Gluten free cauliflower pancakes make a wonderful appetizer, side dish, or vegetarian meal. Crispy on the outside and cheesy tender on the inside, you will love this easy riced cauliflower recipe.
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If you have always wanted to try a recipe using riced cauliflower, but the thought of ricing a cauliflower was a bit overwhelming. You can now buy cauliflower already riced! It cuts the time to make cauliflower rice recipes in half! This cauliflower pancakes recipe is so good and very easy to make.
These crispy gluten free cauliflower pancakes are full of flavor and the melty cheese makes it even better! They are great to serve as appetizers or as a side dish. If you love cooking as much as we do...here are all of my delicious gluten free appetizer recipes in one place!
And you can even use riced cauliflower instead of rice in risotto, check out this recipe for Shiitake Cauliflower Rice Risotto!
Why Make This Recipe:
- Kids love them...even my picky eater loved this recipe, and she hates vegetables!
- They can be topped with sour cream, sriracha, salsa, and so many other ways to make the perfect appetizers!
- Pan-fry them easily, or make them in your air fryer to cut back on oil. If you use the air fryer.
- Using packaged riced cauliflower, like Trader Joe's Cauliflower Rice, is a great time saver!
Ingredient Notes:
- Cauliflower - Either use a head of cauliflower and rice it in your food processor or buy riced cauliflower at the store.
- Cheddar Cheese - Use sharp or mild cheddar shredded cheese.
- Leeks or Onions - I recommend leeks or yellow onions.
- Egg - Use size large.
- Parmesan Cheese - Shredded or grated.
- Light Oil - See the FAQ for information on high-smoking point oils.
- Gluten Free Flour Blend - Any blend will work in this recipe.
- Regular or Non-Dairy Milk - If you use plant-based milk, be sure to use an unflavored, unsweetened one.
I absolutely love my 12-inch cast iron skillet. I use it for pancakes, skillet cakes, and many of my dinner recipes. It is easy to clean, and perfectly non-stick!
Recipe Step-By-Step Directions:
Step 1: Toss the cauliflower rice in a large
Step 2: Preheat your oil in a large cast iron skillet. You want the oil to be at least 1 ½ inches deep.
Step 3: Use a large
Step 3: Carefully dropped them into the hot oil. The riced cauliflower pancakes get so crispy and delicious. Use a metal spatula to flip the pancake over so both sides cook evenly. Try adding some cayenne for a spicy kick!
Try to cook these in a cast-iron skillet because the pan really cooks at an even heat. You can get really crisp outsides!
Air Fryer Directions:
- Preheat the air fryer to 400º F.
- Make the cauliflower pancakes as directed.
- Spray the rack in the air fryer with oil, add the pancakes, and then liberally spray them with oil.
- Cook for 8 minutes, then carefully flip them over and lightly spray more oil on that side. Cook for 5-7 minutes. The actual cooking time will vary depending on how large and thick your cauliflower pancakes are.
- Serve these cheesy cauliflower pancakes hot.
Topping Ideas:
- Sour cream
- Scallions
- Chives
- Bacon
- Sriracha
Recipe FAQ:
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. I use both avocado oil (my very favorite for savory dishes) and coconut oil (great for sweet fried recipes.) Be sure to read which oils are best for the air fryer.
Store these cauliflower pancakes in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. You can freeze them as well in a zipper bag, but you will need to pan-fry again to re-crisp them.
More Gluten Free Cauliflower Recipes to Try:
- Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Alfredo Sauce
- Shiitake Riced Cauliflower Risotto
- Turmeric Lime Roasted Cauliflower
📖 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
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn't test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.
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.
This post was updated from an old February 2016 post with more detailed instructions.
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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.