Gluten free cauliflower pancakes make a wonderful appetizer, side dish, or vegetarian meal. Crispy on the outsides and cheesy tender on the inside, you will love this easy riced cauliflower recipe.
If you love cauliflower recipes as much as we do...here are all of my delicious gluten free cauliflower recipes in one place!

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Have you seen all of those fun riced cauliflower recipes on Pinterest lately?
I have always wanted to try one, but the thought of ricing a cauliflower was a bit overwhelming. Do visions of cauliflower flying around my kitchen and creating a huge mess flash before your eyes?
Not to mention, my kids are not big fans of cauliflower unless it is served raw with extra ranch dressing. These gluten free cauliflower pancakes are going to change all of that! Kids love them.

Luckily, I found this riced cauliflower at Trader Joe's this week. (I love when Trader Joe's makes something so incredibly easy to want.) It was the shortcut I was looking for!
They did all of the work and this bag of riced cauliflower costs the same as a big head of cauliflower. Win-win! (*If you can't find pre-packaged cauliflower rice, check out this simple step by step method to create your own riced cauliflower.)
And you can even use riced cauliflower instead of rice in risotto, check out this recipe for Shiitake Cauliflower Rice Risotto!
🥘 Ingredients
Bag riced cauliflower or a head of cauliflower
Vermont cheddar cheese
Leeks
Egg
Parmesan cheese
Light oil
Gluten free flour blend
Almond milk, (or regular milk if you have it.)
🔪 Instructions:

Toss the cauliflower rice into a large bowl and added the cheddar, leeks, and other ingredients.

I formed pancake-shaped cauliflower patties with my hands and carefully dropped them into the hot oil. The riced cauliflower pancakes get so crispy and delicious. Try adding cayenne for a spicy kick!
Try to cook these in a cast-iron skillet because the pan can get nice and hot making a crisp outside!
What oil is best for frying?
When frying at high heat, you need to use an oil that can hold up to the heat. Some oils, like olive oil, will get rancid at high heat. Here are my favorite oils for frying:
- Avocado oil (my very favorite for savory dishes)
- Coconut oil (great for sweet fried recipes)
Click here to see all of my gluten free appetizer recipes.

Topping Ideas:
- Sour cream
- Scallions
- Chives
- Bacon
🥗 Side dishes:
When I am not using this recipe as an appetizer, I love to serve these pancakes with a side salad like this Kale and Apple Salad, or turn it into breakfast by adding a fried egg on top!
More Delicious Gluten Free Cauliflower Recipes to Try:
- Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Alfredo Sauce
- Shiitake Riced Cauliflower Risotto
- Turmeric Lime Roasted Cauliflower
Tools:
- Lodge Cast Iron Skillet: This is by far my favorite pan and I do almost all of my frying in this.
- Food Chopper: I bought my cauliflower already riced, but if you can't find it pre-chopped, this inexpensive food chopper will do the trick for you.
- Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Blend: My favorite gluten free flour, it works beautifully in this recipe without making my pancakes gummy.
Recipe

Gluten Free Cauliflower Cheddar Pancakes



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
Nutrition
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.

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Mel
Could you cook these in an airfryer or on a healthy grill instead?
Sandi Gaertner
I haven't tested cooking these any other way.