Pizza with Roasted Eggplant
by Laura Kanya
August 4, 2023 (updated 4/17/24) Jump To Recipe
Our homemade Eggplant Pizza recipe tastes like a combination of eggplant parmesan and pizza! Our chef-tested and approved recipe is better than take-out from a pizza parlor. The trick is roasting the eggplant slices while you prep your dough for delicious texture and flavor in only 35 minutes.
Table of contents
Key Ingredients for this Eggplant Pizza Recipe
- Pizza Dough: For weeknight dinners, we use store-bought pizza dough for our pizza recipes, but you can make your own white pizza dough or try our nutritious whole-wheat pizza dough
- Marinara Sauce: We used jarred marinara and pizza tomato sauce also works
- Eggplant: Choose small or baby eggplant for nice small eggplant rounds. If yours is large, you can cut the rounds into half moons or quarters.
- Cheeses: We used a mixture of low-moisture mozzarella and parmesan. Pecorino Romano or Asiago can be subbed for the parmesan.
- Italian Seasoning: A dried herb blend. Add fresh oregano if you have it on hand.
- Fresh Basil: For a touch of freshness and to increase the classic Italian flavors.
- Kitchen Staples: All-purpose flour, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper
How to Make Homemade Pizza with Eggplant
Step 1: Prepare the Oven
First, position the rack in the center of the oven. Then, preheat to 500°F.
Step 2: Season and Bake Eggplant
Slice the eggplant into thin rounds. Then, on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, lay the eggplant slices in a single layer. Brush the eggplant rounds with olive oil and sprinkle with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Bake until tender and remove from oven and allow to cool.
Step 3: Prepare the Pizza Dough
While the eggplant is cooking, roll the pizza dough into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin. Then, transfer to a piece of parchment paper set on a pizza peel, pizza stone, cutting board, or flat cookie sheet. Once transferred, create a 1-inch raised edge.
Step 4: Top with Roasted Eggplant
First, spread the pizza sauce over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Then, sprinkle with mozzarella and finish with eggplant and parmesan cheese.
Step 5: Bake Homemade Pizza with Eggplant
Slide the parchment paper and pizza directly onto the oven rack and bake until the gooey cheese is melted and the edges are golden. Transfer the cooked pizza to a cutting board. Cut it into slices and finish with fresh basil leaves. Enjoy!
Chef Laura’s Expert Tips for Pizza with Eggplant
Since pizza with eggplant topping is a fun take on traditional eggplant parmesan, pair with Caesar salad, minestrone soup, or even a penne pasta!
We do not recommend putting raw eggplant directly on the pizza for two reasons. First, eggplant holds a lot of moisture and can cause the crust to become soggy if put on raw. And second, the pizza will be done long before the eggplant has time to become tender. Our trick of roasting the eggplant slices before adding them to the pizza ensures that the eggplant is perfectly tender right when the pizza crust turns golden brown and the cheese is perfectly gooey and melted. Pre-baking the thinly sliced eggplant allows it to not only become tender but allows the excess moisture to evaporate out of the slices to ensure that the crispy crust is not a soggy mess. Roasting the eggplant separately doesn’t add any additional time since you pop the sliced eggplant into the oven while the dough is being rolled out and the rest of the simple ingredients are being assembled!
Yes, eggplant is healthy! This nightshade fruit is low in calories, high in fiber, and full of nutrients that provide many health benefits.
Make Ahead, Storage, Leftovers and Reheating Tips
- Meal Prep: Make the eggplant up to 2 days in advance and refrigerate it in an airtight container. If using homemade dough for this pizza with eggplant recipe, make it ahead of time. If using frozen pizza dough, allow it to thaw up to 2 days in advance in the refrigerator
- Reheating: Reheat leftovers on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 until hot and crispy on the bottom, about 12 minutes.
- Storing Leftovers: Store in a resealable container in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!
Happy Cooking! ~Katie
Print
Best Homemade Pizza with Eggplant
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 1 – 12 inch pizza 1x
Description
For this easy vegetarian eggplant pizza, you need to pre-bake the eggplant. That way you make sure it’s tender and unctuous when your pizza crust turns golden and the cheese is melted and bubbly. But it’s no problem because you can pop the sliced eggplant into the oven to bake while rolling out the dough and assembling the rest of your ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small baby eggplant, thinly sliced into rounds
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Flour for dusting
- 1 pound pizza dough, whole-grain if desired, room temperature
- 3/4 cup prepared marinara or pizza sauce
- 6 ounces low-moisture mozzarella, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- Freshly chopped basil leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Position the rack in the center of the oven. Preheat to 500°F.
- Place eggplant in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush the eggplant with 1 tablespoon of oil. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Bake until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool, for about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, roll the dough into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin. Transfer to a piece of parchment paper set on a pizza peel, cutting board, or flat cookie sheet. Create a lip around the outside edge by pressing the dough outward with one hand and at the same time, using the other hand to push inward and create a 1-inch raised edge.
- Spread marinara or pizza sauce over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Sprinkle the pizza with mozzarella, reserved eggplant, and parmesan cheese.
- Slide the parchment and pizza directly onto the oven rack and bake until the edge of the pizza is golden and the cheese is melted, 10 – 12 minutes.
- Transfer the pizza to a cutting board. Cut into slices and sprinkle with fresh basil leaves.
Notes
Alternate Pizza Cooking Methods:
Pizza Stone: Place a pizza stone in the cold oven. Preheat to 500°F for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. Place rolled dough onto a well-floured pizza peel, baking sheet, or cutting board. Top the pizza then slide it onto the hot stone and bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden, 10 to 12 minutes.
Pizza Steel: An alternative to a pizza stone. The pizza cooks about 3 to 5 minutes faster on the steel because it conducts heat better and gives the crispiest of crusts. Place pizza steel in the cold oven. Preheat to 500°F for at least 45 minutes to 1 hour. Place rolled dough onto a well-floured pizza peel, baking sheet, or cutting board. Top the pizza then slide it onto the hot pizza steel and bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden, 6 to 10 minutes.
Baking Sheet: Coat a baking sheet with 2 tablespoons of oil and sprinkle with cornmeal. Assemble and bake the pizza on the sheet pan.
Make Ahead
- Make the eggplant up to 2 days in advance and refrigerate it in an airtight container.
- Transfer frozen pizza dough from the freezer to the fridge to defrost up to two days in advance.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 287
- Sugar: 14 g
- Fat: 9 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 11 g
Additional Pizza Topping Ideas, Substitutions and Variations to Try
This eggplant pizza is so customizable! Here are some substitutions and ways of adapting this tasty recipe:
- Feel free to swap in Fontina for the Mozzarella since Fontina melts just as easily and has a neutral profile to allow those Italian flavors to shine
- Use your favorite non-dairy cheese to make this easy pizza recipe vegan
- For a touch of heat, sprinkle red pepper flakes or even a drizzle of hot honey
- For a touch of sweetness, add on some chopped red peppers or even halved cherry tomatoes
- For added nutrition and different options, add chopped zucchini and onions
- Top with either zucchini, grilled onions, sweet peppers, or even cherry tomatoes for veggies
- Finish with dollops of ricotta cheese for an additional touch of creaminess
- Love garlic? Add some roasted garlic to add a deeper element of richness
- To make this low-carb, use your favorite cauliflower crust
Additional Eggplant Recipes to Try
Laura Kanya
Laura Kanya is a freelance recipe developer and tester in Vermont. She has been active in the food industry for more than two decades in a variety of roles in Vermont, Washington, Pennsylvania, Utah and New York; including pastry chef, chef instructor, executive chef and director of operations in restaurants, resorts, catering, retail operations and food production companies. Most recently working as a recipe tester and developer for EatingWell, Southern Living, Food & Wine, Allrecipes, Martha Stewart Living, and Better Homes & Garden. Laura lives in Vermont with her husband, son, and daughter. She enjoys biking with her family, spin classes, playing racquetball, swimming at the local swimming hole, walking her dog Blue, coffee and pastries with friends and finding the best maple creemees.
Thanks for the great recipe! Just perfect for the two of us! We will have it again and again!
I loved this pizza! A great way to use eggplant and delicious. I made a quick pizza sauce with the tomatoes from my garden and used a store bought pizza dough . Thanks for the recipe!
Suzanne, I bet the sauce stepped it up a notch even more! Great idea to use a store bought crust. Glad you enjoyed it.
We made this pizza for the first time. My husband commented, “This one’s a keeper.” It’s so easy and flavorful especially when you already have 2 Japanese eggplants on the counter!
Thank you Katie!
Thanks Cindy for the comment- SO glad you liked and even better that you will make it again. Great time of year to make it with all your eggplant!