This Baked Eggplant Parmesan is so easy and offers a nice alternative to frying. The process remains the same, but instead of frying, we lightly oiled a preheated sheet pan and baked the coated eggplant.

As a time-saver, the sauce begins with our favorite jar of basic marinara to which I add seasonings and fresh herbs.

I get a lot of questions regarding the vegan cheeses I use. I link to them only so that you can locate the brands, I am not sponsored by them in any way – I just like for you to be able find them! One brand I really happen to love is GO Veggie! They offer both a great parmesan grated topping product and a shredded mozzarella.

You’ll want to start by slicing the eggplant into 1/2″ slices. I do them thicker than most as I serve this as a stand alone dish. It’s the star of the show here!

In a large colander, place the slices and the salt. Toss well. Allow them to sit over a bowl or in the sink until it produces anywhere from 1-3 Tbl of liquid. This takes about 35-40 minutes.

Prepare the flax wash mixture and allow to become gelatinous. If it gets too thick, just add more water.

Remove and place on paper towels, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible. You can also wipe away the excess salt if you desire.

Preheat the oven AND the baking sheets.

Create a breading station. In a large dish or pie plate, place the flax mixture.

In a large zip-top bag, add the flour and toss the eggplant. Shake to remove the excess flour.

Coat the floured eggplant with the flax wash mixture and then immediately into the panko mixture.

Remove the preheated sheet pans and lightly brush with oil adding the breaded eggplant directly to the oiled areas. After 10 minutes, flip so both sides brown and crisp evenly. Bake until golden.

In an 8″x8″ baking pan, add 4 of the breaded eggplant. Top with sauce, parmesan and mozzarella.

Add another eggplant layer and repeat with sauce, parmesan and mozzarella. I also add a little parsley at this point. Bake until golden and bubbly.

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