Make your dinner special with this vegan Eggplant Parmesan made with homemade plant-based parmesan and mozzarella cheeses for a delicious and wholesome meal.
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I am so excited about this recipe, friends!
This vegan eggplant parmesan has been hanging out in my drafts folder for about a month now and finally, today, I get to share it with you.
This recipe is a vegan take on a classic Italian eggplant parmesan. Featuring parmesan-breaded eggplant, two different kinds of homemade cheese, and a sweet and savory marina sauce, I am fairly certain you will love this decadent meal.
Let’s take a closer look, shall we?
How to Make Vegan Eggplant Parmesan (Video)
Recommended Ingredients & Equipment
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Eggplant
- Chickpea Flour – When mixed with water, it creates a chickpea egg. This works as the binder between the eggplant and the bread crumbs.
- Panko Bread Crumbs – For a gluten-free alternative, use gluten-free panko bread crumbs. (<<affiliate link)
- Vegan Parmesan– For this recipe, I recommend using my homemade vegan parmesan. However, store bought will do.
- Spices – Oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, white pepper, salt
- Raw Cashews – You could also use raw macadamia nuts.
- Tapioca Starch – You can replace this with 1 tablespoon cornstarch.
- Nutritional Yeast
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Marinara Sauce – Either homemade marinara sauce or store bought are fine.
- Fresh Basil
Recommended Equipment
For this recipe, you will need a baking sheet and a silicone baking mat or parchment paper, colander, a high powered blender (like a Vitamix), a small saucepot, mixing bowls, basic kitchen utensils, and a 7×11 baking dish. (<<affiliate links)
Check out the full list of my recommended kitchen tools and gadgets.
How to Make Vegan Eggplant Parmesan
Step One – Prepare the Eggplant
To begin, slice the eggplant into 1/2″ slices. Generously salt the eggplant and place it in a colander over the sink for about 30 minutes. The salt will pull out some of the eggplant’s moisture along with the bitter taste.
While the eggplant is sitting, mix together your breading components.
First, you will want a binder that will act as the glue between the eggplant and the breading. My favorite binder for breading is the chickpea egg. That’s equal parts chickpea flour and water. When mixed together you get a protein-rich egg-like consistency that will fully coat the eggplant allowing you to get a good bread crumb on each piece.
The second component is the bread crumb mixture. I mixed Panko crumbs with my homemade parmesan and dried oregano for a breading bursting with Italian flavors. It’s so good, you might just want to eat it with a spoon!
To bread take one sliced eggplant at a time and dip it in chickpea flour mixture until it’s fully submerged. Transfer the eggplant into the panko mixture, making sure each side is completely covered in bread crumbs. Place breaded eggplant on the prepared baking sheet and continue the process until all the eggplant slices are breaded.
Bake for 30 minutes, until lightly brown and crispy, flipping halfway through.
Step Two – Make the Vegan Mozzarella
While the eggplant is baking, it’s time to make your vegan mozzarella. This cashew-based mozzarella is similar to the one you’ll find on my Grilled Pizza Margherita.
It’s a simple process of blending cashews in a high-powered blender along with tapioca starch, nutritional yeast, and spices. Once the mixture is smooth, transfer it to a saucepot and heat it over the stove to allow the tapioca starch to activate, stirring constantly. When you’re all finished you’ll have a nutty, salty, and slightly tangy mozzarella that is perfect for this vegan eggplant parmesan.
Pro Tip: If you don’t have a high powered blender, soak the cashews in water for at least 6 hours or overnight so that the cashews are soft before blending them in a blender or food processor.
Step Three – Assemble and Bake
Once your eggplant is baked and your cheese is made, it’s time to assemble the eggplant parmesan. The assembly is fairly straight forward. Similar to lasagna, the eggplant parmesan is layered beginning with a base of marinara sauce. Top with breaded eggplant, marinara sauce, homemade mozzarella, and repeat.
Finish the dish with that vegan parmesan and bake.
Serving and Storing
Serve eggplant parmesan immediately with a Caesar Salad and crusty bread. Alternatively, you can serve eggplant parmesan over noodles for a heartier meal
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can this recipe be made in advance?
Yes! If you don’t plan on eating this eggplant parmesan right away, it can be stored in the freezer before baking. To store it, tightly wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer. When you’re ready to bake, place it in the refrigerator the night before to let it thaw then bake it according to the directions below. It may take a few minutes longer to bake as the eggplant parmesan will be chilled.
Can I make this recipe gluten-free?
For sure! Just use gluten-free panko bread crumbs instead.
More Vegan Eggplant Recipes
- Moroccan Stuffed Eggplants
- Vegan Eggplant Parmesan
- Eggplant and Caramelized Onion Pizza
- Eggplant Chickpea Curry
- Kung Pao Tofu with Eggplant
Vegan Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients
Breaded Eggplant
- 2 large eggplant, cut into 1/2″ slices
- salt
- 1/2 cup chickpea flour
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 cups panko bread crumbs
- 1/3 cup vegan parmesan
- 2 tsp oregano
Vegan Mozzarella
- 1 cup warm water
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 2 tbsp tapioca starch
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp white pepper
Everything Else
- 1 (24 ounce) jar of marinara sauce
- fresh basil, chopped
- 2 tbsp vegan parmesan
Instructions
To make the Breaded Eggplant
- Preheat the oven to 375. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Liberally sprinkle salt over the sliced eggplant and place in a colander over the sink. Let them set for 30 minutes. This will remove any bitterness from the eggplant.
- Transfer eggplant to a paper towel and top with another paper towel to remove any excess liquid.
- In a shallow dish combine the chickpea flour and water, whisking together until thick and smooth. In a separate shallow dish combine the Panko bread crumbs, vegan parmesan, and oregano.
- Taking one sliced eggplant at a time, dip it in chickpea flour mixture until it's fully submerged. From there, dip the eggplant int the panko mixture, making sure each side is completely covered in bread crumbs. Place breaded eggplant on the prepared baking sheet and continue the process until all the eggplant slices are breaded.
- Bake for 30 minutes, until lightly brown and crispy, flipping halfway through. Remove from the oven and let cool.
To make the vegan mozzarella
- Combine all the ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend until completely smooth.
- Transfer to a saucepan heated over medium heat. While the cheese sauce heats, stir constantly with a large wooden spoon. Within 2-3 minutes the cheese will start to get very thick. Keep stirring until the cheese begins to move together, separating from the sides of the pan, while stirring.
- Remove from heat and let cool while preparing the other ingredients.
To assemble the Eggplant Parmesan
- Spread 1/2 cup of marinara sauce evenly in the bottom of a 7×11 baking pan. Place 8 breaded eggplant over top, layering them slightly over one another. Top eggplant with 1/2 cup of marinara. Using a spoon, scoop about 1 heaping tbsp of mozzarella over each of the eggplants. Top with remaining eggplants, marinara, and mozzarella one more time. Sprinkle about 2 tbsp of vegan parmesan over the top.
- Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes until the sauce underneath starts to boil.
- Remove from oven and let it set 10 minutes before sprinkling with basil and serving.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
Peggy says
Came out perfect and had to use matzo meal instead of panko crumbs and still it worked!
Sherry Reader says
I loved the flavors in this vegan eggplant parmesan recipe and enjoyed making it. My meat-eating hisband enjoyed it and proclaimed it a winner in our house!💕
Zoe says
Can I bake and freeze as individual meals?
Sharon coulson says
I may be done with Veganuary On January 31st but I’ll never be done with this amazingly delicious recipe.. Even if I go back to being a vegetarian, I don’t think I’ll use any other eggplant parm recipe. So delicious. Thank you!
Barbara says
Wow!!! – This recipe is simply delicious. The chesse is super easy to make once you have the ingredientes… all together is really tasty and fun to make. Thanks for sharing!!
Sheri says
This was so delicious and absolutely outstanding!!Thank you so much for an amazing recipe!! Everyone loved it!! 🙂
Vesna says
This is an incredible recipe. My omni but plant-based-leaning partner said it’s better than what we get at Olive Garden. He couldn’t stop raving about it. For the cheese sauce, instead of the cashews I used 1.5 cups of Earth’s Own oat creamer for cooking, and it turned out beautifully (we can’t use cashews in the house because one family member is extremely allergic to them). The chickpea flour wash worked amazingly. The coating on the eggplant turned out just the way I wanted and just the way you’d expect at a restaurant.
I did sprinkle a bit of VioLife “cheese” shreds in between the layers, but not much, and it was a nice addition. I can’t say enough good about this recipe, so I’ll leave it there. I will most definitely be making this again. I printed the recipe and it’s in my binder.
Kim says
So delicious! We made this for dinner last night, my non-vegan family said it was the best eggplant parm they have ever eaten!!! This warmed my heart, I am full time vegan and have been for years, I try to replace at least 4 meals a week to plant based for my husband and children. Thank you for the fabulous recipes.
Tanvi Kakodkar says
Hi Sarah,
I tried this recipe and it turned out so well. I wish I could share the pictures with you. The vegan mozzarella was a hit and the vegan parmesan tasted so much like real parmesan! (it’s the only cheese I truly liked when I was not a vegan).
I used cornstarch instead of tapioca starch and even though I read the comments, it turned out very well – chewy and stretchy. I especially loved the crumb baked crispy eggplant slices. I’m amazed that despite not a single drop of oil used in this recipe, it is scrumptious!
Thanks for sharing this precious recipe ❤️
Jennifer says
I love this recipie. Delicious
Alex says
So delicious. Subbed the chickpea flour/water with Follow Your Heart egg ??
Alex says
Can cornstarch replace the tapioca starch?
Sarah McMinn says
I would stick to tapioca starch. Cornstarch will thicken it without making it stretchy.
Carrie says
Our family LOVED this eggplant parmesan!
Victoria says
I made this the other day and it was perfect !
I also opted out of breading the eggplant, used potato starch instead of tapioca, and homemade tomato sauce instead instead of marinara. It still came out great! Just wanted to pass along <3
Sarah says
That’s great! Thanks for sharing your gf variation with us.
Leah Box says
If it’s vegan , why is there 4 mg of cholesterol? What is not vegan in this recipe?
Sarah says
That was an error in the recipe plugin which automatically calculates the nutritional information. I fixed it. Thanks for pointing that out!
Ralph Tait says
Could you please tell me where to buy or how to make panko breadcrumbs? I live in New Zealand, and this ingredient is unfamiliar to me. The same applies to marinara sauce. Do you have a recipe for this?
Many thanks
Sarah says
If you can’t get breadcrumbs, you can make yours at home. Follow these instructions: although you could leave out the Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Are you not able to get marinara sauce in New Zealand? If not, there are lots of recipes for homemade marinara sauce that you could google. I don’t personally have one on my website.
sarah says
Can I use ground flaxseed instead of chickpea flour? Or Flaxseed meal?