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Forget shelling out $8 for a sad plastic tub of bubbly old dip that’s going to make you gag or die of boredom. This drop-dead gorgeous Lebanese baba ganoush is smoky, creamy, and ready in under an hour with just 8 simple ingredients! Did I mention it’s 100% vegan and gluten-free, too?
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Baba ganoush, sometimes spelled baba ghanoush or baba ghanouj, is a Levantine OG that’s been perfected over centuries in Lebanon, Syria, and across the Middle East.
This authentic baba ganoush recipe is a lighter riff on mutabal—no yogurt, no heaviness, and best of all, no food processor needed (though using a food processor is an alternative option for a smoother texture). Ready in under an hour, this delicious dip slaps at parties or straight outta the fridge on a random Tuesday. It might just upstage your harissa hummus...
Scoop big, share generously, and watch this smoky eggplant dip vanish before your next batch of kuboos or bolani is done puffin'.
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🥰Why you’ll adore this baba ganoush recipe
✊ Vegan AF & GF: Like all of my vegan Middle Eastern recipes and gluten-free recipes, this Lebanese eggplant dip lets the natural flavors of eggplant and tahini (sesame paste) completely shine without any mayonanaise, or other such nonsense.
🔥 Perfectly Smoky Flavor: The high-temperature roasting method caramelizes the eggplant's natural sugars and creates that distinctive smoky flavor that you can find in authentic Lebanese baba ganoush. If you have an outdoor grill, that's another great cooking method for achieving that smoky flavor. Some recipes even call for liquid smoke, but I prefer the natural charring method.
🌎 Pantry-Friendly Ingredients: Everything you need is available at standard grocery stores, with no specialty items required beyond tahini (which keeps for months in your pantry).
✅ Tested and Approved Worldwide: Like all of the vegan recipes I share, after tweaking it, I shared it with a massive team of recipe testers who loved the heck out of it.
🤘Learn to make killer vegan Middle Eastern food
This guide to my most popular plant-based Middle Eastern recipes is 100% FREE, & you'll love the actual heck out of it 🥰
🍆 Baba Ganoush Ingredients
Eggplants
Italian eggplants (also called globe eggplants) are ideal for baba ganoush with their meaty texture and mild flavor. That’s also why I chose this common variety for soslu patlican and Turkish shakshuka.
Choose ones that feel heavy for their size with smooth, shiny skin without wrinkles. The best way to prepare them is to roast the eggplant whole until they're fully cooked.
Japanese eggplants don’t make a good choice for this because there’s too high a ratio of skin to meat. Save those for making Thai basil eggplant or Malaysian curry laksa.
Tahini
Made from ground sesame seeds, tahini provides an irreplaceable creamy texture and nutty flavor you can only find in authentic baba ganoush. Look for tahini that's well-emulsified without separated oil on top, which is exactly what I look for to make my tarator, and harissa chickpeas with.
Cumin
Freshly toasted and ground cumin seeds offer the most vibrant flavor, but pre-ground works fine too.
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Smoked Paprika
This spice enhances the natural smokiness of the roasted eggplant with its own gentle heat and complex flavor. Regular paprika can substitute if needed, but you'll miss some of the characteristic smokiness that unlocks the best baba ever.
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
🤯Variations
Baharat Baba Ganoush
Baharat baba ganoush brings a warmer, deeper flavor thanks to a hit of Lebanese 7-spice. To make it, just stir a generous spoonful of baharat into the baba ganoush during mixing.
Spicy Baba Ganoush
This variant gets a kick with a swirl of zhoug, harissa sauce, or shatta on top. It's got that extra heat, taking it from mellow to fiery. Just drizzle it over your dip with olive oil and let the spice do its thing.
📖How to make baba ganoush
Master this Lebanese dip recipe on your first shot by following these step-by-step photos with helpful tips. Or scroll down to the bottom of this page for the easy-to-print recipe card.
Step One
Prick or Treat:
Preheat to 450°F (230°C). Line a baking pan with parchment. Prick each eggplant deeply with a fork all over about every 2-3 cm.
Step Two
Catch ‘Em on the Flip Side:
Roast 40–45 minutes, flipping halfway, until the skins collapse and the insides are soft. Let them cool on the counter for 15-20 minutes.
Step Three
Peel the Power:
Cut off the tops and peel off the skins. Drop the flesh into a colander or mesh strainer. Let drain for 5 minutes, pressing gently with a spoon to get rid of excess liquid.
Step Four
Forkin' Good:
Mash the eggplant flesh in a bowl with a fork or masher. Leave a little texture.
Step Five
A Stir Is Born:
Stir in garlic, olive oil, tahini, cumin, smoked paprika, parsley, lemon juice, and salt. Mix until smooth. Adjust lemon or salt to taste.
✅ Trust me, this needs to mayo at all to be amazing. But if it's what you've done for the last 200 years or whatever, you can use a spoonful of vegan kewpie if you must.
Step Six
Mezze Don’t Play:
Transfer to a shallow bowl. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, a light sprinkle of paprika, coarsely crushed black peppercorns, flat leaf parsley leaves, and pomegranate seeds if you want ‘em. Serve with warm pita bread.
💡Serving Ideas
If you want to take your Lebanese baba ganoush up a notch, here’s how: Spread it as a base for harissa carrots, harissa cauliflower, or vegan kofta—those spicy flavors are a killer match with the creamy eggplant.
Or, slap it on a sandwich with some vegan shawarma—supremely divine. Rock it with a fresh taboule, kisir, or bulgur pilavi.
It also makes an excellent side dish alongside other Middle Eastern cuisine favorites. Serve with pita wedges or fresh veggies like raw vegetables for dipping. A side of stuffed grape leaves or a bowl of harira soup could be the perfect way to round out the meal.
👉Top tips
- Start with Great Eggplant: Choose eggplants that feel heavy for their size with tight, shiny skin—these contain fewer seeds and more flesh. Smaller Italian eggplants typically yield a sweeter, less bitter result than larger ones, which tend to be seedier.
- Roast Until Collapse: NO ONE WANTS UNDER-COOKED EGGPLANT. Don’t even think about rushing the roasting process—eggplants should be completely collapsed and incredibly soft.
- Drainage Is Non-Negotiable: Taking time to properly drain the roasted eggplant is crucial for the right consistency.
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
The skin should be deeply wrinkled and collapsed, and the flesh should be extremely soft when pierced with a fork, almost to the point of mushiness.
Bitterness usually comes from the eggplant seeds. Choose smaller, firmer eggplants, which typically have fewer seeds, and be sure to fully roast them until very soft.
Yes, but pulse carefully and briefly—over-processing can make the texture too smooth and paste-like. Traditional baba ganoush has some texture to it.
I'd 100% start by making zaalouk, which my wife learned to make while living in Morocco. Otherwise, borani banjan is a gorgeous looking meal made with eggplant. If you have tiny little Indian eggplants on hand, make a jar of makdous!
🧊 Refrigeration: Transfer cooled baba ganoush to an airtight container with a tight-fitting lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The flavors actually improve after the first day. If any liquid separates during storage, simply stir it back in before serving.
If you freeze it, your dog, who normally greets you with a tail wag, will look at you with true disgust, and your mama will start wondering if you are her true kid or some maniac who got swapped in at the nursery. Don’t make everyone disappointed in you by freezing this stuff, OK?
✌️You'll love these vegan Middle Eastern recipes too:
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Lebanese Baba Ganoush
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Wire mesh strainer optional
- Potato masher optional
Ingredients
- 2 Italian eggplants medium (about 1 lb. each)
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic minced
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup tahini
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons parsley minced
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
To Garnish & Serve:
- Black peppercorns coarsely crushed
- Additional extra virgin olive oil
- Paprika
- Flat leaf parsley leaves
- Pomegranate seeds
- Pita chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Line a baking an with parchment paper. Prick each eggplant all over, about once every 2-3 cm. (About an inch) with a fork, then place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Roast for 40 to 45 minutes, turning once halfway through, until the skin is collapsed and the eggplants are very soft. Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes, or until cool enough to handle.
- Trim off the tops and peel away the skin from the eggplants. Transfer the flesh to a colander or wire mesh strainer and let it drain for 5 minutes. Gently press with a spoon to release as much excess liquid as possible without letting eggplant escape out of the hole in the colander.
- Place the eggplant flesh in a mixing bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher until mostly smooth, leaving some texture.
- Add the garlic, olive oil, tahini, cumin, smoked paprika, parsley, lemon juice, and salt. Mix until well combined and smooth. Taste and adjust salt or lemon juice if needed.
- Transfer to a shallow bowl. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, a light sprinkle of paprika, coarsely crushed black peppercorns, flat leaf parsley leaves, and pomegranate seeds. Serve with pita chips.
Notes
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Gail says
Great recipe! It is very flavorful and perfect with some fluffy flatbread. Smoky and tangy, without having to char the eggplant. I made 1.5 times the recipe and would double it—you will thank me. I agree with Adam that it improves by setting overnight. I appreciated the *tip* on eggplant seeds being the source of “bitterness” (never been a problem for me but others seem to experience it) so I removed some when peeling the eggplant. Great vegan baba ganoush!