Sometimes I miss french fries. There, I said it. They are crispy and salty and fun to dip – what’s not to like?
Since traditional potato fries are usually out when you’re on a low carb diet, I’m always looking for alternatives. Though if I’m being honest I do occasionally swipe a couple from my son’s plate. But since eating one or two really just leaves me wanting more, it’s not usually a good idea.
Enter these eggplant “fries.” They satisfy my french fry craving on pretty much every level. Crispy – check. Salty – check. Fun to dip – check! Another added bonus is that they are very kid friendly so it’s a great way to sneak more veggies into your children’s (or husband’s!) diet.
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Low Carb & Gluten Free Eggplant “Fries”
- Yield: 6 small 1x
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplant
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes
- 1/2 cup olive oil for frying
Instructions
- Peel the eggplant and cut into strips about 3/4 inch wide and 4 inches long to mimic fries.
- In a small bowl, beat the 2 eggs.
- In another medium bowl, combine the parmesan cheese, coconut flour, garlic powder, salt, pepper and parsley flakes.
- Start heating your oil in a medium saute pan.
- Soak the eggplant in the egg mixture for a minute or two and then transfer in small batches to the herb & parmesan coating.
- Once coated, cook in small batches in the hot oil, turning once to brown both sides. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to soak up any extra oil.
- Serve with the low carb marinara sauce of your choice for dipping.
Notes
These can be made up to an hour ahead – to reheat just lay them out on a greased cookie sheet in a single layer and re- heat in the oven at 375 degrees (F) for 7-8 minutes just before serving.
- Category: Side dish
- Cuisine: Fries
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6-8 fries
- Calories: 210
- Fat: 16g
- Carbohydrates: 4.75g net
- Protein: 6g
Danielle says
Sooo good!
★★★★★
Dilek says
I just bought your book after i saw your recipes while checking keto boooks at barnes and noble :) I have a question. My son is allergic to eggs so what should i use to make fried things to hold the coating??
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks for buying the book! I’m not really sure what to use in place of egg for the coating – what do you usually use in non keto recipes when you bread and fry something? As long as it isn’t loaded with carbs I’d just use the same thing when making keto recipes.
Dilek says
It was suggested yogurt would make the ingredients stick on them. I will try it out and see. I am so excited to try your zoodles with creamy roasted red pepper sauce! :))) and all the other recipes! You have the cookbook I’ve been looking for! Thank you for that.
Jenny says
Bob’s Red Mill makes a gluten free vegan egg replacer. One pouch is like 34 eggs. It’s used for baking mostly but I use a little when an egg wash is needed during my vegan fasts.
Jennifer Glynn says
Made this today. Delicious!
Terri Obermiller says
These were delicious. Great with sugar-free Westbrae natural organic unsweetened ketchup from Whole Foods. My husband liked them and he’s not an eggplant fan.
★★★★★
Andrea J says
I suggest adding more parmesean to the mix. We baked ours sprayed with coconut oil. Then we seasoned some with cayenne pepper for a bit of kick. We made a mix of mayo and chipotle peppers for a perfectly keto dip.
★★★★
Wendy says
Not sure if I missed it but what is the serving your calories are based on?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Approximately 6 – 8 “fries” not counting the marinara or whatever else you are dipping them in Wendy!
Floortje says
Burp…. Dear Melissa, you should probably put a warning with this post, that once baked, à low carber will very likely… Eat the whole dang batch! Luckily I only made one eggplant and my daughter is eating her share. Ate them with real no carb mayo( Dutch style!) And I’m trying to tell myself that it was probably less carbs as I still have some breading left. ;-) thank you for The wonderful Recipe! Xx Floortje
Mellissa Sevigny says
It’s been ages since I’ve made these – forgot how good they are, going to have to pick up some eggplant now that you’ve reminded me! ;) Glad you liked them!
Mirsad says
I attempted these just before and wasn’t very happy with the results. The eggplant soaked up all the oil and it wasn’t crunchy at all. Basically tasted like fried egg plant, soft and a bit watery. Any tips?
Mellissa Sevigny says
You can coat the raw eggplant in salt and layer between paper towels for an hour or so and then brush the salt off and dry it – that draws out some of the moisture before cooking. Also it’s very important that your oil is hot enough – if it isn’t, the eggplant and breading will just absorb the oil and not get crisp. Hope that helps!
Chaunesti says
Tried these tonight after searching for some tasty, low-carb ideas for some leftover eggplant. Absolutely delicious! It was EXACTLY what I needed to satisfy my cravings too. Thanks for sharing!
Mellissa Sevigny says
I LOVE these and it’s been far too long since I’ve made them! So glad you liked them too! :)
Matthew says
Made these last night, they were a little powdery, so may have needed to shake the excess coating off before frying. The very fussy missus liked them so this is going to be a regular dish.
Still have half the chips (unfried) in the fridge, so will do 1 eggplant (aubergine) next time.
The coating is awesome and I’m going to tweak it a little for chicken too.
Charity says
Can I use Bob’s Red Mill GF AP flour?
Mellissa Sevigny says
I don’t see why not, but I’ve never tried it so can’t be sure. Let us know if it works!
Kelly says
OK I have rice, corn starch and tapico flour (I am have a gluten intolerance) I hate coconut and almond so I was wondering which of those “flours” I have on hand would be good to try. These sound great!!!! I can steal eat potatoes but I am trying to expand my food pallete. I like egg plant already but want to try something different.
Mellissa Sevigny says
I don’t usually work with those flours so it’s a tough call. Maybe a combo of the rice and tapioca flour would work?
Alisa says
Where do you find coconut flour?
Mellissa Sevigny says
You can buy it at health food stores but it’s cheapest online! I get mine from nuts.com but you can shop around for the best price you can find.
Kayshah says
Awesome, thank you! Can’t wait to try it! (and no..just coconut oddly :))
Mellissa Sevigny says
Great, hope it works and let us know!
Kayshah says
Omg I have been craving fries for days, this looks so good! But what can I sub for the coconut flour? I’m allergic to coconut!
Mellissa Sevigny says
You can substitute almond flour or if you’re allergic to all nuts, try garbanzo bean flour. Enjoy!
Cuppycake says
Do you think almond flour would work ? I really do not like coconut at all.
Mellissa Sevigny says
I haven’t experimented with it but I don’t see why not. Let us know how they come out if you try it!
tosma says
I had an eggplant on hand from my farm-delivery box and was debating what to do with it when this recipe showed up in my inbox. Had to try it! I knew I would like it, but my boyfriend was extremely skeptical of anything pretending to be a french fry. However, he loved this and I even heard him raving to a friend about how good these eggplant fries were! Thanks for another great recipe!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Woo hoo! Passed the boyfriend test! :) Glad they were such a hit!
Marge Burkell says
OMG you steal them too???
I have ONE eggplant left (only got 3 =( from my garden) and I am going to have to try this one! Thanks to YOU my dear I have found coconut (and almond) flour! So can I use my deep fryer (don’t cringe, some of us DO own them) instead of frying them in a pan if we don’t put too many in the basket at one time?
Thanks for such yummy recipes!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Marge I owned a deep fat fryer years ago and we got rid of it because we fried EVERYTHING and gained like 5lbs in two weeks! ha ha! I wish I had it now though since I know how to eat fat and LOSE weight! I think these would work great in the DFF as long as you don’t crowd them as you said. Hope you like them!
Crazy Cat Lady says
These look fricking amazing!!! But, I’m really surprised these got so nice & crispy for you. Eggplant has such a high water content. Did you have any issues with that? Maybe the coconut flour helps by soaking up the moisture? Or did you salt & drain the eggplant before you breaded them?
Mellissa Sevigny says
I didn’t salt these but you definitely could to remove any excess moisture or bitterness. And yes, coconut flour does absorb moisture which may have helped! Either way they were delicious!!! Hope you like them!
Patty says
Oh, this is so going into my “Saturday Night Movie Food” collection! :-)
Cuppycake says
Or in my case the “Weekend Gamer Snacks” recipe box !
Mellissa Sevigny says
You guys are funny! This is in my “Mommy’s catching up on her DVR shows” box! :)
Hillary says
I stumbled upon your blog yesterday, and I can say that I’m obsessed! Your recipes look amazing! The Brazilian chicken pie is in the oven as I type, and I have all the ingredients for the low carb tiramisu to make later!
So glad I found this blog! I lost about 50 pounds 8 years ago doing low carb. I kept it off until getting pregnant, and now I’m back at it!
Thanks for your innovative recipes! I can’t wait to try them all!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks for sharing Hillary and congrats on keeping the 50lbs off for eight years! Hope you enjoyed the brazilian pie and the tiramisu!!! :)
Megan says
I wish you were more specific with how much constitutes a serving size, because 6-8 fries is not a very precise measurement. grams or ounces would really be helpful.
★★★★★
Mellissa Sevigny says
Feel free to calculate the nutrition info yourself in whatever way you find most helpful!
Megan says
Well thanks for the help. Great site.
Anonymous says
Just wondering if corn starch could be substited for the coconut flour.
Thanks for such creative recipes.
Jay B.
Mellissa Sevigny says
I don’t see why not Jay – let us know if you try it and what the verdict is!
Rose says
They sound great. I ordered the coconut flour yesterday. When it arrives I will start preparing some of your great sounding recipes. So glad I found your site. Thanks
Mellissa Sevigny says
awesome Rose! I hope you like these and some of the other coconut flour recipes! It’s one of my favorite ingredients!