Gluten Free Swedish Meatballs (Dairy Free Cream Sauce) Recipe
Creamy gluten free Swedish meatballs with a dairy free, tomato free gravy, easy weeknight method, plus egg-free, no-pork, no breadcrumbs and Whole30 variations. By using the oven, this recipe saves time and reduces dirty dishes while preserving its taste.
Servings 5 (42 meatballs)
Calories 398.2kcal
Ingredients
Gluten Free Meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef 85% lean
- 1 pound ground turkey pork or chicken, also works
- 1 large onion minced or grated
- 2 garlic cloves finely minced
- 2 slices gluten free bread crumbs; if no-breadcrumbs: see notes
- 3 tbsp plant milk optional (if using breadcrumbs)
- 2 tsp Himalayan pink salt or use 1/2 tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp avocado oil as grease for cooking
Seasonings (choose 1 option)
Option 1: Swedish Spice Profile
- ⅓ tsp allspice
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
Option 2: My Choice
- 1 tsp rosemary
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp coriander
Dairy Free Cream Sauce
- 4 tbsp Miyoko's butter coconut and cashew based
- 4-5 tbsp cassava flour or arrowroot powder
- 2½ to 3 cups chicken stock or beef stock
- ¾ to 1 cup coconut cream see notes for other options
Optional
- ½ to 1 cup dairy free sour cream after cooking (for a richer feel)
Seasonings
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp stone ground mustard paste
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos for umami flavor
- ½ tsp pink salt or ⅓ tsp sea salt
Instructions
Make The Meatballs
- If using breadcrumbs, toast and ground the gluten free bread (store bought or homemade) into bread crumbs with a food processor. No breadcrumbs? Just omit and use 1 cup of grated veggies (any root veggies, zucchini or cauliflower). No need to squeeze the liquid.
Mix
- Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté the onions and garlic until soft to create flavor. Set aside to cool down. We’re going to add all the other ingredients in the same skillet to save dirty dishes.
- To the sautéed onions and garlic, add the bread crumbs (if using), plant milk (only if using breadcrumbs), the seasonings and mix to combine.
- Add the ground meat and mix with your hand until everything looks uniformly combined, don’t overwork it, or it will have a gummy texture. Pre-heat the oven to 420F.
Form the Meatballs:
- Pinch off a piece of the meat mixture and gently roll between your hands to form 1-inch meatballs (about 1.5 tablespoons each).
- Place on a baking sheet (I used 2 oblong glass baking dishes) and repeat until all meatball mixture is used up. I got ~ 42 meatballs.
Cook meatballs:
- Bake in a preheated oven at 420F for 20 minutes. The high temperature will give the meatballs a nice brown color on the surface while keeping a soft texture inside. Turn the broiler (for the last 2 minutes) for maximum browning and crispy-edged effect.
- Sear In a Skillet Option: Heat a large skillet, add 1–2 tbsp oil and brown meatballs in batches, 2–3 minutes per side, until golden. Transfer to a plate (they’ll finish in the sauce).
Make The Dairy Free Gravy
- While the meatballs are baking in the oven, prepare the gravy, it’s similar to a roux. In a skillet melt the plant-based butter over low-medium heat.
- Add cassava flour (or gluten-free flour), cook for 1 min while whisking (low heat to prevent gummy texture), until golden brown and bubbly. If you want the sauce on the thicker side add another tablespoon of cassava flour.
- Slowly whisk in the stock/ broth until smooth. Simmer 2–3 minutes to thicken slightly. Stir in the coconut aminos, seasonings and last, the dairy-free cream (opt for coconut cream - the richest) see notes for other options. Simmer for 1 min to finish.
Serve
- Pour the dairy free sauce in the same baking dish where the meatballs were baked. The juices leaked from the meatballs will add extra flavor to the gravy. Give it a good mix to coat the meatballs.
- Optional: Return to the oven for another 5-7 minutes to warm them up if you like.
- Garnish with parsley. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or gluten-free noodles with a green veg or salad.
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Notes
Serve With
Spiralized veggies, mashed vegetables like white potatoes, sweet potatoes or cauliflower, gluten free pasta, boiled rice or boiled potatoes, rice noodles, oven roasted vegetables, or along your favorite salad.Egg Free Meatballs
I tried making my meatballs without eggs multiple times and they are great!Dairy Free Cream Options for the Gravy (choose 1)
- coconut cream (very rich but faint coconut taste).
- dairy free sour cream (cashew and coconut based), it has no added oils, a bit runny (reduce the amount of stock).
- unsweetened plain cashew yogurt (most neutral and silky), a bit runny too, so you'll probably need to reduce the amount of stock you're using.
Paleo or Whole30 compliant Swedish meatballs:
- Make sure you use a compliant mustard, without sugar or white wine.
- For the meatballs: replace the breadcrumbs with almond meal or if you can't have nuts: some grated vegetables like sweet potatoes, zucchini or cauliflower will do (about 1 cup).
- For the gravy replace the cassava flour with arrowroot powder, same amount.
Nutrition Facts For Dairy free Meatball Sauce:
Serving: ¾ cup | Calories 339.4 kcal | Carbohydrates: 37.8 g | Protein: 23.5 g | Saturated Fat: 6.9 g | Cholesterol: 12.3 mg | Sodium: 380.4 mg | Potassium: 406 mg | Fiber: 0.2 g | Sugar: 24.3 g | Vitamin A: 0.1 % | Vitamin C: 0.8 % | Calcium: 0.6 % | Iron: 1.8 %Nutrition
Serving: 8meatballs | Calories: 398.2kcal | Carbohydrates: 9.6g | Protein: 32.7g | Saturated Fat: 24.4g | Cholesterol: 139.7mg | Sodium: 251mg | Potassium: 259.6mg | Fiber: 1.6g | Sugar: 1.9g | Vitamin A: 295IU | Vitamin C: 3.5mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 3.1mg
