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Cauliflower Cheese Sauce

Date: by · This post may contain affiliate links · 14 Comments

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This healthy Cauliflower Cheese Sauce is so creamy and savory, it works like an alfredo or a cream sauce and is absolutely delicious.

Cauliflower Cheese Sauce | This healthy Cauliflower Cheese Sauce is so creamy and savory, it works like an alfredo or a cream sauce and is absolutely delicious. | A Sweet Pea Chef this RECIPE

I mean, really.  Is there anything cauliflower can't do?

It has taken over our mashed potatoes.  It has taken over our rice.  Our pizza crust.

It has taken over our hearts.

(Awwww....who else saw that coming?)

The seven ingredients needed for how to make cauliflower cheese sauce, including parmesan cheese, almond milk, vegetable broth. garlic, salt, pepper, and fresh cauliflower.
A single fresh cauliflower which still has the leaves attached and can be cut up and cooked in order to make the cauliflower cheese sauce.

Is Cauliflower Healthy?

Seriously, though.  Cauliflower is such an amazingly versatile vegetable since it has the perfect color and texture so it can mimic so many other types of foods.

And -- even better -- it's like ridiculously healthy for you, too.  Cauliflower is a great source for vitamin c, antioxidants, fiber, and tons of other micronutrients.

I mean, I'm not saying I loooooove cauliflower, but I'm not NOT saying I love cauliflower.

Okay, you got me.  I love cauliflower.

A cutting board with fresh cauliflower florets separated from the leaves of the cauliflower for how to make cauliflower cheese sauce. Overhead image of a steamer basket which has the fresh cauliflower florets, ready to be steamed to make cauliflower cheese sauce.Before and after pics of a kitchen blender with the steamed cauliflower, parmesan cheese, vegetable broth, salt, pepper and then afterwards, the creamy blended cauliflower cheese sauce.

For the longest time, though, I looked at cauliflower as like a substitute for broccoli when I got tired of eating broccoli.  I didn't have any creativity when cooking it and thought it was so bland and boring.

That was before I realized it was such a hidden gem.

Now, we're like besties.

Cauliflower is the best thing that ever happened to healthy eating since...I dunno...coconut oil?

Bold statement, I know.

Overhead view of a large bowl filled with cauliflower cheese sauce. Horizontal image of a bowl filled with cauliflower cheese sauce that is topped with ground black pepper.

Is Cauliflower Cheese Sauce Healthy?

Now, let's talk about this amazing cauliflower cheese sauce we're all looking at.  It's pretty amaze-balls, people.

Next to my beloved cauliflower pizza crust, this sauce may be my favorite cauliflower recipe to date.  And you know how I do love the cauliflower.

This cauliflower cheese sauce contains just a bit of parmesan.  But it tastes like cheese.  And it's cheesy good.  And cheese.

[And you could even omit to make it entirely vegan, if you so desired.]

But, alas, very little cheese.   Just lots o' fiber, antioxidants, and healthy goodness.

The first time I made this, I served it over a pan-roasted steak and some parmesan baked zucchini spears that I happened to be putting together for a new meal in No-Fail Meals.  And it was flippin' glorious.

Like...I couldn't stop licking the spoon...glorious.  I dipped the steak in it.  I dipped the zucchini spears in it (omg so good).  It was just so utterly amazingly good, I couldn't even believe it.

Gotta love that cauliflower!

Hand with spoon showing the creaminess and texture of the cauliflower cheese sauce.

How To Make Cauliflower Cheese Sauce

The basic process of how to cook cauliflower cheese sauce is to first cook the cauliflower and garlic, then add it to just a handful of ingredients (salt, pepper, vegetable broth, almond milk, and parmesan cheese), then blend it together.  That's literally all you need to do.

When you make it, depending on how thick you like your cheese sauce, you can always add equal parts almond milk and the vegetable broth to loosen it.  I like my sauces pourable, but thick so that's how it's written.

Cauliflower Cheese Sauce

What To Serve With Cauliflower Cheese Sauce

If you're looking for recipe ideas for what the heck you'd add a cauliflower sauce to, try one of these great recipes:

It's gonna be gloriousness no matter how you do it.

Cauliflower Cheese Sauce

Cauliflower Cheese Sauce

Lacey Baier
This healthy Cauliflower Cheese Sauce is so creamy and savory, it works like an alfredo or a cream sauce and is absolutely delicious.
5 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Sauce
Cuisine American
Servings 4 cups
Calories 107 kcal

Equipment

*This post may contain affiliate links for products I use often and highly recommend.

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 head cauliflower, broken into florets
  • 2 ½ cups vegetable broth
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ cup almond milk
  • ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese** omit parmesan if vegan

Instructions
 

  • Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a skillet and cook the garlic until tender and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Careful not to burn. Remove from heat and set aside.
  • Add the cauliflower florets into a deep stock pot and then add the vegetable broth. Cover and cook over high heat for 8-10 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender when pierced with a fork. Do not drain.
  • Transfer the cauliflower florets to a blender (or food processor). Then, add ¾ cup of the hot vegetable broth you used to cook the cauliflower, followed by the sautéed garlic and oil, sea salt, pepper, and almond milk.
  • Blend for 1-2 minutes until the sauce is very smooth. If the sauce is too thick, you can add equal parts almond milk and vegetable broth. You may have to do this in batches, depending on the size of your blender. The consistency should be thick, but pourable.
  • Serve hot as you would a cheese sauce.

Video

Notes

This recipe can easily be converted to be vegan by omitting the parmesan cheese.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 cupCalories: 107 kcalCarbohydrates: 12.9 gProtein: 5 gFat: 5.4 gSaturated Fat: 0.7 gSodium: 673.4 mgFiber: 4.8 gSugar: 4.3 g
Keyword cauliflower cheese sauce, cauliflower sauce, vegan cauliflower cheese sauce
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Tag @asweetpeachef on Instagram so we can check it out.

This post contains affiliate links for products I use all the time in my kitchen and highly recommend.

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  1. Wendy heath

    I have made into a most delicious soup as well as the sauce.. wow👍

    Reply

  2. Jodi

    5 stars
    How long will this keep in the refrigerator, and do you think it would freeze well?

    Reply

  3. Kristen

    How long can this be stored for?

    Reply

  4. Clarissa Escamilla

    5 stars
    I just found your website and I love it! This cauliflower recipe was awesome. My grocery store only had purple cauliflower so my sauce ended up being a purple cheese sauce. I also just used lactose free milk since I didn't have any almond milk. We sliced some potatoes really thin and baked them to make french fries and dipped them in the cauliflower sauce, and my husband loved it!

    Reply

  5. Nicola

    Hi

    I have a nut allergy. Could I substitute oat milk? I would also cut out a step and use 1tbsp Garlic Oil.

    Reply

    • Lacey Baier

      Yes, you absolutely can substitute for any milk of your choice.

      Reply

  6. Sarah

    5 stars
    I wonder why you chose almond milk instead of milk?

    Reply

    • Lacey Baier

      It's just my preference for milk, but you can choose whatever milk you like.

      Reply

  7. Tegan

    Just curious, the recipe as written is vegan... but the picture showing the ingredients lists Parmesan cheese? Is it just an optional add-in?

    Reply

    • Lacey Baier

      Ha, very good point, Tegan - thanks for pointing that out! I went ahead and updated that ingredients image and mentioned it as totally optional in the ingredients list. This sauce can be made without the parmesan to be kept completely vegan, but can also have parmesan added for those who aren't interested in it being vegan. Sorry for the confusion!

      Reply

      • Tracey

        Have you tried this with nutritional yeast instead of parm? Seems like it would work as a swap?

      • Lisa G

        I just found this blog so I'm a bit late to the cauliflower party! Yes, i was wondering about subbing in nutritional yeast as well...worth a try!