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 found this recipe easy to make and I’ve had consistently delicious results with it. It’s simple , easy to make, and super tasty!
Hi Kate! What do you recommend as a substitute for tahini in this recipe? My son is allergic to sesame and tree nuts, but loves baba ganoush! We’ve had one that used mayonnaise, but if you have other suggestions, that would be great. Thanks! Megan
Hi Megan! Hmmm, I’m really trying to think of an alternative but struggling. Tahini adds nutty, tangy flavor and a thicker, richer texture. The first thing that comes to mind would be to use other nuts, but those are off the table. Mayo will make it more silky, but I’m not sure you need that. Have you tried it without tahini? Perhaps you could add a bit more olive oil and lemon juice make up for it. Hope that helps somehow!
I think when the eggplant is grilled it is smokier and much better. Also, how do you get the seeds out without losing the whole eggplant. It’s like there is nothing left when you do that. Can you further explain that please?
Hi there! This recipe is designed for the oven, since not everyone has a grill. If you prefer to grill your eggplant, though, you certainly could do that for this recipe. Also, this recipe does not require removing the seeds, so that should make it easier on you!
Everyone loved this and it was so easy! Thanks for another lovely recipe!
Thank you!
This recipe is excellent except for one thing – the recommendation to mix by hand rather than using a mini-food processor which quickly makes it silky smooth – with no time wasted “picking out strings.” I was not satisfied with the texture of my babaganoush until I loaded everything into the mini processor, and it was perfect in ten seconds. At that point I added the olive oil slowly while processing. Using and cleaning a mini is effortless. Don’t try to avoid using a tool that makes life easier and makes the recipe so much better. I would have given it 5 stars instead of 4 if the processor had been recommended.
This is my go-to baba ganoush recipe, though I tend to up the garlic ante! It’s delicious every time.
I love that, Saira! Thank you for sharing.
you asked if you could call your own baba ganoush epic. Answer is-
Yes you can!!!!!!!! Thanks for a great recipe!
Thank you, Joan! I’m happy you think so.
This was absolutely delicious! I should have made double the amount for my family. Thank you. So much easier than flame grilling the eggplant.
Great recipe! We just made it while under lockdown, and it turned out perfect! Satisfied our cravings for middle eastern food for the time being, at least.
I wanted to share that I put the discarded eggplant skins back in the oven for about 20 minutes, after dusting them with salt and Indian chili powder. They ended up being a fantastic addition to this snack plate! Eggplant chips, if you will! I didn’t want to waste the eggplant skins!!
Delicious!! I added a pinch of smoked paprika through the dip also (not only for garnish). My partner & I thoroughly enjoyed this recipe, thanks for sharing!
I made this last night and it is truly “Epic”. Its delicious and easy! Thank you! I love your recipes and look forward to your blog posts.
Hooray! I’m happy to hear that, Jennifer.
The recipe is super good! The proportions given for spices are perfect and create a delicious flavour profile. I served mine with toasted pita bread and persian barbari. It was gone in minutes! Thank you for such a great recipe.
You’re welcome! Thanks for trying it.
Love this baba ganoush recipe! Totally agree – ample salt is needed. And I doubled the amount of lemon juice. The smoky flavour is DEVINE!
I’ve always loved Baba Ganoush but somehow never tried to make it from scratch. Until today when I found your website! This recipe was everything I could hope for – simple, quick, and no need for fancy ingredients or utensils – and I will be writing it down in my notebook.
On a different note, I’ve been on a quest to make the perfect hummus for years only to be disappointed each time – I’ll be trying your recipe next!
Kate, my kids and I are enjoying your cook book, and appreciate the deliciousness and lack of fuss! I think that’s the key to letting good ingredients shine.
I recently developed a sesame allergy, and can no longer use tahini, but haven’t enjoyed the flavor of peanut butter as a substitute. Can you recommend an alternative ingredient, maybe an oil, that I can substitute in this recipe and in hummus?
Thanks-Kathryn
Hi Kathryn! Thanks so much for your kind note. You might actually want to try cashew butter, since it has a more mild flavor than peanut butter yet is still thick, creamy and nutty like tahini. You could make your own with toasted cashews if you follow my recipe for almond butter. Otherwise, I’d suggest doctoring up your baba ganoush/hummus with a bit more olive oil and lemon juice. Hope that helps!
I emailed earlier about substitutions for tahini. I made this for dinner tonight and it was Epic, even though I had to make changes. I used 2 teaspoons of pumpkin seed oil, roasted the garlic on the stovetop, and added an extra tablespoon of lemon juice, all to make up for the tahini. The resulting color was darker green, probably not the most appealing. But the flavor was delicious! Ate it on whole grain baguette I had broiled with thinly sliced tomatoes. Thank you for posting this recipe!
I’m getting ready to make this this week! Any suggestions on what I can use in place of tahini? Can’t seem to find it in the stores right now. I do have sesame oil…? Thank you!
Hi Elisa! Tahini offers nutty flavor and thickens up the mixture, so that is a bit tricky. You could use a tiny amount of sesame oil for sesame flavor. You might be able to yield a similar texture with cashew butter, though I haven’t tried (you could make your own following the steps in my almond butter recipe). I once tried making my own tahini from sesame seeds, but it didn’t work out very well (store-bought tahini is made with hulled/shell-less sesame seeds, whereas store-bought sesame seeds are only available hulled). Anyway, hope this long-winded answer helps. :)
Thank you!! I actually did just that, adding 1tbsp of sesame oil. It came out perfect! The consistency was thick and creamy—letting the eggplant strain and extracting the water was an important step. I grilled them and the smokiness was sooo delicious. You were right also—salt was key!! Thank you so much. It was super easy and yummy and a great accompaniment to some baharat spiced beef kebabs I made. A def recipe for my repertoire and a definite do again!
WAY too much tahini, and not enough garlic. My son said it tasted like peanut butter more than baba ghanoush. I managed to even it out for the most part, but if I had had more time, I would have roasted and thrown in another small eggplant to cut the intensity of the sesame. It was that much too much. I would start with half the tahini the recipe calls for and taste as I go before adding more. Roasting the eggplant on parchment paper was a great tip, and the smoked paprika was a nice touch.
Made thus last night for the first of two get togethers..super easy and a total hit..3nd batch of eggplant just came out of the oven to mix up for tomorrow.
A new favorite!!
This sounds delicious! Do you have any suggestions on a substitute for the tahini? My son is allergic to sesame, and, in case he actually wants to try it, I’d like him to be able to. Thank you!
You might actually want to try cashew butter, since it has a more mild flavor than peanut butter yet is still thick, creamy and nutty like tahini. You could make your own with toasted cashews if you follow my recipe for almond butter. Otherwise, I’d suggest doctoring up your baba ganoush/hummus with a bit more olive oil and lemon juice. Hope that helps!
I was hesitant to try this because I ve had amazing baba ganoush in the past and my attempts at hummus just never lived up to comparison from my local Greek restaraunt. I love that this recipe doesn’t require a lot of fancy equipment or labor intenstive steps. We devoured the whole bowl and I think it might replace hummus as my favorite dip;)
I was trying to duplicate the dish served by Mediterranean Cafe in Pasadena since I am unable to get there at this time. This recipe is awesome! I only used one eggplant but kept the 2 cloves garlic and pretty much halved everything else. Probably used too much lemon juice (I have a tree) but all was good. No food processor but baked the eggplant as suggested cut side down. Thank you so much for posting this recipe….and I really liked it the next day!
It really was an epic baba ganoush! I ate half og it with a spoon!
made this on Sat 30th May 2020, think I burnt the flesh side but it ended up ok once all other ingredients were added. Might reduce the heat next time when roasting the aubergine. Enjoyed with hummus, pitta and some roasted veg and chicken
I was wanting to make some baba ganoush after recently eating some at a falafel restaurant. Having accidentally exploded an eggplant in the oven in the past, I really liked the suggestion of halving the eggplant during prep. It really helped caramelize the flavors. (I fully expect that we’ll be eating the whole bowl tonight.)
Best Baba ghanoush I’ve ever tasted! Thank you for sharing ❤ This will probably become something I make every week…epic
Great recipe, Kate! It’s bumping up to 100 degrees outside, so I roasted 2 small eggplants whole in the toaster oven on “broil” (poke ’em so they don’t explode!). Took about 40 min to cook through, turning them every 8 – 12 min. so they were nice and roasted. Got a great smoky flavor from the charred skins, and could still scoop out the insides easily.
Nice proportion of seasonings and ingredients – this one is a keeper. Thanks, again!
Thanks for this recipe. Just made it. Followed your instructions except I happened to have some locally sourced cold-pressed sunflower oil which I added in 50/50 proportion to the olive oil. It came out great.
I’ve made this recipe about 6 or 7 times now and it is truly EPIC!! The simplicity is the key and your tips are game changing, especially about how to roast and drain the eggplant. Thanks so much for this recipe. It always wows with friends and family. Getting ready to make it again today!
This recipe is excellent and FYI it freezes beautifully!
I halved the recipe (but kept the amount of garlic the same), chucked everything in the blender instead of mixing by hand, AND Y’ALL THIS WAS SO GOOD! I admit, this is the only way I’ll eat eggplant, but it is a delicious, and enjoyable way to do it. This recipe has got you covered
Made this for my family two weeks ago: followed the recipe as written, apart from a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten it up. They adored it. I only wish I had doubled the recipe. Thank you!
Thankyou Thankyou. I love this very simple recipe. Always have in the fridge!!!
I have never eaten baba ganoush but saw your recipe with excellent instructions. Made it and it turned out very yummy. Gave my mum-in-law half of what I made and she enjoyed it. I have been making it once a week since and mum-in-law looks forward to it each time I give her.
Baba ghanoush always seemed daunting to me until I tried this recipe – I have the bad habit of never properly following the recipe but this was easy and foolproof.
Fabulous recipe and great tips about choosing eggplant . Thanks Kate!
I did make this. Several times. I just keep coming back for a reminder on the little touches that really do elevate this recipe to something amazing. Thanks. Great way to make this.
I’m glad you agree, Suze! Thank you for your review.
THE BEST recipe for Bab ganoush!! I amde it over and over for the delight of my family and friends. It’s super creamy and satisfying over toast for a simple yet nutricious breakfast as well as a dip. Can’t get enough of it.
I’m glad you love it and can’t get enough of it, Jordana! I appreciate your review.
Good recipe! I am of Lebanese descent and I approve ;-).
It’s hard to get out all the seeds, but, oh well… It’s still tasty! Cooking the eggplant in halves is great: better than the entire eggplant at once, and better than in slices as I saw in another recipe. Thank you!
PS The color was fine, also. Sometimes the baba ghannouj comes out too brown, and even if it tastes good, it doesn’t look as good, so Lebanese home cooks add a dollop of Greek-style yoghurt to whiten it. I felt it was unnecessary for this recipe.
What a wonderful recipe! Aubergines are on sale this week at my fav shop, so I’m happy to report I’ve made a big batch of this delicious Bsba Ganouch. I followed the recipe exactly, and my only change will be to add a bit less salt next time. But, that’s the only change I’ll make.
Just plain DELICIOUS!
Thank you.
Hooray! I’m glad you loved it, Dawa.
Always enjoy your recipes. Pleasantly written and flavorful.
Something strangely familiar about the way you cook.
Thanks
I’m glad you think so, Al! I appreciate you taking the time to review.
made this a couple weeks ago for a mediterranean style party at home and my family has been NONSTOP requesting more!! it came out absolutely AMAZING!! the eggplant roasting method is outstanding. will be making this dozens of more times!!!
PS – pairs AMAZINGLY on a platter with kate’s tzatziki recipe and some great pita/naan as well!!
Amazing simple and delicious recipe! Thank you!
This was my first time making Baba ganoush. I used 4 cloves of garlic and I did use my food processor. Thank you for such an excellent recipe.
Very good recipe. I especially like the detailed instructions and notes. Really made it easier for me to get good results.
I am trying to figure out what went wrong with this recipe? I may have not had enough eggplant (I used 2 small) and when I roasted it, it got pretty browned. That must have been it because I felt it was way too oily and the tahini taste too strong. Also 2 large gloves of raw garlic was too bitter for my taste. It reminded me of my first attempts at hummus in college! :(
Hi Sarah, sorry to hear it! It sounds like your eggplants were well under two pounds total, which would explain all your problems. Please weigh the eggplant in the store next time (when I offer the weight for an ingredient first, as shown on this recipe, it’s because it’s important to get it right).
This has become my absolute favourite go-to recipe for Babaganoush. It’s excellent and because I follow a low/no carb diet, I have used trimmed vegetable sticks to eat it with. Last time I used 3 aubergines. I scoffed the lot for my lunch! Excellent recipe, it’s a definite winner, highly recommend!!
Wonderful to hear, Alexandra! Thank you for sharing.
Great recipe! I put it to my special box. Thanks a lot for Baba Ganoush feast! :-)))
Give it a break, Edna. Haters are needed here.