If you’re trying to ease up on your carb intake but still eat delicious and hearty meals, then this recipe for healthy baked eggplant parmesan is for you! Made with only six simple ingredients, this low carb and keto eggplant parmesan dish is sure to be one of your new favorite easy dinner ideas. This post contains affiliate links for products I’m obsessed with.
BAKED EGGPLANT PARMESAN
Right now, I’m in that unavoidable post holiday mood. You know when you’re not regretting eating all those Christmas cookies, but you’re still not happy that your jeans are too tight?
That’s where this keto eggplant parmesan recipe comes in! It’s a savory, filling, low carb meal that will help you fit into your pre-holiday jeans in no time. Skip the pasta tonight and instead treat yourself to this healthy and satisfying Italian dish!
After all, there’s nothing more satisfying than taking a big bite of warm tomato sauce and gooey cheese. With eggplant in the mix, there’s nothing to feel guilty about, either!
WHAT MAKES THIS BAKED EGGPLANT PARM LOW CARB?
We are gonna go all in and this eggplant with no breading, friends. I know that sounds crazy – and believe me, my mom makes the BEST eggplant parm, so I know how delicious it’s supposed to taste. But hear me out:
- You will not. I repeat, you will NOT miss the breading. In fact, the first time I tested this, I made one batch with the breading on and baked it…and then made it without. My husband liked it better without the breading, hands down.
- This is how they eat Eggplant Parm in Italy, so I mean…if you don’t trust me, can you trust the people who first made the dish?
- No breading makes this dish gluten free without having to buy an expensive gluten free breading crumb, too, so yay.
INGREDIENTS FOR KETO EGGPLANT PARMESAN
- eggplant – At the grocery store, reach for smaller eggplants as they tend to have fewer seeds. Did you also know that eggplants are a wonderful source of vitamins C and K?
- tomato sauce – Make your own homemade tomato sauce, or choose your favorite jarred tomato sauce! Any brand will do, but I love Rao’s and also Aldi’s Organic Sauce. You can also personalize the sauce by adding seasonings like garlic powder or freshly chopped basil! Important -Be sure there is no added sugar in your tomato sauce!
- olive oil cooking spray – When it comes to Italian dishes, nothing compliments the meal more than olive oil! It’s a flavorful, healthy fat that adds a delicious richness to the parm.
- mozzarella cheese – There’s no substitute for gooey mozzarella cheese when making eggplant parm! Plus, you can feel great about eating it – it’s not only tasty, it’s also lower in sodium and calories than most other cheeses.
- Parmesan cheese – You only need a small amount of this savory cheese to elevate the dish from good to great!
- salt – This ingredient is to taste. I recommend not adding too much! You should add enough salt to enhance the other flavors, but not to overpower them. A little goes a very long way!
How to make healthy eggplant parmesan with no breading
- For this baked eggplant parmesan you will will first slice up your eggplant! You want your pieces to be about 1/6 – ¼ inch thick. Then, lay the slices on paper towels with a pinch of salt and let sit for about a half hour. With another paper towel, blot the excess moisture that’s produced.
2. Transfer the slices to a prepared baking sheet. Brush evenly with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and bake for 20 minutes. Flip them halfway through to make sure the slices are cooked to golden perfection!
3. On the bottom of an 8×8 baking dish, add about ⅔ cup of the tomato sauce. Then, add ⅓ of the eggplant to cover the bottom of the dish. Add ½ cup of sauce on top of the slices, then sprinkle with 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese and 2 T parmesan.
4. Add another layer of eggplant slices and repeat the process. Do this until you have three lovely layers of saucey, cheesy eggplant slices! The top layer should have the most cheese, allowing it to bubble and brown nicely when baked.
5. Bake the meal for about 25 minutes, or until the top is bubbling and delicious. If you really want to brown the cheese, try broiling it for a few minutes at the end of the cooking time!
6. Allow the eggplant parm to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving! As amazing as it will smell, a burned mouth is never fun plus it will set a little better after some time to rest. Garnish with freshly cut basil and extra parmesan, if desired. Enjoy!
CAN I MAKE THIS RECIPE AHEAD OF TIME?
Absolutely! Just wrap it up in foil and let it sit in the fridge until you’re ready to bake it.
HOW LONG WILL IT STAY FRESH? CAN I FREEZE THIS KETO EGGPLANT PARMESAN RECIPE?
Once cooked, this meal will stay fresh for 3-5 days. Just make sure it’s in an airtight container in the fridge, and enjoy your leftovers!
And yes! My grandmother would make and freeze eggplant parmesan all the time! This is an awesome meal prep recipe to make a double batch of!
What can I serve with this Keto Eggplant Parmesan recipe?
I find this healthy eggplant parmesan to be filling enough on it’s own, but if you could serve it with:
- a side salad
- ricotta cheese
- baked chicken or Italian chicken sausage
- Pasta or whole grain/gluten free bread (obviously this would not be keto friendly)
Looking for more Low Carb Recipes? Check these out:
Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats
One Skillet Lazy Zucchini Lasagna
Healthy Baked Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients
- 3 pounds eggplant I like smaller ones because the big ones tend to have a lot of seeds
- 2 ⅓ cups tomato sauce or homemade tomato sauce
- Olive oil cooking spray or 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 2/3 cups mozzarella cheese
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
- Salt
Instructions
- Slice the eggplant into ¼ inch thick rounds and lay them on paper towels. Sprinkle slices with a few pinches of salt and let the eggplant slices sit for 30-40 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425.
- Using a paper towel, blot the eggplant and absorb the moisture they released and wipe off excess salt.
- Transfer eggplant to sheet pans covered in parchment paper. It’s ok if they overlap slightly. Brush both sides with olive oil, season with pepper and a pinch of salt, then bake for 20 minutes, turning halfway through until eggplant is golden.
- Put ⅔ cup sauce on the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish, add 1/3 of eggplant to cover the bottom of the dish. Spoon 1/2 cup of the sauce on the eggplant, then sprinkle with 1/3 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1 T parmesan. Add another layer of eggplant and repeat ½ cup of sauce, ⅓ cup mozzarella cheese and 1 T parmesan. Put the final layer of eggplant on top and cover with 2/3 cup of sauce, 1 cup of mozzarella, and 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese.
- Bake until cheese is melted and everything is bubbling, about 25 minutes. Switch to broil for an additional 2-3 minutes of cook time to brown the cheese, if desired.
- Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes before cutting into six servings. Garnish with fresh basil and extra parmesan cheese.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Jamie says
Delicious! I made this for dinner tonight!
Nancylynn says
Yay! Thank you Jamie!
Lori says
I made this recipe last night after picking several eggplant from the garden. The only thing I did differently was to peel the eggplant because we don’t care for the skin. It was absolutely delicious. Will be making again soon with our abundant crop. Thanks for a healthy alternative to traditional eggplant Parmesan.
Nancylynn says
Yessss Lori, this is amazing! Thank you for your comment and 5 star rating. So glad you liked it!
Erica Ferraro says
Agree with all of the other reviews – this is amazing! On my third time making it.
Nancylynn says
Thank you Erica!!
Cathy Junga says
this is incredible! I’m 3 bites in and I can see how someone would eat the entire pan. Thank you for sharing such a delicious recipe!
Nancylynn says
Such a nice comment, Cathy! Thank you for taking the time (mid dinner even!) to comment and rate the recipe!
Carrie says
Yumm! My neighbor just gifted us eggplant from their garden and I’m SO excited to make this for dinner tonight cuz I remember how wonderful it was when I made it awhile back! Not sure why I waited so long to make it again cuz it’s heavenly! But here we are and I’m HERE for it! Yay!
Steve P says
The only thing that really seems to be missing here for me is that my family recipe always had ricotta between the layers besides the mozzarella.
Nancylynn says
Feel free to add it in!
Angelle says
WOW! Added a pound of ground deer/pork because my husband has to have a protein! It is WONDERFUL. I would love to try some ricotta next time for more of a lasagna taste (and because I love ricotta). Used Rao’s tomato basil instead of making my own. Use 3 eggplant to get right at 3 pounds. Keep the great recipes coming!
Nancylynn says
Oooh yum! These are great ideas, thank you for your comment!
Kathy says
I’m wondering if I should bake it before freezing or assemble it and bake it when I plan on serving it after it’s been frozen
Christina D says
Made this for dinner last night! Fantastic! Did not miss the breading at all!!
Nancylynn says
YAY! Thank you! Would you mind giving a star rating also? It really helps other readers know how much you loved it!
Siobhan H. says
Wondering if you could air fry the eggplant first instead of baking to make them crispy?
Nancylynn says
I think this is genius! But could take longer since you’ll have to batch cook the eggplant in the air fryer. If you try it, please let us know how it goes- I am so curious!
Coral Sherwood says
Second time making this. So delicious!
Nancylynn says
Thank you Coral!
Laura D says
This is my favorite recipe so far. I made it last week and I can’t wait to make it again, it was so good I am craving it! YUM!
Nancylynn says
It’s so yummy, right?! Thank you!!!
Jessi says
10 out of 10. My husband was unsure about eating eggplant, and then gobbled up half the pan.
Nancylynn says
AMAZING!! Thank you!
Sara says
This was SO good! I use Prego Hidden Veggie sauce and mixed in meat for some red. So flavorful! A great alternative to zucchini too! I’d post a pic but am not on IG.
Nancylynn says
Thank you! Great tips! You can always post a pic on Facebook, if you are on there.
Kim B says
This was amazing! I purchased all the ingredients to make thus and was so excited to find out my husband doesn’t like eggplant. He said to make it anyway and he would eat something else 🤦🏼♀️, so I invited my uncle over who loves to order this in restaurants. We all sat down and my husband, did give himself a portion. After his first bite, he was like, “this is amazing!” It was a hit! The whole table loved it and I wish I made more!!! Thanks for the great recipe! It was so delicious 😋
Nancylynn says
Oh my word – this made my whole night!!! Thank you so much for the great review and I am so happy that everyone enjoyed it!!! ❤️❤️❤️
Melinda Zaragoza says
I can not tell you how excited I am for this!!! I’ve been searching for a 21 day fix eggplant parm forever. Thank you for sharing!! Also, I love all your recipes. They never fail – I have many of them on my weekly dinner rotation.
Nancylynn says
This is so kind of you to say! Thank you!!!