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Home / Recipes / Keto Sides

Cauliflower Au Gratin (Keto, Low-Carb)

By Lisa MarcAurele · Aug 6, 2020 · 41 Comments

15.6K shares
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cauliflower au gratin recipe
cauliflower au gratin recipe
cauliflower au gratin recipe

This delicious cauliflower au gratin keto casserole is surprisingly easy to make. And with the rich sauce plus the cheese and bacon on top, you’ll never even miss the potatoes!

keto cauliflower au gratin
Article Index
  • How to make cauliflower au gratin keto
  • Getting the right texture
  • Other Recipes to Try
  • Cauliflower Gratin Recipe
  • Recipe

I’m always looking for hearty side dishes to serve around the holidays. But this cheesy cauliflower dish is so tasty, I find myself whipping it up year round!

It helps that it’s so easy to throw together. Simple sides free up your time and energy so you can focus on the rest of your meal.

To make cauliflower au gratin keto friendly, just combine broth with cream and spices for the sauce. Mix it with the cauliflower and cheese, top with bacon and more cheese, and toss it in the oven to bake!

This casserole turns out so hearty and delicious, you’ll never even miss the potatoes. It's similar to my ham and cauliflower casserole which has been a family favorite for year.

How to make cauliflower au gratin keto

Cauliflower is a great substitute for starchy, high-carb potatoes. And by making the easy sauce ourselves, we can eliminate most of the carbs you find in traditional au gratin.

  1. Make the cream sauce. Combine broth, cream, garlic, onion powder, poultry seasoning, and xanthan gum (or glucomannan) in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until thickened then remove from heat. 
making the sauce
  1. Assemble in baking dish. In a casserole pan, add the cauliflower, cheese, and prepared sauce. Mix until well-combined. Sprinkle bacon on top, then cover with more cheese.
assembling casserole
  1. Bake the low-carb cauliflower gratin. Place in the oven and bake at 350°F until the top is browned and the cauliflower is tender.

Once the dish is ready, cut into 10 slices to serve!

If you don’t have poultry seasoning, you can substitute a mixture of sage, marjoram, thyme, parsey, and paprika instead.

serving cauliflower au gratin keto

Getting the right texture

To keep cauliflower gratin keto but still make a satisfying casserole, you need a thick sauce.

I found that adding a touch of low carb thickener helps to get that perfect consistency. When I first made this recipe, I used xanthan gum without any problems.

Unfortunately, some xanthan gum products can add a slimy texture. It all depends on what brand you use.

That’s why I prefer to use glucomannan as my sauce thickener these days. It seems to have a more consistent effect across brands. You can use either low carb thickener based on your preferences.

The other key is making sure that the casserole isn’t too soupy. That’s why I recommend using fresh or frozen cauliflower that has been cut into florets or slices. Riced cauliflower may release too much liquid into the casserole.

To save time, I like to buy pre-cut cauliflower. It’s always nice to avoid an extra step!

baked cauliflower au gratin low carb in casserole pan

Other Recipes to Try

Looking for more low-carb side dishes to serve around the holidays or to round out a delicious meal? Check out a few of these favorites:

  • My Keto Creamed Spinach Recipe is packed with so much cheesy flavor, even the kids will be asking for seconds!
  • Roasted Radishes have the right flavor and texture to make them a great low-carb replacement for potatoes.
  • Gluten Free Green Bean Casserole uses bacon, cheese, and wholesome ingredients for healthy, full flavor. No canned soup in this recipe!
  • Pumpkin Casserole comes with a delicious herb topping that will pair beautifully with your holiday turkey or ham.
  • Pan Fried Brussels Sprouts with Bacon is so delicious, even friends and family that dislike brussels sprouts might fall in love!
low carb cauliflower gratin on plate

Cauliflower Gratin Recipe

I love how easy it is to make this side dish. It’s definitely a holiday favorite in our family because of its amazing flavor.

Plus, once you try this recipe, you will be amazed how simple it is to throw together! You only need five main ingredients plus spices and a thickener. Plus, prep takes 10 minutes or less. 

And it’s a good thing, too, because everyone is going to be begging you to make this low carb cauliflower gratin! Even non-keto friends and family love this casserole. 

It’s so rich, creamy, and cheesy, who could blame them?

Follow us on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, and INSTAGRAM for even more tasty keto-friendly recipes!

Recipe

cauliflower au gratin keto on plate

Cauliflower Au Gratin - Gluten Free

3.83 from 17 votes
Are you looking for a yummy side dish for the holidays or your every day meal? Try this low carb cauliflower au gratin recipe to make all meals special.
Prep Time:10 minutes mins
Cook Time:50 minutes mins
Total Time:1 hour hr
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Print Pin Review Recipe Save Recipe View Collections
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 346

Video

Ingredients

  • 14.5 ounces chicken bone broth
  • ¾ cup heavy cream
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning see note
  • 1 teaspoon xanthan gum or glucomannan
  • 32 ounces frozen cauliflower florets or 2 fresh heads cut into florets
  • 16 ounces freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese divided (or preferred cheese)
  • 8 slices no sugar bacon cooked and chopped
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Combine broth, heavy cream, garlic, onion powder, poultry seasoning, and xanthan gum in medium saucepan.
  • Cook liquid over medium heat, stirring frequently, until thickened. Remove from heat.
  • Mix the cauliflower, cheese, and sauce together in 9x13 casserole pan.
  • Sprinkle the chopped bacon on top then cover with remaining cheese.
  • Bake in 350°F oven for 50 minutes or until browned and cauliflower is tender.

Notes

Poultry seasoning can be substituted with a mix of sage, marjoram, thyme, parsley and paprika.
Xanthan gum can add a slimy feel. That why my preferred thickener is glucomannan.

Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart

Nutrition

Serving: 164g | Calories: 346 | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 592mg | Potassium: 402mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 723IU | Vitamin C: 47mg | Calcium: 363mg | Iron: 1mg

Additional Info

Net Carbs: 5 g | % Carbs: 5.8 % | % Protein: 18.6 % | % Fat: 75.7 % | SmartPoints: 14
Values
Array
(
    [serving_size] => 164
    [calories] => 346
    [carbohydrates] => 7
    [protein] => 16
    [fat] => 29
    [saturated_fat] => 16
    [cholesterol] => 84
    [sodium] => 592
    [potassium] => 402
    [fiber] => 2
    [sugar] => 2
    [vitamin_a] => 723
    [vitamin_c] => 47
    [calcium] => 363
    [iron] => 1
    [serving_unit] => g
)

Notes on Nutritional Information

Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.

Copyright

© LowCarbYum.com - Unauthorized use of this material without written permission is strictly prohibited unless for personal offline purposes. Single photos may be used, provided that full credit is given to LowCarbYum.com along with a link back to the original content.

First Published: November 20, 2015... Last Updated: August 6, 2020

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Susan Siemers

    August 08, 2022 at 10:22 am

    4 stars
    This took quite a while to make, lots of ingredients. I convert to metric. Recipe says 56.7 g cauliflower florets. That is about 3 florets! Obviously wrong. 32 oz. is 907 g. not 56.7. So now I am not trusting anything in there! It seemed like there wasn't enough sauce. Your program for converting seems to be off. I will give this one more try using US measurements instead of metric. I did obviously check out the amount of cauliflower. But what else might be off? It's in the oven, very unsure of what I am going to get with all of the time it took to make this. Also, I followed recipe in email I received, says it serves 5, but this recipe is pretty much the same, says it will serve 12. Love your recipes, but this one needs some cleaning up!! Thanks

    Reply
    • Lisa MarcAurele

      August 11, 2022 at 12:53 pm

      So sorry about that! I do rely on a program to convert and I'll take a look at this one again. Hope it worked out despite the conversion.

      Reply
  2. Alice

    August 02, 2022 at 12:20 pm

    Can I use collagelatin to thicken this? It’s made by Bulletproof

    Reply
    • Lisa MarcAurele

      August 02, 2022 at 8:24 pm

      I've never used that as a thickener so I can't say for sure. But if you've used it to thicken other liquids, it should work in this recipe too.

      Reply
  3. Karen

    June 25, 2020 at 11:53 am

    Do you think arrowroot would work to thicken it?

    Reply
    • Lisa MarcAurele

      June 25, 2020 at 1:56 pm

      Arrowroot powder can be used, but it does add more carbs.

      Reply
  4. Robin

    March 21, 2020 at 9:03 am

    Is the actual serving count 18?
    Just checking to see if I need to half or quarter this recipe. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Lisa MarcAurele

      March 21, 2020 at 9:07 am

      It's more like 8 to 10 servings so I changed the number to 10.

      Reply
  5. Kris

    July 13, 2019 at 10:09 am

    4 stars
    This was a hit with my extended family for a potluck gathering, even though it was quite soupy. I will definitely be keeping this delicious gem for other gatherings and holiday dinners but will probably reduce the amount of broth.

    Reply
  6. Shirley

    January 28, 2019 at 2:19 am

    2 stars
    I was very disappointed by this dish. The texture/taste left by the xantham powder was very off putting and did not thicken the cheese sauce enough after resting about 10 minutes. I have made several recipes on this website with good results but not this one.

    Reply
    • Lisa MarcAurele

      January 28, 2019 at 8:39 am

      I recommend using glucomannan instead these days and should probably put it in the recipe as an option. It doesn't give any slimy feel that some xanthan gum products can add.

      Reply
  7. Linda billingsley

    December 21, 2018 at 3:22 pm

    Can I use riced cauliflower?

    Reply
    • Lisa MarcAurele

      December 22, 2018 at 8:05 am

      I recommend using florets or sliced cauliflower. There might be too much liquid released with riced cauliflower.

      Reply
  8. Paula

    September 11, 2018 at 12:00 pm

    HI, this sounds so good. Is the sodium count of 1187mg correct? That seems way too high.

    Reply
    • Lisa

      September 11, 2018 at 1:01 pm

      Thanks for noticing that. It was definitely off so I've recalculated.

      Reply
  9. Chris

    June 08, 2018 at 6:49 pm

    How big is a serving , a 1/4 cup, 1/2 cup etc?

    Reply
    • Lisa

      June 10, 2018 at 10:12 am

      It's roughly a cup

      Reply
  10. Liz

    May 26, 2018 at 7:41 pm

    I made this tonight for dinner. It was amazing! Added a little more seasoning, but other than that, AWESOME! I did cut the recipe in half because it’s just me and the hubby, and that worked out great as well. Thanks for the great recipe. It will definitely go into our rotation.

    Reply
    • Lisa

      May 27, 2018 at 5:12 am

      My pleasure Liz!

      Reply
  11. Lisa

    January 28, 2018 at 1:20 pm

    How many ounces of fresh cauliflower? I can’t wait to try this recipe.
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Lisa

      January 28, 2018 at 5:18 pm

      It originally said 2 (16 ounce) packages of frozen cauliflower florets. But, the recipe got converted to a new software program and things got messed up. So, it's 32 ounces.

      Reply
  12. Jodee

    January 20, 2018 at 9:44 am

    5 stars
    I made this for dinner with baked ham and low-carb coleslaw- utterly delicious! My husband, who never liked potatoes au gratin, really enjoyed. Instead of frozen, I used a head of steamed fresh cauliflower, baked it at 425, and it was nicely browned and ready to serve in 20 minutes. I made it a second time using the same, but chopped my cauliflower into smaller bite-size pieces (first time I left the florets too big) and my daughter added a handful of chopped red and green bell peppers, which upped the carbs a little, but were tasty and attractive. My entire family likes this dish and have me asked to make it regular fixture on our menu.

    Reply
  13. Mary

    January 05, 2018 at 12:12 pm

    Is that correct that you only use 1 oz of the chicken brother, or do you use the whole can?

    Reply
    • Lisa

      January 06, 2018 at 6:50 pm

      Fixed! It was an error that was created when the recipe was moved from one software to another.

      Reply
  14. Janene

    December 25, 2017 at 8:02 am

    4 stars
    Can you substitute frozen broccoli for the cauliflower in this recipe?

    Reply
    • Lisa

      December 25, 2017 at 6:24 pm

      Yes. They are very similar.

      Reply
  15. K.M

    December 23, 2017 at 11:33 pm

    5 stars
    Is there anything I can substitute for the cream?

    Reply
    • Lisa

      December 24, 2017 at 8:53 am

      Sour cream or yogurt are good subs. Or, just use a low carb milk like coconut or almond.

      Reply
  16. Natalia

    February 04, 2017 at 12:20 pm

    Just wondering if when making the cauliflower Au Gratin with frozen cauliflower, should I thaw the cauliflower first?

    Reply
    • Lisa

      February 04, 2017 at 5:55 pm

      No need to thaw the cauliflower.

      Reply
      • Natalia

        February 05, 2017 at 12:10 pm

        Thank you for your quick response! I was afraid it might get soupy. I'm so glad it doesn't. It will make it so much easier!

  17. Jayne Lein

    December 23, 2016 at 10:25 am

    Do you think I can make this and freeze it for a few days? I wanted to make it today and eat it in 3 days. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Lisa

      December 23, 2016 at 11:35 am

      I don't see any reason why you couldn't. There are many frozen meals with the same ingredients.

      Reply
  18. Patti

    November 20, 2016 at 4:16 pm

    FYI College Inn does contain gluten.

    Reply
    • Lisa

      November 20, 2016 at 5:30 pm

      Thanks for pointing that out. It's best to check food labels if you are concerned about gluten.

      Reply
  19. carla flaim

    March 26, 2016 at 10:42 am

    Do you think this can be put together a day ahead and then baked the day of the event?

    Reply
    • Lisa

      March 26, 2016 at 2:26 pm

      Yes! You can get this ready the day before and it should be fine.

      Reply
      • Carla

        March 27, 2016 at 9:42 am

        Thanks

  20. Jill

    December 27, 2015 at 9:29 pm

    Thanks for the great recipe! Made it for Christmas dinner to go with ham and a salad. So delicious,

    Reply
    • Lisa

      December 28, 2015 at 4:28 am

      You're welcome. Glad it was a hit!

      Reply
  21. Bethany from Athletic Avocado

    November 22, 2015 at 1:53 pm

    I love subbing cauliflower in for potatoes in recipes such as this one!! Great remake of classic dish!

    Reply
3.83 from 17 votes (11 ratings without comment)

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