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.
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.
Step-By-Step Photos and 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 drop 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 cooks at an even heat. You can get really crisp outside!
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 flip them over and lightly spray more oil on that side. Cook for 5-7 minutes. The cooking time will vary depending on how large and thick your cauliflower pancakes are.
- Serve these cheesy cauliflower pancakes hot.
Try these tasty toppings!
- Sour cream
- Scallions
- Chives
- Bacon
- Sriracha
Frequently Asked Questions:
When frying at high heat, you must 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 also freeze them 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
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
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.
Genius!!
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.
These look like my perfect side dish, nibble, snack, appetizer, everything treat!! Simply genius!
Thank you Mahy 🙂
Yum!! Who needs gluten?!
Agreed 🙂
I love using cauliflower rice in recipes! Great replacement to potatoes too!
I agree. I am finding new uses all of the time 🙂
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’m heading to TJ’s and buying that riced cauliflower to make these!
It is so worth it 🙂
such a great idea to use the riced cauliflower this way.
Thank you Nicole 🙂
i love cauliflower rice and love how you have used it here besides my old fried rice…
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.
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.
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!
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 🙂
These look delicious! I love how they’re healthy AND easy! 🙂
Thank you so much Wajeeha 🙂
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 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.