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Classic Eggplant Parmesan topped with dairy-free cheese is a cozy, delicious dinner idea. Breaded eggplant, baked until tender and crispy, is topped with a bright marinara sauce and served with pasta.
Eggplant Parmesan is a classic Italian dish typically paired with pasta. This comfort food is excellent for special occasion dinners, or when you just need some extra veggies in your diet! Whether you're cooking for your family or entertaining guests, eggplant parmesan is a crowd-pleaser that is sure to satisfy everyone's taste buds.
The dish is made up of layers of breaded and baked eggplant, tomato sauce, and cheese, and is baked in the oven until warm and tender. The eggplant becomes tender and almost creamy, while the tomato sauce provides a tangy and savory contrast. Top it with your favorite vegan cheese slices or parmesan to finish the dish.
Eggplant parmesan usually starts out fried, and while I have no qualms about frying food, I actually prefer to bake this dish. Less dishes, less cleanup, and the breaded eggplant still comes out crispy and flavorful.
Ingredients
You'll need 10 simple ingredients to make this baked vegan eggplant parmesan recipe (4 of those ingredients are just seasoning.)
- Eggplant: 1 large eggplant or 2 small-medium eggplants.
- Salt: We will be generously sprinkling the eggplant slices with salt and letting them rest before rinsing and patting dry. This helps draw moisture out of the eggplant, preventing it from becoming soggy while cooking.
- Non-dairy milk: My favorite to use is extra creamy oat milk.
- Panko breadcrumbs: Panko will result in the crispiest breading, but regular breadcrumbs will work fine, too.
- Seasoning: garlic powder, basil, salt, and pepper
- Olive oil: For drizzling over the breaded eggplant.
- Marinara sauce: Use your favorite jarred or homemade marinara or spaghetti sauce.
- Vegan cheese: What you choose is up to you! I like the Follow Your Heart grated parmesan. You could also use vegan cheese slices.
See recipe card for quantities.
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Instructions
Lay eggplant slices out on a paper towel and sprinkle generously with salt. Let rest for 1 hour. Rinse and pat dry.
Dip each slice into non-dairy milk then fully coat with the breadcrumb mixture.
Place onto a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Bake until golden brown.
Top each slice with marinara sauce and vegan cheese.
Bake for 10 more minutes.
Substitutions
- Eggplant: In the off chance that you're reading this article about eggplant parmesan, but don't like eggplant, you could also use zucchini.
- Panko: You can use regular breadcrumbs in place of the panko.
- Oil: Simply omit the oil.
Variations
- Seasoning: You may use any seasoning you wish! I recommend sticking to Italian seasonings like oregano, marjoram, or thyme. If you enjoy your food to have some spice, red pepper flakes would make a great addition.
- Alternatively to eggplant parmesan, you could try this tofu parmesan recipe or cauliflower parmesan.
Storage
Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Eggplant parm is one of those dishes that tastes even better the next day! The only issue is the crispiness of the breading. Reheat in the oven instead of the microwave if you want to bring the crunchy edges back.
Enjoy again with pasta, or make an eggplant parmesan sandwich with a crusty bread roll!
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Recipe
Baked Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients
Eggplant
- 1 large eggplant cut into ¼-1/2inch slices (I typically get about 8 slices)
- 2 tablespoons salt approximately
Breading
- 1 cup non-dairy milk
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 3 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil for drizzling
Topping
- 1 cup marinara sauce plus more for pasta
- vegan cheese of choice
Instructions
- Lay eggplant out on a paper towel or lint-free towel and sprinkle generously with salt. Let rest for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Rinse eggplant slices off and pat with a towel to dry thoroughly.
- Pour the non-dairy milk into a shallow dish. In another shallow dish, mix together the panko, garlic powder, basil, salt, and pepper. Dip each eggplant slice into the milk, then into the breadcrumb mixture, fully coating both sides.
- Place the eggplant slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spray or drizzle with olive oil (this will help the breadcrumbs brown.)
- Bake for about 24 minutes, or until the breading is golden brown, flipping halfway.
- Top each slice with about 2 tablespoons of marinara sauce and vegan cheese (I like using vegan parm) and bake for another 10 minutes. Serve over pasta.
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