Stovetop healthier creamed cauliflower. This is my mom's magic recipe, and trust me it is magic! Creamy, cheesy, easy, and delicious! A few wholesome ingredients with simple gluten-free and/or vegan modifications.
Looking for more veg-tastic side dish recipes? Try this miso mashed cauliflower or this simple, perfect, baked sweet potato.
There are some recipes that will always hold a special place in your heart, equal parts delicious and nostalgic. This healthier creamed cauliflower is one of them, a nod to Mom's brilliance, and a celebration of how yummy veggies can be!
Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Your kids will eat cauliflower without so much as a guffaw, seriously this was one of my favorite dishes growing up it was requested weekly.
- This creamed cauliflower is an easy stovetop recipe, no need to turn the oven on.
- This recipe requires only a few simple modifications to accommodate a vegan and gluten-free diet.
- This is, IMHO, the best side dish to elevate any simple protein.
Healthy creamed cauliflower is the essence of what “real food (mostly plants)” is all about, comfort food made from scratch with wholesome ingredients!
Let's Get Cooking!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Detailed measurements and ingredients can be found within the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Cauliflower – I used tri-color cauliflower for this recipe but you can use any cauliflower you'd like. Break the head of cauliflower into bite-size florets. In a pinch, you can certainly use cauliflower from the store that has already been broken into florets. I know this saves time, but it also costs (typically) 2-3x as much.
- Butter – I always use high-quality grass-fed butter in my cooking. If you are dairy intolerant you can swap for ghee (if tolerated) or if vegan you can swap for vegan butter.
- Milk – Any milk will do here, I used unsweetened oat milk.
- Flour – Most flours will work, I used gluten-free all-purpose flour. You only need a small amount to thicken your cream sauce.
- Cheese – I recommend gruyere and gouda in equal parts, shredded. However this is dealer's choice, there are many cheese varieties that would work in this dish; Muenster, sharp cheddar, or parmesan are all good options.
Tools You Will Use
- Medium pot
- Steamer basket
- Large saute pan
- Whisk
How to Make Healthier Creamed Cauliflower
Begin by steaming cauliflower until you can easily insert a knife into the stem. The cauliflower should be tender but not soggy. I prefer to use a steamer basket set inside a small pot for this job.
Alternatively, if you don't have a steamer basket you can “shallow water steam/saute” the cauliflower. Place cauliflower florets in a large saute pan, add 1/2 cup of water, and cover. Allow to cook/steam until tender.
Remove cauliflower and set aside;
In a large saute pan make the cheese sauce. Begin by melting butter and adding flour, whisk together for 2-3 minutes (it will be clumpy). Slowly add in milk, whisking constantly until sauce begins to thicken. This will take about 4-5 minutes.
Once the sauce has thickened stir in shredded cheese until melted. Add a generous pinch of salt, black pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg (or a pinch of ground nutmeg)
Stir in cooked cauliflower florets and taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed.
Serve immediately.
Watch in wonder as your kids gobble up every last bite!
What to Serve with Creamed Cauliflower
You can serve this creamed cauliflower as a healthy side dish to any simple protein like roasted chicken breast, pork loin, Crispy Skin Salmon, or a perfectly seared steak. It can also be the main event with a big side salad and crusty bread.
Expert Recipe Tips
- Steam your cauliflower until just al dente (meaning literally “to the teeth” or toothsome, something to bite into). When cauliflower is overcooked it becomes the sulfur-smelling nightmare of your childhood. Properly cooked cauliflower is sweet and wonderful!
- The cheese sauce in this recipe is lightened up, using only 1/2 cheese and 1 cup of oat milk. More traditional “old school” creamed cauliflower recipes call for heavy cream, more butter, and double triple the amount of cheese. I find this to be serious overkill in the decadent department. To ensure excellent flavor make sure to season well with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and I promise you will LOVE this lightened up version. Let's give cauliflower some time to shine, heavy cream, butter, and cheese always try to steal the spotlight 😉
Storage, Reheating and Freezing Tips
If you have leftovers, here's how to best handle them:
- Storage – Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days
- Reheating – Ideally reheat in a small saucepan on the stovetop. If the cheese sauce has thickened too much add a bit more milk to loosen it. You can also gently reheat in the microwave in 1 minute increments, stirring between, until heated through.
- Freezing – I don't recommend freezing this recipe.
Dietary Modifications for this Recipe
This recipe is naturally vegan, low-fodmap, and keto-friendly and easily made vegan and gluten-free
- Gluten-Free – Use a gluten-free all-purpose flour
- Vegan – Use dairy-free milk and vegan cheese
I can’t wait for you to try this Creamed Cauliflower Recipe! When you make it, snap a photo and tag me on Instagram @abrapappa or use the hashtag #abraskitchen so I can feature your photo!
If you’ve tried this recipe, don’t forget to rate it and leave a comment below. I love to hear from people who’ve made my recipes!
Healthier Creamed Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower broken into florets, about 4-5 cups of florets
- 1 tbsp butter or vegan alternative
- 1 tbsp flour all purpose, or all purpose gluten free
- 1 cup milk of your choice oat milk, almond milk, or cows milk
- 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup gruyere cheese grated (you can use a combination of Gruyere and gouda, or Gruyere and parmesan)
Instructions
- In a large pot with a steamer basket steam cauliflower florets until a knife can easily be inserted into the stem. This should take around 4-5 minutes
- Once cauliflower is steamed set aside.
- In a large saute pan melt butter. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Add 1 cup of milk over low heat, whisk continuously for 2-3 minutes until sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in grated cheese. Add spices.Sitr well.
- Gently add cauliflower to cheese sauce and stir to coat each cauliflower floret with creamy cheese sauce. Taste for seasoning and add more if needed.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Storage – Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days
- Reheating – Ideally reheat in a small saucepan on the stovetop. If the cheese sauce has thickened too much add a bit more milk to loosen it. You can also gently reheat in the microwave in 1-minute increments, stirring between, until heated through.
- Freezing – I don't recommend freezing this recipe.
DIETARY MODIFICATIONS FOR THIS RECIPE:
This recipe is naturally vegan, low-fodmap, and keto-friendly and easily made vegan and gluten-free- Gluten-Free – Use a gluten-free all-purpose flour
- Vegan – Use dairy-free milk and vegan cheese
Nutrition
More Cauliflower Recipes You Will Love
Cauliflower and Shrimp Sheet Pan Dinner with Meyer Lemon Salsa
Jordan Schehr says
Indulgence! One of my new favorite ways to use cauliflower.