Fried eggplant is definitely not just something that vegans or vegetarians eat. And if you haven't had it, it's really worth trying. I remember eating fried eggplant since I was a small child. I love to eat it now in this easy Vegan Eggplant Parmigiana recipe, layered with spaghetti sauce and melted dairy-free mozzarella!
This recipe was inspired by my Italian mother who used to make it for me growing up, and it was always such a treat that we loved. She fried hers in oil, but I spray mine with it and crisp it in the air fryer. This keeps it easier, less messy and healthier!
🍞Substitutions
Flour- you can use whole wheat flour instead of white, or if you are gluten free then just use a gluten-free all purpose flour.
Panko bread crumbs can be swapped out for gluten-free Panko. I use Ian's brand when making this gluten free.
White pepper or black pepper will be fine.
Almond milk or your favorite tasting unsweetened/unflavored plant based milk.
Apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar.
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🔪Instructions
Start by washing the eggplant and slicing it about ½ inch thick.
Sprinkle both sides with salt. This will help draw out the excess water and potentially the bitterness. Doing this will also help ensure that when the eggplant is cooked, it has a creamier texture on the inside.
Next, transfer the eggplant to a strainer and let it sit in the sink for about 20 minutes.
Then you can rinse off all the salt and pat dry with a kitchen cloth.
Measure out the almond milk and mix in the apple cider vinegar. This will act as a buttermilk. People even use this trick with real milk and vinegar, not just those who avoid dairy! This will cause separation, which is normal. You can mix together the breading in a separate bowl while the milk is sitting.
Start by pressing the eggplant in the flour and Panko mixture.
Cover both sides in the almond milk.
Then transfer back into the flour, pressing the flour and Panko mixture into the eggplant with your fingers.
Roll the edges in the flour and then shake off the excess. Place on a cutting board until you are ready to spray with oil.
Lightly spray broth sides with a quick spritz of oil. If you spray with too much oil, it won't get as crispy in the air fryer. So go light on the oil. Here's the oil I use:
Place the eggplant laying flat in the air fryer. Do not over-crowd the fryer so that they crisp nicely and evenly. You may have to make it in about 3 batches, depending on the size of your air fryer. This is the air fryer I use:
Air-Fry it!
Set the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for about 7 minutes. Carefully flip the eggplant with tongs (be gentle so it doesn't break apart, as the eggplant will be tender at this stage) and fry for another 7 minutes. The eggplant should have a nice crisp! Sprinkle with a little more salt if needed.
Lastly, warm up the spaghetti sauce, melt the mozzarella cheese shreds with water and layer them with the eggplant. You can also enjoy it with regular or gluten-free spaghetti noodles.
You can also top with my dairy-free parmesan cheese or with nutritional yeast.
Serve warm and enjoy!
🧊Storing
This eggplant recipe is best served fresh. However, you can store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for about 2-3 days for best quality. I like to line some paper towels in the bottom of the container to help absorb some of the moisture in the container.
When you want to reheat it, pop it back in the air fryer at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for a few minutes, until crispy again. Keep a close eye on it to ensure it doesn't overcook.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Aubergine is French for eggplant.
No. The skin will cook and become soft, so removing them isn't necessary. Plus, the skin contains antioxidants that are beneficial to eat.
Typically, an eggplant parmigiana recipe will include eggs in the batter. And for a typical vegetarian diet, that is okay. However, there are stricter forms of vegetarianism that restricts eggs as well. This recipe here is vegan, so it is also a vegetarian eggplant parmigiana dish.
Yes. You'll want to flash freeze it first. This just means you'll line the breaded eggplant on a baking tray spaced apart and let them fully freeze individually before transferring them to a freezer safe container. This way they won't stick together and you should be able to pull them out separately when you need them.
When you're ready to eat them, let them thaw and lightly spritz with oil before air frying.
No, but you can easily make it gluten free by swapping out the flour for a gluten-free all-purpose flour, and the panko for a gluten free one. Brands I use have been linked in this post in the substitutions section.
I love to hear from you! If you try this Vegan Eggplant Parmigiana make sure to leave me a comment or review! You can also take a photo and tag me on Instagram @thedairyfreemenu so I can share your results with others!
📖 Recipe
Air-Fryer Vegan Eggplant Parmigiana
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant
- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs can sub for gluten-free Panko
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour can sub for gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ cup almond milk
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- spaghetti sauce for serving
Mozzarella topping
- ½ cup mozzarella style shreds
- 3 tablespoons water
Instructions
Prepare the Eggplant
- Start by washing the eggplant and slicing it about ½ inch thick.
- Sprinkle both sides with salt. This will help draw out the excess water and potentially the bitterness. Doing this will also help ensure that when the eggplant is cooked, it has a creamier texture on the inside.
- Next, transfer the eggplant to a strainer and let it sit in the sink for about 20 minutes.
- Then you can rinse off all the salt and pat dry with a kitchen cloth.
Bread it
- Measure out the almond milk and mix in the apple cider vinegar. This will act as a buttermilk. This will cause separation, which is normal. You can mix together the breading in a separate bowl while the milk is sitting.
- Start by pressing the eggplant in the flour and Panko mixture.
- Cover both sides in the almond milk.
- Then transfer back into the flour, pressing the flour and Panko mixture into the eggplant with your fingers.
- Roll the edges in the flour and then shake off the excess. Place on a cutting board until you are ready to spray with oil.
Air-Fry it
- Lightly spray broth sides with oil. If you spray with too much oil, it won't get as crispy in the air fryer. So go light on the oil.
- Place the eggplant laying flat in the air fryer. Do not over-crowd the fryer so that they crisp nicely and evenly. You may have to make it in about 3 batches, depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Set the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for about 7 minutes. Carefully flip the eggplant with tongs (be gentle so it doesn't break apart, as the eggplant will be tender at this stage) and fry for another 7 minutes. The eggplant should have a nice crisp!
Serve it
- Lastly, warm up the spaghetti sauce, then melt the mozzarella cheese shreds. Mix the mozzarella and water and microwave it in a micowave safe dish. My microwave is a 950 watt and it takes about 30 seconds.
- Layer the sauce and cheese over the eggplant. You can also enjoy it with regular or gluten-free spaghetti noodles.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Nutrition
**Note: Nutrition label is just an estimate. Amounts may vary. Label does not include spaghetti sauce or oil for spraying. For more nutrition calculations, feel free to enter your added sauce and oil measurements into calculators such as the MyFitnessPal app.
Summer says
Made this tonight and it was super yummy! Definitely going into my cookbook!
Kayla says
That's awesome, Summer! Thanks for sharing!