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    Home » Recipes » Appetizers / Small Bites

    Published: May 16, 2018 · Modified: Sep 28, 2023 by Willow Moon · This post may contain affiliate links. · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Baked Eggplant Fries

    Jump to Recipe Pin

    These vegan Baked Eggplant Fries are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. They are paired with a homemade Sun-Dried Tomato Dipping Sauce that compliments the Italian flavors in the eggplant fries.

    Baked Eggplant Fries on plate with Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce.

    Baking veggies like squash or eggplant in a cornmeal batter is one of my go-to ways to use up a large amount of vegetables, which happens a lot in my house.

    There's a program here in Arizona called Market on the Move, where you get up to 60 lbs. of produce for $10. Often, I come home with a large box of zucchini, yellow squash, or eggplant along with a bunch of other veggies that need attending to like A.S.A.P.

    The best way to do that is to make said vegetable into the star of the show, which is usually in the form of soup, sauce, or baked in a batter and eaten as a meal. Since I usually have cornmeal stocked in my pantry, baked and battered veggies are often on the menu.

    These Baked Eggplant Fries are my latest fry creation. To accompany them, I made a Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce that pairs perfectly with the Italian flavors. If you're in a hurry, you could always use marinara or pizza sauce.

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    These vegan eggplant fries are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Serve them as an appetizer or eat them as a meal, as I did on several occasions.

    If you've never had eggplant, which I know several people who never have, this is a great way to introduce yourself to it. Eggplant Bacon, an ELT Sandwich recipe, and African Peanut Stew are other great recipes to try for the first time.

    Other healthy fries to try are my Vegan Carrot Fries Recipe, Crispy Jicama Fries recipe, and Baked Tofu Fries Recipe.

    Jump to:
    • ❤️ Why You'll Love Them
    • 🧾 Ingredients
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 👩🏻‍🍳 Recipe FAQs
    • Other Vegan Appetizers
    • 📋 Recipe
    • Want to save this recipe?
    • 💬 Comments

    ❤️ Why You'll Love Them

    • They're a healthy alternative to French fries.
    • They are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.
    • They are a fun way to introduce eggplant to kids!

    🧾 Ingredients

    Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce

    • Tomatoes: I used cherry tomatoes. You could also use plum tomatoes or grape tomatoes.
    • Olive oil: To roast the tomatoes.
    • Italian seasoning: You could also use a combination of basil and oregano.
    • Garlic: Adds a pungent flavor.
    • Salt: Enhances flavors.
    • Sun-dried tomatoes: I used sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil.

    Eggplant Fries

    • Eggplant: I used a globe eggplant for these. I have not tried this recipe with any other variety, but I'm sure other varieties would work as well.
    • Cornmeal: Adds a crunchy coating.
    • Nutritional yeast: Adds a cheesy flavor. You could also use store-bought vegan parmesan.
    • Italian seasoning: You could also use a combination of basil and oregano.
    • Almond milk: I used unsweetened plain almond milk. You can use another dairy-free milk.
    • Salt: Enhances flavors.
    • Cooking spray: For baking the fries. You could also brush olive oil on the parchment-lined baking sheet.

    This is an overview of the ingredients. To see the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

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    🔪 Instructions

    Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce

    Step 1: Place tomatoes and garlic in a baking dish.

    Step 2: Pour olive oil on top. Bake until caramelized. Let cool.

    Step 3: Blend tomatoes with sun-dried tomatoes in a Nutribullet or high-speed blender until smooth and creamy.

    Eggplant Fries

    Step 1: Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.

    Step 2: In a separate bowl, pour almond milk.

    Step 3: Dip eggplant fries into almond milk, then the batter.

    Step 4: Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet that has been sprayed with olive oil spray. Bake until crispy flipping halfway through.

    Baked Eggplant Fry dipped in sauce.

    👩🏻‍🍳 Recipe FAQs

    What are eggplant fries?

    These eggplant fries are made by breading strips of eggplant and baking them.

    Do you eat eggplant skin?

    Eggplant skin is edible, but if you prefer, you can remove the skin for these eggplant fries.

    Other Vegan Appetizers

    • Vegetable Fritter being dipped into vegan chipotle ranch dressing.
      The Most Amazing Vegetable Fritters
    • Roasted Tomato Bruschetta on a plate.
      Roasted Tomato Bruschetta
    • Maple Chipotle Cashews
      Maple Chipotle Cashews
    • Vegan Veggie Pinwheels
      Vegan Veggie Pinwheels

    These gluten-free eggplant fries baked in a cornmeal batter with Italian seasoning are a healthy snack or appetizer. Or, if you're like me, eat them as a meal.

    If you tried this Baked Eggplant Fries Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and let me know how you like it in the 💬 comments below. I love hearing from you!

    📋 Recipe

    Baked Eggplant Fry dipped in sauce.
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    4.50 from 4 votes

    Baked Eggplant Fries

    These vegan Baked Eggplant Fries are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. They are an easy appetizer or snack.  
    Course Appetizer
    Cuisine American
    Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Prep Time 30 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 45 minutes minutes
    Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
    Servings 4
    Calories 237kcal
    Author Willow Moon
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • high speed blender

    Ingredients

    Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce

    • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
    • ¼ cup olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
    • 1 clove garlic
    • Salt
    • 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes in oil

    Baked Eggplant Fries

    • 1 medium eggplant, sliced into fries
    • 1 cup cornmeal - medium grind
    • 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
    • 3 tablespoons Italian seasoning
    • ½ cup unsweetened plain almond milk
    • Salt
    • Cooking spray
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to  450°.

    Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce

    • Place cherry tomatoes in a baking dish with garlic. Drizzle olive oil on top. Sprinkle salt over top. Bake at  450° for 25-30 minutes, or until caramelized. Let cool.
    • Mix all ingredients in a Nutribullet or high speed blender. Reheat when eggplant fries are done if you prefer a hot sauce.

    Baked Eggplant Fries

    • In one bowl, put cornmeal, nutritional yeast, and Italian seasoning. Mix thoroughly. Taste, and add desired amount of salt.
    • In another bowl, pour almond milk.
    • In assembly line fashion, dip eggplant fries into almond milk, then cornmeal batter. Place on a piece of parchment paper lined baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
    • Bake at  450° for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through.

    Notes

    These eggplant fries are best served right away, but if you have leftovers, they'll last 4-5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
    Reheat them in the oven for the best texture.
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    Nutrition

    Calories: 237kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 54mg | Potassium: 743mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 495IU | Vitamin C: 19.7mg | Calcium: 156mg | Iron: 4.6mg

    *Note: Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only. Different nutrition calculators give you different results.

    More Easy Vegan Appetizers

    • Almond Bacon in a mason jar.
      Almond Bacon
    • Soy Curls Jerky in two mason jars.
      Soy Curls Jerky
    • Benedictine Tea Sandwiches on a plate.
      Benedictine Tea Sandwiches
    • Dehydrated Pizza Crackers
      Dehydrated Pizza Flaxseed Crackers

    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Tricia says

      February 16, 2020 at 7:40 am

      Excited to try these. Do you peel the eggplant or leave the skin on for these?

      Reply
      • Willow Moon says

        February 16, 2020 at 3:20 pm

        I left the skin on, but you could peel it if you prefer.

        Reply
    2. Craig says

      January 14, 2019 at 6:25 pm

      Made these in the air fryer and they are really good! My air fryer only goes up to 400F, so i cooked them about 20 minutes and they came out great.4 stars

      Reply
      • Willow Moon says

        January 15, 2019 at 9:56 am

        Thanks for the feedback Craig! I haven't gotten on the air fryer bandwagon yet, but am considering it.

        Reply
    3. John in says

      May 22, 2018 at 12:13 pm

      What is the yeast for?

      Reply
      • Willow Moon says

        May 23, 2018 at 11:31 am

        Mainly for taste. It is a vegan replacement for parmesan.

        Reply
    4. Carmen says

      May 19, 2018 at 3:27 pm

      This is my new favorite way to eat eggplant! Thanks for the recipe!5 stars

      Reply
      • Willow Moon says

        May 19, 2018 at 3:32 pm

        Thanks Carmen, I'm glad you like it!

        Reply

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