your website fairly often (love your page on seitan marinades!) and this had to be one of my favs
      had a similar issue where the meatballs were still a bit mushy inside after baking, I'll try more breadcrumbs next time.. because there will most definitely be a next time
      Thank you!!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Alissa Holding a Coffee Cup

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors!

    More about me →

    Popular

    • The Best Vegan Banana Bread
    • Crispy Baked Teriyaki Tofu
    • Creamy Vegan Rice Pudding
    • Classic Lentil Soup

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up for emails and updates

    Contact

    • About
    • Contact
    • Photo Use Policy

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more here.

    Copyright © 2013-2022 Tofu Press LLC & Alissa Saenz

    9508 shares
    • 818