Keto Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

Keto Cauliflower Mac and Cheese is a low carb and gluten free version of the classics! Healthier and delicious mac and cheese to serve for dinner. Instead of macaroni, the cauliflower is the star. Cauliflower and cheese combination is so good!

This is such a rich and creamy comfort food that will satisfy your cheese cravings! Especially when it’s right from the oven and you can spoon gooey cheese. Truly comforting and delicious, so you won’t miss pasta carbs here!

Keto Cauliflower Mac And Cheese on the white plate with a towel on a side

Baked cauliflower mac and cheese is one of the easiest dinner ideas. Cauliflower, covered in delicious and flavorful cheese sauce that you can eat with a spoon…right from the bowl… But be careful, it’s hot, when you just remove it from the oven. So delicious that I couldn’t wait to try it!

I don’t know if there is any person on the planet who doesn’t love cheese and chocolate? Yes, I can’t live without these two things. So I would need to have them on the inhabitant island for sure, haha!

Keto Cauliflower Mac And Cheese is perfect for dinner or lunch as a vegetarian main course or side dish. This easy and healthy cauliflower recipe is also gluten-free and low carb. Cooking Journey Blog

Keto and gluten free dinner

Keto diet is still very popular and cauliflower is one of the best vegetable to use for cooking. After making Cauliflower Casserole, I decided to make similar dish that is gluten-free, but also full of flavor.

Generally speaking, you get more calories from cheese fat and almost no carbs. It is easier to digest and you will get more energy without carbs and sugars! Keto diet is also known for the weight loss.

This easy cauliflower cheese bake is perfect for dinner and it can serve up to 6 people. The size of the dish depends on how you want to serve it – main or side. Also it is so filling, but tasty at the same time!

No matter the diet you follow, this cauliflower dish is a must-try for dinner or lunch!

Keto Cauliflower Mac And Cheese spooned from the baking dish

How to make cauliflower mac and cheese

If you cheese lover or on keto diet, you probably have all the ingredients you need.

First of all, miss (or mister?) cauliflower. I used a medium head of cauliflower, cut into florets. You need to soften them in a boiling water for 5 minutes and drain well. You can also steam the cauliflower florets.

After that transfer cauliflower into the baking dish and sprinkle half of the grated cheese.

I used three types of cheese – cheddar, mozzarella and Parmesan, but you can experiment and add other types of cheese. You can also add browned bits of bacon at this point of cooking!

You can have 2-3 layers of cauliflower – cheese -cauliflower. This way cheese will be evenly distributed. Of course, if you’re in a hurry, you can mix cauliflower with cheese and cheese sauce in a large bowl, then transfer to the baking dish. But the look will be different and the sauce will be on the bottom of the dish.

Cover cauliflower with cheese sauce, helping with a spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes. You can grill for a few minutes in the end to get some brown edges, if you want.

If you wish you can sprinkle more cheese on top, then let it cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. I know it’s hard, but this time will help to thicken the sauce slightly, so it won’t be too runny on the plate. (Mac and cheese hack!)

Sprinkle chopped parsley on top of the baked cauliflower mac and cheese. Enjoy!

How to make Keto Cauliflower Mac And Cheese step by step

How to make low carb cheese sauce

That’s my favorite part here! Keto cheese sauce is so easy to make, but full of flavor and perfect to pair with vegetables like cauliflower.

In a pot add butter with spices like smoked paprika, garlic, salt, pepper, nutmeg and oregano. Sizzle a little, stirring until aromatic, then add a cup of heavy cream. Stir with a whisk for 8 minutes, then add cream cheeses and remove from heat.

Add grated cheddar and hard cheese like Parmesan and combine everything.

This cheese sauce is so good, I can eat it with everything!

Don’t forget when you add the sauce to the cauliflower, mix everything until it covers cauliflower well.

How to store low carb cauliflower mac and cheese

You can store this healthy mac and cheese, covered with a cling film for up to 5 days. Make the portions and reheat when you’re hungry.

Also you can make cheese sauce ahead of time and store it covered in the fridge up to 3 days. Reheat before using in this or other dishes.

Keto Cauliflower Mac And Cheese on the plate with a fork

This mac’ n’ cheese goes really well with the Baked Chicken Breasts or Baked trout as a cauliflower side dish! But we served it for dinner as our main vegetarian meal. You can find cheeses that are rennet-free to be sure they are vegetarian. I would suggest to serve cauliflower Mac’ n’ cheese with a simple tomato and greens salad on the side.

If you’ve followed us, you know that we love cauliflower so much, we created a roundup with 80+ easy cauliflower dishes that you should check. follow our Healthy Cauliflower Recipe board External Link on Pinterest!

Keto Cauliflower Mac And Cheese served on the white plate

Keto Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

Recipe AuthorCooking Journey
5 from 4 votes
Healthier version of classics. Baked cheese and cauliflower for dinner or lunch.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
 
Course Breakfast, dinner, Lunch
Cuisine Global
Servings 6
Calories 399 kcal
Equipment
  • 7 x 10 inch / 18 x 25 cm baking dish
  • small pot
  • Oven
  • knife and cutting board
  • spoons or dspatulas


Ingredients
 
 
  • 1 cauliflower medium
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg
  • ½ tsp oregano
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 200 g cream-cheese
  • 100 g cheddar grated
  • 50 g hard cheese grated
  • cup parsley chopped

Making this recipe?Mention @cookingjourneyblog or tag #cookingjourneyblog!
 

Instructions
 
  • Preheat the oven to 355 F / 180 C.
    PreheattheoventoF/C.
  • To make the sauce, add butter with spices like smoked paprika, garlic, salt, pepper, nutmeg and oregano in a small pot. Sizzle a little, stirring until aromatic, then add a cup of heavy cream. Stir with a whisk for 8 minutes, then add cream cheese and immediately remove from heat.
    1 tbsp butter, ½ tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ½ tsp oregano, 1/8 tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, 1 cup heavy cream, 200 g cream-cheese
    Tomakethesauce,addbutterwithspiceslikesmokedpaprika,garlic,salt,pepper,nutmegandoreganoinasmallpot.Sizzlealittle,stirringuntilaromatic,thenaddacupofheavycream.Stirwithawhiskforminutes,thenaddcreamcheeseandimmediatelyremovefromheat.
  • Add HALF of grated cheddar and hard cheese and combine everything.
    100 g cheddar grated, 50 g hard cheese grated
    Add HALF of grated cheddar and hard cheese and combine everything.
  • Cut cauliflower into florets. Cook them in large pot with boiling water for 5 minutes and drain well. You can also steam the cauliflower florets.
    1 cauliflower
    Cutcauliflowerintoflorets.Cooktheminlargepotwithboilingwaterforminutesanddrainwell.Youcanalsosteamthecauliflowerflorets.
  • Transfer 1/3 of cauliflower into the baking dish and sprinkle with 1/2 of remaining cheese. Add another 1/3 of cauliflower florets and leftover cheese.
    100 g cheddar grated, 50 g hard cheese grated
    Transfer/ofcauliflowerintothebakingdishandsprinklewith/ofremainingcheese.Addanother/ofcauliflowerfloretsandleftovercheese.
  • Add leftover cauliflower floret and cover with cheese sauce, spreading with spatula.
    Add leftover cauliflower floret and cover with cheese sauce, spreading with spatula.
  • Bake for 20-30 minutes. You can grill for a few minutes in the end to get some brown edges, if you want.
    Bakefor minutes.Youcangrillforafewminutesintheendtogetsomebrownedges,ifyouwant.
  • Let it cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle chopped parsley on top. Enjoy!
    ⅔ cup parsley
    Letitcoolfor minutesbeforeserving.Sprinklechoppedparsleyontop.Enjoy!
Rate this recipe and leave a comment

Notes
Don’t forget when you add the sauce to the cauliflower, mix everything until it covers cauliflower well.
Use high fat good quality cheese to get a thick sauce without flour!
Don’t use milk, only full fat heavy cream for the sauce!
Take your time to drain cauliflower really well, because excess water can impact the consistency of the sauce.
You can store Cauliflower Mac and cheese, covered with a cling film for up to 5 days. Make the portions and reheat when you’re hungry.
Nutrition Facts
Keto Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Amount per Serving
Calories
399
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
36
g
55
%
Saturated Fat
 
22
g
138
%
Trans Fat
 
1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
10
g
Cholesterol
 
121
mg
40
%
Sodium
 
451
mg
20
%
Potassium
 
437
mg
12
%
Carbohydrates
 
9
g
3
%
Fiber
 
2
g
8
%
Sugar
 
3
g
3
%
Protein
 
12
g
24
%
Vitamin A
 
1975
IU
40
%
Vitamin C
 
55
mg
67
%
Calcium
 
306
mg
31
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Keyword easy, gluten free, keto, vegetarian

Comments COMMENTS

  1. Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness

    5 stars
    Mac and cheese is my favourite! I have never tried it with cauliflower though, so I will have to give it a go!

  2. 5 stars
    I love that you’ve made one of my classic comfort foods healthier for me! I recently discovered smoked paprika and love that it’s in this dish too! Delish!

    1. Cooking Journey

      Yes, smoked paprika is a must-have in our pantry, too! It adds such an interesting note to almost every dish, including this keto mac and cheese!

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