These gluten free cauliflower cheddar 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 appetizer.
Have you seen all of those fun cauliflower rice 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.
Riced Cauliflower
Luckily, I found this new 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 a pre-packaged cauliflower rice, check out this simple step by step method to create your own.)
And you can even use riced cauliflower instead of rice in risotto, check out this recipe for Shiitake Risotto!
How to Cook with Riced Cauliflower:
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 hot oil. These got so crispy and delicious.
Try cayenne for a spicy kick!
Click here to see all of my gluten free appetizer recipes.
Tools To Make This Recipe:
- 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.
Easy riced cauliflower cheddar pancakes.
- 1 bag riced cauliflower or a head of cauliflower riced
- 3/4 cup Vermont cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 large leek sliced
- 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup gluten free flour blend
- 1/2 cup almond milk (or regular milk if you have it.)
- **Optional 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- garnish with sour cream and scallion.
- Start heating oil in a pan on medium high heat.
- Add riced cauliflower, 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
121kcal | Fat: 7g | Saturated fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 140mg | Potassium: 640mg | Carbohydrates: 13g | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Protein: 7g | Vitamin A: 2% | Vitamin C: 167% | Calcium: 13% | Iron: 5%
(*Please note this post has affiliate links. Ordering through my site will not change the price you pay. A tiny commission will come to Fearless Dining to help offset the cost of running this blog. I truly appreciate the support.)
If you love vegetable pancakes, give these Delicata Squash Cheddar Fritters.
Looking for a meal to enjoy after these appetizers?
How about this amazing gluten free fried chicken recipe from San Francisco’s Proposition Chicken?
These flourless chocolate peanut butter brownies would make a fabulous dessert!
More Tasty Appetizers
-
- Curried Sweet Potato Hash Brown Waffle
-
- Savory Italian Ground Pork Meatballs
-
- Sweet Potato Nachos
-
- Southwestern Spinach and Corn Cheese Dip
These look tasty, Sandi. And thanks for letting us know that TJs has already riced cauliflower! I sent the link to my daughter, who is a big cauliflower fan. I haven’t been converted yet but these make me want to try!
My husband isn’t into cauliflower and liked this too.
Sandi, these sound delicious! I make a potato version of this that I love, but I think that riced cauliflower may just be even tastier!
I would think it would be delicious as well 🙂
These look delicious! I love how they’re healthy AND easy! 🙂
Thank you so much Wajeeha 🙂
Someone is making riced cauliflower – really? I should move to USA, because (just like you sad) these pancakes will make a nice mess in my tiny kitchen, but I’ll give them a try 😉
I hope you like them Jasmin 🙂
How cool is that that you can buy already riced cauliflower at Trader Joe’s! I’ll be on the lookout for it now! These look delicious and my kids all love cauliflower so I know this would be a big hit in our house. 🙂
It really is good…and a huge time saver!
Thank you for the heads up on Trader Joes — we are due to go there soon and I’ve been wanting to make cauliflower rice. This is great. Your pancakes look delicious. Now I don’t like overly sweet things for breakfast — the pancakes would work beautifully.
Thank you so much Marisa.
Sandi, These look crispy and delicious. Lol. You are right about ricing cauliflower at home. I have…and it did get all over my kitchen! The lid came off the blender at a very inconvenient time. Water and cauliflower everywhere! I’ll look for it in the stores! Thanks!
I had a feeling LOL.
i love cauliflower rice and love how you have used it here besides my old fried rice…
such a great idea to use the riced cauliflower this way.
Thank you Nicole 🙂
I’m heading to TJ’s and buying that riced cauliflower to make these!
It is so worth it 🙂
Cauliflower and cheese are such a great combo, so these sound great. They look like potato pancakes and would work great as a sub for them anywhere.
Thank you 🙂
I love using cauliflower rice in recipes! Great replacement to potatoes too!
I agree. I am finding new uses all of the time 🙂
Yum!! Who needs gluten?!
Agreed 🙂
These look like my perfect side dish, nibble, snack, appetizer, everything treat!! Simply genius!
Thank you Mahy 🙂
These look delicious! Love the addition of Vermont cheddar. I didn’t know that Trader Joe’s sells cauliflower already riced. Will look for it later today, thanks!
Thank you Amanda. I hope your Trader Joe’s has it. It makes cooking so much easier.
Genius!!
Great little pancakes! And how much do you love Trader Joe’s?? Always to the rescue with something tasty!
Thank you so much Patricia 🙂
Good call on the Vermont Cheddar in this one Sandi! I bet these are awesome!
Thank you so much Derek 🙂
Oh yum, we LOVE cauliflower around here – my kids are ridiculous and start cheering when they see it at the farmers market! I had no idea TJ’s had a pre-riced mix, looks great for a quick and easy alternative.
These pancakes are looking great! Just the perfect recipe to finish my cauliflower head I still have in my fridge. Yum!
I hope you like them Oana 🙂
Well that didn’t work…and I added more flour and finally in desperation eggs and it still all fell apart!
I am so sorry Maureen. Let me see if I can help you. Can I ask a few questions? Which gluten free flour blend did you use? If it didn’t contain xanthan gum, you would need to add 1/2 teaspoon. Also, how hot was the oil when you dropped in a spoonful? I make sure the oil is bubbly hot, then I drop the batter in, then lastly press it down a bit to make the shape.
These sound awesome! I’ve been trying to figure out a new way to use cauliflower….and I’ve actually been craving zucchini fritters, but haven’t tried making them gluten free yet….so this should satisfy my craving 😉 Also, just to put it out there, if your food processor is in good shape, making cauliflower rice is super duper easy! I’ve been making a gluten free jambalaya which my husband didn’t realize the “rice” was cauliflower until I told him!
Hi Nina, I love that your husband couldn’t tell it was cauliflower rice 🙂 I hope you like these, even my kids gobbled them up. I appreciate your taking the time to write. Have a great week.
This looks interesting. I am thinking of baking them. Will report back when I do. Thanks
I hope you like it. Please report back and let us know how baking these work so others can try it too. Have a great weekend 🙂
This sounds like a great way around my potato pancake obsession – way healthier anyway!!! I constantly use cauliflower as a substitute for everything, it’s so delicious and earthy!
We think alike 🙂 Thank you for writing Taylor.
Can you use almond flour or coconut flour?
Hi Melissa, I have not tried either of the flours you ask about with this recipe. I would say definitely not to the almond flour as that wouldn’t help bind the ingredients. I am not sure about the coconut flour. It definitely absorbs a lot of moisture, but I haven’t tested it in this way. If you try it, please let me know how it turns out.