Make a healthy baked eggplant parmesan with crispy almond flour-coated eggplant slices that are baked — no frying or bread crumbs needed!
Isaac loves eggplant parmesan. His love inspired me to create a healthier homemade version that isn’t fried or loaded down with oil. I decided take things a step further and make this dish grain-free and gluten-free as well by using almond flour instead of bread crumbs. If you have a nut allergy or don’t have almond flour on hand, don’t fret! I tested this recipe with almond flour and bread crumbs and both versions turned out perfectly so you can use whichever you prefer!
Obviously we love the final result, but I also have to mention how tasty the baked eggplant is on it’s own! It’s almond flour parmesan coating makes it crispy and so tasty. It would honestly be an awesome appetizer on it’s own, served with a side of tomato sauce for dipping.
Before making eggplant parmesan myself at home I thought it was much harder and required more ingredients than it actually does. Turns out, the process is pretty simple and you need less than 10 ingredients to whip it up. Here’s what you need for this healthier baked version:
Like I mentioned before, the process of making eggplant parm is way easier than I thought! And to keep things really easy, healthier and less messy, we’re baking the eggplant instead of frying it.
First things first, preheat your oven. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and coat with cooking spray. Next, prep an assembly line for the baked eggplant. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the almond flour, parmesan, Italian seasoning and sea salt. In another shallow bowl whisk the eggs with water, salt and pepper.
Dip the eggplant slices into the egg wash and let the excess liquid drip away. Then sprinkle a little of the almond flour parmesan mixture on each side. I highly recommend sprinkling it rather than dredging the wet eggplant slices into the almond flour mixture. This keeps the dry mixture from getting too wet, which results in a clumpy mixture that won’t stick to the eggplant!
Place the coated eggplant slices onto the baking sheet and spray tops lightly with cooking spray (which helps with browning!). Bake until the eggplant slices are soft on the inside and golden and crispy on the outside, about 30 minutes, flipping around the 15 minute mark.
When the eggplant slices are done baking, it’s time to layer! Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce to the bottom of a large baking dish. Add an even layer of baked eggplant slices. Add another 1 cup of sauce. Top with mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese and fresh basil. Top with another layer of baked eggplant slices and another cup of sauce. The final layer will be the mozzarella and parmesan cheese and the rest of the fresh basil. Phew! So many delicious layers. Bake the eggplant parmesan dish uncovered until the top is bubbly and golden.
That’s it! Remove the eggplant parmesan from the oven, cut, serve and enjoy.
If you don’t eat dairy I recommend finding a dairy-free shredded mozzarella. There are quite a few brands on the market now, including Daiya Foods. And for the parmesan, you can try my vegan parmesan made with hemp seeds.
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I’ve made the baked eggplant Parmesan recipe many times and it always comes out absolutely delicious. It’s healthy too. I’m making it during Passover as almond flour is acceptable to use rather than flour or Pablo crumbs. I use Bellwether Farms Ricotta cheese and Stefano burrata cheese to make it even more delectable. My family loves this recipe!
Thank you!
I am so, so glad to hear that you and your family love this recipe, Helaine! Thank you so much for sharing, I really appreciate it 🙂
Just made the eggplant parmigiana…. So so delicious! I did make my own marinara sauce as well. My husband is totally getting hooked on anything i make from eatingbirdfood.com 😍😍😍
Woo! Love to hear that, Berangere!! Thank you so much for coming back to leave a review, it really means so much to me! 🙂
Wonderful! Love that this is baked and not fried and the use of almond flour was a great substitute! Family-friendly and enjoyed by everyone! I know so many love Rao’s as a prepared sauce, so a tip that an Italian cook shared with me-blend it first for dishes like this or lasagna-it’s smooth and tasty.
Yay! I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed this, Ava. Thank you for sharing the tip on blending Rao’s first, I’ll have to try it!
This was amazing! My husband said it was worth waiting all afternoon for it. Not that it took all afternoon, it was just his anticipation. Love that you don’t have to drain the eggplant and that it isn’t mushy. It’s definitely a keeper. Thanks again!
Woo! So glad this recipe was a hit, Patti! Thanks for leaving a review 🙂
This is the best! Eggplant parm is one of my favorites but I tend to find it overwhelming and complicated to make. Not this; so easy to make and is both healthy and tasty!
Yay! I’m so glad to hear this, Cara! Thanks for making this baked eggplant and coming back to leave a review. It means so much to me.