The eggplants are cut into discs, oven-roasted, and topped with a tasty tomato sauce and melty mozzarella or non-dairy cheese. This recipe is a sure hit with picky adults and kids alike. Check out our Best Eggplant Recipes
Ingredients
Instructions
Variations
Serving Suggestions
Make Ahead & Storage
You can make a lighter and fresher version with a topping of diced cherry tomatoes marinated in olive oil, basil, and garlic. This version resembles a tomato bruschetta with eggplant slices instead of bread. We often serve eggplant pizza on a platter with grilled zucchini and crunchy crostini to add some delicious crunch. Note: The low-carb eggplant pizza recipe is gluten-free and can be made vegan by subbing vegan cheese for mozzarella.
Cheese
Any melty cheese generally works, but shredded mozzarella is our favorite. Make sure to use mozzarella cheese made for pizza that is dryer than regular mozzarella so the eggplants won’t come out too watery. To make this vegan, use a non-dairy cheese that melts; it’s available in most supermarkets.Alternatively, some brands offer vegan mozzarella blocks made for pizza. Violife has some good options. You can even make yours with our melty vegan cheese recipe.
Tomato Passata
Tomato passata is best for this recipe because of its creamy texture and sweet taste. Also, passata doesn’t require pre-cooking. There are many imported Italian brands in the USA. Alternatively, you can use a generic tomato puree, crushed tomatoes, or marinara sauce.
Olive oil
We always recommend using extra virgin olive oil because of its superior flavor and nutritional profile compared to most other oils. However, as a cheaper alternative, you could use regular olive oil.
Dried oregano
Dried oregano makes the sauce taste like authentic pizza sauce. You can substitute dried thyme for oregano.
Garlic
Garlic is optional. Some kids don’t like it, so if you make this recipe for them, you might want to reduce or omit the garlic completely. However, we love this recipe with at least one garlic clove. You can thinly slice it, grate it, or mince it.
Salt & Pepper
Use sea salt or kosher salt for the best flavor. Freshly ground black pepper is also recommended. Optionally, add a pinch of red pepper flakes to make the sauce spicy.
Fresh Basil
We use fresh basil to garnish the eggplant pizza and add that distinctive Italian aroma everyone loves. Arrange the discs on the baking sheet, brush them with extra virgin olive oil, and season with salt and black pepper. Roast the eggplants for 15 to 20 minutes. While they bake, make the pizza sauce. Tip: if your eggplants are watery, turn them around and bake them for 5 more minutes to remove excess moisture.
2. Make pizza sauce
Add tomato passata, dried oregano, extra virgin olive oil, grated or sliced garlic, salt, and pepper, to a bowl, stir, and set aside.
2. Make eggplant pizza
Apply pizza sauce on top of roasted eggplant slices and spread with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with a pinch or two of grated mozzarella. Put back in the oven and broil for about 5 minutes, until the cheese is melty and starts to brown. Transfer onto a serving platter, and sprinkle with a pinch of dried oregano, a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil (optional), and fresh basil leaves.
8 ounces (230 grams) of cherry tomatoes or other small tomatoes 1 clove of garlic 1/4 teaspoon of salt 1 to 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil 2 teaspoons of vinegar (balsamic or apple cider) 2 twists of black pepper 10 leaves of fresh basil
Roast the eggplant discs for 25 to 30 minutes until fully cooked. Turn them around at the 20-minute mark. To a bowl, add diced cherry tomatoes, crushed garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil, and chopped basil. Stir and set aside while the eggplants bake. Arrange eggplants on a serving platter on a single layer. Top with about a tablespoon of the tomato mix, and enjoy.
Eggplant pizza with pesto
Make the eggplant pizzas per our recipe, then drizzle them with our delicious pesto sauce to add a wonderful basil flavor. Check out our homemade pesto sauce recipe.
Eggplant pizza with olives
Add olive slices with the mozzarella cheese, then broil for 5 minutes, and your eggplant pizzas are ready. You can add other pizza toppings like diced bell peppers, pineapple, artichoke hearts, and asparagus.
Starter: serve on crostini or a platter with other starters such as focaccia bread, bruschetta, bean dip, and farinata
Main meal: add the eggplant on top of pasta aglio e olio or in a sandwich. You even make pizza dough with our flatbread pizza recipe and top it with eggplant pizza.
Side dish: pair with one of our delicious plant-based mains such as vegan fish, marinated tofu, and mushroom tofu.
Crostini Recipe
Focaccia
Bruschetta
Farinata (Socca)
Refrigerator: store leftovers in the fridge, covered with film or in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. Reheat: the next day, you can serve them at room temperature, taking them out of the refrigerator 15 minutes before serving. Or reheat them in the oven, with the broiler function, for 5 minutes. Freezer: we haven’t tried freezing eggplant pizza.
More Eggplant Recipes
Get more easy and delicious eggplant inspiration from these wholesome recipes:
Roasted eggplant (garlic, parsley, olive oil, salt, eggplant, etc.) Air fryer eggplant (garlic powder, eggplant, chili powder, salt, olive oil, etc.) Sicilian caponata (capers, olives, eggplant, basil, garlic, canned tomatoes, vinegar, etc.) Creamy eggplant dip (roasted eggplant, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, etc.) Eggplant pasta (canned tomatoes, rigatoni pasta, eggplant, basil, garlic, olive oil, etc.) Stuffed eggplant (eggplant, mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, pesto, pine nuts, etc.)
If you want more, see our 35 best eggplant recipes.
Eggplant Parmigiana
Sautéed Eggplant
Stuffed Eggplant
Pasta alla Norma (Eggplant Pasta)
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”zhN2Fd5O” upload-date=”2023-04-15T11:02:34.000Z” name=”Eggplant Pizza.mp4″ description=”Eggplant pizza is a fun and easy recipe the whole family will love, thanks to their comforting familiar flavor and mouthwatering looks.” player-type=”default” override-embed=”default”]
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title: “Eggplant Pizza” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-19” author: “Roberto Lacoy”
I originally came up with this recipe back in 2011, when I was craving an English muffin-style pizza that I used to make as a kid. I figured, sliced eggplant was a similar shape to an English muffins, so why not try using it as a pizza base? The result is definitely not as sturdy as a traditional pizza crust (I tend to eat these with a knife and fork) but it’s a lot less labor intensive than making my famous cauliflower pizza crust, or even an almond flour pizza crust.
What You Need to Know About Eggplant
What does eggplant taste like? It has a mild, relatively neutral flavor when it’s cooked. It has a soft, creamy texture, that makes it a soft pizza crust, but it contributes very little flavor to this overall dish, even when you leave on the skin! When is eggplant in season? Eggplant is in season from July to October. If you have any extra eggplant on hand, be sure to also try my easy Ratatouille recipe. Does it have health benefits? Research suggests that eating eggplant may help to protect heart function, and they may also play a role in blood sugar regulation. Can you eat the skin? Yes! Eggplant skin is totally edible, and when you buy smaller-sized eggplants, the skin should be very tender and easy to chew.
How to Make Eggplant Pizza
Slice the eggplant. Preheat your oven to 400ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the eggplant into rounds, about 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick. (The thinner you slice it, the more flimsy the pizza will be.) There’s no need to peel the eggplant; I find that the peel helps them hold their shape better. Bake. Arrange the sliced eggplant on the lined baking sheet, and lightly brush the tops with oil. (This is optional; skip if you prefer to cook without oil.) Sprinkle with salt, then bake until the eggplant is easily pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes. Add the toppings. Remove the eggplant from the oven, and add the toppings. Start with your favorite marinara sauce, then add on the cheese and any other veggies or meats that you like. Return the pan to the oven to let the cheese melt, about 5 to 8 more minutes. Enjoy! Use a spatula to serve the eggplant pizzas, and enjoy them warm. I usually serve these with a knife and fork, but if they cool down enough to handle, you can also fold them in half to eat with your hands. (Similar to eating a taco.)
Eggplant pizza can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat, place the pizza in a preheated oven to warm up for 5 to 10 minutes at 400ºF.
Tips for Working with Eggplant
Slice crosswise. I find eggplant the easiest to work with when you slice it into circles, rather than lengthwise. The resulting eggplant pizza is smaller, but not so flimsy to eat! Don’t peel it. It’s not necessary and will save you time! Plus, there are antioxidants in their skin called anthocyanins, which contribute to their vibrant purple color. Make it less soggy. You can let the eggplant “sweat” by salting it and letting it rest for 30 to 60 minutes ahead of time. When you’re ready to cook it, rinse the salt off with water and dry well. I never take the time to do this, and I’m still satisfied with the eggplant pizza, but feel free to experiment with it! Choose smaller eggplants. The smaller ones tend to be less bitter, with thinner skin and less seeds.
Looking for other ways to satisfy your pizza cravings? Try Cauliflower Steak Pizzas or Zucchini Boat Pizza for a similar veggie-forward concept, or try my Almond Flour Pizza or Socca Pizza for more of a traditional crust.
Variations
Instead of using marinara sauce, you can make a pesto eggplant pizza, using your favorite pesto sauce. Try my Zucchini Pesto, Broccoli Pesto, or Kale Pesto if you want to change things up! Need a dairy-free pizza? Make it vegan by using Vegan Pesto and cashew Parmesan cheese on top.
If you try this Eggplant Pizza recipe, please leave a comment below letting me know how you like it. And if you make any other modifications, I’d love to hear about those, too! – Reader Feedback: Do you have any other recipe requests for using up eggplant?
