Yes, you can still enjoy tender, juicy meatloaf without eggs or breadcrumbs! The secret is to use just the right amount of ingredients and to make your meatloaf into smaller, single-serving portions. Turns out kids love meatloaf even more like this, and it’s a super simple, protein-packed, allergy-friendly entree! {Egg-Free & Gluten-Free-Friendly}
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Egg-Free Mini Meatloaf Recipe
Whether you’ve totally run out of eggs, they cost a fortune, or you need to avoid them due to an egg allergy or intolerance, you can still make meatloaf without them!
And no, you don’t have to fuss with an egg substitute or anything else (who has time for that?).
Just mix the ground meat with the shredded vegetables, oats, seasonings, and a little milk, and you’re ready to get shaping and baking. Each mini meatloaf is moist and tender with plenty of that delicious glaze my kids love. Perfect for meal prep!
Elysia’s Recipe Recap
Taste: Meaty and savory with a delicious glaze
Ease: So easy to throw together with everyday pantry staples and no need to bother with breadcrumbs or cracking eggs
Recommendations: Always make a double batch to freeze the extras for later!
Serving Suggestions: I like serving these with a side of veggies like oven roasted ranch carrots, green beans with red peppers, or a serving of this brussels sprouts apple salad.
For more carbs, try serving with Greek yogurt mashed potatoes, or cinnamon sweet potato fries. We love how sweet potatoes bring out the sweetness in the glaze!
Ingredient Notes
For the meatloaf
- Quick oats: To bind the mixture together, add extra fiber, and make this meatloaf gluten-free.
- Milk: To hydrate the oats. Any type of milk will do.
- Lean ground beef: You’ll want ground beef with some fat to keep the meatloaf tender. We like to use 90/10.
- Finely shredded carrot and onion: Incorporates extra flavor and nutrients. I like to use the small holes on my grater to help the carrot and onion better integrate into the meat mixture.
For the glaze
- Ketchup: It’s all about the glaze, right? We like to use a naturally sweetened ketchup, but you can use any type you like.
- Coconut sugar: For that classic brown sugar sweetness and flavor.
- Worcestershire sauce: Adds a deeply savory note.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. If you have a baking rack, place it on top of the parchment.
- In a large bowl, pour the milk over the oats and let them soak for about 5 minutes.
- Add the ground beef, shredded carrot, onion, ketchup, mustard, salt, and pepper to the bowl. Mix until everything is well combined.
- Divide the meat mixture into 8 equal portions, shaping each one into a small, round loaf. Gently flatten the tops and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes.
- While the mini meatloaves are baking, whisk together the ketchup, coconut sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard in a small bowl.
- Remove the loaves from the oven and spoon about a tablespoon of sauce over each one.
- Return to the oven and bake for another 5–7 minutes. Let the meatloaves rest for 10 minutes before serving.
- Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley, if desired, and enjoy!
Scroll to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
Expert Tips
- If you’re nervous about meat temperatures, use an internal meat thermometer. Ground beef is done when it reaches 160°F.
- This recipe has been tested for making mini meatloaves. The mixture may crumble and fall apart if you try to make a full-sized loaf. If you want a regular-sized meatloaf, try making this meatloaf recipe without breadcrumbs and use an egg substitute.
Storage Guidelines
Refrigerator: Let your mini meatloaves cool to room temperature, then store your leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
For freezing: I usually like to wrap each leftover meatloaf with an extra layer of plastic wrap or aluminum foil before popping them into a freezer-safe bag since this helps prevent freezer burn. Just thaw them in the fridge overnight, and reheat to 165°F before serving.
Recipe Variations
- Season to taste: I like to keep it simple with salt and pepper, but you can absolutely raid the spice cupboard to add paprika, garlic powder, or even your favorite BBQ dry rub. Each of these will take the flavor in a slightly different direction.
- Adjust the veggies: Carrots and onions work really well in meatloaf and don’t have a ton of extra moisture. Zucchini is great too, but be sure to wring out any excess liquid.
- Switch up the protein: Ground turkey or chicken are easy swaps for lean ground beef and have a more neutral flavor profile.
More Healthy Meatloaf Recipes
- BBQ Meatloaf Muffins
- Turkey Apple Mini Meatloaf Recipe
- Easy Chicken Muffins
- 5-Ingredient Meatloaf Recipe
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
Mini Meatloaf without Eggs
Ingredients
For the meatloaf
- 1 cup quick oats
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup finely shredded carrot (about 1 medium carrot – optional)
- 1/4 cup shredded onion
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
For the glaze
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon mustard
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. If you have a baking rack, place it on top of the parchment.
- In a large bowl, pour the milk over the oats and let them soak for about 5 minutes.
- Add the ground beef, shredded carrot, onion, ketchup, mustard, salt, and pepper to the bowl. Mix until everything is well combined.
- Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions, shaping each one into a small, round loaf. Gently flatten the tops and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes.
- While the mini meatloaves are baking, whisk together the ketchup, coconut sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard in a small bowl.
- Remove the loaves from the oven and spoon about a tablespoon of sauce over each one.
- Return to the oven and bake for another 5–7 minutes. Let the meatloaves rest for 10 minutes before serving.
- Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley, if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
- The nutritional information is based on a serving of one mini meatloaf.
- If you’re nervous about meat temperatures, use an internal meat thermometer. Ground beef is done when it reaches 160°F.
- This recipe has been tested for making mini meatloaves. The mixture may crumble and fall apart if you try to make a full-sized loaf. If you want a regular-sized meatloaf, try making this meatloaf recipe without breadcrumbs and use an egg substitute if you require it to be egg-free.
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