Vegan Eggplant Parmesan
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This vegan eggplant parmesan is perfectly crispy outside and tender inside. Best served with red sauce and pasta for a filling and comforting meal.
You can now make an eggplant parmesan that’s perfectly crispy, tender, and savory while still being dairy-free and egg-free with this easy vegan baked eggplant parmesan recipe!
Whip up the crave-worthy, ever-comforting eggplant dish using only a few simple ingredients.
Elevate your plate of spaghetti marinara with this crispy vegan eggplant parm. It’s the best way to eat eggplant besides vegan ratatouille!
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Eggplant Parmesan Recipe
- This vegan baked eggplant parmesan gives the comforting eggplant dish a dairy-free and egg-free makeover! Enjoy the cheesy and savory goodness of eggplant parmesan using vegan-friendly ingredients.
- Vegan eggplant parmesan bake is a simple dish. The oven does most of the job for you, and you can be assured that the baked eggplant slices will come out with the perfect crispy texture outside and mouthwateringly tender texture inside.
- Mix up your weekly dinners with this eggplant parmesan vegan recipe! It’s versatile and can be served with anything from pasta (check out this vegan bolognese sauce), sliced garlic bread, to green salad.
Vegan Eggplant Parmesan Ingredients And Substitutions
- Eggplants – For the best taste and texture on your vegan eggplant parmesan, pick small to medium eggplants with dark purple skin.
- Coarse sea salt – For salting the eggplant slices before baking and as a coating seasoning. Garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper are other tasty seasonings you can add to this vegan eggplant parmesan recipe.
- Gluten-free all-purpose flour – To help the milk-cornstarch mixture adhere better to the eggplant slices.
- Gluten-free panko bread crumbs– Make up the crispy coating, contrasting the tender center of the vegan baked eggplant parmesan. Cornflakes, cashews, or sunflower seeds will also work.
- Italian seasoning – Feel free to season the slices of eggplant with whatever you like!
- Grated vegan parmesan cheese – You can’t make a vegan eggplant parmesan bake without parmesan, but to keep this recipe vegan-friendly and dairy-free, use plant-based parmesan. If unavailable, substitute it with nutritional yeast.
- Unsweetened plain almond milk – This crispy vegan eggplant parm is egg-free. We’ll use almond milk mixed with cornstarch in place of eggs. You can also use soy milk.
- Gluten-free cornstarch – To thicken the non-dairy milk.
- Cooking spray – For greasing the baking dish and the tops of the breaded eggplant slices.
- Shredded vegan mozzarella cheese – Optional topping for oven-baked eggplants.
- Gluten-free vegan spaghetti pasta – You can serve your dairy-free eggplant parmesan with any vegan pasta you like.
- Vegan marinara sauce – This rich and flavorful red sauce will always be a hit with crispy eggplant parm.
- Fresh basil – Don’t forget this herb before serving your eggplant parmesan pasta!
Tips For Making This Eggplant Parmesan Vegan Recipe
Salt Your Eggplant
Make sure to salt your eggplant to draw out its bitter juices. Salting the eggplant will also remove the excess moisture for perfectly tender eggplant parm.
Dry the Eggplant Slices with Kitchen Towels
Another way to remove the excess moisture on your rinsed eggplant slices is with kitchen towels. Arrange them between the towels, then place a baking sheet and skillet on top for 5 to 10 minutes.
Bake as Soon as Possible
After coating the eggplant slices, bake them as soon as possible to ensure they’ll crisp up nicely. Otherwise, they might absorb excess moisture from sitting out for too long.
Enjoy Them Immediately
Vegan eggplant parmesan is best enjoyed right after making them. While some say you can refrigerate the leftovers for up to 5 days, the slices might get soggy even after reheating. Crispy vegan eggplant parm is also not freezer-friendly.
Vegan Eggplant Parmesan Recipe FAQs
Is it necessary to peel eggplant for eggplant parmesan?
You don’t need to peel your eggplant for eggplant parmesan. However, large eggplants can have tough, bitter skin, so it’ll be better to peel them.
Should you sweat eggplant before making eggplant parmesan?
Yes! Sweat or salt the eggplant slices before you make eggplant parmesan to remove bitterness and excess moisture.
How do you keep eggplant parm from getting soggy?
Sweating the eggplant slices will keep them from getting soggy as the salt will draw out the excess moisture.
How do you get breadcrumbs to stick to eggplant without eggs?
For vegan eggplant parmesan, you can get the breadcrumbs to stick to the eggplant slices without eggs by swapping them with a mixture made from plant-based milk and cornstarch.
What’s the best way to slice eggplant for eggplant parmesan?
Remove the stem and slice the eggplant into rounds. If the eggplant is quite large, you can slice the eggplant rounds in half.
More Delicious Vegan Dinner Recipes
- Lentil Chili Baked Potato
- Vegan Cauliflower Wings
- Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers
- Slow Cooker Jackfruit Tacos
- Vegan Stuffed Eggplant
I found this recipe for Vegetarian Moussaka that I HAVE to try!
Yay! You have made it this far, and I am so glad! Hey – If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below.
Vegan Eggplant Parmesan
Equipment
- 1 9 x 13 baking dish
- 1 Wire rack
- 1 Sheet Pan
Ingredients
- 2 medium-sized eggplants, cut into 1/2-inch thick rounds
- 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt, plus extra for sweating the eggplant
- 1/2 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cup gluten-free panko bread crumbs
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 4 tbsp grated vegan parmesan cheese
- 1 cup unsweetened plain almond milk
- 1 tbsp gluten-free cornstarch
- Cooking spray
- 1 1/4 cup shredded vegan mozzarella cheese
To Serve
- 16 oz gluten-free vegan spaghetti pasta, cooked
- 4 cups vegan marinara sauce
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Grease the baking dish with cooking spray.
- Place a wire rack on a sheet pan and arrange the eggplant slices on top. Sprinkle with salt liberally. Allow to stand for 20 minutes, then rinse off the salt. Pat the eggplant slices dry with paper towels.
- Pour the flour on a plate and mix the breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, parmesan, and salt on another.
- In another bowl, whisk the almond milk and cornstarch together.
- Dredge the eggplant slices first into the flour. Then, dip them into the milk and coat them in the breadcrumb mixture.
- Arrange the coated eggplant slices in a single layer on the greased baking dish. Spray the tops with cooking spray.
- Bake your vegan eggplant parmesan for 30 minutes. Top them with mozzarella cheese and bake for 10 minutes more.
- To serve, heat the marinara sauce over low heat. Arrange the baked eggplant parmesan and marinara sauce with the spaghetti. Serve with basil and more parmesan. Enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure to salt your eggplant to draw out its bitter juices. Salting the eggplant will also remove the excess moisture for perfectly tender eggplant parm.
- Another way to remove the excess moisture on your rinsed eggplant slices is with kitchen towels. Arrange them between the towels, then place a baking sheet and skillet on top for 5 to 10 minutes.
- After coating the eggplant slices, bake them as soon as possible to ensure they’ll crisp up nicely. Otherwise, they might absorb excess moisture from sitting out for too long.
- Vegan eggplant parmesan is best enjoyed right after making them. While some say you can refrigerate the leftovers for up to 5 days, the slices might get soggy even after reheating. Crispy vegan eggplant parm is also not freezer-friendly.
