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Low-Carb Cauliflower Au Gratin

Last Updated On: · by · This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission. · 6 Comments

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This easy, low-carb Cauliflower Au Gratin is a deceptively impressive, healthy, and easy cauliflower au gratin that is high in protein, gluten-free, and clean.  Enjoy it as a filling side or a meal by itself!

Cauliflower Gratin | An impressive, easy, healthy and clean take on a gratin | A Sweet Pea Chef this RECIPE

So...you know me.  I love roasted things.  And cheesy things.  And Greek yogurt recipes.  And cauliflower recipes...

I mean, what's NOT to love about all these, right?

Now, let's grab all that goodness...cheese, roasting, greek yogurt, and cauliflower.  And put them all together.

Boom.  Amazingness, right?  And so simple!

I mean, c'mon now.  I will never complain about ooey, gooey, creamy, luscious, and savory cauliflower gratin.  Nope.  Never.  Nuuupe.

You just can't.  It's impossible.  Try it and you'll see what I mean.

Raw chopped cauliflower florets on a chopping board, to be roasted and used for cauliflower gratin dish

If you've been around this blog before, you already know something special is about to happen when you put roasted broccoli, roasted sweet potatoes, or pan fried salmon or dijon roasted chicken in the oven to roast it. And you've seen miracles happen, like turning cauliflower into cauliflower mashed potatoes.  And we know how extra-special, warm, comforting, soul-filling, and heart-warming an healthy au gratin potatoes recipe is.

But, problem is we don't often enjoy such things since - you know...potatoes, cheese, flours, and all that unhealthyish stuff.

Fortunately, we can take an au gratin recipe and make it healthy - just read on to see how!

High angle photo of the Greek yogurt mixture ready to be used for the cauliflower gratin dish

HOW TO MAKE LOW-CARB CAULIFLOWER AU GRATIN HEALTHY

So - let's use different, healthier ingredients to get that same effect in order to make a healthy cauliflower au gratin.  Here are some simple swaps you can do:

  • use cauliflower instead of white potatoes
  • use unsweetened full fat greek yogurt (LOVE!) instead of cream or butter
  • use chickpea flour instead of all-purpose flour

Following these strategies, you can easily take a regular, high fat, high calorie au gratin recipe and turn it into something you can be proud of yourself for eating, something that will nourish you, something that will suitably replace everything you THOUGHT you wanted.

Ovenproof skillet containing raw cauliflower florets, before roasting, to be used in cauliflower gratin dish and then Cauliflower gratin dish in an ovenproof skillet, complete with toppings and Greek yogurt sauce
Cauliflower gratin dish in an ovenproof skillet, complete with toppings and Greek yogurt sauce

RECIPE SUBSTITUTIONS FOR CAULIFLOWER AU GRATIN

Fortunately, the ingredients in this recipe are very simple, which means it's easy to substitute with ingredients to better suit your dietary needs.  Here are several common ingredient replacements to help fit this au gratin recipe into your healthy lifestyle.

  • Vegan: Replace the greek yogurt with a non-dairy, plant-based yogurt option that is unsweetened and unflavored.  Replace bacon with plant-based bacon (or add extra mushrooms).  Replace parmesan cheese with nutritional yeast.
  • Paleo:  To be strictly paleo, you'll need to replace the greek yogurt and parmesan with organic butter, full fat milk, or ghee.
  • Gluten-Free: As written, this recipe is gluten-free.
  • Dairy-Free: Replace the greek yogurt with a non-dairy, plant-based yogurt option that is unsweetened and unflavored.  Replace parmesan cheese with nutritional yeast.

Did I miss your dietary needs?  Just ask in the comments below!

Close up photo of cauliflower gratin dish in ovenproof skillet, ready to be served and enjoyed

WHAT GOES WITH CAULIFLOWER AU GRATIN?

You could easily pair cauliflower au gratin with:

Bubbly, creamy, AND nutritious, this cauliflower au gratin makes a healthy meal on its own, though you could also serve it as a filling side dish with any of the above options.

Close up photo of cauliflower gratin dish, ready to be plated with a wooden spoon

CAN I FREEZE CAULIFLOWER AU GRATIN?

Bonus: this cauliflower au gratin dish tastes great, if not better, the next day.

If you're looking to make this cauliflower au gratin dish in advance and freeze it, just follow these simple tips:

  1. it will need to be removed from the oven before it finishes cooking to protect the cauliflower’s texture
  2. once you freeze it, you may thaw them in the refrigerator or bake frozen.

There may be a few texture differences from the dairy in the greek yogurt when it is frozen, but it will still taste great.  Seriously, cauliflower recipes, you never cease to amaze.  So yummers.

Cauliflower Gratin

Cauliflower Gratin

Lacey Baier
An impressive and easy cauliflower gratin that is high in protein, gluten-free, and clean.
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 378 kcal

Equipment

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

Ingredients
  

  • 1 large head of cauliflower, broken into florets
  • 10 cremini mushrooms, diced
  • ½ large yellow onion, diced
  • 4 strips thick nitrate-free bacon, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
  • ½ teaspoon thyme
  • ½ teaspoon oregano
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese divided
  • 2 cups plain greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon chickpea flour
  • optional garnish: sliced green onions

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Place the cauliflower florets in an oven-safe skillet and toss with olive oil, sea salt, and ¼ tsp. ground black pepper.
  • Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender and golden.
  • While the cauliflower is roasting, add chopped bacon to a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the bacon for 4-5 minutes.
  • Remove the cooked bacon from the pan and set aside, reserving 1 tbsp. of the rendered bacon fat.
  • Add in half a diced yellow onion and 8-10 diced cremini mushrooms and cook until the onion is tender.
  • Next, add 3 cloves minced garlic and cook for one additional minute.
  • In a small mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups greek yogurt and 1 tbsp. chickpea flour.
  • Turn off the heat and stir in remaining ¼ tsp. ground black pepper, dried oregano, dried thyme, ¼ cup grated parmesan, and the greek yogurt mixture.
  • Once the cauliflower is ready, remove from the oven and gently fold in the onion, bacon, and greek yogurt mixture until the cauliflower is coated.
  • Return to the oven and cook for 10 minutes to heat the mixture through.
  • Then, sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of the parmesan cheese evenly over the top and return the oven for 5 more minutes, until the parmesan is melted and the gratin is golden and bubbly.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5 cupsCalories: 378 kcalCarbohydrates: 20.9 gProtein: 24.7 gFat: 23.6 gSaturated Fat: 6.5 gCholesterol: 47.9 mgSodium: 719 mgFiber: 5 gSugar: 10.7 g
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Tag @asweetpeachef on Instagram so we can check it out.

This post contains affiliate links for products I use regularly and highly recommend.

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Comments

    5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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  1. Wendy Hanson

    can you use sour cream in place of greek yogurt?

    Reply

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Lacey Baier

I have never tested with sour cream and the nutritional breakdown wont be the same, but texture wise, that would probably work.

Reply

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    Dustin

    5 stars
    great idea

    Reply
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    Lacey Baier

    Thanks - it's so tasty and you'd never believe it's actually healthy, too!

    Reply

  • judy

    I am planning to try this recipe. It sounds delicious. My question is about the nutritional content: What is the serving size for this dish to equal the stated nutritional value?

    Reply
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    Lacey Baier

    Very good question, Judy. It's hard to break it up into a cup-size measurement, but it's 1/4 of the entire recipe since it makes 4 servings.

    Reply

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