Vegan eggplant Parmesan, cozy and crisp. The best combination of flavors in just one plate. Conveniently baked instead of fried!
This wonderful vegan eggplant Parmesan is one of those recipes that you can serve on absolutely any occasion. It's easy to make and packed with deliciousness.
Crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, this casserole dish is so hearty and comforting. Enjoy it like lasagna or serve it over some pasta.
Ingredient notes
- Italian seasoning: you can use dried oregano instead.
- Unsweetened plant milk: any type of unsweetened plant milk is okay, but soy milk is my favorite for this recipe.
- Marinara sauce: make your own following our delicious recipe or use it store-bought.
- Shreddable vegan mozzarella or any vegan shredded cheese: use our recipe or store-bought.
- Grated vegan Parmesan cheese: I used violife, you could also use our vegan Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast.
Dietary variations
- Make it gluten-free: use gluten-free breadcrumbs. I’ve only made this recipe using all-purpose flour, but you could probably use a different type of flour. Feel free to use a gluten-free flour blend for a gluten-free version of this recipe.
- Make it soy-free: use soy-free plant milk and soy-free vegan cheese.
- Make it oil-free: use oil-free marinara sauce and oil-free vegan cheese. Our vegan Parmesan cheese is a good alternative, and you can make an oil-free version of our vegan cheese by adding vegetable stock or water instead of oil. Nutritional yeast is also a good alternative.
How to make vegan eggplant Parmesan
To cook the eggplant:
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF or 220ºC. Grease 2 large baking sheets and set aside.
- Mix all the dry mixture ingredients in a shallow dish or bowl and the wet mixture ingredients in another one. Set aside.
- Dip each eggplant round in the wet mixture so that it’s evenly coated on all sides, then transfer to the dry mixture and coat on all sides, then place it onto the prepared baking sheets.
- Add a little bit of olive oil onto the coated eggplant slices and bake for 20 minutes. Then flip them, add a little bit more oil and bake for 10 more minutes.
To assemble the vegan eggplant Parmesan:
- Spread ½ cup of marinara sauce (120 ml) over the bottom of a 9x13-inch (about 23x33 cm) baking dish.
- Place half of the eggplant rounds along the bottom of the dish, then top with half of the remaining marinara sauce, half of the vegan shredded cheese, and half of the vegan Parmesan cheese.
- Layer the remaining ingredients.
- Bake uncovered at 400ºF or 200ºC for about 20-25 minutes.
- Sprinkle the fresh basil and serve your vegan eggplant Parmesan immediately.
How to store
- Fridge: keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days.
- Freezer: prepare the vegan eggplant Parmesan in a freezer-safe baking dish without baking, then cover tightly with plastic wrap, followed by foil. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, remove from the freezer and allow to thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Reheat: if you store the leftovers in the fridge and want to reheat them, preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C. Place the eggplant parmesan in an oven-safe dish and cover with foil. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes. Add extra sauce and vegan cheese as desired, then remove the foil and bake it for 5 to 10 more minutes or until the edges of the vegan cheese start to bubble.
Can you freeze eggplant parmesan?
Yes, you can! To do it, prepare the vegan eggplant Parm in a baking dish (don't bake it), then cover tightly with plastic wrap and then with foil. It'll keep in good condition in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When ready to bake, remove from the freezer and allow to thaw in the fridge overnight. Enjoy your baked eggplant Parmesan immediately. Please use a freezer-friendly baking dish.
What to serve with eggplant Parmesan
This recipe can be eaten just like lasagna or served over some pasta to enjoy a creamy, comforting dish full of flavor. You can also serve it with salad.
Looking for more cozy recipes?
Did you make this vegan eggplant Parmesan recipe?
Please leave a comment and rate it below. We’d love to hear from you!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients
For the dry mixture:
- 2 cups bread crumbs, gluten-free if needed
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning or dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the wet mixture:
- ¾ cup unsweetened plant milk, I used soy milk
- 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
For the eggplant Parmesan:
- 2 pounds eggplants, about 2 large or 3 medium, sliced into ½-inch thick rounds (about 1.2 cm)
- 4 cups marinara sauce
- 2 cups shreddable vegan mozzarella, or any vegan shredded cheese
- ½ cup grated vegan Parmesan cheese, I used violife, you could also use our vegan Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast
- ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
Instructions
To cook the eggplant:
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF or 220ºC. Grease 2 large baking sheets with oil or line them with parchment paper and set aside.
- Mix all the dry mixture ingredients in a shallow dish and the wet mixture ingredients in another one. Set aside.
- Dip each eggplant round in the wet mixture so that it’s evenly coated on all sides, then transfer to the dry mixture and coat on all sides, then place it onto the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining eggplant rounds until they’re all coated.
- Add a little bit of oil onto the coated eggplant rounds (optional) and bake for 20 minutes. Then flip them, add a little bit more oil (optional), and bake for 10 more minutes.
To assemble the vegan eggplant Parmesan:
- Spread ½ cup of marinara sauce (120 ml) over the bottom of a 9x13-inch (about 23x33 cm) baking dish.
- Place half of the eggplant rounds along the bottom of the dish, then top with half of the remaining marinara sauce, half of the vegan shredded cheese, and half of the vegan Parmesan cheese.
- Repeat with the remaining eggplant, marinara sauce, vegan shredded cheese, and vegan Parmesan cheese.
- Bake uncovered at 400ºF or 200ºC for about 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melty, hot, and bubbly.
- Sprinkle the fresh basil and serve your vegan eggplant Parmesan immediately.
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days. If you want to freeze it, prepare the vegan eggplant Parmesan in a freezer-safe baking dish without baking, then cover tightly with plastic wrap, followed by foil. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- When ready to bake, remove from the freezer and allow to thaw in the fridge overnight. If you store the leftovers in the fridge and want to reheat them, preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C. Place the eggplant parmesan in an oven-safe dish and cover with foil. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes. Add extra sauce and vegan cheese as desired, then remove the foil and bake it for 5 to 10 more minutes or until the edges of the vegan cheese start to bubble.
Notes
- Any type of salt, milk, and oil will do.
- I’ve only made this recipe using all-purpose flour, but you could probably use a different type of flour. Feel free to use a gluten-free flour blend for a gluten-free version of this recipe.
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