• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Nutrition to Fit

  • ABOUT
    • Press
  • SERVICES
  • RECIPES
menu icon
go to homepage
  • ABOUT
  • NUTRITION
  • RECIPES
  • SISTER SITES
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • ABOUT
    • NUTRITION
    • RECIPES
    • SISTER SITES
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Recipes

    Eggplant Pizzas

    Author: Lindsey Janeiro, RDN Published: Nov 1, 2018 · Updated: Dec 3, 2021 · 14 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    Eggplant pizzas are a healthy eggplant recipe to help you and your family eat more kid-friendly vegetables! Vary the flavors with fun toppings and sauces of choice!

    Eggplant pizzas are a healthy recipe to help you and your kids eat more vegetables! Vary the flavors with fun toppings of choice! Hey-o! Check out these cheesy little morsels of eggplant! If you and your family love pizza-type flavors, like oregano, tomato sauce, and cheese, these eggplant pizzas are for you.

    I'm on a mission to add more vegetable variety to my, my family's, and my clients' days. See, my nutrition philosophy centers around adding MORE to our lives for easier, healthier habits.

    One thing I've always noticed with both my family and with clients is how easy it can be to get into a veggie rut. Meaning you tend to gravitate to the same few veggies over and over. And for the record, I'm totally guilty of this, too. Especially with an almost two-year-old who loves to say no to even her favorite things sometimes, I'm always keeping her vegetable favorites (cucumbers and canned green beans) on hand. But it's really important to always offer yourself (and your family) a variety for even more health and nutrition benefits.

    Plus have you ever noticed that it's super easy to get burned out on veggies and eat less when you're just eating the same few week after week? Obviously this can be a big hindrance in overall vegetable intake! And given most adults don't eat enough vegetables (the CDC says only 9% of adults meet vegetable intake recommendations), we need all the help we can get (1)!

    Eggplant pizzas are a healthy recipe to help you and your kids eat more vegetables! Vary the flavors with fun toppings of choice!

    How to Make Eggplant Pizzas

    As you can see in the above image, learning how to make eggplant pizzas isn't complicated at all. I like to follow four simple steps:

    1. Salt the eggplant, then rinse and pat dry.
    2. Add seasonings and tomato sauce.
    3. Add shredded cheese and any other desired toppings.
    4. Bake!

    You can keep it as simple as you want, or you can get wild with all your favorite traditional pizza toppings.

    How do You Salt Eggplant, and Why?

    To salt eggplant, I sprinkle the cut sides of my eggplant with salt, then place on an absorbent paper towel or clean kitchen towel for at least 15 minutes and up to one hour.

    Now if you've never salted your eggplant before, you may be wondering why salt eggplant? Wouldn't that make it less healthy?

    Actually - no! Salting the eggplant draws excess moisture out of the eggplant, which makes it less spongy. A less spongy eggplant means it won't absorb things like oils and sauces as easily. So if you're cooking eggplant in oil, it will absorb less oil. In the case of these eggplant pizzas, it allows more of the sauce to stay on top of the pizza, more resembling the look of traditional pizza.

    Salting the eggplant can also help modify the taste slightly so it's less bitter.

    Don't be as concerned about excess sodium here, because when your eggplant has salted you'll want to rinse it with water and then pat dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel.

    Eggplant pizzas are a healthy recipe to help you and your kids eat more vegetables! Vary the flavors with fun toppings of choice!

    What type of tomato sauce should I use?

    You can use whatever type of tomato sauce is your favorite! I just like to check the ingredient labels to make sure there is no added sugar and minimal, if any, added oils.

    Can I make these eggplant pizzas dairy-free or vegan?

    Definitely! You can either skip the cheese entirely and load up on other dairy-free toppings, like caramelized onions, dairy-free pesto, and prosciutto. You can add a creaminess with something like hummus, or find a dairy-free shredded cheese substitute (I've seen ALDI stores carrying their own vegan mozzarella recently and can also find dairy-free brands like Daiya at most grocery stores!).

    Isn't this like a low-carb pizza recipe?

    Technically yes, but as you can see above - it's all about your intention. My intention is eating more veggies. And here's the deal - if you're truy craving a legit slice of pizza, this won't meet that craving. But sometimes I just want to eat more vegetables, plus I enjoy the flavors of pizza, and this is a great way to add some variety to our veggie rotation!

    Do you think my picky eater will try this?

    Maybe! The thing to remember, both for yourself and if you have kids that have particular preferences, is to just consistently continue to offer a new food. It can take dozens of times of seeing a food before even trying it! And sometimes you need to try offering the foods in different ways before finding a way that becomes more curious for you or your child to try. (Case in point: my daughter LOVES applesauce and fresh apples, but always refuses baked cinnamon apples - and that's okay, I'll just keep offering them whenever we make them!)

    Consider these eggplant pizzas just another tool in your eggplant recipe arsenault. 😉 And you can also try peeling the eggplant before offering the first time, too!

    Eggplant pizzas are a healthy recipe to help you and your kids eat more vegetables! Vary the flavors with fun toppings of choice!

    Looking for more easy vegetable recipes? Try these!

    • Chicken & Spinach Spaghetti Squash Bake
    • Creamy Cucumber Salad
    • Cranberry Crunch Broccoli Slaw
    • Coconut Cauliflower Rice
    • 5-Minute Balsamic Thyme Tomato Salad
    • Prosciutto Green Beans

    If you make these eggplant pizzas, be sure to snap a pic and share to social media (tag @nutritiontofit and #nutritiontofit)! And of course, rate and leave a comment on the recipe below! Let me know if you go crazy with any fun toppings or different sauces! Be well!

    Eggplant pizzas are a healthy eggplant recipe to help you and your family eat more kid-friendly vegetables! Vary the flavors with fun toppings of choice!
    Print Recipe
    5 from 8 votes

    Eggplant Pizzas

    Eggplant pizzas are a healthy eggplant recipe to help you and your family eat more kid-friendly vegetables! Vary the flavors with fun toppings of choice!
    free from: gluten/wheat, soy, egg, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts (*modifiable to be dairy-free)
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time22 mins
    Total Time42 mins
    Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 79kcal
    Author: Lindsey Janeiro, RDN, CLT

    Ingredients

    • 1 eggplant (medium-sized)
    • 2 teaspoon oregano
    • ½ cup shredded mozzarella
    • ½ cup tomato sauce
    • salt
    • Optional: toppings of choice
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    • Remove the top off the eggplant, then slice into 8 rounds. (You can remove the peel if you desire/ have picky eaters, but I left it on.)
    • Place paper towels or clean, dry kitchen towel on a cutting board. Sprinkle cut sides of eggplant with salt and place on paper towels for at least 15 minutes. (This will draw out some of the moisture from the eggplant.) After 15-60 minutes, rinse the eggplant in water and pat dry with a paper towel or clean, dry kitchen towel.
    • Place eggplant rounds on a nonstick cookie sheet or on a piece of parchment paper. 
    • Sprinkle each eggplant round with oregano.
    • Top each eggplant round with 1 tablespoon sauce and 1 tablespoon cheese. If adding any additional toppings, add now.
    • Bake at 350 degrees for 20-22 minutes, or until eggplants are tender and cheese is bubbling and melting. 

    Notes

    Nutrition information will vary based on exact ingredients and toppings used. 
    Nutrition information is based on a side dish serving of two eggplant rounds.
    Eggplant pizzas can be made dairy-free by omitting cheese or using a dairy-free cheese substitute.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 79kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 250mg | Potassium: 374mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 255IU | Vitamin C: 4.7mg | Calcium: 93mg | Iron: 0.8mg

    References:

    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017,  November 24.) Only 1 in 10 Adults Get Enough Fruits or Vegetables.

    Eggplant pizzas are a healthy recipe to help you and your kids eat more vegetables! Vary the flavors with fun toppings of choice!

     

    More Recipes

    • Maple Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
    • Pumpkin Crumble Bars
    • Turmeric Overnight Oats
    • Cherry Popsicles

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Tawnie Kroll says

      November 06, 2018 at 10:22 am

      These were sooo good I'm so happy I had everything in my fridge and pantry to make them last night!

      Reply
      • Lindsey Janeiro, RDN, CLT says

        November 11, 2018 at 3:27 pm

        Thank you so much! Love those meals/ recipes when I already have everything ready to go!

        Reply
    2. Meme says

      November 09, 2018 at 9:17 am

      Love the idea of eggplant as the base for pizza!

      Reply
      • Lindsey Janeiro, RDN, CLT says

        November 11, 2018 at 3:26 pm

        It's definitely a fun way to try eggplant!

        Reply
    3. Liz Shaw says

      November 09, 2018 at 11:43 am

      These are adorable- can I say that eggplants are adorable? Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Lindsey Janeiro, RDN, CLT says

        November 11, 2018 at 3:24 pm

        Adorable works for me! 😉 Thanks!

        Reply
    4. Lorie says

      November 10, 2018 at 10:12 pm

      These will make me think of my grandpa every time I make them--he always had eggplant parm when we did Italian. Now I have an easy way to make something similar!

      Reply
      • Lindsey Janeiro, RDN, CLT says

        November 11, 2018 at 3:24 pm

        Aw that's so sweet! I love when food brings memories!

        Reply
    5. Natalie says

      November 12, 2018 at 11:20 am

      What a simple and healthy way to make a pizza!

      Reply
      • Lindsey Janeiro, RDN, CLT says

        November 13, 2018 at 10:37 am

        Definitely a veggie-filled way to get those pizza flavors in!

        Reply
    6. Emily Kyle says

      November 13, 2018 at 1:37 pm

      These are a hit with both my and my 4 year old! So good!

      Reply
      • Lindsey Janeiro, RDN, CLT says

        November 15, 2018 at 4:18 pm

        Yes, I love to hear when recipes are whole family-approved! Thank you!

        Reply
    7. izzy sarno says

      September 02, 2019 at 8:33 pm

      I tried these and they are sooooooooooo amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am 11 years old and I love it perfect dinner

      Reply
      • Lindsey Janeiro, RDN, LDN says

        September 03, 2019 at 9:41 am

        aw, Izzy - best comment ever! So glad you enjoyed these eggplant pizzas! Thanks for letting me know how much you enjoyed them!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hey there!

    Welcome to Nutrition to Fit - your go-to source of evidence-based nutrition information (written by a registered dietitian) and how to realistically apply it to your life. We won't tell you what to do, but we will equip and empower you to live your healthiest life, however that looks for you. *Read More*

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • ABOUT
    • SERVICES
    • RECIPES

    Footer

    RECIPES:

    • Breakfast
    • Lunch & Dinner
    • Snacks
    • Desserts
    • Drinks

    Wellness:

    • Nutrition
    • Health
    • Lifestyle
    • Reviews
    nutrition to fit logo
    • Instagram
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Amazon

    SISTER SITES:

    🔝back to top | about | contact | work with me | privacy policies & disclaimers | © 2023 NutritiontoFit.com all rights reserved

    as an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject Privacy Policy
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT