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 flavor experience.
There’s no need to mourn the loss of pizza after transitioning to a low-carb diet! There are plenty of tasty alternatives. 🍕
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 this recipe is one of my favorites, simply because I love eggplant and find its flavor and texture especially pleasing.
A delicious pizza base
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.
Did I say that I love eggplants? 🙂 I do. They are delicious AND good for you. 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 recipe is even better. It has no doughy crust, that’s true. But it does have plenty of flavor!
The ingredients you’ll need
You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty pizza (the exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below):
Olive oil spray: I love cooking with this delicious oil. But if you’d rather use an oil with a higher smoke point, you can use avocado oil instead.
Eggplant: For this recipe, it’s best to use a large, firm eggplant. You want to be able to slice it into fairly big rounds.
Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you should reduce the amount you use, or the pizza could end up too salty.
Garlic powder: I prefer it in this recipe to fresh minced garlic because it coats the eggplants more evenly.
Pizza sauce: Try to use a brand with no added sugar such as Rao’s.
Fresh basil leaves: Fresh oregano leaves are another tasty option.
Shredded Mozzarella: Provolone is also good.
How to make eggplant pizza
It’s easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. The basics instructions:
1. Season eggplant slices with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Then roast them in a hot oven.
2. Switch the oven to broil.
3. Top each eggplant slice with marinara sauce, cheese, and fresh basil.
4. 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 this dish
These tasty bites make a great appetizer, snack or side dish. But they are so filling and satisfying, that I often serve them as an entree, with a simple side such as arugula salad, tomato salad, or steamed broccoli.
What about leftovers?
You can keep leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them 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 and just as easy as this recipe!
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Eggplant Pizza Bites
INGREDIENTS
- Olive oil spray
- 1 large eggplant, unpeeled (1 1/4 lbs.)
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal 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 rimmed broiler-safe 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.
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, Reader's Digest, and Better Homes and Gardens.