40 Cauliflower Recipes To Make The Most Of Your Favorite Low-Carb Veggie
Cauliflower is SO much more than just a low-carb substitute.
Cauliflower has been the star of the veggie aisle for several years thanks to its magical powers as a low-carb substitute. While we’ll forever sing its praises for replacing everything from pizza crust to bread (like in our cauliflower grilled cheese), we’re here to tell you cauliflower can be SO much more. Not only is it great for replacing carbs, it makes for a delicious plant-based alternative (what it lacks in protein it makes up for in flavor, trust us), and can easily be turned into everything from appetizers to impressive main dishes. Whether you’re trying to cut down on gluten, eat less meat, or just get more veggies into your diet (we’re all for potatoes, but they don’t count), we’ve got a recipe for you. Check out our 40 cauliflower recipes for ideas!
If you’re not a cauliflower convert yet, you’ve got to start with the basics. Roasting cauliflower until it’s soft and melty, with deliciously crispy edges, brings out its sweet and nutty notes—we dare you to not eat it all straight off the sheet pan. Think of it like a blank canvas, ready to take on whatever flavors you like.
Craving Italian? Try it with Parmesan or mozzarella, like in our cauliflower Parmesan, our cauliflower baked ziti, or our garlicky roasted cauliflower pasta. Need an easy weeknight dinner? Try our air fryer cauliflower tacos, our loaded cauliflower bake, or our cauliflower "mac" and cheese. Looking for a quick snack? Try our Parmesan cauliflower bites, our baked Buffalo cauliflower wings (truly, Buffalo and cauliflower are a match made in heaven), our cauliflower hummus, or our honey-garlic cauliflower. Looking to impress? Try our bacon-wrapped stuffed cauliflower, our chicken fried cauliflower, or our balsamic glazed roasted cauliflower. Trust us, cauliflower can stand up against even the fanciest of steak or chicken dinners. 😍
Want more even vegetable inspiration? Check out our favorite zucchini recipes (another low-carb dynamo), our top Brussels sprouts recipes, and our best butternut squash recipes too.
Roasted Cauliflower
Cauliflower is one of our favorites to roast because, flavor-wise, it's very much a blank canvas. You can keep it simple with just salt and pepper or go nuts with a custom spice blend. Our recipe adds just a touch of color and zesty flavor with Old Bay seasoning, but feel free to get creative!
Get the Roasted Cauliflower recipe.
Loaded Cauliflower Bake
This combines the creamy, cheesiness of a classic macaroni & cheese and the amazing fix-ins (hint: BACON) from a twice baked potato into one incredible low-carb casserole.
Get the Loaded Cauliflower Bake recipe.
Honey-Garlic Cauliflower
Who doesn't love a good healthy snack? Much like our Parmesan cauliflower bites, these little guys have just enough crunch and flavor to keep us going. Craving salt but avoiding chips and unhealthy snacks? These sticky-spicy bites will save the day.
Get the Honey-Garlic Cauliflower recipe.
Cauliflower Tots
These cheesy nuggets of joy might be better than the real thing. We've included an oven-baked version as well as an air-fryer version below—both are great, but we're in love with how golden the air fryer version gets!
Get the Cauliflower Tots recipe.
Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Possibly our favorite use of cauliflower as a culinary master of disguise is in pizza crust. It might sound crazy, but it can be a delicious and healthy alternative to the classic. In this easy, gluten-free pizza recipe, you're basically making cauliflower rice as base the base for your crust.
Get the Cauliflower Pizza Crust recipe.
Bang Bang Cauliflower
When we're looking for a spicy, flavorful side to brighten up our dinner, we turn to bang bang cauliflower. Not only is it quick and easy, but the dish is super adaptable. Not a fan of spice? Go easy on the sriracha and bump up the chili sauce. Hate cilantro? Ditch it in favor of thinly sliced scallions. You have our blessing to make it your own!
Get the Bang Bang Cauliflower recipe.
Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
This cauliflower is the perfect answer when you have Buffalo wings on the brain, but need to eat more vegetables. All the Buffalo flavor you love coat these florets, which are then air-fried to perfection. It all comes together when you dip one into our perfectly creamy blue cheese dressing (but feel free to go with ranch dressing if you prefer!).
Get the Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower recipe.
Cauliflower Soup
Even though there are minimal ingredients—aromatics + cauliflower + stock + heavy cream—this soup has TONS of flavor. In fact, it's delicious even without the cream (but it certainly doesn't hurt!).
Get the Cauliflower Soup recipe.
Air Fryer Cauliflower Tacos
To get extra crispy "fried" cauliflower, you gotta use your air fryer. This recipe is basically the vegan version of our favorite fish tacos. The finishing touch? A quick and easy pickled slaw for a bite of freshness and a spicy mayo for a touch of heat.
Get the Air Fryer Cauliflower Tacos recipe.
Garlicky Roasted Cauliflower Pasta
In this recipe, cauliflower gets mashed into a paste to create a light sauce for the pasta that adds a ton of flavor. It's simple, light, and perfect for summer when you want comfort without being weighed down by something overly rich. The toasted walnuts on top add a nice crunch and really complete the dish, but feel free to skip or swap for another nut.
Aloo Gobi
Aloo gobi is a classic vegetarian Indian dish translating to potatoes (aloo) and cauliflower (gobi). It's a one-pot, super simple, comforting dish that's ready quickly—serve it as a side or over rice as a main.
Get the Aloo Gobi recipe.
Loaded Cauliflower Salad
This potato salad-inspired recipe can be adapted to suit your mood. Add sliced jalapeño (pickled or fresh!) for some heat. Skip the bacon to make it vegetarian. Or add some ground spices for more flavor. We've never tried it, but we think there's potential in a pinch of Old Bay.
Get the Loaded Cauliflower Salad.
Cauliflower Rice
Cauliflower rice is all the rage, as a replacement for rice without the carbs. Luckily, it's super easy to make at home. A food processor is the quickest way, but if you don't have one, a box grater works just as well. We love it as fried rice, cheesy Mexican rice, and especially cheesy cauliflower bread, but you can use it almost anywhere you would use regular rice.
Get the Cauliflower Rice recipe.
Cauliflower Parm
Chicken Parmesan is absolutely incredible, but it can be a bit heavy. When you're trying to be healthy, but are really craving good Italian food, make this vegetarian cauliflower dish. You won't be disappointed.
Get the Cauliflower Parm recipe.
Giardiniera
This pickled Italian relish is endlessly versatile. Try it on sandwiches, tossed into a hearty salad, or in place of olives in your martini. Serrano peppers can be very spicy, so opt for a pinch of red pepper flakes instead if you’re heat-averse.
Get the Giardiniera recipe.
Green Goddess Soup
While most Green Goddess salad dressings rely on mayonnaise and one to two herbs for their creaminess and pale green color, we achieve the same flavor profile by using kale, cauliflower, 4 different herbs, and just a touch of Greek yogurt. The result? A vibrant green soup that’s pretty much a garden in a bowl.
Get the Green Goddess Soup recipe.
Buffalo Cauliflower Kebabs
These Buffalo cauliflower kebabs put all your favorite flavor from classic Buffalo wings onto skewers–and they're vegetarian to boot! Glaze the kebabs with more buffalo sauce, grill until the cauliflower is tender, then drizzle with blue cheese dressing.
Get the Buffalo Cauliflower Kebabs recipe.
Air Fryer Cauliflower
Cauliflower, when broken up into florets, kind of already resembles popcorn (you can't unsee it!), so we decided to lean into that with this recipe. We added turmeric and clarified butter (or ghee) to get the iconic look and taste of buttered popcorn. Try swapping in coconut oil to make it dairy-free too.
Get the Air Fryer Cauliflower recipe.
Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos
Cauliflower florets get coated in a well-seasoned batter, roasted until crispy, then slathered in spicy Buffalo wing sauce. Finish it off with a creamy ranch coleslaw topping to complement the spice. Bonus: They’re vegetarian!
Get the Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos recipe.
Loaded Grilled Cauliflower
Of all the different ways to prepare this lovely vegetable, grilling might be our favorite. The steaks still have a bit of crunch, and the smoky flavor plays well with melty cheese and creamy ranch dressing.
Get the Loaded Grilled Cauliflower recipe.
Camille Lowder is the digital food producer at Delish, otherwise known as our resident queen of recipe galleries. Previously, she attended the Natural Gourmet Institute for culinary school and worked at/managed a number of New York restaurants. She loves anything vegan, foods masquerading as other foods (hello, cauliflower), and a well-used Oxford comma.
