Baked Eggplant Parmesan

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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!

A baking dish with eggplant parmesan and cut into pieces.

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.

Cheesy baked eggplant parmesan in a casserole dish.

Ingredients in Healthy Eggplant Parmesan

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:

  • eggplants
  • eggs
  • almond flour – if you don’t want to use almond flour you can also use bread crumbs
  • cheese – we’re using two different types of cheese, parmesan and mozzarella
  • seasonings – Italian seasoning, salt and pepper
  • marinara sauce – you can certainly make your own, but I used jarred sauce for mine
  • fresh basil – don’t skip the fresh basil. It takes this eggplant parm to another level
Casserole dish of eggplant parmesan topped with cheese and basil before being baked.

How to Make Baked Eggplant Parmesan

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.

Slices of eggplant coated with almond flour and baked until crispy on a baking sheet.

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.

Eggplant parmesan on a plate with slices of bread.

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.

Spatula lifting a slice of eggplant parmesan from a casserole dish.

Want to Make This Dairy-Free?

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.

Like This Recipe? Here Are More Casserole Recipes You Might Enjoy!

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4.65 from 157 votes

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Make a healthy baked eggplant parmesan with crispy almond flour-coated eggplant slices that are baked – no frying or bread crumbs needed!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients  

  • 1 large eggplant or 2 small/medium eggplants, sliced into 1/2″ thick rounds
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup almond flour*
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan, divided*
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ground black pepper
  • 1 24 ounce jar marinara sauce, (about 3 cups)
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella*
  • â…“ cups thinly sliced basil

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 425°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and coat with cooking spray. In a shallow bowl, whisk together almond flour, ½ cup Parmesan, Italian seasoning and ½ teaspoon sea salt.
  • In another shallow bowl, whisk eggs with 2 Tablespoons water and sprinkle on a little salt and pepper. 
  • Dip an eggplant slice into the egg wash and let any excess drip off. Then sprinkle the almond flour parmesan mixture over each side of the eggplant slice. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat to coat all eggplant slices. NOTE: Be sure to sprinkle the mixture on 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!
  • Spray tops lightly with cooking spray.
  • Bake until soft inside, and golden and crisp on the outside, about 30 minutes, flipping around the 15 minute mark.
  • In a large baking dish (I used 9×11), add 1 cup of marinara and spread evenly. Add an even layer of baked eggplant slices. If needed, you can cut some of the slices in half to fill the baking dish. Add another 1 cup of sauce and spread evenly over eggplant slices. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella, ¼ cup of the remaining Parmesan and 1/4 cup fresh basil. Top with another layer of baked eggplant slices and spread on 1 cup of sauce. Top with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, ¼ cup parmesan and remaining fresh basil.
  • Bake, uncovered, until top is bubbly and golden, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Video

Notes

  • If you have a nut allergy, feel free to use 1 cup of bread crumbs instead of the almond flour.
  • If you want to keep this dairy-free, use dairy-free cheese options.
  • Inspired by Eating Well Magazine.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/8 of recipe | Calories: 274kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 300mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Lunch/Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: baked eggplant parmesan
Did you make this recipe?Mention @eatingbirdfood and tag #eatingbirdfood!

About Brittany

Hey there, I’m Brittany, the creator of Eating Bird Food, cookbook author, health coach and mama of two littles. Here you’ll find quick and easy recipes that make healthy fun and enjoyable for you and your family!

More about Brittany
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Recipe Rating




195 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I made this recipe last night! WOW! So delicious! The flavours were amazing, and the coating made the eggplant so crispy. I am always hesitant with eggplant recipes because so often it just becomes soggy and tasteless… not so with this recipe! The eggplant held its shape and had so much flavour. I will definitely be making this one again!
    I had the leftovers for my lunch this afternoon and it was just as delicious today as it was last night! Thank you!!

    1. WOO! I am pumped to hear that this recipe turned out great and was such a hit, Tira. Thank you so much for sharing your review & star rating, it means so much to me!

  2. Hi, I want to make this recipe this week. I don’t have almond flour. Do you think it’s worth the trip to the store to get it instead of using bread crumbs?

  3. 5 stars
    As usual with EBF…OMG YUM!!! This is so, so tasty! I ate it for lunch on a bed of spinach like a salad (a melty cheesey salad) and am already looking forward to lunch tomorrow!

    1. Ah yay!! This makes me so happy to hear, Sara. Glad you’re loving this recipe. Thank you so much for coming back and sharing your review & star rating, I really appreciate it!

  4. 5 stars
    I just made this. After my guest bite I ran off to tell my husband I think it may be the best dish I’ve ever made! Happily had two portions and loved not feeling badly about it. Healthy really can be delicious! I make many of your recipes (grilled lemon basil tofu is a regular in the summer rotation) and I’m so grateful for your healthy, tasty ways! Used panko instead of almond flour and a jarred spicy Arabist’s sauce. Thanks again!!!!

    1. Ah this is seriously the best, Karen. I am so glad you’re loving this recipe and it turned out great for you. Thank you for sharing your review + star rating, I truly appreciate it!

  5. 5 stars
    Absolutely delicious, I made this tonight. I worried the whole time that it would not turn out as good as my fried eggplant. I was wrong, it was better. Thank you for creating such a good recipe.

    1. WOO! This is so exciting, Nancy. I am so happy you gave this recipe a try and it turned out delicious for you. Thank you for coming back and sharing your review & star rating, I really appreciate it.

    1. WOO! This makes me so happy, glad you gave this a try and you loved it, Jill. Thank you for coming back and sharing your review + star rating!

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