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Keto Cauliflower Casserole (Ready In 30 Minutes)

4.96 from 553 votes
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This recipe may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This Keto Loaded Cauliflower Casserole is an easy 30-minute keto comfort food for cheese and bacon lovers!

If you miss a classic loaded baked potato casserole on your keto journey, this keto cauliflower casserole will fix it!

The soft cauliflower bites coated with cheesy cream cheese dill sauce burst in flavors. Plus, one serving contains only 5.3 grams of net carbs so you can indulge with no guilt!

Loaded cauliflower casserole

What Is Keto Cauliflower Casserole?

A cauliflower casserole is a one-pan dish made with cauliflower and a rich and creamy sauce.

It’s a keto cauliflower recipe typically made with bacon, sour cream, and a lot of cheese.

How To Make Keto Cauliflower Casserole

Calling all the cauliflower lovers with this new keto cauliflower recipe! An easy, cheesy cauliflower gratin with soft, melt-in-your-mouth cauliflower florets coated in thick cheesy cream cheese and cheddar sauce.

Add to this some crispy bacon pieces, chives and it will taste like a keto carbonara dish, without the carbs, of course!

Ingredients

Let’s see the simple ingredients you need to make this keto cauliflower cream cheese casserole.

  • Cauliflower – you need a large head of cauliflower which is about 6-7 inches in diameter cut into small florets. The smaller you cut the florets, the softer they become and the tastier this loaded cauliflower casserole will be. Cauliflower is a great keto-friendly vegetable, in particular when it’s cooked!
  • Salt
  • Heavy cream – with only 2.8 grams of net carbs per 100 grams, heavy cream is a great keto-friendly dairy product.
  • Cream cheese –  I like thick, rich heavy cheese sauce in casseroles, and cream cheese is the best for this! It reminds me of my old-time family French cauliflower gratin. Cream cheese is one of the most keto-friendly dairy products!
  • Garlic powder – or fresh garlic.
  • Onion powder
  • Streaky bacon
  • Chives – fresh is best, you can substitute for 1 tablespoon of dried chives.
  • Cheddar – I am using a combination of white shredded cheddar cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, and red cheddar. You can also use parmesan cheese.
keto cauliflower casserole recipe

Cutting & Cooking Cauliflower

The success in any cauliflower casserole recipe is to cut the cauliflower florets into small bite-size chunks.

First, remove the large stems from the cauliflower head, it will release large cauliflower florets.

Then, cut each large floret into bite-size pieces.

Loaded cauliflower casserole

Steaming, Boiling, or Roasting

There are many ways to cook cauliflower for a tasty casserole. I personally think that steaming is the best.

You can steam the cauliflower florets into a steam basket or in the microwave.

Steamed cauliflower is the best option for many reasons:

  • It is faster than roasting or boiling.
  • Steaming doesn’t boost the cauliflower flavors – if you are not a cauliflower fan, this will make the vegetable bland in flavor.
  • It creates soft, melt-in-your-mouth cauliflower bites, not watery or crunchy.
  • It saves on dishwashing – roasting involves one or 2 baking sheets plus parchment paper while steaming only takes a steamer.

Learn all the details on how to steam cauliflower in my Steamed Cauliflower Recipe.

However, if you don’t have a vegetable steamer, you can:

  • Roast the florets with olive oil on baking sheets at 400°F (200°C) for 20 minutes. Note that roasted cauliflower has a stronger cauliflower flavor.
  • Boil the florets in vegetable stock or boiling water until fork tender – about 8-10 minutes. For this option, make sure you drain and cool for 10 minutes before adding to the cheese sauce.
baked cauliflower casserole keto

Steaming It Out

Whatever the technique you choose to bake the cauliflower, cool it down before you add the cauliflower to the cheese sauce.

The florets need to steam out to avoid a watery casserole.

Making The Cheese Sauce

This keto cauliflower casserole recipe is made with a cream cheese sauce cooked in bacon fat.

First, prepare a large saucepan or pot (to fit all the cauliflower florets!) and fry the bacon pieces until crispy.

Set aside 1/3 cup of the bacon pieces, this will be used to load the casserole dish at the end.

Then, add heavy cream, cream cheese, garlic powder, and onion powder.

Stir and simmer the sauce until all the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly.

Finally, remove the pot from the heat and stir in fresh chopped dill half of the shredded cheese.

Your cheese sauce is ready to be used for your casserole.

Loaded cauliflower casserole

Assembling The Keto Cauliflower Casserole

In order to assemble the casserole, you first need to combine the cooked cauliflower florets into the sauce.

If the pot you used to prepare the sauce is not big enough to fit all the cauliflower florets, transfer the sauce into a large bowl.

Stir the cauliflower into the sauce to fully coat each floret with the cheese sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

Then, transfer the cheesy cauliflower florets onto a large 9-inch x 13-inch casserole dish.

Spread evenly and sprinkle the remaining crispy bacon pieces and shredded cheese on top.

Finally, bake the cauliflower casserole at 425°F (220°C) for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is grilled on top and bubbles form on the sides of the baking dish.

Keto cheese cauliflower casserole

Serving The Cauliflower Casserole

Cauliflower casseroles are very popular keto diet side dishes for grilled meat or fish and perfect to serve to non-keto friends!

It’s a tasty Thanksgiving side dish swap to the classic mashed cauliflower and delicious with turkey.

I guarantee that everyone will love this cheesy cauliflower casserole recipe, even the kids.

You can serve this recipe by adding fresh chopped dill or green onions on top of the baking dish for extra flavors.

cauliflower keto casserole

Storage Instructions

Keto casserole recipes are convenient make-ahead keto recipes for any time of the day. In fact, they store very well in the fridge for up to 3 days into the baking dish.

Or, you can freeze your casserole in an airtight container. I recommend freezing your casserole into single-serve containers.

This is a great way to know exactly how many carbs each frozen portion contains. Then, when you need one serving, thaw it in the fridge overnight.

You can rewarm this casserole on a plate in the microwave or in an ovenproof dish at 350°F (180°C) until hot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Skip The Bacon?

Yes, you can make a vegetarian keto cauliflower casserole by just removing the bacon. You can replace it with sundried tomatoes for example

Can You Eat Cauliflower On Keto?

Yes, cauliflower is one of the good keto-friendly ingredients. It’s the base for many keto recipes.

How Many Carbs Are In Keto Cauliflower Casserole?

There are only 5.3 grams of net carbs per serving of this keto cauliflower recipe.

Is Cauliflower No Carbs?

No, cauliflower has some carbs but very few. When cooked, it has only 1.7 grams of carbs per 100 grams.

Loaded cauliflower casserole

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Keto cheese cauliflower casserole

Keto Loaded Cauliflower Casserole

5.3gNet Carbs
A creamy keto cauliflower side dish or light dinner with 5.7g of net carbs per serving
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 55 minutes
Yield: 8 servings (1/2 cup)
Serving Size: 1 serve
4.96 from 553 votes

Ingredients

  • 1 large Cauliflower Head cut into bite size florets

Cheese Sauce

  • 9 oz Cream Cheese
  • ½ cup Heavy Cream
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder or 3 fresh garlic cloves, crushed
  • ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • 2 cups Shredded Cheddar divided
  • ¼ cup Chopped Dill
  • 9 oz Bacon Slices chopped into bite size pieces, about 6 slices
This recipe may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C) Grease a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
  • Cut the cauliflower head into bite-size florets, you should have about 1.8 lb/800g of small florets.
  • Place the cauliflower florets into a steamer basket and place the basket into a large pot with 2 inches of water at the bottom. Steam the cauliflower for 8 minutes until fork tender.
  • Drain the cooked cauliflower florets and set aside 10 minutes to steam out.
  • Meanwhile, prepare the cheese sauce.
  • In a large pot (can be the one you used to steam the cauliflower), fry the bacon pieces for 2-3 minutes. Set aside 1/3 cup of cooked bacon in a bowl (you will use this to add on top of the casserole later).
  • Stir in heavy cream, cubes of cream cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt, and simmer the sauce over low/medium heat until cream cheese is melted and sauce is thick and creamy.
  • Remove from heat, stir in fresh chopped dill, half shredded cheddar (1 cup).
  • Stir in the cooked cauliflower florets until evenly coated with the cheese sauce.
  • Transfer the cheesy cauliflower florets into the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer.
  • Top the casserole with the remaining crispy bacon and shredded cheese.
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes, switching to grill mode for 3-4 minutes if needed to grill cheese on top.
  • Remove from the oven and sprinkle with extra fresh dill if desired.
  • Serve immediately as a main dish or low carb side dish to grilled meat/fish.

Storage

  • Store up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
  • Can be frozen in an airtight container. Defrost in the fridge the day before and rewarm in the microwave or saucepan.
Tried this recipe?Mention @sweetashoneyrecipes
Serving Size: 1 serve
Yield: 8 servings (1/2 cup)
Serving: 1serveCalories: 326.8kcal (16%)Carbohydrates: 7.3g (2%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Net Carbs: 5.3gProtein: 17.6g (35%)Fat: 26.1g (40%)Saturated Fat: 15.5g (97%)Cholesterol: 81.2mg (27%)Sodium: 1085.6mg (47%)Potassium: 381.4mg (11%)Sugar: 3g (3%)Vitamin A: 936.9IU (19%)Vitamin C: 48.9mg (59%)Calcium: 263.1mg (26%)Iron: 0.7mg (4%)
Carine Claudepierre

About The Author

Carine Claudepierre

Hi, I'm Carine, the food blogger, author, recipe developer, published author of a cookbook and many ebooks, and founder of Sweet As Honey.

I have an Accredited Certificate in Nutrition and Wellness obtained in 2014 from Well College Global (formerly Cadence Health). I'm passionate about sharing all my easy and tasty recipes that are both delicious and healthy. My expertise in the field comes from my background in chemistry and years of following a keto low-carb diet. But I'm also well versed in vegetarian and vegan cooking since my husband is vegan.

I now eat a more balanced diet where I alternate between keto and a Mediterranean Diet

Cooking and Baking is my true passion. In fact, I only share a small portion of my recipes on Sweet As Honey. Most of them are eaten by my husband and my two kids before I have time to take any pictures!

All my recipes are at least triple tested to make sure they work and I take pride in keeping them as accurate as possible.

Browse all my recipes with my Recipe Index.

I hope that you too find the recipes you love on Sweet As Honey!

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    30 Thoughts On Keto Cauliflower Casserole (Ready In 30 Minutes)
  1. 5 stars
    This was absolutely DELICIOUS!!! My whole family gobbled it right up, even my picky as heck 3 yr old. Thank you for this delicious recipe!

  2. Hi can you tell me how many total carbohydrates there are in this recipe. It really sounds Yummy. Thank you

  3. I tried this tonight as a side with steak. It was so delicious, we loved it. I usually make a different keto cauli casserole, but didn’t have an ingredient, so I tried this recipe instead. And we definitely prefer this one. To me it tastes just like potato, not like cauli at all. The dill is such a good idea. Thank you so much for the recipe.

  4. 5 stars
    Wow this was amazing I subbed dry dill and chives for the fresh dill, and everyone gobbled it right up.

  5. 5 stars
    Wow this was amazing. I subbed dry dill and chives for the fresh dill, and everyone gobbled it right up.

  6. Hi
    I want to make this recipe but I don’t eat pork bacon. What else can I use? Olive oil,seasoned maybe?

  7. 5 stars
    Very good, very easy! I’m going to try it with broccoli. Maybe combine it with the the cauliflower. Should work well. Thanks for a very good recipe.

  8. 5 stars
    I really appreciate your recipes on glutton and dairy free grain free.wow! I can eat happy and healthy again!please continue with this kind of support cooking!

  9. 5 stars
    Easy to make and turned out awesome. My kids even ate it without drama. I did it in my Ninja Foodie to. Love this recipe.

  10. 5 stars
    Oh my, this sounds very good and looks it also!!! A must try. Just need to get the items needed to make it. Bj

  11. Hi there – nice recipe but we tweaked it a bit – substitute cream cheese with ricotta, sub heavy cream with plain yogurt, sub garlic powder with minced garlic, sub onion powder with chopped sauteed onion, sub cheddar with asiago or colby jack and sub bacon with crisped Prosciutto. Add dried Italian herbs generously.

    Also not sure you’re aware of printer friendly – your printout is 14 pages. Save everyone the ink by printer friendly only the ingredients & cooking instruc without the tons of pictures. Thanks. Have a great day!

    • Thanks for the nice feedback. There’s a print button on top of this recipe post or on top of the recipe card. If you click on it, t open a new tab and it only print the recipe card, so one page. Enjoy the recipe.

  12. 5 stars
    Quick question if anyone can answer ASAP as I’m already cooking the bacon. Do I keep all the grease in the pot?

  13. 5 stars
    Absolutely loved this!! So rich and creamy! I added more bacon and used green onions instead of dill. I recommend this! Almost taste like a loaded baked potato!! I cooked my cauliflower a little less as I like a tad bit firmness.

  14. 5 stars
    Another amazing recipe! It didn’t even make it through till the end of the day! Wa hoping there would be leftovers for me but my kids killed this! They didn’t even miss the potatoes!

    • 5 stars
      I made this tonight and really liked it. It was the only recipe like this that I could find that used cream cheese instead of sour cream. It was creamy and I am glad I made it. I give it a 4.5/5 only because I save a true 5 for those recipes that make that make me want to have them every week! Thank you.

    • I am so glad to read your message! My kids love this recipe too, it’s so great to share an healthy keto dinner all together. Enjoy the keto recipes on the blog, XOXO Carine

  15. 5 stars
    OMG! Made the Keto Cauliflower Casserole – Simply DELICIOUS!! Will definitely be a regular cook – Thank you sooooo much Carine – Keep up the awesome work – much appreciated.

Disclaimer

The recipes, instructions, and articles on this website should not be taken or used as medical advice. You must consult with your doctor before starting on a keto or low-carb diet. The nutritional data provided on Sweetashoney is to be used as indicative only.

The nutrition data is calculated using WP Recipe Maker. Net Carbs is calculated by removing the fiber and some sweeteners from the total Carbohydrates. As an example, a recipe with 10 grams of Carbs per 100 grams that contains 3 grams of erythritol and 5 grams of fiber will have a net carbs content of 2 grams. Some sweeteners are excluded because they are not metabolized.

You should always calculate the nutritional data yourself instead of relying on Sweetashoney's data. Sweetashoney and its recipes and articles are not intended to cure, prevent, diagnose, or treat any disease. Sweetashoney cannot be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or advice found on the Website.