Best Baba Ganoush Recipe

Looking for the best Baba Ganoush Recipe? Here’s how to make the creamy Middle Eastern eggplant dip for your next party! You will never go back to store-bought. Gluten-free, low carb & vegan! 

We love our dips in this house! From tzatziki to hummus, muhammara, and, of course, Baba Ganoush – one of my favorite Mediterranean dishes ever. What’s better to kick-start your party than a creamy, dreamy homemade eggplant dip and some homemade pita chips to go along?! Not much, right?

What is Baba Ganoush?

In its most basic form, baba ganoush is made with eggplant, tahini (sesame paste), olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt. I found that adding a pinch of ground cumin, smoked paprika, and fresh parsley really takes this baba ganoush recipe to the next level.

The taste? Uber creamy, rich and lush, slightly sweet with a subtle bitterness. All in all this eggplant dip has the perfect balance of savory and tangy flavors from the fresh lemon and tahini. With its decadent creaminess, you’d almost think there’s dairy in it but rest assured – it’s vegan and dairy-free.

Baba Ganoush vs Hummus:

I like to think of Baba Ganoush as a deeper and creamier companion to hummus! Baba ganoush is indeed not dissimilar to hummus, but made with grilled or roasted eggplants instead of cooked chickpeas. Both dips originated in the Eastern Mediterranean, and they’re often served together with pita bread and/or veggies. You can use baba ganoush like you would hummus—as a dip or spread.

Basic baba ganoush is always vegan, gluten-free and nut-free making it a great healthy crowd-pleasing party appetizer for guests – including those who are following special diets.

I like to serve my baba ganoush as depicted in the pictures with colorful raw veggies like carrot and bell pepper sticks, radishes and cucumber rounds.

If you want to serve Baba Ganoush the traditional way, final touches must include:

• chopped parsley leaves
• a generous drizzle of good olive oil
• a sprinkle of smoked paprika

But there are many more fun and delicious ways to serve up your baba ganoush:

Delicious ways to serve Baba Ganoush

• alongside homemade pita chips 
• As a topping/sauce for my falafel bowls or these Cauliflower Bowls
• absolutely epic instead of hummus in this chicken wrap recipe

How to make this Baba Ganoush recipe:

How to roast the eggplants:

There are two ways to roast the eggplants to make baba ganoush. You can either roast them in the oven – it’s hands-off and easy – or roast them over the gas range – my favorite method because it gives them a wonderful smoky flavor.

Gas Range Method :

Step 1 – Pierce the eggplants all over with a fork, to prevent them from exploding while roasting.

Step 2 – Place the eggplants directly on top of the gas range grate (one range for each eggplant) and turn the flame to medium or high. Roast the eggplant over the flame for about 20-30 minutes, turning them one quarter every 5 minutes or so with a tong. Once they are charred and the skin looks almost burnt, remove them from the flame and let them cool.

Oven Method

Step 3– Preheat oven to 440F/220C degrees. Pierce the eggplants all over with a fork, to prevent them from exploding while roasting. Place them on a baking sheet and cook for about 30 minutes or until it’s tender and collapsing. Start checking around the 20-minute mark because all ovens are different.

Step 4 – Remove from the oven and let cool. Once the eggplants are cool enough to handle, open them in half with your hands and scrape the pulp off the skin. If you roasted the eggplants over the range and the skin is almost falling off, chop off the stems and peel the eggplant with your hands.

Step 5 & 6 – Place the pulp in a large bowl. Add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic (start with one clove), cumin and a pinch of salt.

Step 7 & 8 – Using a fork, mash to combine everything together and break down any stringy part of the eggplant. Taste and adjust to your liking: another garlic clove, a bit more lemon juice, some tahini or more salt. For my taste, it is perfect as written – but make it yours!

Transfer to a serving bowl, drizzle with a bit of olive oil, sprinkle with a few parsley leaves and a dash of paprika. Serve with pita chips and veggies to dip.

How to store Baba Ganoush?

Leftover baba ganoush can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 4 days. Personally, I think it’s best served fresh, but others say it tastes better after a day or two. Likewise, some prefer it served at room temperature, while others prefer it chilled, so really I’ll leave this all up to you and I recommend you try it either way.

Tips for making the best Baba Ganoush

• Extract moisture: By roasting the eggplant, we have already eliminated a lot of the liquid. If you feel there is still too much liquid in the flesh, let the eggplant rest in a strainer for a few minutes and stir it to release even more.
• I mix the dip by hand as I like mine with some texture to it, plus it’s really easy as roasted eggplant easily falls apart when you stir it with a fork. You could use a food processor, but as I said: better by hand.
• Don’t skimp on the salt!  Eggplant is somewhat bitter, and adding salt can reduce that bitterness considerably. This Middle Eastern eggplant dip deserves to live up to its full potential so make sure it’s properly seasoned with that salt, that paprika, and that parsley.
• Choose eggplants that are shiny and smooth and feel heavy for their size. Large eggplants tend to contain more seeds, which can produce a bothersome texture. So, you can totally use 4 smaller eggplants rather than 2 large ones. Note that overripe eggplants taste more bitter so don’t store them for too long.

5 from 4 votes

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Baba Ganoush

Looking for the best Baba Ganoush Recipe? Here's how to make the creamy Middle Eastern eggplant dip for your next party! You will never go back to store-bought! Gluten-free, low carb & vegan!  

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Keyword baba ganoush recipe, eggplant dip recipe, healthy dip recipes

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 4 servings as an appetizer

Calories 240 kcal

Author Marie

Ingredients

• 2 large eggplants
• 1 to 2 large garlic cloves minced (start with one clove)
• 1/2 cup tahini paste
• 1/4 cup lemon juice about 2 lemons
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• a pinch of salt more to taste

To serve - optional

• a few parsley leaves
• a drizzle of olive oil
• a sprinkle of paprika
• pita chips try my easy homemade recipe - link see tips
• cut up veggies cucumber, carrots, peppers, radish…

Instructions

Roast the Eggplants

1. There are two ways to roast the eggplants to make baba ganoush. You can either roast them in the oven – it’s hands-off and easy – or roast them over the gas range – my favorite method because it gives them a wonderful smoky flavor.

Gas Range Method (Recommended)

1. Pierce the eggplants all over with a fork, to prevent them from exploding while roasting.
2. Place the eggplants directly on top of the gas range grate (one range for each eggplant) and turn the flame to medium or high. Roast the eggplant over the flame for about 20-30 minutes, turning them one quarter every 5 minutes or so with a tong. Once they are charred and the skin looks almost burnt, remove them from the flame and let them cool.

Oven Roasting Method

1. Preheat oven to 440F/220C degrees.
2. Pierce the eggplants all over with a fork, to prevent them from exploding while roasting.
3. Place them on a baking sheet and cook for about 30 minutes or until it’s tender and collapsing. Start checking around the 20 minutes marks because all ovens are different.
4. Remove from the oven and let cool.
5. Once the eggplants are cool enough to handle, open them in half with your hands and scrape the pulp off the skin (If you roasted the eggplants over the range and the skin is almost falling off, chop off the stems and peel the eggplant with your hand). Place the pulp in a large bowl.
6. Add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic (start with one clove), cumin and a pinch of salt.
7. Using a fork, mash to combine everything together and break down any stringy part of the eggplant. Taste and adjust to your liking: another garlic clove, a bit more lemon juice, some tahini or more salt. It’s perfect to my taste as written, but make it yours!
8. Transfer to a serving bowl, drizzle with a bit of olive oil, sprinkle with a few parsley leaves and a dash of paprika. Serve with pita chips and veggies to dip.

Recipe Notes

• Extract moisture: By roasting the eggplant, we have already eliminated a lot of the liquid. If you feel there is still too much liquid in the flesh, let the eggplant rest in a strainer for a few minutes and stir it to release even more.
• I mix the dip by hand as I like mine with some texture to it, plus it's really easy as roasted eggplant easily falls apart when you stir it with a fork. You could use a food processor but as I said, better by hand. 
• Don't skimp on the salt!  Eggplant is somewhat bitter, and adding salt can reduce that bitterness considerably. This Middle Eastern eggplant dip deserves to live up to its full potential so make sure it’s properly seasoned so add that salt, that paprika, and that parsley.
• Choose eggplants that are shiny and smooth and feel heavy for their size. Large eggplants tend to contain more seeds, which can produce a bothersome texture. So, you can totally use 4 smaller eggplants rather than 2 large ones. Not that overripe eggplants taste more bitter so don't store them for too long.

Nutrition Facts

Baba Ganoush

Amount Per Serving (1 /4)

Calories 240 Calories from Fat 144

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 16g 25%

Saturated Fat 2g 10%

Sodium 112mg 5%

Potassium 677mg 19%

Total Carbohydrates 21g 7%

Dietary Fiber 8g 32%

Sugars 8g

Protein 7g 14%

Vitamin A 1.5%

Vitamin C 15.1%

Calcium 6.3%

Iron 11.2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

If you tried this Baba Ganoush Recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe below and let me know how it went in the comments – I love hearing from you! You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook for more deliciousness and behind-the-scenes!

More healthy dip recipes you will love:

• Creamy Avocado Dip
• Pomegranate Hummus 
• Homemade Tzatziki 
• Light Peanut Butter & Greek Yogurt Dessert Dip