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
โBut why would I make baba ganoush if I could just eat hummus?โ Mara asked when we set out to make the ultimate baba ganoush recipe. At that moment, I couldnโt 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 theyโre often served together with pita bread and raw, crisp veggies. You can use baba ganoush like you would hummusโas 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.ย First up: do you grill the eggplant or roast it?
Roast your eggplant
I donโt have a grill, so I roasted my eggplant and it turned out great. So, you donโt 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 donโt risk an entire eggplant exploding inside your oven.) Using smoked paprika as a garnish adds some extra smokiness, too.
Roasting the eggplants until theyโve collapsed on themselves helps concentrate their flavor and ensure that your dip is silky-smooth. At that point, itโs 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 questionโdo you mix the dip by hand or whip it up in your food processor? Iโm a big fan of my food processor, but it isnโt 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 generouslyโeggplant is inherently bitter, and salt reduces that bitterness. This dip isnโt truly epic until itโs properly seasoned with salt. Can I call my own recipe epic? Oh hell, Iโm 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 dietsโas 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 hummusย 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 itโs your new favorite.
Epic Baba Ganoush
This baba ganoush recipe is the best! Itโs easy to make, too (no food processor required). Youโll need eggplant, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and spices. Recipe yields about 1 ยพ 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
- ยผ cup tahini
- โ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing the eggplant and garnish
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus extra for garnish
- ยพ teaspoon salt, to taste
- ยผ 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.ย 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 itโs 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 ยผ teaspoon) and more lemon juice, if youโd 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. Itโs also great on sandwiches!
Notes
Recipe roughly adapted from Serious Eatsย and Tori Avey.
*Eggplant selection:ย Large eggplants tend to contain more seeds, which can produce a bothersome texture. So, itโs 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:ย Leftover baba ganoush can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 4 days (I think itโs 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 Iโll 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 wonโt 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 nutritionistโs advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
What a fabulous baba ganoush recipe! The smoked paprika really takes it to another level. :)
Absolutely delicious! Perhaps I was a bit heavy handed with tahini for my taste, but really enjoyed it. I could have eaten the whole bowl by myself!
Oh boy โ that is good! I increased the amount of garlic, though.
Thatโs a great way to make it more your taste!
This was my first time making baba ganoush and it turned out great. Thanks!
Great to hear, Jake!
This recipe is great!! I have to confess to a couple of things:) Iโve maybe used eggplant once before in many years in the kitchen . I had 2 small organic eggplants that came in my organic veggie and fruit delivery. Yikes! What do I do that I donโt have to go shopping for?
Anyway, I found this great recipe and all I did was roast them according to the recipe, but with most of the skin off already, remove the rest of the skin and throw everything except the oil in a food processor. Then I added the oil slowly through the lid while blending. I even splashed it with a tiny bit of maple syrup:)
Itโs absolutely delicious and perfect for my lazy self:) Oh, added a little more garlic too:)
Thanks for sharing, Jennifer!
Thank you for this recipe it was amazing! Everyone that I offered it to devoured it enthusiastically!
Epic recipe Kate! My first time to make baba ganoush. The first place I searched for a recipe, as usual, was Cookie+Kate. Of course it did not disappoint! Thanks for the great recipe! Tell Cookie hey!!
Lisa :)
Perfection!
A-frekin-mazing!
Hi Kate, the recipe looks great! Will try it myself. You may want to clarify your comment on baba ganoush being often weird, that may be offensive to some :)
Hi Fatima. That was not my intent, but to demonstrate I know itโs a different concept to some who havenโt tried it. Although, I do appreciate your feedback!
Hey, just thought it was worthy to follow up on the โweirdโ qualifier that you have included in your intro to this recipe. I have to agree with the previous comment. Iโd invite you to consider that even though it may be a different concept to some, validating that different = weird is quite offensive. You really donโt have to equate โnot knowingโ with a negative qualifier like โweirdโ in order to make it more approachable. โFor some this may be newโ suffices and only speaks to lack of experience. I appreciate this is a recipe-
sharing platform and that perhaps it wasnโt your intent, still Iโd hope for more thoughtfulness and perhaps a re-write of this descriptor. Hope you can receive this with the good intention with which it was written.
Hi Julia, thank you so much for your feedback and sharing your interpretation of my writing with me. I will adjust the paragraph. I never intend to offend.
I also agree with Fatima and Julia. I wouldnโt call foods from other countries weird, as that is pretty offensive. I am Indian, and had my fair share of kids making fun of Indian food I would bring to school for lunch. Unfortunately that kind of scarred me. I appreciate you removing that sentence from your post. We should all respect other cultures and their foods :) And thank you for this recipe, I tried it and itโs very flavorful!
Just Yummy!!!
I just found your blog this weekend and have made two things thus far. Followed your recipes exactly. First, I made โThe Best Hummusโ. It literally was. I made this next. OMG. So amazing!
I donโt want to rate this recipe since it was the first time I tried to make it and made lots of mistakes.
First, I always thought baba ghanoush was made with sour cream because of it color and taste. What a shock for me.
I didnโt roast the eggplant long enough and think it wasnโt the freshest eggplant (in my frig for over a week). Never used tahini before and didnโt realize that it separated soooooo much! even after vigorous stirring and shaking, I didnโt get it very well mixed. No fresh parsley but I had some dried. Too much salt for me so I cut it back but I think not enough. Added a little extra cumin because I like the way it smells. Cut back on the oil tooโjust becauseโฆ
Finally, itโs not great but it is pretty decent. Iโm going to try again when I have all the necessary ingredients and am not so confused. This time around I was flying by the seat of my pants. I used at least 20 different pieces of kitchen utensils, tools and dishes. Oil and pieces of eggplant are all over my counter. And, Baba ghanoush is now my new fashion statement. Looks lovely on my black shirt!
I appreciate your transparent comment. I hope you have a better result next time!
Wow- this was fantastic! I did grill the eggplant (over indirect heat) instead of baking it but still added the smoked paprika and this was some of the best baba ganoush Iโve ever eaten. I will definitely be making it again. Thanks so much!
Iโm glad grilling worked well for you, Beth!
Amazing babaganush!! Thank you!!!
Youโre welcome!
Baba Ghanoush recipe is great! Iโve made it three times in the last two weeksโtwice for guests. Just canโt get enoughโฆ Thank you.
This recipe is amazing! I love that your serving size is 1/4 of a cup. I want to eat at least that much.
Iโm glad you love it, Lisa! Thanks for your review.
Kate,
Took today (Monday) off and used your recipe. Babganoush came out wonderfully well -had to stop myself from eating the whole bowl.
Will use your recipe again. Thank you!
Mark
This is amazing!
This was great! Easy to follow and delicious
This was my first time making baba ganoush, and it came out perfectly! The consistently, flavor, and texture are all spot-on. I followed the recipe almost exactly, except instead of stirring the ingredients by hand, I pulsed everything together in a food processor, drizzling the olive oil in at the end.
Wonderful, Susie! Thanks for your review.
Just made this and itโs so good! The only change I recommend is doubling the recipe, because I anticipate this will be VERY popular. Thank you!! :)
Youโre welcome! Doubling sounds like a very good idea. :)
I make baba frequently but Iโm always looking at other peopleโs recipe to see if I can improve mine. They are all very similar. I did grill my eggplant on a plank to add even more smokiness to it.
I loved that there is cumin in this recipe. I think it is a lot to the flavor.
Kate I LOVE your recipes, style and blog. Thank you for spending time to put love into it all. A lil tip I learned from an old Italian gourmet cook is to salt the eggplant (slices or any shape) and let sit for a minimum of 30 minutes. This takes that edgy biting out of it. Also he told me to pick only the female eggplantโthe males have more biteโnot in a good way. I look forward to everything you post. Love and blessings
Youโre welcome, Melodee! Iโm happy you could enjoy it.
I was in DC for the weekend and went to Zaytinya for brunch Sunday and had the BEST baba ganoush Iโve ever had. They gave me the list of ingredients but not the amounts (or ratios). I wanted to try to replicate it and found your recipe. It didnโt have quite the depth, but yours was delicious. I love baba ganoush and will make your recipe again and again.
I did, like some others, put all the ingredients in a food processor. Very easy!
Thank you for sharing, Linda!
This recipe is truly epic! Itโs better than any restaurantโs version. My husband lighy smoked n grilled my eggplant. A-mazing flavor! Iโm now addicted. Lol. Thank you, thank you thank you!
Dare I say this is the best baba ganoush Iโve ever had! I was taught by my Lebanese friend to roast the eggplant whole, but slicing it in half makes it so much easier to gut and it cooks faster! I served the baba (still warm) in a grilled pita with sautรฉed ground lamb (onion, garlic, parsley, za-atar and mint) with fresh sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, and the faintest sprinkle of fetaโฆ my family was so pleased. I LOVED this recipe Kate, thank you!
Iโm so glad you think so, Emily! Thank you for your comment and review.
Hiya! The recipe ingredients call for salt, but the only place itโs mentioned is when you say to add โmore saltโ. At which stage should I add the first addition of salt? I canโt wait to try this!
Hi Jen, Iโm so sorry about that! Iโm not sure how I missed that. It is updated now! Again, my apologies. Let me know what you think when you try it!
Thank you! Part of me wondered if it might be at the straining part (like how people salt cucumber to release moisture before a dish) hah! I did try this the next night BUT I couldnโt find the right egg plant and wellโฆ it didnโt work LOL. But I KNOW it will work with the right type! (The store near me didnโt have those. They usually DO. Thanks again :)
Thank you so much for posting this recipe!!! This is GREAT!!!!
Followed recipe ingredients with below variation.
Roasted oiled Garlic.(2 extra cloves) at half way point with the Eggplant. Added kosher salt and EXVO (extra virgin olive oil) to rub on Eggplant. Did not have Tahini so used Almond Butter. I could live on this!!!!! Thanks Again!!!!
Youโre welcome, Olivia!
My first time to make this dip and itโs perfection!!! And very easy to make. This will be a hit at our office potlucks! Just the right amount of garlic. Thank you for this recipe. The best baba ganoush Iโve ever had. And best of all, itโs home made! Zenaida
Your recipe IS Epic!!!! Love the additions you recommended!!! On a second try- I used acorn squash instead of egg plant & was delighted with that adaptation as well! Try it- I think youโll love that adaptation!!
Pat
Iโm glad you think so too, Pat. I appreciate your review.
I made half the recipe, using one biggish globe eggplant. Never make half the recipe, or there wonโt be enough. Trust me. My husband and I did not have enough, even twice as much might have been too little. I think I even licked the bowl. So be warned, this goes fast. We lived in the Middle East, and this recipe is as good as anything we ate there.
We made this โ first time weโve even made baba ganoush! The texture and color were wonderful especially as we included some of the carmelized eggplant. It looks homemade and has just enough heat from garlic and cumin. Thank you for the video as it really helps to provide guidance and confidence.
I had a gold standard for baba ganoush and it was unfortunately one that existed only in the head of friends who live down under โ literally! and I just braved making your recipe โ I am hooked. This is so easy and it is deeply eggplant laden, vs tahini laden โ love it and I will make it again soon
Fabulous, I have always liked baba ganoush but LOVE this one. Thank you
Just made this. It is fabulous!
I LOVE this recipe! Itโs always so delicious, and the spices are so on point. Thank you!!
Youโre welcome! Iโm glad you loved it, Gabriela.
Recipe was easy to follow and delish! I added an extra clove of garlic, as we like it a little spicy. LOL
Oh dear, this recipe is what I was missing my entire life! I adore baba ganoush but I thought I could never make it at home since I canโt grill and smoke the eggplants. I added some liquid smoke instead of the paprika, and when I tried this I almost cried. Thank you SO much!
To the person who said to double this, you were wrong. You need to double it again!
I halved the tahini (Prefer the subtle flavour) and halved the olive oil. While roasting the eggplant I also roasted 6 garlic cloves to mash and add as we love garlic and this was sensational!
This is such a wonderful recipe! I just added a spoonful of yogurt to add that extra creaminess. I will definitely be making it again! Thank you!
Delicious! I ate half at one sitting โ so good! I will be making this frequently. Thank you for an awesome recipe!
Thank you for sharing your recipes. Many years ago I lived in Chicago where international restaurants abounded and one of my favorites was the Casbah on Diversey where I was introduced to Lebanese food. I really liked lamb kibbe but havenโt seen it anywhere since 1975. Would love to try it again. Recently, I found a recipe for quinoa tabbouleh..have not tried it as Iโm not especially fond of quinoa and donโt want to make it if wonโt taste good. What do you think? Also, Iโve
given up most meats and am constantly looking for new ideas for what to eat. (Iโm also a dog lover and have had the privilege of having had several precious rescued dogs in my life..but they need to have meat in their diet which I prepare.) Thanks again. Carlotta
Hi Carlotta! I love Lebanese food, too! Iโve used quinoa in tabbouleh and I liked it, but I like quinoa. You canโt go wrong with the traditional bulgur wheat. Hereโs my favorite tabbouleh recipe (you could substitute 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa if youโd like).
I just made this and WOW!!! Have to save some for later coz itโs just sooo addictive. I mopped the bowl with sliced ciabatta bread and licked the fork too :-p
Amazing recipe, really the best Baba ganoush! I made it without tahini though, and just a bit of sesame, because the last time I made it with home-made tahini it was dry and sour. But your recipe is the best one Iโve tried. Thanks
This is truly an โepicโ babaganoush recipe.
Hey, I made this dip earlier todayโฆ. itโs amazing! This is the first baba ganoush I have ever made. Admittedly I added more garlic, I just canโt help myself I never thought I liked aubergine as a friend had given it to me years ago (fried) and it made me feel nausous, Iโve also tried mousaka but not a lover of that, I just like the look of them and knew there must be a recipe I would love somewhere. Found it I used Kateโs recipe because I am hooked on her hummus recipe (itโs fabulous, boiling the tinned chick peas makes a million times difference). I have made that a thousand times for all family and friends and they all say itโs the best hummus they have ever had. So thank you Kate I trust you implicitly. Take care and stay safe. V.xx
Iโm happy you loved it (and love my hummus recipe too). Thank you for sharing, Victoria!
Just tried this recipe for the first time last night (although we only had one large eggplant). Threw the peeled garlic cloves into the oven for 15 minutes with the eggplant โ absolutely delicious results. Thank you for the inspiration!
I made this recently and I just came back to the page to make it again! It really, really is the best baba. Using the mesh strainer is definitely a key feature that helps perfect the flavor and texture!
Iโm glad you have made this again, Kat! Thanks for sharing your experience.
Hi! Thanks so much for sharing your results. Iโm glad you enjoyed the baba ganoush in the end. It shouldnโt have been difficult to break up the eggplant flesh, so it sounds like maybe your eggplant needed more time in the oven. Hope it turns out perfectly next time!
Part of our fabulous family Falafel feast tonight. Everyone enjoyed it. Thank you
This has been my โgo-toโ recipe site ever since I found it several years ago. Iโve probably made a dozen of these recipes and, with only one exception, I have been extremely pleased. Iโve been making the hummus weekly for over a year. Since Iโm occupying myself by trying new recipes, I decided to forgo the weekly hummus and try baba ganoush. I found it a little more difficult to make then anticipated. I had a lot of strands in my eggplant that couldnโt be broken up by a fork so I removed then and cut them with a fork and knife. Eventually I even used an eggbeater to homogenize the completed baba ganoush . When I was finished, I tasted it and it was good but not attractive to look at. To solve the latter problem I topped off the surface with chopped parsley and smoked paprika and put it in the refrigerator as suggested. After two hours of cooling it both looked nicer and tasted much better, which is why Iโve rated it a five. In the future Iโll definitely add more chopped parsley to add color to the otherwise grey baba ganoush.
Thanks so much for sharing your results (and adding your star review!). Iโm glad you enjoyed the baba ganoush in the end. It shouldnโt have been difficult to break up the eggplant flesh, so it sounds like maybe your eggplant needed more time in the oven. Hope it turns out perfectly next time!