Vegan Eggplant Parmesan Recipe. Breaded Eggplant baked and served over spaghetti and chunky marinara, then topped with cashew mozzarella cream. Fancy and so Delicious! Vegan Soy-free Recipe. Nut-free option. Jump to Recipe
Comfort food almost spells a loaded Eggplant Parmesan. Yes?! And it is easy enough to make home!
Make the easy Chunky pasta sauce or use premade, Make the vegan mozzarella or my nut-free vegan alfredo for topping or use vegan parmesan instead for a quicker option, get the breading station ready, Bread the eggplant slices and bake or pan fry. Assemble everything and swoon.
The recipe looks long as it has recipes for sauce, vegan mozz and the breaded eggplant. You can use premade portions for a much quicker meal. The pasta sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated for upto 4 days, same with the vegan mozzarella. Just make the eggplant parmesan fresh for a nice crispy result! lets make this.
Ingredients for Vegan Eggplant Parmesan
Jump to Recipe for recipe widget. For the Chunky Pasta Sauce you need
- garlic, onion, tomatoes, tomato paste, italian herbs, black pepper and red pepper flakes
- and some olive oil, salt and sweetener
For the Eggplant Parmesan you need
- a long eggplant
- For the breading station: breadcrumbs, oregano, basil, nutritional yeast, salt, flour, cornstarch or other starch and non dairy milk. See recipe for substitute options.
For the Vegan Mozzarella you need
- cashews, flour, water, garlic powder, salt, onion powder, lemon juice, and miso
To Serve, you need some spaghetti and fresh herbs.
How to make the Vegan Eggplant Parmesan with Step Pictures
Make the Pasta Sauce: Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for a few seconds. Add onion and a pinch of salt and cook for a minute. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Cook for 5 minutes. if the mixture is too thick, add 1/2 cup water.
Reduce heat to medium low. Partially cover and continue to cook for another 6 to 8 minutes. Taste and adjust flavor.
Mozzarella Cream:
Blend everything under mozzarella cream until smooth. Add to a skillet over medium heat. Cook until the mixture thickens evenly. about 3-4 mins. Mix and stir occasionally so the thickening mixture at the bottom doesnt stick.
Eggplant Parmesan: Slice the eggplant. Sprinkle with salt and let sit for 15-20 mins. Then rinse and dab in paper towels.
Assemble the breading stations. In a shallow bowl, mix the breadcrumbs with nutritional yeast, herbs salt. In another bowl mix the milk with cornstarch, garlic and a good pinch of salt. Mix well. Add flour to another bowl.
Brush oil liberally on a baking dish. Dip each slice into flour, then milk then breadcrumb mixture to coat all sides, then place in the baking dish. Spray oil on top.
Bake at 425 deg F for 25 to 30 mins or until golden. (You can also pan fry the eggplant in a cast iron skillet at medium heat so the slices cook through.) Cook the pasta according to instruction on the package if you havent already.
Assemble plates and serve. Garnish with fresh basil and pepper flakes.
Can I make this Eggplant Parmesan Gluten-free?
Yes, Use gluten-free spaghetti or spaghetti squash.
For the Eggplant Parmesan, use gluten-free breadcrumbs instead of regular breadcrumbs and a mix of 2 tbsp rice flour, 2 tbsp oat flour and 2 tbsp cornstarch or potato starch instead of the all purpose flour.
Can I make this nut-free?
Yes, use my nut-free vegan alfredo for topping, or use the nut-free version of my vegan parmesan with pumpkin seeds.
More Mains for the Holidays
- Lentil Mushroom Wellington
- Grilled Portobello with Garlic Sauce.
- Lentil Quinoa Loaf
- Chickpea Loaf
- Loaded Veggie Lasagna
- Chickpea Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie
Vegan Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients
Chunky Red Sauce:
- 1 tsp oil or 2 tbsp broth
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup (40 g) onion
- 15 oz (425.24 g) diced tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp italian herbs oregano, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, basil
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- a good dash of red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp or more sugar/sweetener
- 1/2 tsp salt
Mozzarella cream:
- 1/2 cup (64.5 g) cashews
- 1 cup (236.59 ml) water
- 2 tsp flour
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp miso
Eggplant Parmesan:
- 1 large longish eggplant ,slice into 1/8 to 1/4 inch slices
- 1 tsp salt
- Breading:
- 1 cup vegan breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (118.29 ml) Non dairy milk such as almond , soy or oat
- 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp garlic
- 1/3 cup (41.67 g) flour
To Serve
- 8 oz spaghetti , use gluten-free spaghetti or spaghetti squash to make gf
- fresh basil and pepper flakes for garnish
Instructions
- Pasta Sauce: at oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for a few seconds. Add onion and a pinch of salt and cook for a minute. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Cook for 5 minutes. if the mixture is too thick, add 1/2 cup water.
- Reduce heat to medium low. Partially cover and continue to cook for another 6 to 8 minutes. Taste and adjust flavor. (Sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated for 3 days. Or use store bought marinara or pasta sauce)
- Mozzarella Cream:(See notes for nut-free) Blend everything under mozzarella cream until smooth. Add to a skillet over medium heat. Cook until the mixture thickens evenly. about 3-4 mins. Mix and stir occasionally so the thickening mixture at the bottom doesnt stick. (Can be made ahead and refrigerated for upto 3 days. Or use store bought vegan mozzarella and top the baking eggplant in the last 10 mins of baking. at step 7)
- Eggplant Parmesan: Slice the eggplant. Sprinkle with salt and let sit for 15-20 mins. Then rinse and dab in paper towels. (You can skip the salting step. Salting helps reduce the bitterness of the eggplant, but can be skipped to reduce work)
- Assemble the breading stations. In a shallow bowl, mix the breadcrumbs with nutritional yeast, herbs, salt. In another bowl mix the milk with cornstarch, garlic and a good pinch of salt. Mix well. Add flour to another bowl.
- Brush oil liberally on a baking dish. Dip each eggplant slice into flour, then milk then breadcrumb mixture to coat all sides, then place in the baking dish. Repeat for all slices. Spray oil on top.
- Bake at 425 deg F (220 F) for 25 to 30 mins or until golden. (You can also pan fry the eggplant in a cast iron skillet at medium heat so the slices cook through.)
- Cook the pasta according to instruction on the package if you haven't already. Assemble plates with spaghetti topped with pasta sauce and crisp eggplant. Add dollops of the vegan mozzarella or sprinkle some vegan parm and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Roxanne
Using milk?
Not vegan….
Should it be almond milk?
Richa
It’s a vegan blog and vegan recipe. Added non dairy to the list. Been vegan for a long time so sometimes I forget to add non dairy specifier as milk is non dairy for me by default
Dania
I plan on making this recipe next Thursday but I am confuse about the milk ingredient because it states that it’s VEGAN. So what milk milk alternative should I use?
Richa
Almond milk or soy milk
Michelle
This is SO GOOD! My friend made it for us and I can’t wait to try it myself this week. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve liked eggplant, so I was wary, but this was delicious!! Thank you!
Vegan Richa Support
wow!!! so glad that you enjoyed eggplant again
Joel
Highly recommend! I’m trying to incorporate more vegan recipes into my diet and tried this tonight. My roommate and I loved it! Didn’t miss the dairy at all and everything tasted great. Especially love the chunky tomato sauce. A+++
Vegan Richa Support
awesome sauce
Jennifer
I made this last night and it was the best eggplant parm I’ve ever had. It was so much better than what I’ve gotten at restaurants. The breading was so crispy and the sauce was so flavorful. I even made the cheese sauce and that was devoured by the family too. For the cheese sauce I had to use a tablespoon of nutritional yeast in place of the miso, and it gave it almost an alfredo taste. Very good. Thank you.
Richa
Awesome!!
Iyana
Okay this is one of the best vegan dishes I’ve made. Would give 5 stars except I felt I could’ve added more seasoning to the breadcrumb mix. Other parts of the dish make up for it though!
Vegan Richa Support
thanks Iyana
Julia
A little involved but I liked the way it turned out. Eggplant was the best eaten alone or full recipe.
Vegan Richa Support
thank you Julia – nothing quite like homemade, right?
Felix
Super delicious! note- I only used the recipe for the eggplant. Didn’t have enough breadcrumb mixture, so I only coated one side & the bare side I placed down, touching the sheetpan. I also skipped adding/ spraying oil on top.
It felt like a restaurant-worthy dish. I’ve always been apprehensive about eggplant but this came out so perfectly! Thanks for a great recipe.
Richa
Awesome
Debra
What a great and flexible recipe! I used my favorite pasta sauce and gluten free pasta as well as gluten free breadcrumbs. I really missed eating eggplant Parmesan. Terrific and delicious recipe. Thank you!!
Vegan Richa Support
Delish! So glad you enjoyed this!
Joanne
This was really good, and quite easy. I will definitely make it again and again. Thanks for all you do. I have both of your cookbooks and Use them often.
Madison
Hi! Do the cashews need to be soaked? Thanks in advance.
Vegan Richa Support
you’re very welcome. no, not in this recipe.
Richa
You can Soak them in hot water for 15 minutes and use.
Robin
I’m allergic to any product that has corn. What would you suggest to replace the cornstarch?
Richa
Any other starch such as tapioca or arrowroot
Miya
This was really yummy! The cheese didn’t hold up as well as I thought, but still will make again!
Richa
Awesome! It’s not supposed to set. It’s just a thick cream to reduce the time and ingredients to make it set then melt again.
Colleen Bush
Just made this, and it was amazing! I am just curious about the nutritional information listed, where does the sugar and protein come from in this recipe?
Richa
ah i recalculatetd it, not sure where it was picking up the sugar from. its updated now to 13g. protein comes from pasta and breadcrumbs.
Alice
Anything I could use instead of miso for the mozarella cream? I am making this tonight but am not doing the cream but I am wondering for next time. I decided to add garlic powder and onion powder to the bread crumb mixture and not put garlic into the milk.
Richa
omit it and add a tbsp nutritional yeast if you have that
Cynthia
This was astonishingly good. I know your recipes are good, but this was better than I dared hope. Even my husband, who loves greasy, cheesy eggplant parm, was grudgingly amazed at how delicious it was. Thank you!
Richa
thats so awesome!
Bonnie
This is a silly question but when the recipe calls for cashews does it mean salted or unsalted? This looks delicious, I’m making it tonight!
Richa
raw cashews, unroasted, unsalted
Zach
I was hesitant about this recipe since I’ve never cooked with eggplant (bad memories from childhood) but it turned out great! I used zucchini noodles to lighten it up. Thanks for another delicious recipe!
Richa
awesome!
Barbara Gross
Great recipe, thank you so much. I will be making it many more times. So glad I found your site.
Richa
awesome! thanks!
Emily
Made this with marinara that I had. The whole meal was scarfed down in minutes!! So Good!
Richa
awesome!
Julie Rex
This looks amazing! Do you think whole wheat pastry flour would work for the breading?
Richa
yes, should work just fine
Sue
Looks awesome. “E-parm” was my favorite Italian food.
Richa
its such a simple set of flavors but so good!
Hansa Patel
Thank you
My favorite dish, Now I can make Healthy version.