August 13, 2025 96254.00001

Aardvark Therapeutics, Inc.

4370 La Jolla Village Drive, Suite 1050

San Diego, CA 92122

Re: Registration Statement on Form S-8

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel to Aardvark Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the registration statement on Form S-8 to be filed by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on or about the date hereof (the “Registration Statement”) to effect registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), of an aggregate of 900,000 shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, $0.00001 par value per share (“Common Stock”), comprised of (i) 147,872 shares of Common Stock issuable upon the vesting and exercise of outstanding options granted by the Company pursuant to the Aardvark Therapeutics, Inc. 2025 Inducement Equity Incentive Plan (the “Inducement Plan”); and (ii) 752,128 shares of Common Stock reserved for awards available for future issuance under the Inducement Plan.

As such counsel and for purposes of our opinion set forth below, we have examined and relied upon originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such documents, resolutions, certificates and instruments of the Company and corporate records furnished to us by the Company, and have reviewed certificates of public officials, statutes, records and such other instruments and documents as we have deemed necessary or appropriate as a basis for the opinion set forth below, including, without limitation:

(i) the Registration Statement;

(ii) the Fourth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, as amended from time to time, as certified as of August 13, 2025 by the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware;

(iii) the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company as presently in effect, as certified by an officer of the Company on August 13, 2025;

(iv) the Inducement Plan and the forms of award agreements related thereto that were attached as exhibits to the Registration Statement or otherwise incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement; and

(v) the resolutions adopted by the compensation committee of the board of directors of the Company regarding the Inducement Plan and other matters related thereto, as certified by an officer of the Company on August 13, 2025.

In addition to the foregoing, we have made such investigations of law as we have deemed necessary or appropriate as a basis for the opinion set forth in this opinion letter.

In such examination and in rendering the opinion expressed below, we have assumed, without independent investigation or verification: (i) the genuineness of all signatures on all agreements, instruments, corporate records, certificates and other documents submitted to us; (ii) the authenticity and completeness of all agreements, instruments, corporate records, certificates and other documents submitted to us as originals; (iii) that all agreements, instruments, corporate records, certificates and other documents submitted to us as certified, electronic, facsimile, conformed, photostatic or other copies conform to originals thereof, and that such originals are authentic and complete; (iv) the legal capacity and authority of all persons or entities (other than the Company) executing all agreements, instruments, corporate records, certificates and other documents submitted to us; (v) the due authorization, execution and delivery of all agreements, instruments, corporate records, certificates and other documents by all parties thereto (other than the Company); (vi) that no documents submitted to us have been amended or terminated orally or in writing except as has been disclosed to us in writing; (vii) that the statements contained in the certificates and comparable documents of public officials, officers and representatives of the Company and other persons on which we have relied for the purposes of this opinion letter are true and correct; (viii) that the Company is in good standing in the State of Delaware and the State of California as of the date hereof; and (ix) that each of the officers and directors of the Company has properly exercised his or her fiduciary duties. As to all questions of

fact material to this opinion letter, and as to the materiality of any fact or other matter referred to herein, we have relied (without independent investigation or verification) upon representations and certificates or comparable documents of officers and representatives of the Company. Our knowledge of the Company and its legal and other affairs is limited by the scope of our engagement, which scope includes the delivery of this opinion letter. We do not represent the Company with respect to all legal matters or issues. The Company may employ other independent counsel and, to our knowledge, handles certain legal matters and issues without the assistance of independent counsel. We have also assumed that the individual issuances, grants, awards or grants of purchase rights under the Inducement Plan will be duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company and duly issued, granted or awarded and exercised in accordance with the requirements of law, the Inducement Plan and the agreements, forms of instrument, awards and grants duly adopted thereunder.

Based upon the foregoing, and in reliance thereon, and subject to the assumptions, limitations, qualifications and exceptions set forth herein, we are of the opinion that the Shares are duly authorized and, when issued and sold as described in the Registration Statement and in accordance with the Inducement Plan and the applicable award agreements or forms of instrument evidencing purchase rights thereunder (including the receipt by the Company of the full consideration therefor), will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

Without limiting any of the other limitations, exceptions and qualifications stated elsewhere herein, we express no opinion with regard to the applicability or effect of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, as in effect on the date of this opinion letter.

This opinion letter deals only with the specified legal issues expressly addressed herein, and you should not infer any opinion that is not explicitly stated herein from any matter addressed in this opinion letter.

This opinion letter is rendered solely in connection with the issuance and delivery of the Shares as described in the Registration Statement and in accordance with the terms of the Inducement Plan and the applicable award agreement or form of instrument evidencing purchase rights thereunder. This opinion letter is rendered as of the date hereof, and we assume no obligation to advise you or any other person with regard to any change after the date hereof in the circumstances or the law that may bear on the matters set forth herein even if the change may affect the legal analysis or a legal conclusion or other matters in this opinion letter.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not hereby admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules or regulations of the Commission thereunder.

Very truly yours,

/s/ Paul Hastings LLP