• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Soups
  • One Pot
  • Baking
  • Meat and Fish
  • Celiac Resources
  • Breakfast
  • Snack
  • Dessert
  • Sides
  • Gluten Free Living
  • Gluten Free Travel
  • Van Life
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
Vibrantly G-Free
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Soups
  • One Pot
  • Baking
  • Meat and Fish
  • Celiac Resources
  • Breakfast
  • Snack
  • Dessert
  • Sides
  • Gluten Free Living
  • Gluten Free Travel
  • Van Life
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Meat and Fish

    Dairy Free Swedish Meatballs

    January 21, 2021 by Jamie · 11 Comments

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe
    dairy-free-swedish-meatballs
    Dairy Free Swedish Meatballs 2
    Dairy Free Swedish Meatballs 3

    This easy gluten free and dairy free Swedish Meatballs recipe is at least as tasty as the original! Smooth buttery gravy with flavorful little meatballs packed with extra veggies make for a healthier recipe. They will remind you of days shopping at Ikea and are the ultimate winter comfort food.

    We make them as an easy weeknight dinner and on weekends, and of course, in the camper van!

    Overhead view of dairy free swedish meatballs smothered in gravy on mashed potatoes

    Pin1K
    Share
    Pocket
    Tweet
    1K Shares

    Does winter have you craving all the comfort foods? I can't think of anything better than a cozy dish of meatballs smothered in gravy and mashed potatoes right now.

    This Dairy Free Swedish Meatballs recipe came around in quite an interesting way -- but it started with fuzzy Ikea slippers and nostalgia for the old "I can eat anything days" of meatballs and gravy while shopping at Ikea with my mom.

    And seriously -- have you seen a traditional Swedish Meatballs Recipe?? There are about a million ingredients and TWO kinds of ground meat. We cannot have any of that for us lazy foodies here 😉

    So don't worry, I substituted the ground pork for finely chopped mushrooms (yum!). And that pesky bread crumb problem for us gluten-free eaters? We'll substitute instant mashed potato flakes instead, which is even better!

    I included only the ingredients that make the tastiest of meatballs and included substitutions as needed.

    So let's get to the really good stuff!

    Why you’ll love this Dairy Free Swedish Meatballs Recipe:

    • it's healthier than any other Swedish Meatballs recipe I've seen!
    • The dairy free gravy is beyond incredible
    • it's super easy to make vegetarian with a product like Beyond Meat
    • You can easily serve 6 people a holiday-worthy meal in 35 minutes
    • Add a coffee and reminisce about the old days of Ikea shopping and a stop at the eatery <3

    How could you resist these little beauties?

    Overhead view of a sauce pan of dairy free swedish meatballs in dairy free gravy

    Dairy free swedish meatballs in a fry pan covered in smooth golden gravy

    Mashed potatoes covered in Dairy free Swedish Meatballs and gravy

    What to know before you start:

    You can easily cook the meatballs in a skillet, rather than the oven.

    Simply fry them in the skillet until browned on the outside and firm when pressed. For van life friends looking for a holiday meal, THIS recipe is my go-to!

    It's easy to make the 'meatballs' vegetarian.

    Replace the ground beef with a substitution like Beyond Meat's mock version. All other ingredients are plant-based, with the exception of eggs.

    There are only 11 different ingredients.

    For ease of prep, I recorded a few ingredients twice -- under 'Meatballs' and under 'Gravy'.

    Don't be fooled by the longer looking list! Other than salt and pepper, there are only 11 total ingredients.

    Dairy Free Swedish Meatballs Recipe:

    Print
    clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
    Overhead view of dairy free swedish meatballs smothered in gravy on mashed potatoes

    Dairy Free Swedish Meatballs


    ★★★★★

    5 from 5 reviews

    • Author: Jamie
    • Total Time: 35 minutes
    • Yield: 6 1x
    • Diet: Gluten Free
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Description

    This easy gluten free and dairy free Swedish Meatballs recipe is at least as tasty as the original! Smooth buttery gravy with flavorful little meatballs packed with extra veggies make for a healthier recipe. They will remind you of days shopping at Ikea and are the ultimate winter comfort food. We make them as an easy weeknight dinner and on weekends.


    Ingredients

    Scale

    Meatballs

    • 1 lb ground beef
    • 1 heaping cup finely chopped mushrooms
    • ¼ medium yellow onion, finely chopped
    • ½ cup cashew milk
    • 2 eggs
    • ¾ cup instant mashed potato flakes 
    • 1 teaspoon paprika
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½  teaspoon salt

    Gravy

    • ¼ cup coconut butter
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • 3 tablespoons tapioca starch
    • 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
    • ½ cup cashew milk 

    Garnish

    • salt and pepper to taste
    • chopped flat leaf parsley

    Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Mix all meatball ingredients together. Roll into little balls (about the size of a ping-pong ball) and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until firm when pressed. *Note: you can also pan fry the meatballs.
    2. Melt coconut butter in a large skillet on medium heat. Add spices and tapioca starch, mixing well with a spatula or wooden spoon. Add broth in ~¼ cup increments and stir or whisk well with each addition to make smooth. Add cashew milk in the same fashion. Add extra broth as needed to get your desired gravy consistency.
    3. Place meatballs in gravy. Push them around gently to get nice and saucy.

    Notes

    You can easily cook the meatballs in a skillet, rather than the oven. Simply fry them in the skillet until browned on the outside and firm when pressed on. For van life friends looking for a holiday meal, THIS recipe is my go-to!

    It's easy to make the 'meatballs' vegetarian. Replace the ground beef with a substitution like Beyond Meat's mock version. All the other ingredients are plant-based, with the exception of eggs.

    There are only 11 different ingredients. For ease of prep, I recorded a few ingredients twice -- under 'Meatballs' and under 'Gravy'. Don't be fooled by the longer looking list! Other than salt and pepper, there are only 11 total ingredients listed.

    • Prep Time: 15
    • Cook Time: 20
    • Category: Dinner
    • Method: Bake
    • Cuisine: Swedish

    Keywords: dairy free swedish meatballs, dairy free meatballs, gluten free swedish meatballs, healthy swedish meatballs

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @vibrantlygfree on Instagram and hashtag it #vibrantlygfree

    A ping-pong ball sized meatball dripping in smooth golden gravy on a spoon

    Hungry for more?

    Try these other tasty comfort foods:

    • Northwest Beef Stew in the Instant Pot
    • Easy Paella Recipe
    • Easy Instant Pot Tomato Soup
    • Savory Pumpkin Stew

    Check out our tasty gluten-free Recipe Index <3

    With love and gratitude,

    ❤︎ Jamie

    Pin1K
    Share
    Pocket
    Tweet
    1K Shares
    « Easy Instant Pot Tomato Soup
    Super Tasty Baked Cottage Fries »

    Subscribe

    for email updates!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rob W.

      February 06, 2021 at 2:53 pm

      Planning on making these for the Super Bowl for my GF partner!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    2. Brenda W.

      February 10, 2021 at 5:06 pm

      These are so good! Love the sauce and it definitely feels like you're treating yourself to something special.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Jamie

        February 23, 2021 at 9:59 pm

        I couldn't agree more Brenda! Thank you so much for leaving a review 🙂

        Reply
    3. Julie

      March 11, 2021 at 10:36 am

      I loved these! Used gluten free breadcrumbs in place of Instant mashed potatoes and it worked great.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Jamie

        March 11, 2021 at 10:40 am

        I'm so glad you enjoyed them Julie!

        Reply
    4. Karyl

      September 17, 2021 at 6:03 am

      Tried this recipe last week. Going to the store to pick up the ingredients so I can bring them to a pot luck this weekend! My husband asked me to make sure there were some for leftovers!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    5. Katerina | Once a Foodie

      September 17, 2021 at 8:33 pm

      My daughter's favourite food is the IKEA meatballs with mashed potato and gravy. Being in lockdown, it's hard to cater to that addiction so I am going to make these, Jamie, they look absolutely incredible!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    6. Tracy G

      September 19, 2021 at 2:04 pm

      I want to try these...would almond milk and regular butter make much of a taste difference, or should I get me some cashew milk and coconut butter? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Jamie

        September 19, 2021 at 4:02 pm

        Hi Tracey! I think the regular butter would work just fine. And probably the almond milk (unsweetened) would be fine too. I chose cashew because it's the most neutral nut milk. You may have a slight almond milk taste but I think it would still taste great! Let me know how it goes!

        Reply
    7. Laura

      November 03, 2021 at 9:46 am

      I am extremely allergic to mushrooms. What could I use as a substitute for them?

      Reply
      • Jamie

        November 03, 2021 at 9:20 pm

        Hi Laura! The mushrooms can be replaced with ground beef or ground pork, or cooked quinoa! I haven't tried any other substitutions.

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    Primary Sidebar

    Hey Friend!

    A headshot of Jamie, the blogger behind Vibrantly G-Free, outside in a forest wearing a blue top.

    I'm Jamie -- a former math and science teacher, now full-time food blogger and photographer. I love to live on-the-go with tasty food to take along!

    More about me →

    Currently Trending

    • Impossibly Authentic Dairy Free Tiramisu
    • Foolproof Gluten-Free French Baguette
    • How to go Gluten Free - 10 BEST tips for Beginners
    • Printable Gluten Free Grocery List + 10 Tips!

    Seasonal Favorites

    • Showstopper Gluten-Free Apple Coffee Cake
    • Dairy Free Swedish Meatballs
    • Savory Pumpkin Stew
    • Fluffy Almond Flour Pumpkin Muffins

    Footer

    About your recipe developer

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Former math and science teacher, now full-time food blogger and photographer. I love to live on-the-go with tasty food to take along! More about me →

    My Favorites

    A clear glass mug with microwaved hot chocolate topped with mini marshmallows and chocolate shavings.
    A side view of a cup of Italian hot chocolate topped with whipped cream, chocolate shavings and a piece of chocolate.
    A mug of peanut butter hot chocolate topped with whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and a chopped peanut butter cup.

    Copyright © 2023 · Vibrantly g free