Who needs pizza crust? In this delicious eggplant pizza, roasted eggplant, tomato sauce, basil and melted cheese unite to create a tasty, keto and low carb pizza experience.
These eggplant pizza bites are so good. Granted, they are only good if you like eggplant. But if you do, then this is the perfect keto and low carb pizza for you.
I have several low carb pizzas on this blog, including a few with a vegetable base such as cauliflower pizza crust and zucchini pizza. But eggplant pizza is by far my favorite, simply because I love eggplant and find its flavor and texture especially pleasing.
Did I say that I love eggplants? 🙂 I do. I usually simply slice them into rounds, brush with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and roast in a hot oven. Sometimes I make balsamic grilled eggplants. But this eggplant pizza is even better. It has no doughy crust, that’s true. But it does have plenty of flavor!
How to make eggplant pizza
It’s so easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. The basics? Roast eggplant slices in a hot oven. Switch the oven to broil. Top each eggplant slice with pizza sauce, cheese and fresh basil, then broil to melt the cheese. That’s it!
Since I roast the eggplant at high heat, I find that there’s no need to salt it first. The high heat roasting takes care of any extra fluids.
How to serve eggplant pizza
It makes a great appetizer, snack or side dish. But this eggplant pizza is so filling and satisfying, that I often serve it as an entree, with a simple side such as tomato salad or steamed broccoli.
Is this a healthy recipe?
I think it is. Eggplant has many health benefits. Tomato products are high in lycopene, and for most healthy people, cheese is (thankfully) harmless.
What about leftovers?
You can keep leftover eggplant pizza in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat the leftovers gently, in the microwave on 50% power. They are surprisingly good cold, by the way. If you like leftover cold pizza, I think you will like leftover cold eggplant pizza.
More tasty eggplant recipes
For a similar but a bit more involved recipe, try this easy baked eggplant Parmesan. And this eggplant casserole is truly wonderful!Â
Eggplant Pizza Bites
INGREDIENTS
- Olive oil spray
- 1 large eggplant, unpeeled (1 1/4 lbs.)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup marinara sauce (I use Rao's)
- 10 large fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup part skim shredded Mozzarella
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and spray it with olive oil cooking spray.
- Slice the eggplant crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds, yielding about 12 rounds. Place the eggplant rounds on the prepared baking sheet. Spray them with olive oil spray. Sprinkle with kosher salt, black pepper and garlic powder.
- Bake the eggplant rounds for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, turn them over, spray with more olive oil and bake 10 more minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Switch the oven to broil, setting it on high. With a spoon, spread marinara sauce on each eggplant round. Top with a basil leaf and sprinkle with cheese, dividing the sauce, basil and cheese evenly among the eggplant slices.
- Return the pan to the oven. Broil 2-3 minutes, keeping a close eye on them, just until cheese is melted and golden-brown. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
