this crispy vegan eggplant parm is cozy, comforting and easy to make. it is a great way to enjoy eggplant and perfect for anytime of year.
the inspiration
I need to start this blog post off with some honesty. I do not like eggplant. It tends to be soggy and mushy. I do not like the thick skin on it and just all around I am not an eggplant fan.
However, THIS recipe I love. This vegan eggplant parm is crispy, flavorful, and in my opinion better than the typical eggplant parm style. Just a side note my mom told me my great-grandma was famous for her eggplant parm and people asked for it all the time. I sadly never tried it while she was alive but I like to think she was by my side helping me make this.
The eggplant slices should be not too thick, they must be salted to ensure the best result. When coated with breadcrumbs, marinara sauce, and vegan cheese mixture you will love it.
the ingredients
- Breadcrumbs: for this vegan eggplant parmesan you can use regular breadcrumbs or panko. I do like to use a combination of both things to have a mixture of textures. The fine breadcrumbs coat it better and the panko makes it crunchier.
- Eggplant: of course we need some eggplant as the base of our recipe.
- Marinara Sauce: we will need a good quality marinara sauce. I like to use Rao’s.
- Cornstarch: we will use cornstarch to coat the eggplant before dipping it in the plant milk.
- Plant Milk: you can use any plant milk you like. I do warn against using coconut so it does not have an extra unwanted flavor.
- Vegan Mozzarella: of course we need lots of delicious vegan cheese on here. I like to cook my vegan mozzarella cheese on the stove with the plant milk to make a vegan cheese sauce.
- Fresh Basil (optional): of course you can skip this is if you’d like but it adds a bit of fun extra flavor and garnish.
eggplant info
- Eggplant peak season is July to October.
- It is actually very easy to grow! We grew it over the summer.
- To pick the best eggplants make sure they are firm, the stem is green, skin is shiny and smooth and the color is bright. *One of mine was unfortunately completely overripe and even going bad in some areas. Be sure to use them pretty quickly once you buy them.
why do i have to salt my eggplants?
You MUST salt your eggplants. This draws the water out. After you slie them into a cutlet shape you will lie them out on a board or plate and sprinkle salt over them. This is very important as it helps the eggplant to be not mushy.
You just let them sit for 10 to 15 minutes and then you pat it off. I only salted one side and felt it worked out great. You want to sprinkle a decent amount of salt but not too much so it doesn’t become too salty.
While you will wipe the salt and excess moisture off, some salt does still seep into the eggplant. So, it is important to remember this will also add to the taste and flavor. The coolest part is you can see the liquid on top!
more veggie-filled recipes
vegan eggplant parm faq
- Is this recipe soy free? Yes, as long as you use soy free vegan cheese and plant milk.
- Is this recipe nut free? Yes, as long as you use nut free vegan cheese and plant-milk.
- Is this recipe gluten-free? You an easily make it gluten-free by using gluten-free breadcrumbs!
- How long does this last? I enjoyed it for 4 days! It was best reheated in the oven but you can microwave too.
- Can you air fry this? Definitely. It will just take a few batches.
- Can you shallow fry this? Same as above 🙂 be sure to drain it after frying.
- What tomato sauce do you use? I personally like to use Rao’s, Carbone, or Vincent’s. While homemade tomato sauces are the best those jarred tomato sauces are delicious.
- What vegan mozzarella do you use? I like to use use Violife. I also like Follow Your Heart, Vitalite, Miyoko’s or Whole Foods 365.
- What should I pair this with? I enjoyed mine with protein pasta! You can also make a big salad and some garlic bread or garlic knots.
- Can I use flour instead of cornstarch? You certainly can!
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Crispy Eggplant Parm
Ingredients
Breading
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ tablespoon nutritional yeast
Other
- 1 eggplant, peeled (about 14.5 ounces)
- ½ cup nondairy milk
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 ½ cups marinara sauce
- Spray oil
“Cheese” Sauce
- 1 cup vegan mozzarella shreds
- ⅓ cup nondairy milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (207°C).
- Cut off the stem and peel the eggplant. Make long vertical cuts and cut the eggplant about ½ inch thick. After making these cuts you will get about 6 pieces from this. Then cut it in half to make 12 pieces that are sort of like a cutlet. If you need help watch the youtube video.
- Lay the cut eggplant out on a cutting board and sprinkle salt about ½ teaspoon to a teaspoon divided amongst the pieces. Let them sit for 10 to 15 minutes until you see the liquid being drawn out. Pat with a paper towel.
- Meanwhile, prepare the breadcrumbs by mixing the breadcrumbs and seasoning in a flat dish.
- After the eggplants are patted dry. Dip a piece in cornstarch, then the nondairy milk, and finally bread it with the breadcrumbs. I felt it was easiest to push the eggplant into the breadcrumbs to pack it on.
- Place the breaded eggplant on a baking sheet and repeat. If you would like to line with parchment paper you can.
- Spray with spray oil and bake for 20 minutes. Flip the eggplant, spray the other side, and bake for 5 more minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a pot combine the vegan mozzarella and nondairy milk. Melt over the stove.
- Once eggplants are done add about 1 tablespoon of the tomato sauce to each breaded eggplant piece. Pour the vegan cheese sauce over the top.
- Put bake in the oven at 350°F (176°C) for 5 minutes.
- Top with basil or parsley and enjoy.
Video
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Did you try this recipe? Tag me on Instagram @plantifullybased to let me know how it went. If you enjoyed this recipe please be sure to leave a comment or review, it is so helpful for the blog. Thank you!
Very nice recipe chef 👍👌👏. Thank you for your effort and HAPPY EASTER 🌹🌞😎
thank you so much!! so glad you like it 🙂
I never leave comments but this was just so easy and yummy! It would make a great appetizer OR sidedish. It’s going into my rotation!
hi Robin!! well thank you so much for deciding to leave a comment it really helps the blog out! so happy you enjoyed it thank you so much for trying 🙂
Hi! Thank you for you wonderful plant based recipes and the beautiful pictures that accompany them. I am trying to branch out from my usual meals. I looked up vegan eggplant recipes and your video came up which then led me to your blog. Thank you again. I am not an eggplant fan, but I am a fan of this recipe!”
Hi Stephanie, oh yay! I am so happy to hear that. Thank you so much for trying it and I am so glad you enjoyed. Thank you for coming and taking the time to leave a comment/review!!
When looking for an Eggplant Parmesan recipe I wanted to use panko bread crumbs and not cashews like some vegan recipes used
, after looking at the beautiful pictures you had I decided to try your recipe. The breaded eggplant was crisp and delicious. I try to stay away from eggplant because I’m really not a fan of it either but this recipe was excellent. Thank you!!!
Hi Donna, thank you so much for the kind words and giving my recipe a try! I am so happy you enjoyed it. I feel the same way, eggplant is not my favorite but like this I do enjoy it. Thank you for taking the time leave a comment and review!! <3
What brand cheese did you use. I’m having trouble finding one I like.
Hi Kathryn I like violife, follow your heart, or whole foods brand!
I was in no way prepared for how crispy and yummy these were gonna turn out. Salting the eggplants was a great idea, as well as seasoning the breadcrumbs so they didn’t taste bland on the inside, which a lot of eggplant recipes do. These turned out to be delightfully delicate and cooked on the inside and crispy on the outside!
Hi! I am so so happy to hear how much you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you so much for trying it and taking the time to leave a comment/review!
I was looking for a crispy vegan breaded eggplant recipe and came across yours. It turned out fantastic! I don’t have any spray oil, so I omitted that and kept my fingers crossed. No worries…it was still perfectly crispy outside. The inside was just as it should be, not mushy or overcooked. My husband and I both enjoyed it for dinner next to a salad. Thanks for this easy and tasty recipe!
Hi Deb! Oh yay I am so glad you found my recipe and I am even happier to hear how much you enjoyed it. Thank you so much for trying it and taking the time to leave a comment and review!!
I absolutely love this recipe. I did use my own home made pizza cheese because I have not found a vegan cheese I like yet. Also, I am mixing my.panko with hulled hemp seed for a little boost in protein and nutrition.
I usually find ways to hide eggplant in my recipes because it is so good for you, but doesn’t taste like anything and can be a weird texture, this is not the case, it came out crispy and yummy and the egplant is front and center. I love it. Thank you Francesca so much for this deliciousness!
Hi Atena! Oh thank you so much for the kind words. Love the idea of adding hemp hearts in there so fun! So happy you enjoyed it. Thank you for trying and leaving a comment means a lot!
I made this last night, had to leave a review after having it again for lunch today….so so very good! Nice and crispy! I never thought of making cheese sauce like this, but it was so easy and yummy!
Thank you for your recipes!
Hi Susan! Yay I am so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you so much for trying it and taking the time to leave a comment and review. I really appreciate it. yay for leftovers for lunch!!
I never liked to eat eggplant Parmesan just because it had eggs i hate the smell of egg.
today i made it your way i am so happy it tasted so good and is very crispy. My husband liked it a lot. i sent the pics of it to my daughters they are also saying it looks yum. sent them this link one of my daughter is vegan and she does not even take any drop of oil or ghee or butter. it is very hard for me to cook for her i do few things for her but not much specially around holiday time when we are all together at our home i make tons of traditional food but for her only couple of things i so she is extremely picky.
no dairy no fat no sugar no gluten, and every thing has to be organic.
I would like to learn more recipe for her.
thank you for reading my story.