Ultra soft eggplant slices smothered in marinara sauce, with a crunchy panko-Parmesan cheese topping. All the great vegan eggplant Parmesan flavor without the messy dipping and breading!
If you love easy eggplant recipes, like my Sweet & Spicy Grilled Eggplant or my Roasted Eggplant Tomato Stacks, I think this Italian-inspired dish will quickly become a favorite.
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7 reasons you're gonna love this simple vegan eggplant Parmigiana recipe
- From scratch—or not. You can make this eggplant Parm recipe completely with homemade ingredients—or semi-homemade by using a few store-bought ingredients to save time.
- As few as 6 ingredients. It can be intimidating looking at a recipe with dozens of ingredients! This recipe can be made with as few as 6 if you choose to use store-bought marinara sauce and vegan parmesan cheese.
- No messy dipping and breading. Traditional breaded eggplant Parmesan recipes require dipping eggplant slices into batter, then into bread crumbs to coat. This easy eggplant parmesan casserole has the same delicious flavors and texture, with a whole lot less effort.
- No tough, chewy eggplant. Eggplant is at its best when it’s soft enough to cut with a fork—even the nutritious skin. Here, roasting before baking ensures an ultra soft texture. Baking the eggplant slices separately also frees you up to prepare other ingredients, which saves time.
- It's baked, not fried. We all know oil free, baked dishes are healthier!
- It SO easy to customize! Add creamy layers of vegan ricotta cheese or vegan mozzarella, and you have a decadent, eggplant lasagna style dish.
- It's healthy. Not only is this a healthy vegan eggplant Parmesan, it's whole-food plant-based, gluten free, oil free and naturally low in calories.
Ingredients
- Eggplant - choose firm, medium-sized eggplants with dark purple (not reddish) skins.
- Vegan Parmesan Cheese - make it homemade, or if you're not oil free, you can find it at the grocery store.
- Marinara - make your own sauce or use your favorite store-bought sauce. Or make it more decadent with homemade bolognese sauce.
- Panko bread crumbs - I used Ian's gluten free, but use your favorite brand.
- Italian seasonings - make sure to choose a blend without salt if you're watching your sodium intake.
- Optional ricotta or mozzarella cheese - again, you can make your own or buy from the store if not oil free.
- Fresh parsley - for garnish, because fresh herbs just make everything better. 🙂
Not shown: optional vegan ricotta cheese or mozzarella cheese.
Step-by-step instructions
Follow these photos and instructions to help make it great, every time. Please also see the full recipe card at the bottom of this page.
Step 1. Roast the eggplant slices.
Step 2. While the eggplant is roasting, make the panko-Parmesan cheese topping. (Also make the pasta sauce if making homemade.)
Step 3. Spread some of the marinara sauce in the bottom of a baking dish.
Step 4. Place a layer of eggplant slices in the dish. (Note: for an eggplant lasagna variation, add vegan ricotta or mozzarella now.)
Sep 5. Cover the eggplant slices with more sauce, and repeat once more.
Step 6. Spoon the topping evenly over the dish and bake.
Step 7. Remove from the oven, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve.
Pro tips
- Place one sliced eggplant on each baking sheet. That way, you’ll already have equal amounts of eggplant ready for each layer, and the pieces should fit together well in the baking dish.
- Choose the right eggplant. Many recipes call for salting eggplant to draw out water and bitterness. I've found if you choose medium eggplants rather than large, that are firm and purple rather than red, you don't need to do this. And you'll get the best-tasting result.
- Even, golden-brown eggplant slices. Cut your slices as evenly as you can, so they're cooked evenly and golden brown and soft coming out of the oven. If you've ever eaten (or cooked!) an eggplant recipe that turned out tough and chewy, you'll love how easy it is to make this perfect, every time.
Substitutions and variations
Substitutions
- Bread crumbs. You can use any breadcrumbs you like, or make your own by toasting bread slices and pulsing in a food processor. Note: Some brands contain small amounts of oil or cane sugar, so check the ingredients.
- Nut-free vegan Parmesan. Substitute a blend of pepita (pumpkin) seeds and hemp seeds for a nut-free version.
- Tomato sauce. Jarred sauce works great instead of homemade in this recipe. (Look for oil free.) If you don’t want to heat your sauce first, see recipe notes for increasing the baking time.
Variations
- Cheesy eggplant lasagna style dish. Add layers of almond ricotta, tofu ricotta, or store-bought ricotta between the layers of eggplant and bake it with the casserole. Or pour some thick cashew cheese sauce, chickpea cheese sauce or alfredo cheese sauce in between the layers.
- Eggplant Parm Bolognese. Swap mushroom walnut bolognese for the red pasta sauce.
- Mozzarella. Add shredded store bought mozzarella or make it homemade, and layer it on top of the eggplant slices.
- Pesto. Amp up the flavor by stirring in some green pesto or red pesto into the tomato sauce.
- Spicy. Add freshly ground black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes to your marinara sauce to kick up the heat.
- Without breadcrumbs. Skip the breadcrumbs and increase the cashew Parmesan cheese topping.
FAQs
Yes, in fact the dark-colored skin is rich in antioxidants. Because they're roasted in this recipe, the skin will become soft and tender. Just be sure to choose younger eggplants (small or medium vegetables with dark purple rather than reddish skin) for the best flavor and texture.
Zucchini slices or sweet potato slices would work well here. Just roast them until tender before using in the dish.
No, as long as you choose younger eggplants--small or medium vegetables with dark purple rather than reddish skin--they should have no bitter flavor. That said, if your eggplant is old and has brown seeds, salting both sides of the eggplant slices and allowing them to sit for 30 minutes to one hour before cooking can help reduce the bitterness. Be sure to rinse the salt off before using.
You can store this eggplant dish in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Just cover the casserole dish tightly with foil or plastic wrap, or remove to an airtight container. This freezes well for up to 3 months. To freeze casseroles, cut into individual portions for easy meals, or freeze the entire recipe.
Happy, whole food plant-based cooking, y'all!
-Elizabeth xo
I LOVE hearing from you! Connect with me on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest, or drop me a note in the comments.
More whole food, plant-based recipes
-Elizabeth xo
I LOVE hearing from you! Connect with me on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest, or drop me a note in the comments.
📖 Recipe
Easiest Vegan Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplants trimmed and sliced into ½-inch discs (See notes)
- Pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 ½ cups 28 ounces Easy Tomato sauce Or your favorite tomato pasta sauce
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs Or regular bread crumbs, GF if desired. I used Ian's Gluten Free. See notes.
- ½ cup vegan Parmesan See notes for nut free
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasonings
- Optional: chopped fresh parsley for serving
- Optional: bake or serve with almond ricotta cheese See notes
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of the oven and Preheat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Arrange the eggplant slices evenly on the baking sheets, and sprinkle lightly with sea salt and black pepper. Roast for 30 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, or until browned and very soft, flipping halfway through cooking.
- While the eggplant is roasting, make your tomato sauce. (If using jarred sauce, heat it in a pan first, OR increase the final baking time as needed, see notes.)
- Next, make the vegan Parmesan in a food processor.
- In a small bowl, make the topping by tossing together the bread crumbs, vegan Parmesan and Italian seasonings.
- When the eggplant is cooked, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Ladle about ¾ cup of the hot tomato sauce into a 9" x 9" square baking dish, coating the entire bottom with thin layer of sauce.
- Arrange ½ of the eggplant on top of the sauce in the baking dish. Cover the eggplant with ½ the remaining sauce, then add another layer of eggplant. Cover the eggplant with the rest of the sauce.
- Sprinkle the topping evenly over the top of the dish. Add a little more Italian seasonings, if desired.
- Cover with foil and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until hot and bubbly throughout.
- Optional: for a crispy, golden brown topping, broil under low heat for a few minutes, being careful not to burn the topping.
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve with almond ricotta, if desired.
Notes
- Eggplant. I like to place one sliced eggplant on each baking sheet. That way, when I layer the dish, I'll have approximately equal amounts of eggplant ready for each layer. Plus, the pieces just fit together well this way, with some larger and some smaller slices in each layer.
- Bread Crumbs. Some brands of store bought bread crumbs contain small amounts of oil or cane sugar. If you can't find compliant brand, you can make your own by toasting bread slices in the oven and pulsing in a food processor.
- Almond Ricotta. I love serving this dish with a dollop of almond ricotta on the side. But you can also layer the almond ricotta between the layers of eggplant and bake it with the casserole if you like. Just increase the cooking time a bit if necessary to heat everything through.
- Nut-free Vegan Parmesan. I make my vegan Parmesan with cashews or walnuts. But you can substitute a blend of pepita seeds and hemp seeds for a nut-free version.
- Tomato Sauce. The baking time for this recipe assumes everything goes into the baking dish already warm to hot. If you don't want to pre-heat your jarred sauce, just increase the cooking time so everything heats through.
Bruce
Thanks for the inspiration…we tried the Eggplant and Zucchini Lasagna with Almond Ricotta…very very good!
Elizabeth Shah
You're so welcome, Bruce!
sandy
going to make it tonight. Can you please tell whether i can add pasta sauce instead of tomato sauce?
Elizabeth Shah
Yes, absolutely. In fact, I intended the recipe to be made with tomato pasta sauce, actually. Thanks for the question, and I've updated the recipe to be more clear.
sandy
Also should we roast the cashew for making cheese?
Elizabeth Shah
No, use raw cashews. Roasted don't turn out as well, in my opinion.
Fay
Loved this, will do regularly now
Elizabeth Shah
So glad you loved it!
Sarah
I am making this right now for the third time in four weeks! It is an excellent recipe. I put the almond ricotta (your recipe) in the bake between the eggplant layers. So delicious. I’m glad to have found another great source for vegan cooking.
Elizabeth Shah
Hi Sarah, So glad you enjoyed this recipe. I love making this, too. It always turns out great. And couldn't agree more, almond ricotta definitely takes it to the next level. Thanks so much for your kind words.
Linda
Second time I have made this delicious dish! Easy and tasty!! My new go to for myself and company!!
Elizabeth Shah
Hi Linda! Love hearing you enjoy this Eggplant Parm, and I'm like you, this is a go to for company. I usually add a layer of almond ricotta for guests, and they can't believe it's vegan 🙂
Theron
Spectacular! Great as written (I did layer with almond ricotta). I feel like this recipe is endlessly customizable.
Elizabeth Shah
Thanks a bunch, Theron! I couldn't agree more, SO many ways to adapt this recipe. I like to add roasted mushrooms and/or zucchini!
layla
I can’t wait to try this. Just wondering if it can be freezed or placed in the fridge as id love to make this for my weekly meal preps!!
Elizabeth Shah
Hi Layla, yes, you can make this ahead and freeze it or keep it in the fridge. It re-heats nicely. Enjoy!
Kim
Do you cook before freezing? Or can you just assemble, then freeze?
Elizabeth Shah
Hi Kim, I would cook it and then freeze and reheat. One of the reasons this recipe always turns out perfectly for me is that the eggplant is fully cooked (by itself) before going into the dish. Good luck!
Kelli
This recipe is gold. It’s my first time successfully making eggplant anything and it turned out so good! I did alter the recipe by adding mushrooms, onions, garlic and vegan mozzarella, and it was similar to lasagne. I served it to my non vegan friends and it was a hit! I keep coming back to this page for new recipes and they’re all delish. Many thanks!
Elizabeth Shah
What can I say Kelli, you made my day. Thrilled to hear you like this recipe, love your adaptations, and you are most welcome. Thanks a bunch for your review.
Gary Wartels
Love this recipe. I have made it several times and always great. Super Healthy snd tastes better than the fried stuff with cheese. You have created a hit and usually don’t post these comments.
Elizabeth Shah
Thanks so much, Gary! I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know how much you like this recipe. Simple + delicious + healthy is my happy place. 🙂 Sounds like it may be yours, too. Have a lovely day.
Nina
I was looking for an oil-free eggplant parm recipe and yours came up on the Google search! Such a clever idea! I didn't end up exactly following the recipe, so mine ended up looking more like a lasagna with the eggplant instead of noodles. I layered the eggplant with sauteed mushrooms & onions, spinach and a tofu ricotta as well as the sauce. We loved it! Thanks for the idea! Next time I'll have to actually make it the 'parm' version! LOL
Elizabeth Shah
Hi Nina, Love your adaptations, they sound amazing. I think that's one of my favorite things about this dish--it's so versatile. Thanks for your review.
Denise Clark
Was looking for more vegan dishes and this popped up. Looks and smells delicious! Will make it a go to meal for the weekend! Simple and quick to fix. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Elizabeth Shah
Hi Denise, Hope it tasted as good as it looked/smelled! :))))
Lori
Easy & delicious, for non-vegans too.
Elizabeth Shah
Thanks so much Lori! This is one of my favorite go-to recipe for non-veg friends. So glad you like it 🙂
Barb culken
This looks yummy! Do you salt the eggplant and let it sit for 30 minutes like some recipes to prevent the bitter taste or does that occur when you roast it? I plan on making this Sunday! Can't wait!
Elizabeth Shah
Hi Barb, You know, I don't salt my eggplant. I find that a) that can increase the salt content, which I don't want and b) if I buy small to medium eggplants with deep purple skins (no large or reddish ones), and eat them while they're still relatively fresh, they're usually not bitter. Hope you love it!
Jackie
Made this Eggplant parm and it was awesome! So easy! And the vegan parm recipe is wonderful. I will definitely keep that handy to sprinkle on my food! THANKS!
Elizabeth Shah
Hi Jackie, thrilled to hear you liked this recipe. We make it A LOT!!! 'cause it's so simple. Vegan Parm is a game changer, isn't it?! 🙂
Dave
I consider myself somewhat of a carnivore, but both my wife and I LOVED this dish. The size of my eggplants allowed me to have 3 layers, so it wound up being more like lasagna. I added some vegan shredded mozzarella cheese between the layers. And the parmesan-crumb-herb topping was scrumptious.
Elizabeth Shah
Hey Dave, so glad this one is carnivore-approved!:)))) Your version sounds terrific.