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These crispy Baked Eggplant Fries are wonderfully golden on the outside and flavorful on the inside. They make a healthier alternative to traditional fries and are great dipped in your favorite sauce. Enjoy them as a healthy side, snack, or appetizer that everyone will love! Gluten-free!
I just love these healthy Baked Eggplant Fries! They are super crispy, satisfying and so fun to make and eat!
We love fries in our house so these healthier eggplant fries that combine two of my favorite things, eggplant + fries have been a regular side we all enjoy!
To make these eggplant fries, simply prepare your eggplant, dip and coat the fries, then bake them until golden and crispy! We love to serve them with our favorite marinara sauce for that eggplant parmesan taste.
Selecting an eggplant
I have found that the best eggplant for eggplant fries is a longer eggplant that is not too wide. This is because it will be easier to cut into even-size fries, plus you will get more out of it. You can choose to peel the skin or not, it’s totally up to you.
Is Eggplant good for you?
Yes, Eggplant is naturally very low in calories and carbohydrates but also packed with nutrients like Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and Potassium.
It only has 20 calories per serving, making it a low-calorie food you can enjoy, guilt-free!
Ingredients for baked eggplant fries
- Eggplant – one medium eggplant is all you need. As I mentioned above, you want to choose a longer eggplant that is not too wide for the best results.
- Eggs – two large eggs to dip the eggplant fries in to help the coating stick to them better.
- Breadcrumbs – I have made these fries with regular gluten-free seasoned breadcrumbs and gluten-free panko breadcrumbs. You can use either one or just regular breadcrumbs if you do not need to keep this recipe gluten-free.
- Parmesan cheese – just a little bit is used to get that nice cheese, crispy outer layer.
- Salt and pepper – are used to enhance the other flavors.
- Olive oil cooking spray – for coating the fries, which helps them become super crispy.
Recommended Kitchen Tools
- Knife + cutting board
- Mixing bowls – for dredging
- Parchment paper + baking sheet
Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Ranch seasoned – add 1-2 tablespoons of ranch seasoning to the breadcrumbs mixture for ranch fries.
- Dairy-free – skip the parmesan cheese or use vegan parmesan cheese.
- Low carb – use almond flour or almond flour breadcrumbs in place of the panko.
How To Make These Easy Baked Eggplant Fries
Eggplant fries are super simple and easy to make and are a great alternative to traditional French fries. You can make them in the oven or even the air-fryer in less than 30 minutes (see recipe notes on the air-fryer version of this recipe).
Here is a summary of the steps for making these eggplant fries in the oven.
Start by cutting the eggplant into fries – slice off the ends and rounded edges and save them for roasting. Using a sharp knife, slice the eggplant into even-sized french fry shapes that are about ½ inch thick.
Dredge the eggplant in some egg and then in the gluten-free breadcrumbs mixture. I used gluten-free panko breadcrumbs.
Place the breaded eggplant onto a baking sheet, spray with cooking spray, and bake in a 425°F oven for about 25 minutes, turning the fries over halfway through the cooking time.
When they are done, sprinkle them with a little sea salt to taste and pair them with your favorite marinara sauce. They are so GOOD!
They come out perfectly golden and crispy and are so flavorful! You are going to love them! Disclosure: These eggplant fries are addictive so try not to eat them all!
Expert Tips For The Best Results
- Use a nice ripe eggplant that is deep purple with little to no blemishes or soft spots.
- Cut the fries into long fry shapes that are roughly ½-inch thick and 4-5 inches long. Of course, you can cut them however you prefer but it may impact the cooking time.
- Use good quality seasoned breadcrumbs for the best flavor.
- Don’t skip the parmesan cheese. It adds an amazing layer of salty, cheesy flavor to the fries and helps them become nice and crispy when they are baked.
- Bake until golden. You want to bake these eggplant fries until they are golden and crispy on all sides. Since ovens vary, I suggest checking them as they cook and turning them over halfway through the cooking time.
Cooking Eggplant fries in the Air Fryer
To cook these eggplant fries in the air fryer, prepare them as instructed in this recipe then air fry them at 400°F until golden and crispy, about 10-12 minutes.
Alternatively, you may also love these air fryer zucchini fries.
Serving Suggestions
These fries would go so great with many other recipes or they can be enjoyed all on their own. Here are some of my favorite recipes to pair with these Eggplant Fries.
- A hearty burger. Such as these Healthy Black Bean Burgers, or these Easy Healthy Turkey Burgers.
- A delicious sandwich or wrap. Like this Easy Vegan Sandwich or this Chickpea Chicken Salad.
- Soup. Like this Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, this Hearty Creamy Tomato Soup, or this Lemony Lentil Soup.
Dipping Sauce Ideas
- Marinara or tomato sauce
- Ranch
- Burger Sauce
- Ketchup
Storing and reheating
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Easily reheat portions in the oven at 350°F on a baking sheet or in the air fryer until warmed through. Note: I found that leftovers do not become as crispy as when these fries are first baked but they are still delicious!
More Delicious Eggplant Recipes
Did you make this baked eggplant fries recipe? If you did, then please leave a comment and rating below.
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Crispy Baked Eggplant Fries
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These crispy baked eggplant fries are perfectly golden and delicious and can be made in about 30 minutes! They are gluten free and make the best healthy side, snack or appetizer that everyone will love!
Ingredients
- 1 medium eggplant – cut into french fry shapes
- 1.5 cups gluten-free/panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 large eggs – lightly whisked
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 1 cup marinara sauce (store-bought or homemade) – optional for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 ° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the ends off of the eggplant, then cut it into planks, then cut the planks into french fry shapes that are about 4 inches long and 1 inch wide.
- Place the whisked eggs into a shallow bowl and season them with a little salt and pepper. Place the breadcrumbs into a separate shallow bowl, add the parmesan cheese to the breadcrumbs, and toss to combine.
- Dredge each eggplant fry in the egg then the breadcrumbs and place it in a single layer onto the baking sheet. Make sure to lay the breaded eggplant about 1-2 inches apart. Continue until you have dredged all of the eggplant.
- Spray the eggplant fries with olive oil cooking spray to get them nice and coated, then bake them in the oven for 20-25 minutes, turning the fries over halfway through to get both sides nice and crispy.
- Remove, sprinkle with sea salt, plate, and serve warm with your favorite marinara.
Notes
- Try your best to cut the eggplant into even-sized shapes so they all cook at a similar time.
- You can use any kind of breadcrumbs. I just used gluten-free but you can also use panko.
- To make these in the air-fryer: Preheat the air-fryer to 400 degrees. Spray the basket with cooking spray, place the breaded eggplant into the air-fryer basket in a single layer, spray them with olive oil cooking spray and cook in batches for 10-12 minutes, turning them over halfway through the cooking time.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat portions on a baking sheet in the oven at 350°F or in the air fryer until crispy and warmed through.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: healthy appetisers
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Made Amy’s Eggplant Fries this evening to go with our ziti with Mom Estes’ meat sauce and some plain old green beans to balance the meal off. I served it all at once as a meal and guess what? My eggplant fries disappeared before I even tasted any of the rest of the meal. So good I’ll probably never order eggplant in a restaurant again.
Awesome! Glad you liked them!
Back again to say my husband went back for thirds………..
So glad he like them!!!
These are wonderful. I used taco spice and serves with salsa.
Delish