A creamy, filling low carb recipe without all the added saturated fat and bloated feeling. This healthy vegan cauliflower casserole is a must make!
This recipe was originally published on 11/21/2016
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of WhiteWave Foods. The opinions and text are all mine.
There is nothing I like more than creating creamy satisfying meals that have no dairy. It’s one of my top favorite ways to surprise people! This layered cauliflower au gratin scalloped like casserole dish is high on the list of dishes I make over the holidays that people go nuts over!
Vegan Cauliflower Casserole
This gratin like recipe makes an amazing side dish, just in time for the holidays. This tastes just as good even better than its dairy loaded counterpart. But it has no dairy and can be made gluten-free as well!
I swapped the typical potatoes for slices of cauliflower to get in some extra veggies and give a low carb option. Whipped up a creamy sauce made of amazing whole foods. Then covered it all in a crispy flavorful breadcrumb topping.
What are the benefits of eating cauliflower?
Cauliflower is an amazing veggie! It’s in the cruciferous family and naturally high in fiber and b vitamins. So a great addition to your diet.
It doesn’t have much flavor on it’s own, and easily takes on any flavor you cook it with. Which makes it perfect for so many things! It has a little creaminess to it and makes a good sub for potatoes when you need something a little lower in carbs.
It also has a great texture when riced and sautéed so makes a good low carb rice option. We love subbing half of the rice for riced cauliflower in our recipes, like in this vegan tikka masala or these veggie sheet pan fajitas.
How do you know when cauliflower is cooked?
When cooking cauliflower, you want to watch it carefully because it goes from al dente to super soft quickly. Depending on what you are making, the texture you need will change.
In this recipe, you want something a little on the al dente side so it holds up when serving. Much like potatoes, if you overcook it, then it will get super soft and although still delicious, won’t remain a layered type dish.
As the cooking time comes to an end begin checking it with a fork. Once the fork can go through fairly easily then it’s ready!
Can I use frozen cauliflower?
Since you need to slice the cauliflower into strips versus pieces, and because you want this more on the al dente side texture wise, it’s best to use fresh. But if you don’t have another option you can definitely use frozen.
I’d get the pieces and perhaps use a touch less liquid in the sauce. The frozen cauliflower will cook with a little more liquid released and you don’t want it too watery.
Tips for making ahead
If you want to make this cauliflower casserole ahead of time, you definitely can. Here is what I would do for the best result:
- Make the cream sauce
- Prep the cauliflower
- Make the breadcrumb topping
When you are ready to serve, then put it together and bake.
If you want to bake this ahead of time as well, you certainly can. Bake, then let it cool down all the way before putting in the fridge, you can simply store in the baking dish and cover with tin foil or plastic wrap.
When ready to serve, take it out of the fridge and allow to return to room temperature . Then warm it up in the oven but watch carefully so it doesn’t burn or dry out. You may need to add a touch of broth to help.
How to store leftovers
If you have any of this cauliflower casserole left over, I’d be shocked. But if it happens, store in an air tight container in the fridge.
You can also freeze leftovers for future use. When you reheat them the texture may be a little watery but if you warm it in the oven it will help thicken it again.
This will stay good for about a week in the fridge, and for about 2-3 months in the freezer. The longer you keep it frozen the less the dish will keep it’s flavor and texture.
What do you serve with gratin?
Any dishes that would normally compliment a potato au gratin would go great with this dish. Here are some of our faves:
- Peas with scallions and dill
- Smoky maple roasted carrots
- Oven baked eggplant fries
- Greek stuffing
- The Best Vegan Meatballs
- Vegan Moussaka
This cauliflower casserole is especially awesome for the holidays. I made it for the WhiteWave Thanksgiving event in Denver, Colorado that I was honored to attend. I was chosen as one of five bloggers attending, I was the Silk representative.
Our job was to create a side dish using a product, then make the dish at the event. My cauliflower recipe was a hit! No one could believe it had zero dairy thanks to the magic that the almond and cashew milk from Silk made.
After cooking we joined in the fun, ate our hearts out and had a blast meeting load of new friends. Making connections with four other incredible bloggers (for real they rock: Kat, Heather, Kelly, and Lisa are legit talented people) was rad.
How to Make Cauliflower Casserole
- Make creamy sauce.
- Layer cauliflower with breadcrumb topping.
- Bake and serve!
Healthy Vegan Cauliflower Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 6 tablespoons breadcrumbs , gluten-free if needed (see note)
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
- 3 tablespoons hemp seeds
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Sauce:
- 1 cup cooked potato , peel before cooking (about 1 medium potato)
- ¼ onion , medium (cook with potato)
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¾ cup raw cashews , see note
- ½ cup unsweetened cashew milk , almond works too (I use the Silk Brand)
- 1 cup veggie broth , low sodium if needed
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.
- Make sauce. Cook potato and onion by boiling until soft. Place all sauce ingredients into a high speed blender and blend until smooth.
- Make breadcrumb parmesan topping by placing breadcrumbs, pine nuts, hemp seeds, and salt into a food processor and pulse until crumbly. Take half of the breadcrumb parmesan mixture and set aside for the topping.
- Wash the head of cauliflower and slice it into thick slices, about ½ inch thick. Make sure to get out most of the thick stem.
- Line the cauliflower pieces up on a tray and sprinkle with the other half of the breadcrumb parmesan mix, making sure to coat both sides of each piece. It doesn’t have to be fully coated, just looking for some added texture to the cauliflower. If your cauliflower is dry then you can always brush with veggie broth or oil to help get the mixture to stick.
- Layer the slices into a square baking dish (I used 9 x 9 inches).
- Pour the sauce over the top until it fully covers the cauliflower. You will use all but about ½ - ¾ cup of the sauce. You can save the extra for another time, it’s great with pasta!
- Sprinkle the other half of the breadcrumb parmesan mix over the top. Then sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves.
- Bake at 350°F/180°C for 35-40 minutes. Check at 35 minutes by piercing it with a fork to see how cooked the cauliflower is. I like it more on the al dente side, but you can continue to cook until your preferred texture is reached. Keep in mind it will cook a little more as it is cooling.
- Make sure to allow the dish to cool before serving to allow it to set a bit. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can make your own breadcrumbs by toasting your own bread, toast about 3 slices.
- The best method to cook the potato is by boiling it with the onion. See instructions.
- I prefer to use a veggie broth without tomato in the base.
- If you are not using a high speed blender you can either soak the cashews overnight or grind them into a fine powder using a coffee grinder.
- Make sauce.
- Make breadcrumb parmesan topping.
- Soak or grind cashews if not using a high speed blender.
- Make sure you bake it until cauliflower is soft.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
Bonnie says
We have a nut allergy in our house. This makes many of the vegan recipes I am finding harder to make. As we are just starting this vegan journey, do you have any recommendations on substitutions, or how important they are in certain recipes, leave them out all together?
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Bonnie! So sorry to hear you have a nut allergy. It definitely makes it more challenging. The cashews everyone uses are because they really make the best flavor and texture for all things creamy. I have had a few people make subs but it depends on the recipe. Some common subs are white beans, cauliflower, potato, sunflower seeds (although the flavor does come through). I have had a few people make some of my creamy recipes using a combination of these subs and been happy with the end result. I personally haven’t tried it because we can eat them and prefer them in the recipe, but give it a shot and let me know what you think! For this particular recipe, I am guessing that the best option would be to use a combo of white beans, potato and cauliflower to sub the cashews. You can use oat milk if you have a creamy one you love, otherwise soy would work as it’s creamy too. For the toppings, don’t use the pine nuts and use more breadcrumbs and hemp seeds. Or you can add in some sunflower seeds too.
Sandra says
Sophia, this was delicious. Is the casserole supposed to “set” as it appears in your picture of the finished product? Mine was more of a creamy sauce.
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Sandra! The cauliflower will be set but the sauce may be a little creamy depending on the liquid that comes out from the cauliflower or how your oven bakes it. As long as it tastes good I think you’re good!
Jill says
Wow, it was delish! I’ve been changing over from the regular SAD (standard American diet) to a vegetarian/vegan diet. This was great and the sauce was unbelievable. I shared some with my neighbor and she loved it.
FYI, I also decided to add a little rubbed sage to my left-over sauce and discovered it would make a great sub for “sausage” flavored gravy for biscuits.
veggiesdontbite says
I’m so happy you liked it Jill! Your additions sound delicious!
Karen says
I think I found your pizza burritos on IG and that led me here, so while meal planning I decided I’d make the cauliflower one night and double the sauce, and then use the rest for pizza burritos the next night. I don’t think doubling was necessary lol I cooked the potato, onion, and cashews in the instant pot for 5 minutes and then blended it all. Cooking the cashews with the potato and onion is another way to make it work without a high speed blender. It’s super creamy and yummy and now I don’t know what to do with all the sauce! Lol I did have to cook my cauliflower about twice as long as stated, but it was eventually really good!
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Karen! Haha! You can never have enough creamy sauce! It actually freezes pretty well, so freeze it for later use! When you defrost, slowly bring it back to room temp by letting it defrost on the counter, then slowly heating it up mixing well. It will need a fast whisk to get the texture back, but it comes back! Love that you cooked it in the Instapot! I too boil the cashews sometimes, since I am cooking the potato it makes it easy. I have a lot of recipes on the site you can use the sauce for too. My lasagna is a really good one, or you can always mix with a marinara for a creamy pasta. Or even put it in tomato soup as a creamy soup! As for the cauliflower, we like ours al dente and not too cooked so definitely cook as long as you need! Thanks so much!
Emily says
This looks absolutely delicious, love the crumbly topping. I can’t wait to give it a try!
JD says
This is such an inventive and delicious recipe. I love potatoes but this is so good that I’d gladly have both!
Nisha / Rainbowplantlife says
I was looking for vegan cauliflower recipes and came across this one and was blown away! How creative and elegant! I never would have thought to “scallop” cauliflower. What a brilliant idea. Thanks for sharing it!
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you so much!! It is so yummy and creamy and delicious. I served it at Thanksgiving and Christmas and it was a big hit!
The Vegan 8 says
This is such a gorgeous and CREATIVE dish! I love, love that this is an alternative to traditional scalloped potatoes. While I love potatoes more than anything, cauliflower is a wonderful twist and a lighter version, so I could happily stuff my face with this with lots more and not explode like I do with the potato version, lol. So delicious and the fresh thyme and breadcrumb topping is stellar!
Sarah says
Having just become a WFPB diet convert, I simply LOVE this blog!!! This recipe looks phenomonal, however I have noticed that this and several of your other recipes call for cashews and cashew milk. Sadly, I am allergic to tree nuts. I can sub in soy or coconut milks, but do you have any suggestions for the cashews themselves? Perhaps seeds or beans of some kind?
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you so much!! Yes, unfortunately I do use nuts in a bunch of my recipes, mostly the creamy sauce since cashews really are the best way to get that perfect dairy like cream flavor. However I totally get that some are allergic so something is better than nothing! For this recipe, I would maybe add a little more potato and then even some cooked cauliflower. White beans can also give a creamy consistency so you could do some of those too. Just start with 3/4 cup of whatever you choose to sub for the cashews since that’s the amount of cashew, then add more until you get that flavor you like. You may need less milk or veggie broth though if you use potato/cauliflower since cashews don’t have any water and the veggies do. I have tried a few recipes that use sunflower seeds or tahini instead of cashews but it just isn’t my favorite, however it’s an idea if you like that flavor! If you try those you may need more lemon juice and/or apple cider vinegar to counteract the flavor and get you the cream taste. Let me know how it goes, and if you have another recipe you’d like sub ideas for let me know as well! Thank you so much for being here!
Sarah says
You are so awesome! Thanks for all the suggestions. After it was all said and done, I used sunflower seeds (because it was what I already had and I made this before you responded), two small red potatoes (since they tend to be creamier and less gritty), and an entire small sweet onion. I soaked the seeds overnight in hopes that they would soften up. It didn’t really help. Anyhow, after quite a bit of playing with adding garlic powder and some other herbs, and reducing it on the stove it did turn out pretty good! I wouldn’t necessarily recommend going this route unless you REALLY need to be nut-free, but for those of us who do, it can be done! Thank you so much for all your help!
veggiesdontbite says
That’s great to hear Sarah! I’d be curious to see you try it with the cauliflower or white beans. But I’m glad you got it to work! You can use that sauce with anything creamy you need too! You are more than welcome!
Trish says
Super Delicious! Had this with a bunch of roasted veggies. What a satisfying meal, however, did not leave me feeling sick and bloated from a heavy meal. Def making this again. Like I said, super delicious!
veggiesdontbite says
That sounds like the perfect dinner! So happy you liked it!
Ellanor @ Stray Gourmet says
Wow. The pictures really sell this dish for me. I’m going to try it out tonight – especially looking forward to the pine nut, breadcrumb etc. topping – what a wonderful idea. Do you have any suggestions for delicious meals to accompany this?
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you so much Ellanor! I really hope you like it. I have many suggestions on what you can have it with. I’d say my latest holiday dish Greek Vegan Moussaka would be fabulous with it. The link for that is https://www.veggiesdontbite.com/greek-vegan-moussaka-gluten-free/ But feel free to browse through my main dish category and find others too!
Sina @ Vegan Heaven says
This looks so yummy! The perfect Christmas recipe! 🙂
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you Sina!