Eggplant Pancakes (Use Your Leftover Eggplants)

These eggplant pancakes are a delicious and healthy alternative to traditional pancakes. Made with grated eggplant and simple ingredients, they are perfect for a savory breakfast or a light lunch. Or use that eggplant that’s been sitting in the fridge for way too long.

Pros & Cons

Here’s why you should give this eggplant pancakes recipe a try:

• Kid-friendly. Got some picky eaters? This eggplant recipe is a fantastic way to get your kids on board with eggplants.
• Use up leftover eggplants. Besides eggplants, this recipe uses pantry staples, making it perfect to use up what you’ve got.
• Easily scalable. Whether you’re cooking for a crowd or just have one lonely eggplant left, you can easily tweak the portion size to fit your needs.
• Stores well. This dish is a real champ when it comes to storage. It handles reheating and freezing like a pro, so feel free to whip up a big batch and save some for later.
• User-friendly. The steps are a breeze, and you’ll even find some time to start tidying up your kitchen while your eggplants are cooking away.

If you’re making these eggplant pancakes for the first time, read the ingredients notes, step-by-step instructions, and tips. If you’re a veteran, feel free to jump to the recipe card.

Ingredients Notes and Substitutes

• Eggplants. If your eggplants are on the smaller side, add another one.
• Garlic cloves. You can use half a teaspoon of powdered garlic for every four garlic cloves.
• Eggs.
• All-purpose flour. You can use bread flour or whole grain flour instead, but you’ll probably need a few tablespoons less. Pay attention when stirring the batter to make sure you get the consistency right.
• Salt. I typically use Himalayan salt, but regular or sea salt is fine.
• Neutral oil. You can use any cooking oil or vegetable oil (like canola), or even refined coconut oil.

Step-By-Step Instructions

1. Prep. Wash the eggplants, remove the skin, and grate them on a box grater on the largest holes or use a food processor with a shredding disc.

2. Combine ingredients. Smash or grate the garlic, then add the flour, eggs, garlic, and salt to the grated eggplant. Stir the mixture until everything is well incorporated. If the batter is still watery, add another 2-3 tablespoons of flour until you get a consistency that is easy to spoon out onto a skillet.

Here’s what he batter should look like:

3. Heat the skillet. Take a non-stick skillet or pan, heat it up on medium heat, and add a tablespoon of oil. Spread out the oil on the whole pan so everything is lightly greased.
4. Spoon the batter. Spoon out about 2 tablespoons of batter for each pancake onto the skillet. If the spooned batter blob turns out quite tall, pat it down a bit. These aren’t yeast pancakes.
5. Cook the pancakes. After 2-3 minutes, the bottom of each pancake should be well set and starting to brown. Flip the pancakes over and cook the other side for another minute or two until well-cooked and beginning to brown.

6. Repeat. Adjust the heat on your oven as needed to ensure it takes 2-3 minutes to cook the first side. Continue cooking the rest of the batter until you run out.
7. Drain. Once cooked, place the pancakes on a kitchen towel to absorb any leftover fat.

8. Serve.

Recipe Tips

When it comes to making eggplant pancakes, there are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Adjust the salt to your liking. The amount of salt can vary depending on personal preference and the size of your eggplants. To ensure your pancakes are perfectly seasoned, cook a single pancake and try it. If it’s not salty enough, add a bit more salt. Start with a bit less salt than the recipe calls for (e.g., 1.5 tablespoons instead of 2) if you plan on adjusting the seasoning.
• Use two skillets to speed up the process. If you’re making a large batch (say, you double the recipe), consider using two skillets to cook them simultaneously. This will help speed up the cooking process so you don’t spend an hour cooking those.

How to Serve Eggplant Pancakes

Eggplant pancakes are a versatile dish you can enjoy in many different ways. Here are some serving suggestions to get you started:

• On their own: Eggplant pancakes are delicious all by themselves. You can top them with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream for a touch of tanginess and texture change.
• As a side dish: Eggplant pancakes make a great side dish for meaty stews (like this Polish goulash recipe), curries, and the like. The pancakes soak up the sauce and add a nice texture to the dish, making them an interesting alternative to staples like rice.
• With a salad: A simple salad is a great way to balance out the richness of the eggplant pancakes. Try a Polish sauerkraut salad for a traditional pairing, or mix shredded carrots and grated apples for a refreshing twist. If you’re into sauerkraut, you can skip making it into a salad and use it as-is.

Got any other pairings or ways to serve these pancakes you like? Let me know in the comments.

Storage

To store eggplant pancakes, let them cool down to room temperature first. This should take around 10 to 20 minutes.

Once they’re cool, transfer them to an airtight container or a freezer bag and refrigerate them. It’s that simple! Since these pancakes don’t stick, you don’t have to worry about them getting ruined in the fridge.

Overall, you can store these pancakes in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. This means you can make a big batch on the weekend and still have some leftovers for a quick and easy dinner on a Tuesday night.

Freezing

If you’re looking to freeze your eggplant pancakes, go ahead!

These pancakes freeze really well. Just place them in a freezer bag, squeeze out the air, and put them in your freezer.

If you’re planning on freezing them for longer than a couple of weeks, using a second layer of protection, like a second freezer bag, might be a good idea to prevent freezer burn.

How to Reheat

To reheat your delicious eggplant pancakes, I suggest using a non-stick skillet. You can skip the fat this time, as the pancakes already have some oil in them.

Simply put the skillet on medium-low heat, and spread out the pancakes. Cook them for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until they’re well warmed up to your liking.

This should take care of any leftover pancakes you might have and make them taste just as good as when you cooked them.

Eggplant Pancakes

These eggplant pancakes are a delicious and healthy alternative to traditional pancakes. Made with grated eggplant and simple ingredients, they are perfect for a savory breakfast or a light lunch.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time:20 minutes mins

Cook Time:20 minutes mins

Total Time:40 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 2 eggplants about 700 grams
• 4-6 garlic cloves use more if you like garlic, limit to 3 to 4 if not
• 4 eggs medium
• 10-12 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• neutral oil for cooking

Instructions

• Wash the eggplants, remove the skin, and grate them on a box grater on the largest holes or use a food processor.
• Add the smashed or grated garlic, flour, eggs, and salt to the grated eggplant and stir until well incorporated.
• If the batter is too thin, add another 2-3 tablespoons of flour until the consistency is easily spoonable.
• Heat a non-stick skillet or pan on medium heat and add a tablespoon of oil.
• Spoon about 2 tablespoons of batter for each pancake onto the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes until the bottom is set and starting to brown.
• Flip the pancake and cook for another minute or two until the other side is also well cooked and starting to brown.
• Repeat until you run out of batter, adjusting the heat as needed.
• Place the cooked pancakes on a kitchen towel to absorb any leftover fat and serve.

Notes

Recipe adapted from this Placki z bakłażana recipe from a Polish blog AniaGotuje.pl.

Store the cooled pancakes in an airtight container or freezer bag and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days. To reheat the pancakes, use a non-stick skillet on medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes on each side until warmed through.

Servings: 4 people

Author: Marcin Skrzypiec