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.
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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.
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 Cornmeal Breaded Asparagus Fries, Vegan Carrot Fries Recipe, Crispy Jicama Fries recipe, and Baked Tofu Fries Recipe.
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❤️ 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.
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
These eggplant fries are made by breading strips of eggplant and baking them.
Eggplant skin is edible, but if you prefer, you can remove the skin for these eggplant fries.
Other Vegan Appetizers
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 Fries
Equipment
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
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
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°F 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°F for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Notes
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Nutrition
*Note: Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only. Different nutrition calculators give you different results.
Tricia says
Excited to try these. Do you peel the eggplant or leave the skin on for these?
Willow Moon says
I left the skin on, but you could peel it if you prefer.
Craig says
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.
Willow Moon says
Thanks for the feedback Craig! I haven't gotten on the air fryer bandwagon yet, but am considering it.
John in says
What is the yeast for?
Willow Moon says
Mainly for taste. It is a vegan replacement for parmesan.
Carmen says
This is my new favorite way to eat eggplant! Thanks for the recipe!
Willow Moon says
Thanks Carmen, I'm glad you like it!