Chickpeas are one of the healthiest legumes you can eat. They are full of protein and fiber and should be consistently added to your diet. Check out some of the incredible health benefits of these legumes here. Not only are they extremely healthy, but that are incredibly versatile as there is so much you can do with them. From hummus to these delicious plant-based chickpea meat balls, they are a must to always have on hand.
These plant-based meatballs are a great way to add in chickpeas and all of their nutritional benefits to a meal. They are crispy on the outside with a softer center. I love to make a big batch of them to stick in the freezer. They make a perfect and easy addition to pasta or even meatball subs. Though, I'd be lying if I said we didn't often eat them by themselves.
- Plant-Based Berry Crisp
- Coconut Almond Clusters
- Pumpkin Spice Date Balls
- Tahini Cauliflower Grain Bowl
- Nutr Review – Make Your Own Nut Milk!
Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, this blog post contains affiliate links. Purchases made through such links may result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost for you). As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, which helps to keep this blog alive!
Notes
- Make sure your chickpeas have been drained and are not wet. This will make the dough too sticky to form into balls.
- The chickpea mixture should be sticky, but you should be able to form it into balls. If the mixture is too wet or sticky to mold, blend in more oats. If you have garbanzo/chickpea flour, which I highly recommend trying out, you can also add this to the mixture to help create the perfect consistency.
- I coat my hands in coconut oil prior to forming the dough into balls. This helps to form perfect balls and prevent it from sticking to your hands too badly.
- I always recommend soaking the chickpeas the night before and using an Instant Pot to cook them perfectly. In addition, is always a good idea to soak and cook more than needed and freeze the rest for another time.
- These are great to add on top of spaghetti or on my zucchini meatball boats.
- This recipe make a lot of chickpeas balls. However, they are great to throw in the freezer and have on hand for quick and easy dinners.
Save for later!
If you try this recipe, or any other recipes, make sure to to use #pureandplantbased on Instagram or tag us on Facebook!
Plant-Based Chickpea Meatballs
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked chickpeas
- 1 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 5 tbs flaxseed meal
- 10 tbs water
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp parsley
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp fennel
- pepper to taste
- cayenne pepper to taste *optional*
Instructions
-
Preheat over to 450°F. Lightly cover baking sheet with oil or use parchment paper.
-
Add flaxseed meal to water and allow for it to sit in the fridge for 5-8 minutes.
-
Combine chickpeas and rolled oats into a food processor and blend until you get a smooth consistency.
-
Take your flaxseed meal and add it to the chickpea and oat mixture in the food processor. Blend.
-
Next, add pressed garlic cloves, salt, onion powder, parsley, basil, oregano, fennel, pepper and cayenne. Blend.
-
Chill in fridge for 10-15 minutes.
-
Roll mixture into 25g sized balls and put them on your baking sheet.
-
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the chickpea balls are golden.
Plant-Based Tamale Bowls
Potato and Chickpea Vegan Breakfast Hash
Simple Chickpea Tacos Flavored with Cilantro, Lime, & Garlic
Plant-Based Macaroni & Cheese
These turned out so well! I used whole chia seeds instead of flax, and garlic powder instead of fresh garlic. I replaced the rest of seasonings with some pizza seasoning. After blending it all up, I ran out of time to make them so the ‘dough’ ended up sitting in my fridge overnight which was totally fine. It had such a nice texture when I went to roll them into balls. They baked up nice and held their shape. I baked them for 20 mins on 450, and flipped them over halfway through baking. I also just made half the recipe and ended up with 24 balls (heaping tablespoonfuls). Thanks for the excellent recipe I will definitely make again!
I made these yesterday turned out like delicious with spaghetti and marinara sauce.
I don’t own a food processor so did this with a hand mixer took a bit of time !
I was wondering if you have tried this with chickpea flou?
Thanks for this recipe !
Hi Claux,
I am so glad you liked the recipe, thanks for your feedback! I have not tried it using only chickpea flour, though I do add it to them if they are too sticky.
-Alexis