Crispy Gluten Free Cauliflower Pancakes (2024)

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Gluten free cauliflower pancakes make a wonderful appetizer, side dish, or vegetarian meal. Crispy on the outside and cheesy tender on the inside, you will love this easy riced cauliflower recipe.

Crispy Gluten Free Cauliflower Pancakes (1)

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If you have always wanted to try a recipe using riced cauliflower, but the thought of ricing a cauliflower was a bit overwhelming. You can now buy cauliflower already riced! It cuts the time to make cauliflower rice recipes in half! This cauliflower pancakes recipe is so good and very easy to make.

These crispy gluten free cauliflower pancakes are full of flavor and the melty cheese makes it even better! They are great to serve as appetizers or as a side dish. If you love cooking as much as we do…here are all of my delicious gluten free appetizer recipes in one place!

And you can even use riced cauliflower instead of rice in risotto, check out this recipe for Shiitake Cauliflower Rice Risotto!

Why Make This Recipe:

  1. Kids love them…even my picky eater loved this recipe, and she hates vegetables!
  2. They can be topped with sour cream, sriracha, salsa, and so many other ways to make the perfect appetizers!
  3. Pan-fry them easily, or make them in your air fryer to cut back on oil. If you use the air fryer.
  4. Using packaged riced cauliflower, like Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Rice, is a great time saver!

Ingredient Notes:

  • Cauliflower – Either use a head of cauliflower and rice it in your food processor or buy riced cauliflower at the store.
  • Cheddar Cheese – Use sharp or mild cheddar shredded cheese.
  • Leeks or Onions – I recommend leeks or yellow onions.
  • Egg – Use size large.
  • Parmesan Cheese – Shredded or grated.
  • Light Oil – See the FAQ for information on high-smoking point oils.
  • Gluten Free Flour Blend – Any blend will work in this recipe.
  • Regular or Non-Dairy Milk – If you use plant-based milk, be sure to use an unflavored, unsweetened one.

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Crispy Gluten Free Cauliflower Pancakes (2)

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Recipe Step-By-Step Directions:

Crispy Gluten Free Cauliflower Pancakes (3)

Step 1: Toss the cauliflower rice in a large mixing bowl with the cheddar, parmesan, leeks, egg, flour, and other ingredients. Mix well with a large spoon.

Step 2: Preheat your oil in a large cast iron skillet. You want the oil to be at least 1 ½ inches deep.

Crispy Gluten Free Cauliflower Pancakes (4)

Step 3: Use a large cookie scoop or your hands to form pancake-shaped cauliflower patties.

Step 3: Carefully drop them into the hot oil. The riced cauliflower pancakes get so crispy and delicious. Use a metal spatula to flip the pancake over so both sides cook evenly. Try adding some cayenne for a spicy kick!

Try to cook these in a cast-iron skillet because the pan cooks at an even heat. You can get really crisp outside!

Air Fryer Directions:

  • Preheat the air fryer to 400º F.
  • Make the cauliflower pancakes as directed.
  • Spray the rack in the air fryer with oil, add the pancakes, and then liberally spray them with oil.
  • Cook for 8 minutes, then flip them over and lightly spray more oil on that side. Cook for 5-7 minutes. The cooking time will vary depending on how large and thick your cauliflower pancakes are.
  • Serve these cheesy cauliflower pancakes hot.
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Topping Ideas:

  • Sour cream
  • Scallions
  • Chives
  • Bacon
  • Sriracha

Recipe FAQ:

What oil is best for frying?

When frying at high heat, you must use an oil that can hold up to the heat. Some oils, like olive oil, will get rancid at high heat. I use both avocado oil (my very favorite for savory dishes) and coconut oil (great for sweet fried recipes.) Be sure to read which oils are best for the air fryer.

How do you store cauliflower pancakes?

Store these cauliflower pancakes in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze them in a zipper bag, but you will need to pan-fry again to re-crisp them.

More Gluten Free Cauliflower Recipes to Try:

  • Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Alfredo Sauce
  • Shiitake Riced Cauliflower Risotto
  • Turmeric Lime Roasted Cauliflower

Crispy Gluten Free Cauliflower Pancakes (6)

Gluten Free Cauliflower Cheddar Pancakes

Sandi Gaertner

Easy riced cauliflower cheddar pancakes.

4.88 from 32 votes

Crispy Gluten Free Cauliflower Pancakes (7)

Crispy Gluten Free Cauliflower Pancakes (8)

Crispy Gluten Free Cauliflower Pancakes (9)

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Gluten Free Appetizer Recipes

Cuisine American

Servings 12 pancakes

Calories 111 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 bag riced cauliflower or a head of cauliflower riced
  • ¾ cup Vermont cheddar cheese shredded
  • 1 large leek sliced
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • ¼ cup gluten free flour blend
  • ½ cup almond milk (or regular milk if you have it.)
  • **Optional ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • garnish with sour cream and scallion.

Instructions

  • Start heating oil in a pan on medium high heat.

  • Add riced cauliflower, egg, cheese, salt, flour, leek and milk to a bowl and mix well.

  • Test oil temperature by dropping a drip of water into the pan. If it sizzles, it is ready.

  • Form patties.

  • Drop patties into the hot oil.

  • Cook until golden on each side, about 3-4 minutes per side.

  • Remove from heat and put each patty onto a plate covered in paper towels (to absorb extra oil)

  • Serve with sour cream and scallions

Notes

To test if your oil is hot enough, toss one drip of water into the hot oil. If it sizzles, your oil is hot enough.

SPECIAL NOTE

Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 111kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 5gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 188mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2g

Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @FearlessDining or tag #FearlessDining!

Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.

This post was updated from an old February 2016 post with more detailed instructions.

Crispy Gluten Free Cauliflower Pancakes (10)
Crispy Gluten Free Cauliflower Pancakes (2024)

FAQs

Is cauliflower gluten-free? ›

Not only is cauliflower a gluten-free, low-calorie, nutrient-dense food with 2 grams of protein in every 1 cup serving, but it takes on the flavor of whatever you season it with.

What is in cauliflower flour? ›

Cauliflower flour is a fine ground gluten-free powder made from dried cauliflower florets, stems or leaves. The most commercially available cauliflower flour is made from the dried floret mixed with other gluten – free flours such as: rice, maize, and sorghum.

How many calories are in cauliflower pancakes? ›

There are 170 calories in 2 pieces (85 g) of Trader Joe's Cauliflower Pancakes. * The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Is Chick Fil A cauliflower gluten-free? ›

Is it gluten-free? Chick-fil-A does offer gluten-free buns, but this sandwich is not gluten-free because the cauliflower breading contains gluten.

What's better, cauliflower crust or gluten-free crust? ›

There are more vitamins and minerals in cauliflower than in wheat-based dough, so you get more nutrition from eating cauliflower crust pizzas and avoiding gluten. If you are trying to avoid the effects of gluten and feel better in a healthy way while still enjoying pizza, cauliflower crust is a great option.

Does cauliflower flour spike blood sugar? ›

The Diabetes Effect

A slice of cauliflower pizza, on the other hand, can have as few as 3-5 grams of carb! The cauliflower pizza takes longer to work it's way into the blood stream than the flour-made stuff, so it doesn't have that complex carb effect that often shoots our glucose levels up many hours later.

Why is cauliflower crust so high in carbs? ›

A single slice could have anywhere from 2 to 29 grams. That's a huge range, especially because cauliflower isn't carb-heavy (a cup has 5 grams). Why the difference? Crusts may include rice or brown rice flour, sugar, tapioca starch, and corn starch, which supply carbs.

What is the curd disease in cauliflower? ›

The growing point is severely deformed and no marketable curd is formed. This condition in cauliflower results because of the deficiency of molybdenum which occurs in acidic soils below 4-5 pH. Correction measures: It may be controlled by liming the soil which reduces the acidity and increases the soil pH up to 6.5.

Why does cauliflower crust have so many calories? ›

As you can see, cauliflower crust contains a fair amount of protein. Its fat and carb counts may differ widely among brands, so be sure to read the nutrient label before choosing a product. The ingredients added to make cauliflower doughy means that it has far more calories, fat, sodium, and carbs than raw cauliflower.

Does cauliflower have less calories than rice? ›

That said, cauliflower rice contains fewer calories (20 calories) than white rice (210 calories). As such, cauliflower rice may be a better option for those watching their calories.

Is cauliflower crust high in calories? ›

The Nutrition Facts of Cauliflower Pizza Crust

In those two slices are 110 calories, 3 grams of protein, and 2.5 grams of fat, including 1.5 grams of saturated fat. As for carbs, cauliflower pizza crust comes in at 16 grams of carbohydrates.

Are any vegetables not gluten-free? ›

Vegetables – All vegetables are naturally gluten free. You can eat a wide variety to get the vitamins and minerals you need. A few examples are zucchini, green beans, peas, lettuce, carrots, eggplant, peppers, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, and potatoes. Fruits – All fruits are also naturally gluten-free.

Does broccoli and cauliflower have gluten? ›

Naturally Gluten-Free Foods

Vegetables: carrots, cucumber, bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potato, kale, spinach, etc.

What vegetables can celiacs eat? ›

Choose a protein source: fish, shrimp, chicken, beef, beans, plain tofu, lentils, etc. Choose a gluten-free starch or grain: potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, amaranth, quinoa, brown rice, etc. Choose a non-starchy vegetable: broccoli, cauliflower, pepper, mushrooms, zucchini, spinach, green beans, etc.

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