This Gluten Free Cauliflower Cheese is the ultimate comfort food! Creamy, smooth and super cheesy! Serve as a side dish or as a main in its own right. Dairy free option available too.
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When you think of comfort food, cauliflower cheese is up there right!?
There is something about taking the humble cauliflower, (which if we are honest can be quite bland tasting on its own) and smothering it in a rich, cheesy, sauce then topping with gluten free breadcrumbs and baking in the oven until gooey and crispy. Pure heaven!
Even my son who won’t eat most vegetables, will wolf this down in no time at all as the cheesy deliciousness disguises the fact that I am hiding a vegetable under there. I taste tested this dish when my kids had a playdate the other day and my daughter’s friend said it was the best cauliflower cheese she has ever had… I’ll take that!
I have added a teaspoon of Dijon mustard which really lifts the flavour, whilst not over-powering the cheese and sprinkled gluten free breadcrumbs on top to add some crunchy texture to the dish.
Another way to use cauliflower in an alternative way is by making my crunchy cauliflower bites which make an appetising healthy snack.
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🍅 Ingredients Needed
- Cauliflower - Try and buy the largest fresh cauliflower in the shop! You can also use frozen cauliflower, just be careful to not overcook it as it can go mushy. If using frozen, take a minute off the cook time and ensure you drain it well after steaming or boiling.
- Milk - I have used full fat milk as this gives the thickest, creamiest sauce. If you want to use semi or skimmed that’s fine, just bear in mind the sauce may be a little thinner.
- Gluten Free Flour - I always use Doves Farm Freee plain flour, as it works well in all my gluten free recipes.
- Butter - You can use salted or un-salted, whichever is your preference. If cooking for small children you may prefer to use un-salted.
- Dijon Mustard - This adds a slight tang to the recipe and really lifts the flavour.
- Gluten Free Breadcrumbs - You can either use pre made breadcrumbs or put some gluten free bread in a blender and pulse until they resemble breadcrumbs.
- Cheese - I have gone for a mild cheddar, but if you prefer a stronger cheese flavour you can use a mature.
Scroll to the recipe card for quantities.
✋ Be sure to double check all packaging for allergens. ✋
✏️ How To Make This Recipe
Chop the cauliflower into medium sized florets with a knife. Try not to make them too small or they can turn mushy when cooking. I prefer to steam the cauliflower as it keeps more of the nutrients in, but you can either steam or boil it for 5 minutes until tender but not fully cooked. We will finish cooking the cauliflower in the oven later.
Whilst the cauliflower is steaming, it’s time to make the cheese sauce.
Start by making a roux. To do this, melt the butter in a hot saucepan, add the flour and whisk together until it forms a thick paste. Next add the milk slowly, whisking the whole time, adding some more milk once the sauce has started to thicken. Once you have added all the milk, keep whisking for a couple of minutes until the sauce has thickened and is nice and creamy.
Drain the cauliflower once cooked and let it steam dry.
Remove the sauce from the heat and add the grated cheese (leaving a bit to sprinkle over the top) and mustard, then stir until all the gooey cheese has melted through the sauce.
I have added a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, if you would like the mustardy taste a bit stronger, add a second teaspoon, but add slowly and taste as you go.
Put the cooked cauliflower florets in an ovenproof casserole dish and pour over the cheese sauce.
Top with the remaining grated cheese and gluten free breadcrumbs.
Bake in a hot oven for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.
Top Tip - Add the milk slowly. If you add the milk all at once you may find the sauce goes lumpy and it can be quite hard to get the lumps out.
⚡ Substitutions & Variations
- Dairy Free! - To make this recipe dairy free, simply swap the butter for a dairy free spread or margarine, the milk for a neutral tasting plant based milk like soya or oat (if you don’t need the recipe to be gluten free) and the cheese for a dairy free cheese.
- Mix Up The Veg! - Although its called cauliflower cheese, you can substitute half of the cauliflower for broccoli for a nice variation or throw in some cooked Brussel sprouts for a festive twist.
- Spice it Up! - Like a bit of heat? Why not sprinkle some chilli flakes through the sauce for a fiery hit.
🥡 Storage & Re-Heating
This gluten free cauliflower cheese is best eaten straight from the oven, but it can be safely stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days once cooled.
Re-heat in the microwave for 4-5 minutes, until piping hot throughout.
You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, defrost in the fridge overnight and re-heat as above.
Be aware that the texture of the cauliflower may change once it has been frozen and the sauce may become watery and thin, so I would advise eating the cauliflower cheese from fresh if you can. Saying that, the defrosted version would work for leftover cauliflower cheese pasta (see serving suggestions below) as the texture won’t matter as much.
🍴 Serving Suggestions
You can serve this as a main dish in its own right, why not add some cooked chopped bacon into the sauce before cooking in the oven.
It also makes a fabulous side to any roast dinner alongside my braised red cabbage, carrot and swede mash and slow cooker roast potatoes.
If you have any leftovers, re-heat the cauliflower cheese in the microwave then mash slightly with a fork and stir through cooked pasta and peas for a quick, tasty cheesy pasta dish.
💬 Recipe FAQ's
I prefer to make the traditional roux with gluten free flour, however you can make this recipe with cornflour. Leave the butter out of the recipe and simply whisk the cornflour into the cold milk in a cold saucepan then heat gently on the hob until thickened. The sauce will take longer to thicken but this will still be a gluten free sauce.
This the perfect dish to make the day before and pop in the oven when you are ready. Make it up to the point where you pour the cheese sauce over the cauliflower, then store overnight in the fridge in the casserole dish. Sprinkle over the remaining cheese and breadcrumbs just before putting in the oven.
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Gluten Free Cauliflower Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 large cauliflower chopped into medium florets.
- 500 ml full fat milk can be substituted for dairy free milk.
- 50 g gluten free plain flour
- 50 g butter can be substituted for dairy free butter.
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 50 g gluten free breadcrumbs
- 190 g cheese can be substituted for dairy free cheese.
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 200˚C / 180˚Fan / 400˚F.
Prepare cauliflower.
- Chop the cauliflower into medium sized florets with a knife.
- Steam or boil the cauliflower in a saucepan of boiling water for 5 minutes.
- Drain the cauliflower and let it steam dry.
Make the cheese sauce.
- Make a roux. To do this, melt the butter in a hot saucepan, add the flour and whisk together until it forms a thick paste.
- Next add the milk slowly, whisking the whole time, adding some more milk once the sauce has started to thicken. Once you have added all the milk, keep whisking for a couple of minutes until the sauce has thickened.
- Remove from the heat and add the grated cheese (leaving a bit to sprinkle over the top) and mustard, then stir until all the cheese has melted through the sauce.
Assemble and bake.
- Put the cooked cauliflower florets in an ovenproof casserole dish and pour over the cheese sauce.
- Top with the remaining grated cheese and gluten free breadcrumbs.
- Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.
Notes
- Dairy Free! - To make this recipe dairy free, simply swap the butter for a dairy free spread or margarine and the milk for a neutral tasting plant based milk like soya or oat (if you don’t need the recipe to be gluten free)
- Mix Up The Veg! - Although its called cauliflower cheese, you can substitute half of the cauliflower for broccoli for a nice variation or throw in some cooked Brussel sprouts for a festive twist.
- Spice it Up! - Like a bit of heat? Why not sprinkle some chilli flakes through the sauce for a fiery hit.
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