Hello new favorite pizza! The hubs and I make homemade pizza about once a week (usually on Sundays). It makes great leftovers for the Monday’s lunch, and we just love it! One Sunday I wanted to get creative with our pizza and for whatever reason, Eggplant Parmesan was on my mind. Eggplant Parmesan on pizza? Why the heck NOT?! I thought to cube up the eggplant (instead of the typical sliced) and roll with it.
The little bite sized pieced turned out so crispy and delicious. Crunchy/Crispy gets me every. time. I’ve decided that I need to make an eggplant parm sub next time with those little bite sized puppies! SO SO good.
Anyhow, this is what happens when Eggplant Parmesan meets Pizza. PHENOMENAL! Be prepared to fall in love. 
Eggplant Parmesan Pizza
- Total Time: 70 minutes
- Yield: 3-4 servings 1x
Description
Eggplant Parmesan meets pizza in this crispy, cheesy delight, perfect for a creative homemade pizza night.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) canola oil
- 1 medium eggplant, cubed into 3/4 inch pieces (roughly 4 cups)
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp flour
- 1 egg plus 2 egg whites
- 1 cup (240 ml) panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 pizza dough
- 1 cup (240 ml) marinara sauce
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) shredded mozzarella cheese
- Fresh basil leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400º F. I place my pizza stone on the bottom rack and allow it to begin heating up. Coat the bottom of a sheet pan with the 3 tbsp of Canola Oil
- Placed cubed Eggplant into a collander and sprinkle with 1 tsp salt (toss to coat well). Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over eggplant one tbsp at a time and toss until coated.
- Beat one egg plus 2 egg whites in a medium bowl. Add the eggplant to the egg wash and gently toss until coated. Remove making sure to shake off any excess eggwash.
- In a 3rd bowl, mix together eggplant coating ingredients (Panko, bread crumbs, garlic powder, pepper, and dried basil). Add the eggplant that has been coated in egg wash and gently toss until coated. Pour entire contents of bowl onto baking sheet and spread into one even layer (make sure none of the eggplant are overlapping).
- Bake for 20-25 minutes (flipping halfway through). Eggplant should be nice and crisp, and beginning to brown. Remove from oven and set aside.
- Move pizza stone to middle rack and turn heat up to 450º. Roll out or hand toss the pizza dough (we hand tossed it to make a nice thick crust). Sprinkle some corn meal onto pizza stone right before putting dough on it (this helps prevent sticking). Poke the center of the pizza dough with a fork to prevent it from bubbling up. Close oven and bake dough for 3-5 minutes. Remove dough from oven with a pizza peel (It should be firm and puffy, but not browning).
- Add desired amount of pizza sauce (I used about 3/4 cup of the above mentioned recipe). Next, add cheese and eggplant. Bake for another 5-7 minutes. Last, turn oven on broil and allow crust to brown (only about a minute or so). Keep a close eye on it while it is broiling! Remove from oven, sprinkle with fresh basil, slice with a pizza wheel, and serve.
- The best pizza – EVER.
Notes
- For extra crispiness, ensure the eggplant is thoroughly dried after salting.
- Leftover pizza can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in the oven to maintain crispiness.
- You can substitute regular breadcrumbs for panko if needed.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 6 grams
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 18 grams
- Carbohydrates: 55 grams
- Fiber: 6 grams
- Protein: 18 grams
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the eggplant cubed instead of sliced like traditional eggplant parmesan?
The author made a deliberate choice to cube the eggplant into ¾-inch pieces rather than the typical slices, so they crisp up into bite-sized pieces that stay crunchy on the pizza. Sliced eggplant would become soft under the cheese, whereas the cubes hold their texture even after a second round of baking at 450°F.
Why does the recipe use two different oven temperatures?
The eggplant is baked first at 400°F for 20–25 minutes until crispy. Then the oven is turned up to 450°F for the pizza crust, which gets a 3–5 minute par-bake before the sauce, cheese, and eggplant are added and the pizza bakes another 5–7 minutes. The final broil — about 1 minute — browns the crust.
What is the salting step for the eggplant, and can I skip it?
After cubing the eggplant, you toss it with 1 tsp of salt and let it rest for 5 minutes to draw out excess moisture before coating with flour and egg wash. The notes warn that for extra crispiness the eggplant should be thoroughly dried after salting — skipping or rushing this step will result in less crispy pieces.
oh that looks delicious! When I have more pizza making time, as well as eggplant, I will plan to make it. Bookmarked! Thanks!
This is just terrific! I make Eggplant Parmesan all the time and just last week lamented that it would make a great pizza.
Thank you, Kristina.