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Being Italian some of my fondest food memories are of cooking with my family and enjoying the best Italian food ever. You are in for a treat with this crispy baked eggplant parmesan. It is seriously the best eggplant parmesan I have ever had!

The eggplant is sliced very thin to keep it crispy. Also, the breadcrumb mixture is made with cornflakes to add an extra layer of crunch and flavor! Seasoning the cornflakes makes this the ultimate eggplant parmesan. This recipe is super easy to make and it is baked on one sheet pan.

Eggplant has a mild flavor and we thinly sliced it so you taste the crunchy cornflakes, marinara sauce, and cheese! This recipe has all the flavors of eggplant parmesan without being fried!

We are obsessed with this recipe and have made it countless times since we created it. It is definitely on a weekly rotation at our house! If you are on the fence about eggplant, this is a must-try that will convert you to loving it.

Why You Will Love This Healthy Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients For Baked Eggplant Parmesan
How Thin To Slice Eggplant For Eggplant Parmesan?
How To Make Healthy Eggplant Parmesan
Expert Tips
How To Serve Eggplant Parmesan
Frequently Asked Questions
More Recipes To Try Next!
CRISPY BAKED EGGPLANT PARMESAN Recipe

Why You Will Love This Healthy Eggplant Parmesan

This eggplant parmesan is crunchy, flavorful, and easy to make!
All you need is a sheet pan to bake the eggplant parmesan.
This eggplant parmesan is lightened up and baked instead of fried.
It is still incredibly crispy, just like fried eggplant parmesan.
The cornflakes make this dish crunchy and delicious.
We used cornflakes rather than bread crumbs or flour.

Ingredients For Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant: Thinly slice the eggplant.
Cornflakes: Add flavor and crunch to the dish.
Parmesan: Mix parmesan with the cornflakes and sprinkle some on top of each piece of eggplant.
Seasonings: Season the crushed cornflake mixture with garlic powder, Italian herbs, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
Eggs: Use two large eggs. Whisk the eggs and dredge the pieces of eggplant in them so the cornflakes will stick.
Marinara Sauce: Top the eggplant pieces with your favorite marinara sauce.
Cheese: Top your eggplant parmesan with light mozzarella and parmesan.
Basil: Sprinkle with fresh chopped basil.

How Thin To Slice Eggplant For Eggplant Parmesan?

The secret to the best and most crispy parmesan is to thinly slice the eggplant, about 1/4 inch in width for each piece. By slicing it thin, the ratio of cornflakes to eggplant makes it extra crispy.

How To Make Healthy Eggplant Parmesan

First, thinly slice the eggplant. Then, crush the cornflakes in a sealed Ziploc bag.

Next, add the crushed cornflakes, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, Italian herbs, onion powder, salt, and pepper to a shallow bowl.

Mix the cornflake mixture.

In a separate shallow bowl, whisk the eggs. After that, dredge the slices of eggplant in the egg and then in the cornflake mixture.

Then, lightly spray your sheet pan with olive oil and lay your coated eggplant pieces on the sheet pan. Also, spray the top of the eggplant with olive oil.

Bake the eggplant and then flip the pieces and bake on the other side.

Then, add a spoonful of marinara, light mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese over each piece.

After that, put the sheet pan back in the oven to melt the cheese. Top your eggplant parmesan with basil and enjoy!

Expert Tips

Tomato Sauce To Use: Top this eggplant parmesan with your favorite marinara sauce. Our homemade marinara sauce, slow cooker tomato sauce, or your favorite store-bought sauce are great options!
What Cheese To Use: We used light mozzarella cheese and grated parmesan cheese in this eggplant parmesan recipe. Place the eggplant parmesan back in the oven for 3-5 minutes to melt the cheese.
Parmesan Cheese Options: You can use pre-grated Parmesan cheese or freshly grate it yourself.
Spray With Olive Oil: Spray the baking sheet with olive oil before adding the coated eggplant parmesan slices. Also, spray the eggplant parmesan slices with olive oil before baking them to maximize the crispiness.
Evenly Slice The Eggplant: Slice the eggplant thinly and evenly so it becomes crispy and cooks at the same rate.
Gluten-Free Option: To make this eggplant parmesan gluten-free, use gluten-free cornflakes.

How To Serve Eggplant Parmesan

This eggplant parmesan is the perfect lunch or dinner. The presentation is beautiful and you can also serve them as individual appetizers. Top with chopped fresh basil when ready to serve and optional crushed red pepper flakes. You can serve this eggplant parmesan on its own or with side dishes such as pasta, spaghetti squash noodles, or zucchini noodles. It would also be delicious served with a salad such as our Caprese salad or Caesar salad. Or, serve it with a side of roasted vegetables.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Eggplant Parmesan Healthy?

This eggplant parmesan recipe is much healthier than traditional recipes. We baked this eggplant parmesan instead of frying it. Also, we used our homemade marinara sauce and light cheese. It is crispy and packed with flavor while being a lightened-up version.

Why Use Cornflakes For Eggplant Parmesan?

We used cornflakes in this recipe instead of breadcrumbs or Panko breadcrumbs. Regular breadcrumbs aren’t very crispy. The cornflakes add a crunchy texture, similar to Panko breadcrumbs, but have more flavor. Cornflakes make for a super crispy eggplant parmesan and the corn flavor makes it even more delicious.