Creamy Eggplant Dip with Goat Cheese

Roasted Eggplant Dip is a simple and healthy appetizer flavored with roasted garlic, goat cheese and sea salt. And did I mention it’s easy!

eggplant dip

Life is full of parties and other fun events!  And that’s a wonderful thing! 

But if you’re trying to eat a healthier diet, all those appetizers and snacks can get in the way.  Enter tasty treats made with veggies. 

Now I’ll admit that the first time I made this creamy dip I wasn’t sure how it was going to go over.  But when the bowl hit the table, the chips were flying so fast you could barely see them.   I’ve made it a number of times since, and the results are always the same. 

And I should note this is also a recipe that is super easy!  Not that anyone’s busy these days! 

eggplant dip served

Eggplant Nutrition

Per WebMD, eggplant will give you a decent supply of potassium and fiber… Eggplant has antioxidants like vitamins A and C, which help protect your cells against damage. It’s also high in natural plant chemicals called polyphenols, which may help cells do a better job of processing sugar if you have diabetes.” 

Why You’ll Love This!

Tasty.  Fresh chevre makes this creamy with a mellow garlicky flavor. And of course a warm goat cheese dip is going to be creamy!

Super Easy.  Just roast the eggplant and garlic whole, then scoop out and blend everything in a blender or food processor.

Healthier Snack.  How often do you get a veggie in your snacks! Use vegetable dippers and it gets even better.

dipping

What You’ll Need

Ingredient Notes

  • Eggplant.   
  • Whole garlic.  This adds a mellow garlic flavor to the dip.
  • Olive oil.  This is used in roasting the garlic.
  • Goat Cheese.  This adds a creamy goodness to the dip.
  • Salt.  This serves as a flavor enhancer.

Special Tools

  • You’ll need a food processor or blender to puree the eggplant and mix the ingredients.

eggplant dip

 

Step by Step Directions

 Place the eggplant in a pan and roast at 350F.  This will roast for about an hour until soft and starting to shrivel.

roast

Slice the stem end off a half bulb or garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap in aluminum foil and set into the oven with the eggplant about halfway through the roasting time.

roast garlic

When the eggplant is soft and slightly shriveled, remove it (carefully–it will be hot) and slice in half. Scoop out the flesh and place in a food processor or blender.

scoop into food processor

Remove the garlic cloves and squeeze the garlic out of the papery skins and into the food processor. Add the goat cheese and salt then process until well blended.

add garlic

Taste and adjust salt as needed.  Serve with your favorite dippers!

How to Serve

Eggplant Dip makes a great appetizer or snack.  Bring it to a potluck (reheat for a minute in the microwave) or serve in front of the TV on game day. 

It will be healthiest if you use veggies as dippers.  Think carrot stick, broccoli florets or mini-peppers.  But for variety it’s also nice to include something with crunch–like chips or crackers.  And pita bread, cut into quarters, would be delish!  

Finally, I think this would make a tasty Eggplant Spread on a bagel, like on one of my yummy onion bagels!

served with dippers

Variations

If you’re looking for other healthier appetizers and snacks that include a vegetable or two consider my Easy Italian Meatball Appetizer, Skinny Poolside Dip, Sausage Stuffed Mini Peppers or Cold Spinach Dip.  All yum!

And for another tasty eggplant recipe, how about the classic (and also easy) Eggplant Parmesan

Leftovers

Any leftovers should last, sealed and refrigerated for 3-4 days.  Reheat briefly in the microwave until just warm.

eggplant dip

Tips & FAQs

I created this Creamy Eggplant Dip a number of years ago for two reasons.  First, I was looking for a way to use up a bounty of eggplant. And second it’s a clever way to sneak some veggies into your kids’ diet.  As I wrote when I created it,

My oldest was home from college and I was planning something fun.  Of course, the older your kids get, the harder it is to sneak vegetables into their food… 

And happily, the younger kids liked it too.  My husband, of course, was a sure thing.

eggplant dip

Eggplant Dip

Eggplant Dip with Goat Cheese

Eggplant Dip is a simple and healthy appetizer flavored with roasted garlic, goat cheese and sea salt. And did I mention it's easy!
Author: Inger
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 1 hr
Total Time 1 hr
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 72 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 eggplant
  • 5-6 garlic cloves small bulb or 1/2 large bulb
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 3.5 ounce goat cheese Approximate.
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

Instructions
 

  • Place the eggplant in a pan and roast at 350F.  This will roast for about an hour until softand starting to shrivel.
  • Slice the stem end off a half bulb or garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap in aluminum foil and set into the oven with the eggplant about halfway through the roasting time.
  • When the eggplant is soft and slightly shriveled, remove it (carefully--it will be hot) and slice in half. Scoop out the flesh and place in a food processor or blender.
  • Remove the garlic cloves and squeeze the garlic out of the papery skins and into the food processor. Add the goat cheese and salt, then process until well blended. Taste and adjust salt as needed
  • Serve warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 72kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 4gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 257mgPotassium: 189mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 189IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 1mg
I am not a health professional and nutrition data is calculated programatically. Accuracy may vary with product selection, calculator accuracy, etc. Consult a professional for the best information.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

Updated from the Nov 15, 2014 post.

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15 thoughts on “Creamy Eggplant Dip with Goat Cheese

  1. David Scott Allen

    Well, I love the goat cheese for sure! And I imagine I can love this recipe without the G! I love my baba ghanouj without it, so this seems like it would be similar.

    1. Inger Post author

      This uses 1 eggplant (or the equivalent if your eggplants are super small). It’s not an especially particular recipe so your eggplant size doesn’t need to be exact.

      To get an idea of serving size, you can take the number of servings (6–listed near the top of the recipe) and divide the total amount of dip by that. Since this has 6 servings, a serving would be 1/6 of the total. If I were serving 6 people appetizers, I’d include some other appetizers as well.

  2. Ivy Sew

    Hi Inger, wow, roasted eggplant itself is already so delectable and my goodness, with the added goat cheese, I think I will be in cloud nine if I ever got a chance to try it. However, goat cheese is hard to come by where I am living. May be I can use the normal cheese? Thanks for sharing and warmest regards 🙂

    1. Inger Post author

      I am sure you could make it with another type of cheese Ivy. If you do try it, I’d love to hear how it comes out.

  3. Karis

    I love roasted eggplant dip and this sounds like a great variation. Eggplants are one of the few things I’m able to get in a CSA box down here.

  4. Louise

    Hi Inger!!!
    What a lovely surprise:) I am so excited to know you not only roasted the eggplant but brought it to a whole other level!!! What an amazing idea!!!

    I can just imagine how delicious this must be but I will NOT be leaving it to imagination. Goat Cheese is one of those glorious foods that I can allow myself to indulge in every now and again. I will be sooooooo trying this. I am thrilled your family was pleased with the roasting of the eggplant and your creative juices bringing it to another level.

    Thank you so much for thinking of me and of course for sharing…

    1. Inger Post author

      Thanks for the inspiration Louise! We have one more eggplant left and I think that will be served at today’s game!

    1. Inger Post author

      You know it’s a bit lighter than many appetizers, so this might work well for Thanksgiving. I typically roll out of our Thanksgivine dinner (like many people I imagine)!

  5. Judy Perkins

    Do you have a favorite eggplant Parmesan recipe? Is it listed on your blog? Thanks so much. I really enjoy the ideas (and recipes) you post!
    Judy Perkins

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