Baked Chickpea Flour Eggplant Fries {Grain-Free, Vegan, Easy}

5 from 4 votes

Baked Chickpea Flour Eggplant Fries {Grain-Free, Vegan, Easy}

Baked chickpea flour eggplant fries are both scrumptious & healthy! They are grain-free, vegan, & are made with only 3 essential ingredients.

Prep Time15

Cook Time17

Total Time32

Keyword: baked fries, chickpea flour, chickpea flour fries, dairy-free, egg-free, eggplant, eggplant fries, healthy fries

Servings: generous servings

Author: Camilla

Ingredients

1 medium globe eggplant ends trimmed
3/4 cup chickpea flour
7 tablespoons warm water
1 tablespoon olive oil or oil of choice
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Optional: 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs + 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Optional:

Nonstick cooking spray
Optional: Marinara sauce for dipping

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (for easier cleanup); place an ovenproof wire rack on top of pan; spray rack with cooking spray (see notes below if you do not have a wire rack; you can do this with the sheet pan alone!).
Cut the eggplant lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices. Cut slices crosswise into fries lengths.
In a medium bowl, whisk the chickpea flour, warm water, oil, salt and optional herbs/spices until blended and smooth. Place 5 or 6 fries in batter, gently pressing into batter with a fork to coat. Remove fries, one at a time, with a fork, and place on prepared rack. Repeat until al fries are coated.
Bake the fries in the preheated oven for 14 to 17 minutes until golden brown and tender. Serve immediately (with optional marinara if desired).

Notes

Oil-free Option: If you do not eat oil, you can replace the oil with an extra tablespoon of liquid. The fries are much better (crispy) with the small addition of oil, so you may want to consider replacing some of the water with coconut milk or another milk that has some fat in it.

Cheese-y Eggplant Fries: Add a 1-1/2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast to the batter. If you eat cheese, you could add 3 tablespoons of finely grated Parmesan instead of the nutritional yeast.

Other Spice Options: These fries are also great with East Indian spices (e.g., garam masala or curry powder), Thai curry paste, smoked paprika, or cumin. Experiment with your favorite combinations!

Tip: If you do not have a large, oven-proof metal baking rack, you can bake the fries directly on a sheet pan. Just be sure to spray or grease the pan (or line with parchment or a silpat) or else these fries will stick like crazy!

Nutrition