This gluten-free eggplant parmesan recipe is coated in a flavorful crispy and salty layer of parmesan breadcrumbs, seasonings, and rich tomato sauce. It is a vegetarian version of my own recipe for Chicken Parmesan.
Classic comfort food.
Over time I've shared delicious one-pot meals such as Ham And Potato Casserole, classic old fashioned Hamburger Casserole, and kid-friendly Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole.
Jump To
⭐ Try my easy and quick marinara sauce for this eggplant recipe!
Ingredients
My few comments on the ingredients + don't forget to read the Tips section!
The full recipe and ingredients can be found in the recipe card below this post.
- Eggplant - depending on your baking dish, make sure the slices will fit there first. I like to use the medium to large eggplants and it fits a layer of 6 slices. I used an 8x11 casserole dish. You can also use a large dutch oven skillet for this. Look for fresh ripe eggplants that have unblemished, tight, and shiny skin. The eggplant should be free of spots.
- Gluten-free flour - my favorite gluten-free flour blends for the recipe Bob's Red Mill and King Arthur Measure For Measure. These are both with xantham gum so you don't have to add any extra to it. Or use my homemade gluten-free flour blend or even oat flour. For non-gluten-free, any all-purpose flour should work equally well.
- Sauce - you can use any brand of Italian tomato sauce that you can find in grocery stores. Although I like to use good quality that already consists of some seasonings, veggies, and herbs. Marinara, and pizza sauce, all are great for this.
- Bread crumbs - if you are making this with gluten-free crumbs, you can easily make your own breadcrumbs with any bread you have on hand.
How To Cut An Eggplant For Eggplant Parmesan?
It's very simple! Cut off the ends of the eggplant (stem) and slice it into ¼-inch thick wheels for eggplant parmesan.
Why Do You Sweat Eggplant Before Cooking?
This dish is simple but requires a few steps to prep, including ''sweating'' the eggplant. Just like with zucchini, we need to salt the eggplant first and let it sit for 30 minutes to an hour.
Salt helps to draw out the excess moisture so that the eggplant retains its delicious flavor and remains juicy and tender after baking.
Instructions
Remove the stems from the eggplants and cut it into about ¼ -½ inches thick slices.
Step 1 - ''Sweating'' the eggplant: Spread out slices of eggplant in a single layer onto a wire rack lined with a large baking sheet underneath.
Lightly season each slice of eggplant with salt and let sit like this for 1 hour. After that, dry the eggplant with kitchen paper.
Step 2 Pre-bake the eggplant: Mix the breadcrumbs with parmesan, Italian herbs, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
Prepare three bowls with beaten eggs, flour, and breadcrumbs. Dip each eggplant slice on both sides first into flour, then eggs and lastly breadcrumbs mixture.
Place the coated eggplant slices back onto a wire rack or a side plate for a minute.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Prepare a large baking sheet lined with lightly greased/sprayed with oil parchment paper. Transfer all the slices there.
Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown, flipping the slices once during baking. Around the 10-12 minute mark. Set the slices aside while you prepare for the next step.
Assemble and bake: Lightly grease a 8 or 9-inch baking dish (I used an 8x11 casserole).
Add one layer of tomato sauce, then eggplant slices on top, mozzarella cheese, again the sauce, and parmesan. Repeat all the layers 1 more time finishing with parmesan cheese.
Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes or until the top layer becomes crispy and golden brown. Do not cover the dish. Garnish with fresh basil leaves.
Tips
- I recommend sprinkling the slices with salt and let sit this way for 1 hour. Make sure to pat dry them well with a paper towel to remove the excess salt and moisture.
- The best flavor and crispy texture comes from breadcrumbs. So don't be shy and generously coat the eggplant slices in the breadcrumbs mixture. Clean your hands with a wet towel during the coating.
- Try to find similar size eggplants and slice them evenly as well as you can. Uniform sizes will help the eggplant to cook evenly without becoming soggy or some slices drying out.
📋 JULIA'S TIP Eggplants tend to retain a lot of moisture in them and also any oil that you are adding to them. For this reason, I prefer to bake eggplant slices in the oven rather than frying. Salt helps to draw the moisture out of the eggplant and make them crispy after baking.
Side Dishes For Eggplant Parmesan
As it is a quite fulfilling dish on its own we like to serve the eggplant parmesan with a classic simple Cucumber Tomato And Onion Salad or to balance off the acidity from tomatoes a Creamy Cucumber And Radish Salad.
Our vegetarian side dishes such as healthy lemon caesar salad (skip the chicken here if going for all veggie dinner), Zucchini Noodles (or for a more fulfilling dish with regular pasta), Smashed Potatoes or cheesy Asparagus.
Freezing And Storing Instructions
Store any leftover eggplant parmigiana in the same casserole dish covered with a lid or plastic wrap. Let the casserole cool first before refrigerating for up to 3 days.
How to reheat eggplant parmesan?
Baked Gluten Free Eggplant Parmesan can be made up to 2 days in advance. I don't recommend refrigerating unbaked casserole as the breadcrumb will become soggy and not crispy after baking.
But instead, you can follow the steps in his recipe and bake the eggplant parmesan 1-2 days in advance. Let it cool completely, cover it tightly with a lid, and store it in the fridge.
When ready to reheat, let come to room temperature and reheat in the oven for 12 minutes covered with foil. Remove the foil, add more cheese, and bake for 10 minutes more or until it's piping hot and sauce bubbly.
In theory, you could freeze the casserole but as we are working with breadcrumbs and a crispy texture, it will simply not be the same after defrosting.
Thinking About Dessert? Try These!
FAQs
Baked Eggplant Parmesan can be made up to 2 days in advance. I don't recommend refrigerating unbaked casserole as the breadcrumb will become soggy and not crispy after baking. But instead, you can follow the steps in this recipe and bake the eggplant parmesan 1-2 days in advance.
Let it cool completely, cover it tightly with a lid, and store it in the fridge. When ready to reheat, let come to room temperature and reheat in the oven for 12 minutes covered with foil. Remove the foil, add more cheese, and bake for 10 minutes more or until it's piping hot and sauce bubbly.
Sprinkling the eggplant slices in the first step is essential. Salt draws out the moisture from the eggplant making it crispy after baking.
In general, no we don't peel it. However, some eggplants (older ones) have tougher skin and can taste a little bitter. If these are the only ones you have, then yes, I recommend removing the skins first.
Easy Eggplant Recipes
Eggplant is one of our favorite veggie ingredients (after cabbage of course) to cook with. It's tasty, and fulfilling and can be used in salads, baked whole, or used as a spread (Eggplant Caviar). One of our all-time favorites that kids love to eat too is our Eggplant pasta recipe.
For more tasty and cheesy casseroles try our popular recipes:
I would appreciate it so much if you left a comment about this recipe below! Subscribe to join the TYB newsletter and receive free recipes straight to your inbox! Let's connect via Facebook, IG & Pinterest!
Recipe
Gluten Free Eggplant Parmesan
INGREDIENTS
Eggplant Parmesan
- 2 medium eggplants
- ½ cup gluten free flour blend or oat flour (see notes)
- 3 eggs (lightly beaten)
- vegetable oil spray
- 1 ½ cup gluten free (if using Breadcrumbs)
- ½ cup parmesan cheese (grated)
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Filling
- 1 ½ cups tomato sauce with herbs or pizza sauce
- 1 pound block of mozzarella cheese (sliced)
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese (grated)
- fresh herbs for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- Remove the stems from the eggplants and cut it into about ¼ -½ inches thick slices.
- ''Sweating'' the eggplant. Spread out slices of eggplant in single layer onto a wire rack lined with large baking sheet underneath. Lightly season each slice of eggplant with salt and let sit like this for 1 hour. After that, dry the eggplant with kitchen paper.
- Mix the breadcrumbs with parmesan, italian herbs, garlic powder, salt, black pepper.
- Pre-cook the slices. Prepare three bowls with beaten eggs, flour, and breadcrumbs mixture. Dip each eggplant slice on both sides first into flour, then eggs and lastly breadcrumbs mixture.
- Place the coated eggplant slices back onto a wire rack or a side plate for a minute. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare large baking sheet lined with lightly greased/sprayed with oil parchment paper. Transfer all the slices there.
- Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown, flipping the slices once during baking. Around 10-12 minute mark. Set the slices aside while you prep the next step.
- Prepare a 8 or 9 inch baking dish (I used 8x11 casserole) and lightly grease with cooking spray. Add one layer of tomato sauce, then eggplant slices on top, mozzarella cheese, again the sauce, and parmesan. Repeat all the layers 1 more time finishing with parmesan cheese.
- Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes or until the top layer becomes crispy and golden brown. Do not cover the dish. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve!
Video
NOTES
- Eggplant - depending on your baking dish, make sure the slices will fit there first. I like to use the medium to large eggplants and it fits a layer of 6 slices. I used an 8x11 casserole dish. You can also use a large dutch oven skillet for this. Look for fresh ripe eggplants that have unblemished, tight, and shiny skin. The eggplant should be free of spots.
- JULIA'S TIP Eggplants tend to retain a lot of moisture in them and also any oil that you are adding to them. For this reason, I prefer to bake eggplant slices in the oven rather than frying. Salt helps to draw the moisture out of the eggplant and make them crispy after baking.
- I recommend sprinkling the slices with salt and let sit this way for 1 hour. Make sure to pat dry them well with a paper towel to remove the excess salt and moisture
PRIVATE NOTES
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
Julia
A classic foolproof recipe for vegetarian Eggplant Parmesan. Make now or save for later!
Yulinda
What can Use instead of salt?
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
I am not sure Yulinda, perhaps other seasonings?
Kaity
I am a little confused. The cook time says 30 minutes. But step 7 says to cook for 20 minutes and step 9 says to cook for 30 minutes. Shouldn't the cook time be a total of 50 minutes.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Kaity, good eye! The recipe instructions are correct but the total timing above the recipe card is incorrect - it should be indeed 50 minutes cooking time, not 30.