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Home ยป Paleo & Keto Meatballs with Dairy-Free Mushroom Sauce

Paleo & Keto Meatballs with Dairy-Free Mushroom Sauce

by Adrienne 34 Comments Published September 10, 2013 Updated: May 16, 2020

This post may contain affiliate links from which I will earn a commission. Learn more in our disclosure.
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collage of paleo & keto meatballs in pan--raw and cooked

Do you love meatballs but you're on a special diet? These Grain-Free Keto Meatballs are the perfect solution. They hold together really well--even without bread or eggs and are paired with a delicious dairy-free mushroom sauce.

Meatballs! Dairy, Egg, and Grain Free! GAPS-Friendly :). Think you need to give up meatballs just because you are on a special diet? No way! These paleo meatballs hold together and are super tasty even without dairy, egg, or grain! And they come with a great dairy-free mushroom sauce to boot!

If you're on the paleo diet or have food allergies to dairy or egg, making meatballs can be a nearly impossible. Thankfully, due to the discovery of this grain-free and egg-free meatball recipe, it's possible to have meatballs again.

In Search of a Grain-free Keto Meatball Recipe

Remember this song?

"On top of spaghetti, all covered with cheese. I lost my poor meatball when somebody sneezed."

Well, we're not talking about a sneeze causing a problem. In my case, it was the results of food allergy testing. When I was handed a list of food sensitivities longer than my arm, lose my poor meatball I did.

It turned out that I was sensitive to eggs, dairy, wheat, gluten, peanuts, etc… I didn't think I was ever going to be able to eat a delicious meatball again.

Until I discovered you actually can make egg-free, dairy-free, paleo meatballs without sacrificing tenderness and flavor!

Paleo Meatballs with Mushroom Sauce - Meatball ingredients in bowl
If you've been on almost any kind of diet you've probably had to give up many of your favorite comfort foods.

For me, I really missed my mom's moist meatballs. With gravy. On lefse, a traditional Norwegian flatbread.

The egg-free GAPS meatball recipes that I tried turned out bland and dry. So dry, in fact, they crumbled before I could even serve them onto plates.

Not exactly reminiscent of my mom's savory moist meatballs--and a far cry from the word "comfort".

Although I still miss my mom's lefse, I think I've finally found GAPS-friendly paleo meatballs worthy of the word "comfort".

This meatball recipe is the result of marrying my mom's savory meatball recipe with a GAPS-friendly version.

The final product is a moist and tender meatball without the eggs, bread crumbs, or any "illegal" ingredients.

Meatballs in pan

 

Grain-free Meatballs cooked in pan
I'm not sure what characteristics most people consider crucial to classify a meatball as distinguishable, but for me it's moisture.

A dry meatball, to me, is absolutely unpalatable and unacceptable.

I like to make this mushroom sauce with my grain-free meatballs, to help the meatballs lock in moisture.

It's really just like gravy!

Mushroom Sauce - dairy free

This post may contain affiliate links from which I will earn a commission.

This mushroom sauce recipe comes from Cooking with Coconut Flour by Bruce Fife.

Love this sauce!

Meatballs! Dairy, Egg, and Grain Free! GAPS-Friendly :). Think you need to give up meatballs just because you are on a special diet? No way! These paleo meatballs hold together and are super tasty even without dairy, egg, or grain! And they come with a great dairy-free mushroom sauce to boot!

And there you have it! Special-diet and even GAPS Diet-friendly, yet savory, paleo meatballs that are so tender you can even serve them at dinner parties.

Your traditional food guests will never know the difference!

So...

"Hold on to your meatballs. And don't ever sneeze."

Meatballs and Mushroom Sauce - Grain, Egg, and Dairy Free

Well, even if you do sneeze, these paleo meatballs will hold together! And hopefully if we are on gut-healing diets, we'll be sneezing less :)!

And I'm thinking these grain-free meatballs would taste great as a sandwich on this Focaccia Flax Bread....hmmmmm.)

Recipe Notes for These Keto Meatballs

  • Any egg substitute can be used instead of the eggs. Chia Seed Egg Replacer is a good option. This Powdered Egg Replacer would work well too.
  • You can use organic arrowroot instead of cornstarch, but do not use either if you cannot tolerate either of them.  For a low-carb option of the sauce, either omit all together or substitute organic glucomannan.
  • Here is a great homemade option for coconut milk.

collage of paleo & keto meatballs in pan--raw and cooked

Grain-free Meatballs

Grain-Free Meatballs with Dairy-Free Mushroom Sauce

On a special diet but you love meatballs? These Grain-Free Paleo Meatballs hold together great without bread or eggs!
Print Rate
Course: Entree
Cuisine: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Keto, Low-Carb, Paleo
Keyword: Grain-free Meatballs

Ingredients

For Meatballs

  • 2 lbs ground beef (preferably grass fed)
  • 1/2 cup coconut flour
  • 4 chia eggs (or eggs if you can tolerate them)
  • 1/2 cup onion (finely chopped)
  • 2 tsp mustard powder
  • 1 Tbsp parsley
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper

For Mushroom Sauce

  • 8 ounces fresh mushrooms (sliced)
  • 1 cup onion (finely chopped)
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch (optional - see Recipe Notes)
  • 14 oz coconut milk (most cans hold about this amount)
  • 2 Tbsp butter (divided; you can also use coconut oil)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions

For Meatballs

  • In a bowl, mix all ingredients until well combined.
  • When using the chia seed egg substitute, sometimes my mixture comes out too dry. If that happens, simply add a teaspoon of water at a time until you've reached the right consistency.
  • Shape into 1-inch balls.
  • Place the meatballs in a large skillet, with 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. Cover and cook meatballs, turning them frequently, until cooked through. About 20-30 minutes, for me.

For Mushroom Sauce:

  • Saute mushrooms and onions in 1 tablespoon of the butter / coconut oil until vegetables are tender.
  • Combine cornstarch with coconut milk and stir into vegetable mixture.
  • Add remaining butter / coconut oil, salt, and pepper. Simmer, stirring frequently, for about 15 minutes.
  • When serving, pour the mushroom sauce over meatballs (but it would be great on veggies, or potatoes as well!).
Tried this recipe?Mention @wholenewmom or tag #wholenewmom!

The GAPS Diet is a very interesting gut-healing protocol.  Here is the book in case you'd like to check it out.  I promise, it has a lot of holds on it if it's even available at your local library.

Gut and Psychology Syndrome

What Favorite Recipe are You Hoping to Makeover to a Healthified Version?

profilepicture150Leah, wife and mother to two, lives in the great southwest where the lizards and rattlesnakes slither. She sometimes manages to sneak from beneath the dinner dishes and laundry piles to share new discoveries she’s made in her journey through life. You can find her writing at: www.ponderingsfrommyheart.com.

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About Adrienne

Adrienne Urban is the Founder and Owner of Whole New Mom. She has a background in research, journalism, insurance, employee benefits, financial markets, frugal living, and nutrition. Seeking a better life for herself and her family, she uses research and consults with many physicians and other practitioners to find solutions to the variety of issues they have dealt with including life-threatening food allergies and thyroid and adrenal concerns. WholeNewMom.com is the result of her experiences and knowledge gained throughout the process. Posts are reviewed and verified by the Whole New Mom team.

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    Recipe Rating




     

  1. Heather

    September 17, 2019 at 2:09 pm

    Hi there, This recipe looks yummy to me but am trying to decide if my kids would like it. Does the sauce taste like coconut? I know some people rather enjoy the flavor of coconut with meat but my kids are, unfortunately, not that cultured.

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      September 19, 2019 at 2:09 pm

      Hi Heather! So actually this recipe wasn't developed by me--it was a guest post. I think you would be OK with it, but you could try it with another dairy-free milk that they like to be on the safe side....or add more spices to hopefully take away some of the coconut flavor. I can try to make it soon to see. I did work on another Cream of Mushroom soup and I used some broth and some coconut milk and it was amazing and didn't taste like coconut :).

      Reply
      • Heather

        September 25, 2019 at 10:25 am

        Thanks so much for your feebback. I have this on my list for this week. Will try to come back and let you know.

        Reply
        • Adrienne

          September 25, 2019 at 10:27 am

          Look forward to it! Hope it goes well!!

          Reply
    • Adrienne

      September 19, 2019 at 2:09 pm

      If you do try it I would LOVE to hear what everyone thinks!

      Reply
  2. Patti

    March 19, 2017 at 10:34 am

    What level of heat on the stove for cooking the meatballs? Recipe doesn't say (odd!). The first time I made these they turned out way too dry, and I'm pretty sure I used a Low-Med heat. I'm not super knowledgable in the kitchen, so I need this kind of info to be included. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      March 19, 2017 at 11:23 am

      I don't think that has anything to do with it. Typically you would cook meatballs on a medium heat. Perhaps something else happened?

      Reply
  3. Kristi

    October 21, 2015 at 5:29 pm

    I recently tried this recipe and am making it again tonight. I love these meatballs!

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      October 21, 2015 at 5:58 pm

      So glad to hear it!!

      Reply
  4. Randi

    April 06, 2015 at 4:57 pm

    Hi,

    What is the coconut flour for? Is it in place of bread crumbs? I am allergic to dairy, eggs, coconut, tree nuts, peanuts and tomatoes, so I am trying to find a meatball recipe that does not have dairy or eggs or coconut lol. I know mixing pork with the beef works well as it adds more fat, but currently I have many many many lbs of grass finished lean ground beef in my freezer. Being I do not need to be GF, can I sub the flour for bread crumbs instead?

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      April 06, 2015 at 5:14 pm

      It's a thickener, so yes in that sense. Hmmmm...you could try more flax, or chia perhaps? Is there another flour you could maybe use? You could put maybe double the regular flour in and see how that does. Take care!

      Reply
      • Randi

        April 06, 2015 at 8:09 pm

        I used oats. I do not need it GF so we shall see how it goes ๐Ÿ™‚ Thank you for your response as it gives me more options ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
  5. Jennifer

    February 24, 2015 at 2:58 pm

    How about using cream instead of coconut milk when not doing dairy free?

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      February 24, 2015 at 9:58 pm

      Yes, that would be great. Or plain milk. Hope you enjoy them!

      Reply
  6. karen

    July 01, 2014 at 9:19 am

    My kids are on GAPS diet now and I had to learn to make meatballs without fillers like bread crumbs and they are delicious! I always wondered WHY we added them when we can get more flavor without fillers. I don't even add eggs or egg replacers. Just meat, herbs, onions and garlic. In this case, less is definitely MORE! I make hamburgers this way too! And my kids love beef breakfast 'sausages' made this way since they can't eat packaged sausages. I have to try your mushroom sauce. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      July 01, 2014 at 9:32 am

      So glad to hear it Karen!!! So yours stick together even without flax?

      Reply
      • karen

        July 01, 2014 at 9:50 am

        Yup. No egg replacers. I make sure the grass-fed ground meat has fat. The fats hold them together and keeps them moist. I add herbs like Tarragon, Parsley, Cumin and curry powder for extra kick but mainly, onion and garlic finely diced and minced. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
  7. vanessa

    March 28, 2014 at 5:55 am

    Hello, just wondering if the mushroom sauce could be made with other milk, like oat milk or rice milk.

    vanessa

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      March 28, 2014 at 4:17 pm

      Sure thing!

      Reply
  8. Dawn

    September 21, 2013 at 3:34 pm

    Thanks for linking up at Healing With Food Friday!

    Reply
  9. Stacy

    September 18, 2013 at 8:57 pm

    I. Love. Mustard. Powder. It's amazing stuff. Thanks for linking at Trim Healthy Tuesday!!

    Reply
    • Leah

      September 22, 2013 at 9:45 am

      Me too! It adds a lot of flavor doesn't it! Thanks!

      Reply
  10. Allyson Bossie

    September 18, 2013 at 10:23 am

    I love that this includes coconut flour. I like to use that or Spelt flour exclusively. These look delicious, so I will try this recipe.

    I am linking up from Real Food Wednesday, and I would love if you can drop by.

    Reply
  11. Rachel

    September 17, 2013 at 12:41 pm

    Looks great! Our niece is GF and DF, so this is definitely a recipe we can use! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Leah

      September 22, 2013 at 9:45 am

      I hope your niece likes it! Thanks!

      Reply
  12. Lea

    September 16, 2013 at 2:56 pm

    This looks really good. Thanks for sharing. Found you from Homestead Barn Hop.
    Lea

    Reply
  13. Christy

    September 14, 2013 at 8:22 am

    Thank you for this! Sounds like your food intolerance list was as bad as mine. I will definitely be trying this recipe!

    Reply
    • Leah

      September 16, 2013 at 8:14 pm

      I hope you enjoy these! It's so hard to let go of all the traditional yummy foods we're used to.... Hugs!

      Reply
  14. Dawn

    September 13, 2013 at 9:33 pm

    Oh YUM! Iโ€™d love it if you would share at our Healing With Foods blog hop! Hope to see you there!

    Reply
    • Leah

      September 16, 2013 at 8:13 pm

      Thanks! Just shared! Lots of yummy link-ups there!

      Reply
  15. Lori

    September 12, 2013 at 6:59 pm

    Just made these. AWESOME!!! Thanks for sharing!!!

    Reply
    • Leah

      September 16, 2013 at 8:07 pm

      Oh yay! I'm so glad you liked them! Thanks for letting me know!

      Reply
  16. Candace

    September 10, 2013 at 11:13 pm

    Looks AMAZING!! I can't wait to try!

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      September 10, 2013 at 11:14 pm

      I think so too!

      Reply
Please note: these comments do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of Whole New Mom.

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Welcome! I'm Adrienne, and I'm here to show you that Healthy Living Doesn't Have to Be Hard! Here, you'll findย basically everything you need to make healthy living doable--healthy & easyย flexible recipes, tips forย clean beautyย and aย natural home,ย essential oils,ย beginner gardening tips, and more. Learn moreย about me here.

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