Epic Baba Ganoush
This baba ganoush recipe is the best! It's easy to make, too (no food processor required). You'll need eggplant, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 30, 2024
“But why would I make baba ganoush if I could just eat hummus?” Mara asked when we set out to make the ultimate baba ganoush recipe. At that moment, I couldn’t help but shrug my shoulders.
Then we nailed the method and ingredients you see here, and neither of us could stop scooping up more. When you get it right, baba ganoush is irresistibly smooth and luxurious, smoky, and savory.
In its most basic form, baba ganoush is made with eggplant, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt. I found that adding a tiny bit of ground cumin, smoked paprika and fresh parsley takes it to the next level.
Baba ganoush is similar to hummus, but it calls for grilled or roasted eggplant instead of chickpeas. Both dips originated in the Eastern Mediterranean, and they’re often served together with pita bread and raw, crisp veggies. You can use baba ganoush like you would hummus—as a dip or spread. Ready to make some?!
How to Make the Best Baba Ganoush
There are a few considerations when it comes to baba ganoush. First up: do you grill the eggplant or roast it?
Roast your eggplant
I don’t have a grill, so I roasted my eggplant and it turned out great. So, you don’t need a grill for this baba ganoush!
To make up for the grilled flavor, I halved the eggplants and roasted them cut-side down for caramelized deliciousness. (Roasting them halved also means that your eggplant cooks faster, and you don’t risk an entire eggplant exploding inside your oven.) Using smoked paprika as a garnish adds some extra smokiness, too.
Roasting the eggplants until they’ve collapsed on themselves helps concentrate their flavor and ensure that your dip is silky-smooth. At that point, it’s easy to flip over the eggplant and scoop out the insides. Peeling the skin off eggplant is not my idea of a good time!
Extract moisture
The next consideration is how to extract as much moisture from the eggplant as possible. Fortunately, our roasting method has already helped eliminate a lot of it. Just let the eggplant rest in a strainer for a few minutes and stir it to release even more.
Stir it up
The next question—do you mix the dip by hand or whip it up in your food processor? I’m a big fan of my food processor, but it isn’t necessary for this recipe. Baba ganoush traditionally has some texture to it, and roasted eggplant readily falls apart when you stir it with a fork.
Add ample salt
My last tip is to salt the dip generously—eggplant is inherently bitter, and salt reduces that bitterness. This dip isn’t truly epic until it’s properly seasoned with salt. Can I call my own recipe epic? Oh hell, I’m doing it! This baba ganoush is epic.
Watch How to Make Baba Ganoush
What to Serve with Baba Ganoush
Basic baba ganoush is always vegan, gluten free and nut free. That makes baba ganoush a great party appetizer for guests who are following special diets—as long as your accompaniments fit the bill.
I like to serve my baba ganoush with sturdy raw veggies like carrot sticks, cucumber rounds and bell pepper sticks. Toasted pita wedges or pita chips are great, too.
For a full Mediterranean spread, serve this baba ganoush with herbed hummus or tahini sauce and fresh salads. I recommend Mediterranean bean salad, my favorite quinoa salad, or tabbouleh. Here are even more Mediterranean recipes!
Please let me know how this baba ganoush recipe turns out for you in the comments! I hope it’s your new favorite.
Epic Baba Ganoush
This baba ganoush recipe is the best! It’s easy to make, too (no food processor required). You’ll need eggplant, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and spices. Recipe yields about 1 ¾ cups (enough to serve 4 to 6 as an appetizer).
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Italian eggplants (about 2 small-to-medium eggplants*)
- 2 medium cloves of garlic, pressed or minced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, more if necessary
- ¼ cup tahini
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing the eggplant and garnish
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus extra for garnish
- ¾ teaspoon salt, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- Pinch of smoked paprika, for garnish
- Serving suggestions: warmed or toasted pita wedges, carrot sticks, bell pepper strips, cucumber slices, etc.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the upper third of the oven. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the eggplant from sticking to the pan. Halve the eggplants lengthwise and brush the cut sides lightly with olive oil. Place them in the prepared pan with the halved sides down.
- Roast the eggplant until the interior is very tender throughout and the skin is collapsing, about 35 to 40 minutes (this might take longer if you are using 1 large eggplant). Set the eggplant aside to cool for a few minutes. Flip the eggplants over and scoop out the flesh with a large spoon, leaving the skin behind.
- Place a mesh strainer over a mixing bowl, then transfer the flesh to the strainer and discard the skins. Pick out any stray bits of eggplant skin and discard. You want to remove as much moisture from the eggplant here as possible, so let the eggplant rest for a few minutes and shake/stir the eggplant to release some more moisture.
- Discard all of the eggplant drippings, drain and wipe out the bowl, and dump the eggplant into the bowl. Add the garlic and lemon juice to the eggplant and stir vigorously with a fork until eggplant breaks down. Add the tahini to the bowl and stir until it’s incorporated. While stirring, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Continue stirring until the mixture is pale and creamy, and use your fork to break up any particularly long strings of eggplant.
- Stir in the parsley, salt and cumin. Season to taste with more salt (I usually add another ¼ teaspoon) and more lemon juice, if you’d like a more tart flavor.
- Transfer the baba ganoush to a serving bowl and lightly drizzle olive oil on top. Lastly, sprinkle parsley and smoked paprika on top. Serve with accompaniments of your choice. It’s also great on sandwiches!
Notes
Recipe roughly adapted from Serious Eats and Tori Avey.
*Eggplant selection: Large eggplants tend to contain more seeds, which can produce a bothersome texture. So, it’s better to use 2 small eggplants that weigh about 2 pounds total, rather than 1 large. Choose eggplants that are shiny and smooth (no mushy parts), and feel heavy for their size. Turn your eggplant into baba ganoush promptly, since overripe eggplant tastes more bitter.
Storage suggestions: Leftover baba ganoush can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 4 days (I think it’s best served fresh, but some say it tastes better after a day or two). I like to let my leftover baba ganoush warm to room temperature before serving, but others prefer it chilled, so I’ll leave this up to you.
For a lighter dip: You can reduce the olive oil to as little as 2 to 3 tablespoons. Your dip won’t be as rich and creamy, but it will still be very good!
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I will be making this! I love baba ganoush, but it never comes out right for me. Thank you for the easy recipe.
Welcome! Let me know how it works for you, Marsha. I think this one is approachable and you will have good luck with it!
Epic is an understatement!!
Babaganoush is definitely NOT the same as hummus–at least in my opinion! I think eggplant tends to have a more distinctive flavor and creaminess, whereas hummus is slightly nuttier and chunkier. Both are delicious though! This babaganoush looks divine as well–I could just eat it by the spoon!
Baba ganoush is my favorite, I usually wing it with sometimes amazing results and sometimes just good, this looks like a fantastic recipe that I’ll return to over and over! Thank you!
That is awesome! Happy to hear it, Brooke!
Thank you for sharing. I have never managed to get baba ganoush right but will definitely try this recipe. Have you ever tried to freeze it? Thanks
I have not tried to freeze baba ganoush. It might be worth a shot. If you try, please let me know how it turns out!
Will do. Thanks for your reply.
@FOODPLOTTOPLATE – did you try to freeze it? I’m wondering if this is possible
I’ve never thought of baba ganoush as weird. Is that really what people think?? How sad! Its so good! I love the smoky flavor of it! Mediterranean flavors are my favorite so having a good baba ganoush and a few good go-to hummus recipes is a must in our house;)
Thank you, Maria!
Don’t tell anyone, but I prefer baba ganoush to hummus… don’t get me wrong, chickpeas are my jam, but somehow baba ganoush is fluffier and more fun to eat. ;)
It is a nice change, that is for sure Sarah!
I always pick baba ganoush over hummus, think its because of that delicious grilled flavor you get from the eggplant. Thanks for this recipe! I’ll be sure to try it out.
Right?! The grilled taste makes it so savory. Thanks, Nicci for your review!
This was fabulous! It was all I could do to stop eating the roasted eggplant as I was scraping it out! Not sure why, buy the eggplant never collapsed, even after and additional 20-30 minutes in the oven, but it was soft and rather brown, so I took it out. Yum!
Thank you, Holly! Hmmm, I’m not sure why the eggplant didn’t collapse, either, but glad the recipe still turned out great!
It’s SO good I made it again and layered it with roasted spaghetti squash, sauteed red peppers and mushrooms! And the eggplantt still didn’t collapse! ;)
Is the texture similar to hummus? We really like hummus but I’d enjoy branching out…especially when it means an extra vegetable in the mix for our kiddos. :)
Hi Jamie, it’s somewhat similar, but baba ganoush is more silky and smooth.
This recipe looks absolutely mouthwatering! i love hummus and i confess i eat a bit to much of it! i’m going to try this recipe and maybe every now and again i will exchange my hummus for this!
It is really good, Charlie! Can’t wait for you to try it. Let me know what you think!
I get a produce share every week from a local cooperative, and used my fairytale eggplants to make this baba, accompanied by local carrots, and red and watermelon radish. I didn’t have parsley, so I chopped dandelion greens as a substitute. Delicious! Halving the eggplant to roast allowed so much surface to get brown and caramelized, adding to the warm, roasty flavor. This really is epic!
Thank you, for sharing Jeanne!
This is so delicious, and I| love that it is not blended or food processed to complete smoothness. I added the salt at the end with the cumin as I could not find in the instructions where the 3/4 tsp of salt went in. Thanks for a healthy and delicious appetizer!
That is great, Vivian! Thank you for providing a great review. For ease of reference, when making again in the future, the salt comes in at step #5. Stir in the parsley and cumin. Season to taste with more salt (I usually add another ¼ teaspoon) and more lemon juice, if you’d like a more tart flavor.
Simple, tasty. Quick. I like that I didn’t need to drag out the food processor.
Sometimes one less kitchen tool is just what is needed for a recipe! So happy you liked it, Erin.
My eggplant didn’t collapse either, even with an additional 10 minutes, but the flesh was plenty soft and spooned out without picking up any skin. I took some for lunch each day with baby carrots, and there was not a drop left. However, it had a bitter aftertaste. Any ideas?
Hi Michael, I’m glad you enjoyed it. Salt counteracts bitterness, so maybe your dip just needed a bit more?
this is AMAZING!! I just made this, and it’s super duper easy, and oh my goodness I wish I had doubled the recipe. My husband is spoiling his dinner on it right now ;)
xo
Sometimes an appetizer can make for a great supper, right. :) We all have those days! Thanks for sharing, Rachael. I appreciate your review!
Definitely a hit! I have two teenagers who usually refuse to have anything to do with eggplant and they loved it. Put this recipe in the next book!
Kate – gotta try this! But can I sub with regular eggplant?
Hi Wendell – I am not sure your question. Baba Ganoush is traditionally made with eggplant. Sorry I don’t have a substitute for this recipe!
Hahahahahaha! Let me clarify the question …The recipe calls for Italian eggplant. But isn’t Italian eggplant different from the standard globe eggplant that’s primarily available at most U.S. grocery stores? And if so, can I use the typically larger globe eggplant? (I don’t know if the flesh/taste are different…) Thanks – and sorry for the confusion.
Aha! I see what you mean. Italian eggplant is the standard globe eggplant you find in U.S. stores. Use two small rather than one large if you can, since the larger eggplants have more seeds.
Thanks, Kate. I loved the taste of this, just not crazy about the strings from the eggplant. Do you think the strings would go away if I use the Vitamix instead of mixing by hand – and if I do use the blender, am I creating a different issue with consistency? Thanks for a super tasty recipe!
Delicious! Thanks for all the excellent tips. It turned out perfectly, and I never knew that old eggplants become bitter.
Great to hear! Thank you, Nancy. Enjoy :)
Kate, I made this for my cookbook club a couple weeks ago – we all chose recipes from your blog or book! It was a huge hit. I’ll be making it again for sure. Only feedback I have is that I did need to use my immersion blender very briefly to break up the eggplant, as mine was a little stringy after roasting, and to make sure the tahini was completely mixed in.
Cookbook club! I love that. Thanks for sharing, Sophie.
4.9? Stars? My goodness…It is great “as is” but just to make it 5 stars.. lol.. Try to grind/sprinkle salt on the eggplant before roasting and let it soak for 20min or so..Rinse it WELL..dry..and then apply olive oil. This way you get rid off most of bitternes of the fruit and it’s ready for later without more salt needed. Within 2/3 of roasting put in “watersoaked first and oliveoiled later” garlic head to roast it together.. it will burn a bit hence temperature is to high but whats is left is enough for BABA and smell will make you munching very soon..lol.. Hard to resist it here now..hehe.. I do agree that if aubergine is bit old tends to be “woody” so you may need to “grind” it a touch yet that parsley add on is perfect since it is the same family as cumin..bla bla bla .. LOVE IT!
Thank you!
Made this tonight turned out perfectly, recipe easy to follow. Made the vegan lentil soup at the same time great combo with this.
Glad to hear that, Robbie! Thanks so much for your star review.
Made this to share with a Lebanese and an Israeli student I teach, but I’m afraid there’s not much left…so delcious
*delicious
That’s a great problem to have, Greg! Thank you for your review.
I love this recipe! I haven’t been able to find good baba ganoush anywhere lately and this is simple and delicious! It turned out creamy and had great flavor. It is better than what I have had at many restaurants.
Wonderful! Thank you, Jessica for sharing.
I made this for my family on Easter Sunday as an appetizer. It was so delicious! Everyone raved about it, and it was especially good for my gluten free daughter in law and her father who are always looking for new recipes. Served it with fresh cut up veggies and rice crackers. I am definitely making this again.
Love hearing that, Regina! I appreciate it.
I’ve been making Baba Ganoush for 30 years. You just upped my game with this recipe! This is not only the best I’ve made, it’s the best I’ve eaten. I added a 1/4tsp of liquid smoke as I always have but I think it was not needed due to the Smoked Paprika…which I had never used previously. Thank you!
Hooray! Great to head. Thanks for sharing. If you wouldn’t mind leaving a star review since you liked it so much, that would be wonderful!
I am one of the rare people who doesn’t care for traditional hummus, so I am very excited to see this recipe. Until now, I had only been able to find really good baba ganoush at a wonderful farmer’s market in another state when visiting one of my sons. Now, thanks to you, I can make my own! :)
Great! I also have a baba ganoush recipe. Check it out too, and let me know what you think! https://capital-fly.pro/2017/epic-baba-ganoush-recipe/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
I am about to make this again- we have fresh eggplant coming out of the garden now, and this is such a tasty way to use it. In fact, we just can’t get enough!! So glad to ha e found this recipe
I am one of those who prefer baba ganoush to hummus, although I love them both. This was a good recipe, although I got interrupted in the middle and didn’t sieve the eggplant — so it’s little lumpy. I added more lemon juice and a pinch more salt, but other than that — perfection. I am feeding my vegan son and granddaughter tonite with this, hummus, pita and tabouli — I keep going in to taste everything, so I hope there’s some left when they get here!!
Thanks for sharing, Dusty! I appreciate the review.
Did anyone try this recipe with leaving the skin on? I am ok with the texture being “chunky”. I just hate throwing away the skins of veggies….
Unfortunately, a little skin is ok but too much and it really effects the texture and flavor or the recipe. It can also make it a little difficult to eat.
Have you tried this with Japanese eggplant? It’s the preferred kind we grow or buy. The skin is much thinner, and it’s less bitter and less watery. Altogether more tasty!! Will give this recipe a try and report back!!
Really good recipe. Just finished making and it is very tasty. Can’t wait to eat it all up.
Lovely! Thank you, Julie.
Do you have a approximate volume of eggplant after you strained it? I’m using a wide variety of shapes and sizes from my garden. Thank you!
2 pounds Italian eggplants. Hope this helps!
Made this today…so tasty. Tastes like what I’ve had in Middle Eastern restaurants. I ended up peeling off the outermost layer of eggplant that was against the cookie sheet as it was probably a little *too*caramelized lol. Gonna take into work tomorrow with some pita chips and sliced cucumbers. Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome, Amy!
This recipe is fantastic! I don’t like the texture of eggplant but really like the taste. This was super easy to make and tastes awesome! I finished it in the food processor, texture, but super easy. I ate multiple spoonfuls of it before it made it to the fridge. Thank you :-)
I’m glad this worked well for you, Ruth! Thank you for your review.
Just made this. Amazing! One change I did: used an immersion blender instead of a fork. Came out creamy.
Delicious!
Thank you!
Thanks for sharing!
Just wondering if babaganoush could be canned ? I grow the long skinny Japanese eggplants as they are sweeter and more prolific. I have half a bushel of them. Help!
I’m not sure on canning. You could see what other readers have done for longer storage. Sorry to not be of more help!
This is epic! I have a garden full of young black beauties and wasn’t sure what to do with them. Went to your site and found this recipe and yum! I roasted my garlic also. Thank you for all your delicious recipes. ☺
Garden-fresh, that’s even better! I’m glad you enjoyed it, Linda. Thanks so much for sharing!
I added a sprinkle of Pepper Flakes to heat it up a little and processed it in the Food Processor to make it smooth. Was fantastic on lettuce leaves fresh from the garden! Thank you.
Just made this with my freshly picked eggplant. I used a smoked Applewood sea salt in addition to the smoked paprika, cause I likes thr smoke taste. I also used a stick blender to mix it well. This is absolutely delicious. I Cannot stop eating this!!! Thanks for this recipe, it’s definitely a keeper
It’s addicting that’s for sure! Thanks for sharing, Lisa.
All your recipes are so delicious! Thank u so much!
You’re welcome, Kelly!
Made a half recipe, but stayed with two cloves of garlic – very yummy. Thank you so much for the tip about draining the eggplant – that made all the difference for a really creamy dip.
You’re welcome, Janet!
I made this according to the recipe and even had a little more eggplant than the recipe called for (4 small eggplant/2.3 pounds). I think the eggplant to tahini ratio is way off, the end result only tasted like tahini. I couldn’t taste the eggplant and it didn’t have that light smoky taste/texture, it was heavier and more of a hummus-like texture. I would try this recipe again, but would reduce the tahini by a whole lot.
I’m sorry you were disappointed, Leah! Thanks for sharing your experience.
Wow, this was my first attempt at making Baba Ganoush. It was delicious. To get the smoky flavor I used a smoked olive oil that I got from a specialty oil store and for seasoning I used 1/2 tsp Turkish Seasoning that is my go to for hummus. So Yummy and very easy. A recipe I will definitely go back to.
Smoked olive oil sounds interesting! Thank you for sharing, Bethany.
This cost a fortune, because Tahini is VERY expensive. And all that money was wasted, because this is Disgusting. So bitter I spit it out into the sink. You’d have to add a pound of salt to overcome the bitterness. I followed the recipe exactly. Wish I could get my money back.
Hi E, very sorry that you had that experience with one of my recipes. It sounds like you had either bad eggplants or bad tahini (which would be extra-unfortunate, since it is not cheap). I’ve had bad experiences like that with some brands of tahini. All my best, Kate
Wonderful recipe! It is both simple and flavorful. Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!
You’re welcome, Elaine!
I made Baba Ganoush for the first time this evening and wow! It was amazing! My friends loved it too so I guess I’ll be making it often! Much tastier than store bought. Thank you soooo much
Love to hear that, Joan! Thank you for sharing.
I found out about this recipe through my boyfriends mom, who came to me last week with a huge plate of fresh baba ganoush. I thought i didnt like baba ganoush but thought id take a trying bite AND I COULDNT STOP. I always thought i was more of a hummus gal, but this recipe makes me question myself and i love it!!
I love that! I’m glad you came across this recipe, Sabrina. I appreciate the review.
This recipe was amazing! The directions were very easy to follow and it was better than any other version I have ever had. Loved it! I can’t wait to make this for my family.
Great! Thanks, Morganne!
Great recipe! I estimated the amount of paprika, salt and cumin, but I’ve been cooking a long time, so I was probably close. Also, I used a jar of roasted eggplant (23 oz) rather than roasting my own. My daughter and I give it 5 stars, and we’ve eaten lots of Baba Ghanouj
Thanks for sharing!
Your instructions say 3/4 teaspoon of salt but in step 5 you say you usually add “another” 1/4 teaspoon. In what step did you add the other 1/2 teaspoon?
Yes! That additional 1/4 is only a suggestion. Recipe overall calls for 3/4, but sometimes I add a full teaspoon.
I made this your way and added a couple of twists: I used roasted garlic for a softer garlic flavor but added roasted flavor, and I added a tablespoon of mixed olive tapenade. I did use a food processor but left it all a little chunky. Delish!
Thanks for sharing, Lynn!