This creamy garlicky Roasted Eggplant Dip is easy to make, packed with flavor, and always a hit! It has lots of roasted eggplant, roasted garlic, creamy yogurt, fresh herbs, and spices. Try it as an appetizer topped with toasted pine nuts and served with a toasted baguette!
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Why This Recipe Works
Easy to make - All you need to do is roast a few eggplants and garlic and throw them into a food processor with a few other ingredients and blend! So easy and so simple.
The perfect appetizer - Dips are the best appetizers to make too because they're very low maintenance and very DIY. Whether it's a party, a game night, or a Friday afternoon, you can just serve a few dips with chips, crackers or dips and people can just help themselves to whatever they wanna eat. Try this eggplant dip with these Homemade Gluten-Free Pita Chips or just serve it with some toasted baguette slices.
Creamy and flavorful - Greek yogurt makes this dip super creamy and gives it a slight tang. You can also use creme fraiche for even more creaminess. The recipe calls for a whole bulb of roasted garlic and lots of fresh herbs. It's packed with flavor and so delicious!
Ingredients
- Eggplant - You want to choose firm dark purple eggplants without any visible scratch marks or brown spots.
- Garlic - You can find the best garlic by gently squeezing it. Every garlic clove should be completely firm. If they're not, the garlic is starting to go bad. The garlic gets roasted whole so it's best to pick a good one.
- Greek yogurt - Choose full-fat greek yogurt or alternatively you can also use creme fraiche (I often do). The thicker the yogurt, the better the dip will be. If your yogurt is too thin, the dip will also be thin and not as creamy.
- Lemon - Freshly squeezed lemon is always the best choice. If you use organic lemon you can add some lemon zest to the dip for extra flavor and freshness!
- Fresh herbs - Flat-leaf parsley, dill, and chives are the perfect trio for this recipe but you can use any of the three you have on hand. Fresh herbs will definitely give the dip much more flavor than dried herbs but you can use those too if necessary.
Variations and Substitutions
- Make it vegan - You can easily make this recipe vegan friendly! Just swap the Greek yogurt for a vegan yogurt or vegan cream cheese if the yogurt you like is too thin.
- Add heat - You can add chili flakes, chili garlic sauce, or fresh chili peppers to up the heat of this dip to your preference.
- Season with za'atar - Za'atar spice is a Middle Eastern spice made with sesame seeds, oregano, thyme, marjoram, sumac, and sea salt. You can put it in the dip or just sprinkle it on top.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F (200C).
- Leave the eggplants whole and carefully pierce them with a fork all over so the steam can escape while they're roasting. Transfer them to a baking sheet.
- Cut off the top of the head of garlic leaving the rest of it intact. Put it on a small sheet of foil and drizzle the exposed garlic cloves with olive oil. Wrap it in foil and add to the baking sheet with eggplants. I also have a separate post on How to Roast Garlic in the Oven that goes into more detail.
- Roast the eggplant and garlic for 50-60 minutes or until the eggplant is very tender. If your eggplant is extra large, it might need more time. The garlic will be done at 50-60 minutes. Flip the eggplant halfway through cooking.
When the eggplant and garlic are done cooking, carefully open the foil with the garlic, and slice the eggplant in half lengthwise. Allow both to cool for at least 10 minutes before mixing with the rest of the ingredients.
- Scoop out the flesh of the eggplants and squeeze out the garlic cloves into a food processor. You can also use a small fork to take the garlic cloves out.
- Add Greek yogurt or creme fraiche, lemon juice, fresh herbs, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Blend until smooth. Scrape down the sides as needed.
- Transfer the dip to a bowl, and garnish with various toppings. Serve with crackers, chips, or pita.
Toppings
You can serve the dip as is or add any toppings of your choice. I highly recommend these:
- Toasted pine nuts - Toast in a skillet for a few minutes. Pine nuts naturally have a lot of oil so there is no need to add any.
- Finely chopped fresh herbs - Parsley, dill, or chives are all great!
- Sumac - Sumac is a Middle Eastern spice. It has a tart floral flavor with a hint of sweetness. Try it in this Za'atar Spice Blend which would also be a great topping if you have it on hand.
- Crumbled feta
- Extra virgin olive oil - You could also use toasted sesame oil if you don't have olive. Be careful with sesame oil, only a little is needed for a lot of flavor.
Storing
Any leftover dip can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Be sure to allow the dip to cool completely before closing it with a lid. Anything with milk can go sour if it's sealed while it's still hot.
FAQs
This dip is best eaten fresh. If you freeze it you might risk the yogurt separating from the rest of the dip and becoming too watery once you defrost it.
Yes! Simply use vegan yogurt or vegan cream cheese instead of Greek yogurt.
More Easy Dips
Dips and salsa are some of the easiest appetizers you can make. They're easy to make and most importantly easy to serve! This Goat Cheese Lentil Dip with Dill and Capers is my personal favorite. I've made it countless times and it never disappoints!
If you want to try even more dips, definitely give the four recipes linked below a try! Head over to the Dips, Dressings, and Spreads category to see all the latest dips!
📖 Recipe
Roasted Eggplant Dip
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 60 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: Dip
- Method: Oven
Description
This creamy garlicky Roasted Eggplant Dip is easy to make, packed with flavor, and always a hit!
Ingredients
- 750g eggplant (2-3 eggplants)
- 1 head of garlic
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup full-fat greek yogurt or creme fraiche
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Large handful of fresh herbs, stems removed (I used a mix of flat-leaf parsley, chives, and dill - parsley works best here)
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Optional add-ins: 1 teaspoon tamari, ½ teaspoon hot sauce, or chili flakes
- Garnish: toasted pine nuts, fresh parsley, sumac, freshly grated lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F (200C).
- Leave the eggplants whole and carefully pierce them with a fork all over so the steam can escape while roasting. Add them to a baking sheet.
- Cut off the top of the head of garlic leaving the rest of it intact. Put it on a small sheet of foil and drizzle the tops of the garlic with olive oil. Wrap in foil and add to the baking sheet with eggplants.
- Roast the eggplant and garlic for 50-60 minutes or until the eggplant is very tender. If your eggplant is extra large, it might need more time. The garlic will be done at 50-60 minutes. Flip the eggplant halfway through cooking.
- When they’re done cooking, carefully open the foil with the garlic, and slice the eggplant in half lengthwise. Allow both to cool for at least 10 minutes before mixing with the rest of the ingredients.
- Scoop out the flesh of the eggplants and squeeze out the garlic cloves into a food processor.
- Add Greek yogurt, lemon juice, fresh herbs, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Blend until smooth.
- Transfer to a bowl, and garnish with toasted pine nuts, fresh parsley, and other toppings if desired. Serve with crackers, chips, or pita.
Notes
Storing: Store any leftover dip in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Allow it to cool completely before closing it with a lid and storing it.
Roasted garlic: I find roasted garlic cloves to be the easiest to remove with a fork or a spoon or you can simply squeeze them out into the food processor. I have a full post about How to Roast Garlic in the Oven that you can check out to learn more.
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Marta says
This is like baba ganoush only 10 times better. I love that you used a whole head of garlic. It paired with the creamy eggplant perfectly.
Linda says
Oh my, was this ever yummy! I made it for a Christmas party I was hosting and it was gone in a flash. I had never used eggplant in a dip and I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious it was.
Bernice says
oh wow, all these amazing flavours in one plate?! This dip would be so hard to resist. I just want to reach in and swirl one of those toasts around in it.
Elaine says
It's been a while since I made a dip like this. Definitely need to make it - your recipes looks absolutely stunning!
Lauren Michael Harris says
This looks amazing. I've never been a fan of eggplant but believe in continuing to try things to "learn" to like it and this dip is right up my alley - definitely next on my list to try out asap!
Jessica says
I loved the greek yogurt addition! Such a delicious and healthy dip for a party. Thanks for the recipe :)
Ann says
I have never tried an eggplant dip before. This sounds delicious! Excited to give it a try! Thanks for the share!
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says
I am a dip lover through and through! This was so amazing and addictive! Such an easy recipe that's perfect for the holidays!
Tammy says
I love eggplant so I know this dip would be a hit! Sounds and looks absolutely delicious :D perfect spread for sandwiches and wraps too.
Hayley Dhanecha says
This roasted eggplant dip is finger-licking good! Perfect as snack or starters. We make similar recipe called Bingan Bhartha.