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My crave-worthy roasted eggplant dip is a simple yet elegant appetizer that takes minutes to make. It’s creamy, packed with flavor, and accidentally dairy-free!
Ready for more easy dip recipes? Try my salmon dip, cottage cheese dip, smoked tuna dip, and cake batter dip next.
Eggplant is one of my favorite vegetables to prepare because it’s so hearty and naturally flavorful, yet it takes well to a variety of spices and cooking methods. Thanks to a bounty of them available at the market this week, I’ve turned them into a rich and creamy roasted eggplant dip!
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Only 6 ingredients. There’s very little doctoring needed to make this dip taste incredible. And besides, the roasting adds a ton of flavor.
- Easy to make. Eggplant can sometimes be fickle to cook, but this dip uses a shortcut to shave off minutes.
- Vegan and gluten-free. Unlike most dips that call for cream or cheese, this recipe is naturally free of gluten and dairy.
- Oven option. My original recipe involved roasting the eggplants, but using the microwave hack cuts it down considerably. Don’t fret though: you can still use the oven.
Ingredients needed
- Eggplants. Look for large, firm eggplants with no soft spots. When roasted, these have a fabulous smoky flavor.
- Garlic. A must for Baba Ganoush. Use as many garlic cloves as you like, depending on how garlicky you prefer your dip.
- Tahini. Another essential ingredient made up of toasted sesame seeds, tahini adds a nutty flavor and creamy texture.
- Lemon juice. To brighten up the dip and balance the richness of the other ingredients. Try to use fresh lemon juice if possible.
- Olive oil. I always prefer to use extra virgin olive oil since it has the most potent flavor. If you’re going to splurge on the fancy stuff, now is the time!
- Salt and black pepper. To taste.
- Red onions. Optional, but I find some diced red onions add a little crunch and balances out the naturally rich flavor of the eggplant.
How to make eggplant dip
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Microwave the eggplant (or roast it). Pierce the eggplants with a fork and place them in a microwave-safe dish. Cover them and microwave for 5-6 minutes or until fully cooked.
Step 2- Remove the skins. Once the eggplants cool, discard the skins.
Step 3- Blend. Add all of the ingredients to a food processor and pulse until smooth.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Make roasted eggplant dip. Microwaving the eggplant is certainly the faster route, but if you have the time, I suggest roasting the eggplants on a baking sheet in the oven at 375F/190C for 25-30 minutes. This gives them a bit more flavor and makes them softer.
- Keep it chunky. Mash the eggplant with a fork and mix everything by hand in a bowl instead of the food processor.
- Add creaminess. I know some of you may find so much eggplant to be overpowering, so fold through about 1/4 cup of Greek yogurt or coconut yogurt to balance things out. Avoid sour cream, as it tends to separate.
Variations
- Add spices, like cumin, smoked paprika, sumac, and cayenne pepper.
- Use pine nuts. Mixing toasted pine nuts into the dip after it has been blended will add a nice texture. For the ultra flavor hack, stir through a few tablespoons of my sun-dried tomato pesto; you won’t regret it!
- Roast some red bell peppers. While my original recipe doesn’t contain roasted peppers, adding them is one of the best ways to add a pop of color and a delicious acidic element. I find around 2 roasted peppers to be plenty.
- Garnish the dip with fresh parsley for a pop of color.
Storage instructions
To store: Place leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to four days.
To freeze: Once the dip has cooled, place it in a shallow container and store it in the freezer for up to two months.
Frequently asked questions
Hummus is made from chickpeas, whereas eggplant dip is made from, you guessed it, eggplant. While both are delicious, I find the eggplant dip to have more of an earthy flavor.
Keep things classic with crackers, carrots, cucumbers, or bread crostini.
Yes, this veggie dip can be served warm or at room temperature. To serve warm, heat in a small saucepan over low heat until it begins to simmer.
More Mediterranean-inspired recipes to try
Roasted Eggplant Dip
Ingredients
Instructions
- Pierce the eggplants and place them in a microwave safe dish, covered.
- Microwave for 5-6 minutes, or until fully cooked.
- Let the eggplants cool completely before discarding the skin.
- Add the eggplant, garlic, tahini, lemon, olive oil, salt, and pepper, into a food processor and pulse until smooth. If using red onion, fold them through at the end.
- Transfer to a bowl and serve immediately or chill for 30 minutes to serve cold.
My mom was never much for cooking (we leave that to my dad… thankfully he’s never beaten me with a wooden spoon, even when I sit on the kitchen counters). This looks like one of those dishes I would probably love, but everyone around me would just stare at distrustfully, definitely going to hold on to the recipe for the next time I’m in charge of my own dinner though 🙂
I can’t wait for you to be large and in charge of some dining- I think you’d like it Sarah Pie!
well my mom did not really cook…. she just threw together salads! haha I was that little kid chowing down on a salad! it’s crazy that I don’t really remember her cooking much…. what did we eat?? I do remember when my Grandma would visit or when we visited her we always requested tator tot hot dish and chinese hot dish! Oh how us Minnesotans love out hot dishes!
You must have started the salad eating trend…I don’t even recall EVER eating salads as a kid.
Those sound absolutely epic. Tator tot hot dish? I think you need to recreate it for the blog 😉
Tator tot hot dish is epic here in Minnesota! We are the land of hot dishes!! After I’m done with my Advocare 24 Day Challenge I will make it and post a recipe for ya!! SOOO good!
You are amazing. That is all.
You totally made up the ingredients didn’t you…I’m gonna have my Mom ask your cousins in Uzbekistan.
Watch yourself, or she’s going to find a new menopause buddy.
Ask them. They’d throw diamond water on her.
That sounds delicious! My favorite eggplant dip is baba ghanoush
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baba_ghanoush
I love baba ghanoush!
The first thing that comes to mind is a pig pickin cake! She makes it every year at Christmas time and it is so good!
That sounds strangely delicious!
i LOVE eggplant!! And the combo here is soooo my taste. I really need to get friends with your Mom. Does she have a Facebook account?
I never had Persian food. Sad actually, but there is just no place here with persian food. So you will need to come here and cook for me as mentioned many times before.
My Mom makes the BEST saffron risotto. Ya know, the Momma-Saffron-Combo. Always works.
LOL. She is a dinosaur with technology. I gave her my old iphone 2 years ago. she still ALWAYS hangs up mid call.
You need to try Persian food. Seriously, when are you coming to Australia?
Oh yes, this sounds good! I can’t say that I had Persian food before. Maybe without me knowing? But I love eggplant and everything garlic is right down my alley!
My mum makes a killer Schnitzel and a wicked Schweinebraten 🙂 So much for traditional food. We were never really a traditional family. Neither food-wise nor for any other standards!
How ironic your mum makes those…how traditional 😉
You need to have Persian food- you and Stefan are welcome anytime- and so are Julia and Stephan haha.
Oh my goodness!!! This dip looks amazing, Arman! I pinned it and MUST try asap! Justin and I are huge fans of eggplant, so this is totally up our alley! I love how easy it is too! Quick question…do you peel the eggplant or leave the skin on?
Thank you so much, Holly- So easy and so delicious! The skin is optional- if the eggplant is really ripe, keep it on. If it’s slightly firm, remove the skin! 🙂
I’m drooling over here! I love me some eggplant!
Wipe that drool away and get baking in the kitchen 😉
My digestive system can’t handle too many onions but occasionally I splurge and say ‘screw you heartburn’. This recipe indeed seems splurge worthy.
You and me both, Sarah! I can only handle small doses but this is so damn worth it!
Now I’m really sad that I’ve never tried Persian food before. All that eggplant and turmeric creamy goodness has me all excited! You know how much I love a good dip. I could top it with roasted chickpeas weeeee!!
I think that is considered racism. You not trying Persian food.
I loooooove eggplant!! Yum! The mere fact that you don’t have to sweat the eggplant in this recipe makes it a winner in my book!
Amy loves a vegetable? Who are you?!
YES! Give it a go!
Yum! I made a roasted eggplant hummus dip recently and loved it, so I will hopefully try this next! No dairy for me at the moment but I’m sure I can find a sub!
You are a nerd (as evidenced by google and your blog ;)) and I know you’d probably find a better sub….Actually…let me think. Can you have nutritional yeast? That mixed with some sea salt and milk would work!
Genius! I was thinking tofu instead, but I like your nutrition yeast idea. This is going down very soon!
SO GLAD you tried it out! Going to have to tell mum 😉
I have a big smile on my face right now. You know I love this stuff so THANK YOU VERY MUCH! 🙂 I have wondered if yogurt would work as a substitute because of the whey but now I have confirmation. I lived in the San Diego area for a while and there was a Persian market we used to frequent. They carried al sorts of persian delicacies including eggplant, dried limes, and sumac. I know how to make some of the Persian stews, shirazi salad, kabobs, and tah dig but this dip is my absolute favorite.
My father is Italian but my mother is not. However, she is an awesome cook especially all things pasta. I am especially fond of her simple tomato sauces and ricotta/spinach stuffed shells. (A wooden spoon is always used to stir the sauce!)
Are there many persian restaurants in Australia?
No worries at all, Sarah! I wish we had a Persian market here! Ironically, my mum and sister are going to Iran in a month’s time!
Don’t even start me on the Persian restaurants here. Calling them offensive is a compliment.
Haaaaa I just picture you getting chased with a wooden spoon every time you mention it and it cracks me up. Mmmm no I don’t think I’ve ever had Persian food… weird? My mom makes pierogies and they are too good for words.
I picture an avocado sausage when I think of you. OH my gosh Pierogies are amazing. I had these goats cheese and olives one once. I nearly died.