These vegan cheesy sun-dried tomato Italian meatballs are easy to make, loaded with flavor and so soft and cheesy that you’ll fool even the biggest vegan skeptic.
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Meatballs are one of the ultimate comfort foods. And these vegan cheesy sun-dried tomato Italian meatballs are going to be your new favorite recipe. They are one of the best vegan meatballs that we have ever had or made in our lives, vegan or not.
We are always looking for foods that our kids will gobble right up and these were hands down a hit!
They are easy to make! You only need one bowl and one oven safe dish and just 9 ingredients. They are ready in under an hour with only 10 minutes being prep time.
Pair this with pasta, bread, and salad. Make meatball sandwiches with it. Or just eat them out of the dish. We won’t judge.
Vegan Cheesy Sun-Dried Tomato Italian Meatballs INGREDIENTS:
Below are notes about the ingredients before we get into the full recipe located lower in this post on how to make this easy Vegan Cheesy Sun-Dried Tomato Italian Meatballs:
- vegan ground meat – vegans now have access to frozen crumbles which are great in things like spaghetti or tacos and also vegan ground meat that is usually in a block and appears more like traditional ground meat. The later is what you want to use here.
- flax egg – when you combine ground flax seed and water and let it sit, it becomes gelatinous. We are using this as our egg replacer for this recipe
- almond flour – this is for a little more binder for our recipe
- marinara sauce – we highly recommend our vegan homemade spaghetti sauce that is absolutely phenomenal. Alternatively, our favorite jarred sauce is Rao’s or Prego’s Farmers Market. You can use your favorite!
- sun-dried tomatoes – these give an intense flavor without adding a ton of moisture like fresh or canned diced tomatoes would
- vegan parmesan – this adds some salty flavor while also being cheesy. Our go to is the Violife parmesan block because we like the taste and how it melts
- vegan mozzarella – You want a vegan shredded cheese that will meltable. You can use our shredded vegan cheese list to help. For this particular set of recipe photos we did use the new Follow Your Heart FINELY SHREDDED mozzarella and love how it melted.
SUBSTITUTIONS AND VARIATIONS:
- almond flour – sub with the same amount of panko breadcrumbs
- marinara sauce – we highly recommend our vegan homemade spaghetti sauce that is absolutely phenomenal. Alternatively, our favorite jarred sauce is Rao’s or Prego’s Farmers Market. You can use your favorite!
- vegan parmesan – can use nutritional yeast instead
- vegan mozzarella – try cheddar or another melty vegan cheese of your choice
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST Vegan Cheesy Sun-Dried Tomato Italian Meatballs:
We highly recommend the following things:
- Pick your favorite vegan ground meat – First again, make sure that you are not using frozen vegan crumbles. That is not what you want for this recipe. You want a vegan ground meat. And you want it to be one that you enjoy that flavor of. Examples would be Impossible (which we used in the photos), Lightlife, or Beyond.
- Take time to make the homemade spaghetti sauce – While there are some really great store brand sauces, nothing beats homemade. If you have the time, we highly recommend it.
- Use the best vegan cheeses – there are some really gross vegan cheese brands out there. We recommend using brands that you love! We personally used for this dish – Violife parmesan block, and Follow Your Heart Finely Shredded Mozzarella (this is new). See our vegan mozzarella taste test for inspiration!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Yes! This meal can be completely Top 8 Allergen Friendly.
First, you want to make sure that you are also choosing a vegan ground meat that are allergen friendly too. Some have soy and wheat in them. Depending on your allergens, check out Impossible, Lightlife or Beyond ground as an option.
Then, pick vegan cheeses that are safe for your allergens.
This recipe will last up to 3 days in the fridge, which means you could prep it that far in advance.
You may need to add a splash or broth when reheating if it needs it.
Yes! You can shape the meatballs and then store them in the freezer in a safe bag or container. Allow to thaw and proceed with the recipe. Or bake completely. Once completely cooled, store in an air tighter freezer safe container for up to 3 months. All to thaw before reheating.
WHAT SIDES TO SERVE WITH THIS Vegan Cheesy Sun-Dried Tomato Italian Meatballs CASSEROLE?
There are endless possibilities but a side salad and some bread are great starting points.
Here’s some bread ideas:
- Vegan Garlic Knots
- Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks
- Vegan Italian Cheesy Bread Rolls (photo shown above)
- Vegan Garlic Bread
- Easy Vegan Dinner Rolls
What other vegan pasta ideas could I make?
If you are like us, then pasta dishes are a go too! They are easy, usually budget friendly, and kid-friendly! Here’s some more delicious vegan pasta recipe ideas!
- Vegan Chili Mac and Cheese (photoed above)
- Vegan Crispy Roasted Cauliflower with Creamy Garlic Parmesan Pasta
- Vegan Creamy Mushroom and Asparagus Pasta
- The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese
- Vegan Pumpkin Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes and Spinach (photoed above)
- The Best Vegan Lasagna
- Vegan Alfredo
- Vegan Cheesy Hamburger Helper Skillet
- Spinach and Walnut Pesto Pasta
- Vegan Carbonara
- Vegan Creamy Broccoli and Chickpea Pasta
Pin this Vegan Cheesy Sun-Dried Tomato Italian Meatballs for later!
🥳 Get the Full Recipe
Vegan Cheesy Sun-dried Tomato Italian Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seed
- 3 tablespoon water
- 1.5 lb vegan ground meat (NOT CRUMBLES)
- ⅔ cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
- ½ cup vegan parmesan cheese, shredded
- ⅓ cup almond flour (Can sub with ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ tablespoon Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 ½-2 cups marinara sauce
- 1 ½-2 cups vegan shredded mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly spray a 9×13 casserole dish with cooking spray. Combine ground flax and water together in a small bowl, set aside for 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, add vegan ground meat, sundried tomatoes, vegan cheese, almond flour, garlic, flax mixture from Step 1, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste. Combine very well. Shape into 12 meatballs. *We prefer to use a cookie scoop for uniform size then arrange them in the dish. **Use some of the sundried tomato oil to shape the balls for easier rolling if needed.
- Bake meatballs casserole for 15 to 20 minutes or until fully cooked. Remove from oven and pour marinara sauce and shredded vegan mozzarella cheese over the meatballs. Place back in oven and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes until the cheese is melty.
- Remove and serve with desired sides.
Planning on making these tonight for a pot-luck dinner tomorrow. Any tips for keeping them “fresh”? Ex; should I wait until tomorrow to add the marinara and cheese after reheating the meatballs at the host’s house? Okay to microwave reheat? Or any other concerns/suggestions!
They would be ok to reheat in microwave. Add the sauce at the time would be fine, but would definitely add cheese later if it’s an option
I’ve made a few of your recipes everything is SO GOOD!!
So happy to hear that Daisy!
I just made this for dinner and it is unbelievably tasty! It was also really easy and the ingredient ratio is perfect. A hit with everyone who had some. I will definitely be making it again!
I love that it was a hit for your home
These are incredible! So tasty, so easy to put together and the whole family loved them. Served it with crusty bread and a spinach salad. Def making again! 🙂
yay!
I just tried this tonight. I followed the recipe. Oh. Emmm. Geee. It was absolutely delish and full of flavor! I will certainly make this again!
So happy to hear you loved it!
Such good meatballs!! I didn’t have any sun dried tomatoes so I put bell pepper. They came out really good.
Great substitution!