Flavorful Middle Eastern Twice-Baked Baby Eggplants make a delicious gluten-free, vegan, paleo, and allergy-free appetizer or side dish. An easy plant-based recipe that will wow the tastebuds with new exciting flavors!
Ah, those recipes where I get to be fancy with simple ingredients and flavors; I love them most! When we take the time to learn about other cuisines, we realize we had all the beautiful foods, spices, and herbs that we needed, just lacked the knowledge of how to make them work together. That's where we tap into the beauty and wonder of cooking.
My mom recently sent me a text with a picture of these Middle Eastern Twice-Baked Baby Eggplants reminding me how "yummy" they were. I'm glad she still remembered a recipe from September 2015! It's a good sign when a recipe stands out in the mind (for good reasons) for so long! With a moral obligation now to get these polished up for a blog post, they're finally here for you to "feast" you eyes on too! But here's a question for you...
Appetizer or side dish? I never know what a small recipe like this should be. I guess, either or? Regardless, these twice-baked baby eggplants are baked and stuffed with roasted eggplant flesh, pomegranate, green olives, lemon, and fresh herbs and spices. They may seem a bit fancy and involved, but as long as you have an oven and a processor, you can whip these up super quick! I used the food processor to combine the filling, but you could get away with mashing by hand if you really had to. But the oven, the oven is key 😉 All these deep earthy, sweet, and zesty flavors take on a whole new form when roasted. Pair them with an authentic Shirazi Salad and you're good to go!
Middle Eastern Twice-Baked Baby Eggplants
Middle Eastern Twice-Baked Baby Eggplants
Flavorful Middle Eastern Twice-Baked Baby Eggplants make a delicious gluten-free, vegan, paleo, and allergy-free appetizer or side dish. An easy plant-based recipe that will wow the tastebuds with new exciting flavors!
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Appetizer, Side Dish
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients
- 3 Baby Eggplants
- 1 Tsp Minced Garlic
- For the Filling:
- Scooped Out Flesh of Roasted Eggplants
- ¼ Cup Pomegranate Arils
- 8 Pitted Green Olives (chopped)
- ½ Lemon (zest and juice)
- 1 TB Fresh Chopped Cilantro
- ½ Tsp Onion Powder
- ½ Tsp Cumin
- ¼ Tsp Cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Slice the baby eggplant length wise. Make diagonal cuts in the flesh, rub in the minced garlic on all halves, and place the halves on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove, cool, and scoop out the flesh, saving the shells.
- All the roasted eggplant flesh and all the filling ingredients to a food processor and pulse to combine.
- Stuff each of the scooped out eggplant shells with the filling mixture and bake in the oven for 10 more minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2
Super easy and a tad fancy, I'd say! They are so delicious whether you serve them at a dinner party as an appetizer or side dish. You can easily increase the recipe for more servings and make these baby eggplants the main event! Introduce your taste buds to some new flavors and cuisines! One of my favorite things to do is look up different dishes and ingredients from different regions and cultures. I love taking inspiration and twisting things into a new dish right here at home. (That's what makes a memorable recipe!)
So tell me:
+ Do you incorporate different flavors and cuisine inspiration into your weekly meals?
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Kim~madeinaday
These look too pretty to eat!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Haha, almost 😉
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome
This sounds so good!! Pinned for later use!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thank you!
Danielle
This looks so yummy!! If only I could get the hubby to eat it....
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Haha, why not?
Beverly
Wow, these eggplants look amazing. I love eggplant and I am always looking for new ways to prepare it.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I hope you give this recipe a try then!
Nikki Frank-Hamilton
We grow baby eggplants and I'm always looking for new ways to prepare them. This looks so delish. Pinning the harvest time.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
This is perfect then!
Miz Helen
What a special eggplant recipe and I can't wait to try it.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
It sure is!
Debra C.
So much flavor packed into these yummy eggplants! Looks delish!!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
They are packed! Thanks!
Chrissa - Physical Kitchness
LOL moral obligation. I'm glad you realize what's important in life - twice baked eggplant. Totally love how creative this is! I've never seen eggplant done like this!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
😉 Keeping those priorities in order to please!
Haha, well thank you!
Traci York
Looks delish!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks!
Evi @ greenevi
Such a beautiful and flavourful dish! I love eggplant, so this is just perfect for me 🙂
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thank you, friend!
Cristina
This looks amazing. Such a tasty and interesting combination of flavors.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thank you!
Farrah
I love how colorful these are! 😀 Yay for baby eggplants! (I'm running low on groceries again [sigh]--time for another grocery run!!)
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Get to that Asian market 😉
Michele Morin
I would vote appetizer and serve it with several choices -- my kids call that a "snacky supper."
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Anything as a little bite with an "edible" vessel!
Tiffany
Yum! This sounds like a lovely recipe for dinner. I do so love eggplants and the way you cooked them looks fantastic!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thank you so much!
Lindsey
I love how creative you were with this! This recipe fits with my dietary/allergy restrictions. I need to put this on my shopping list.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Awesome, thanks!
Kimm at Reinvented
Those look delicious. I think I would use as an appetizer (there aren't enough healthy one's out there).
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Yup! And it's the perfect use for those baby eggplants!
Megan
What a fun twist on twice-baked potatoes and healthier too. And, you can never go wrong with middle eastern flavors.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Right! Thanks, Megan!
Marla
Hi Rebecca,
What a great idea twice baked egg-plant. I have heard and made twice baked potatoes or sweet potatoes but never egg-plant. Love the ingredients in this recipe so healthy. T
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks!
Linda @ Veganosity
Those look fantastic! I love the combination of pomegranate seeds and olives. You'll find Mexican, Indian, Thai, and American food in my kitchen every single week.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Changing up the cuisine just keeps the "spice" in life!
Courtney
Oh, how delicious do these look?? I need to go buy some eggplants! 🙂
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Yes you do 😉
neil@neilshealthymeals.com
I'll confess Rebecca that although I've used eggplants in some of my recipes, I've yet to be overly creative with them! Your stuffed eggplants look absolutely delicious and I can only image the combination of middle eastern flavours they bring to the palate. Yum!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
This will give you that creativity fix! xo
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day
I love Middle Eastern food, but sadly I haven't learned how to make much of it. I'm glad now I have another recipe to try!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Keep learning! Experiment with the flavors in the kitchen!
Chandice Probst
What an exotic and fun recipe!! Great job Rebecca!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thank you!
Jacqueline Meldrum
I was drooling over these on Pinterest earlier. I don't cook with aubergine (eggplant) nearly enough and this looks just gorgeous! Off to share it now!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Haha, you know I like the European word, aubergine, better 😉 Fancier!
Lauren
These sounds amazing! What a great plant based meal.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thank you!
Cricket Plunkett
I'm not always an eggplant fan, but something like this could change that! Love the pomegranate.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I know it can!
Alisa @ Go Dairy Free
What a gorgeous way to enjoy eggplant. I'm a big fan of it, but have never tried stuffing it. Looks like a delicious idea!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
These will please anyone!
Rachel @ Bakerita
I've never had a twice baked eggplant before, but this looks so good! I adore middle eastern flavors and the pomegranate seeds on there are perfection!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Gotta give it a try then! Thanks girl!
Jamie King
OMG, this looks AMAZING, adding this to my list to try!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Awesome! I know you'll enjoy!
Nico @ yumsome
This looks lovely - I adore aubergines and pomegranates. Heck, Levantine cookery, full-stop!
In answer to your question - absolutely! I live all over the world, and my food reflects this! Except on very rare occasions, I cook at least seven 'nationalities' of food a week!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Keeping the taste buds guessing is always good!
Pretty Patel
I love Middle Easten flavours will have to try this recipe, it looks great.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thank you, I hope so!
Aish Das-Padihari
I'm so glad to see a recipe where pomegranate is used.., I love pomegranate and I usually use it in a raita. Lovey post.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
We all need more pomegranate recipes!
Chrystal @ Gluten-Free Palate
I love eggplant. I will have to try this recipe this next week.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I hope you do 🙂
Neli @ Delicious Meets Healthy
These eggplants look fantastic!! Love the addition of pomegranates!! So delicious!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thank you! I always love finding a way to use pomegranate in a savory dish!
Erica D.
Bring on the green olives! Love it as an ingredient in here.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks!
Julia Mueller
I adoooore eggplant and have yet to stuff them for a twice baked adventure...Loving this tactic, and am 200% down for the Middle Eastern flair! Looks marvelous, m'dear!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Woohoo! Haha! Twice-baked is such a key! I've never done the classic twice-baked potatoes (surprisingly) but eggplant was just as good 😉
Shashi at RunninSrilankan
I am a huge fan of incorporating inspiration and flavors from different cuisines into my meals - and these spiced eggplants look wonderful - not to mention they are quite a sight to behold!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I know you are!!
Thank you!! xoxo
Bintu - Recipes From A Pantry
These look so healthy. One for meat free monday I think!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
They would make for a great light meatless dish!
Harriet Emily
These look incredible Rebecca! I love eggplant, and this recipe sounds amazing! The stuffing sounds so delicious. Pinned <3
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thank you, friend!
Mina Joshi
wow this looks so delicious.
We love eggplants and pomegranates so I this this recipe would be a winner for us.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thank you! O I know it will be!
Mariah Wellman
These look so yummy! Also, your photography is incredible. Can't wait to try this recipe!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Aw, thank you so much! xo
Michelle
My husband is half Lebanese, so we eat a lot of Middle Eastern food. This looks delicious! I don't often cook with eggplant because the kids don't love it (except in baba ghanoush, which I don't think they realize is eggplant), but I think I may try this one night for just my husband and I. I know he'd enjoy it!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Haha, no one turns up baba ghanoush!
Well I hope you two get to enjoy these!
Heather | All Roads Lead to the Kitchen
I don't eat eggplant enough. I need to pick a few up for this recipe, because it sounds so healthy and full of flavor. Plus, it's so gorgeous - it looks like it's stuffed with jewels!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Haha, it does! Thank you! I actually haven't picked up any eggplants recently either! Ah!