You will love these crispy, delicious cauliflower pancakes! They are low carb and keto, and contain no flour.
The idea for these tasty fritters occurred to me the last time I made cauliflower pizza crust. I was watching the magic of the crust coming together in the oven. Suddenly I thought that I could use the same recipe to make pancakes.
We all loved the result - golden, delicious, and delicate savory fritters. Like all fried foods, there's something crispy and addictive about them. But at least these are made with a vegetable!
The ingredients you'll need
You'll only need a few ingredients to make these tasty cauliflower pancakes (the exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below):
Fresh cauliflower: I haven't tried making this recipe with previously-frozen cauliflower. I feel like fresh is the way to go here.
Eggs: I use large eggs in most of my recipes, this one included.
Shredded mozzarella: I use bagged pre-shredded cheese.
Grated Parmesan: Make sure you use finely grated cheese and not coarsely shredded.
Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you should probably reduce the amount you use, or the fritters could end up too salty.
Garlic powder: You can use minced fresh garlic instead.
Olive oil: I love cooking with this delicious oil. But if you'd rather use an oil with a higher smoke point, you can use avocado oil instead. Butter will also work.
How to make cauliflower pancakes
It's easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
1. Process the cauliflower florets in your food processor into cauliflower "rice."
2. Mix the riced cauliflower with the remaining ingredients except for the olive oil.
3. Fry the patties in olive oil until golden brown.
There's no flour in these pancakes
I keep these tasty cauliflower patties keto and gluten-free by not using any flour in the mixture.
Making them does require patience and a gentle hand. Lacking starch as a binder, they are quite fragile. So if you lack patience, and don’t mind grains/gluten, you could try adding 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour to the mixture to make it a bit sturdier.
How to season cauliflower pancakes?
I season them simply, with salt, pepper and garlic powder. You can certainly add more seasonings if you'd like. Perhaps add ½ teaspoon onion powder and ½ teaspoon dried thyme. Both would complement this dish well.
What to serve with them?
You can serve these fritters as a tasty side dish. They go with so many main courses! I often serve them with parmesan-crusted chicken or with oven-baked chicken legs.
Or you could serve them with a couple of fried eggs and a salad for a delicious meatless dinner. They're extra delicious when topped with a dollop of sour cream.
What to do with leftovers?
Leftovers keep well in the fridge, in a sealed container, for 3-4 days. They taste great when gently reheated in the microwave on 50% power, or even cold. I sometimes grab one for a quick snack, and eat it straight out of the fridge!
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Cauliflower Pancakes
INGREDIENTS
- 1 small head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- ½ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella (2oz)
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the cauliflower in a food processor and rice it – pulse until its texture resembles rice. Work in batches if needed. You should get 2 heaping measuring cups of riced cauliflower, about 280 grams (10oz).
- In a medium bowl, mix the riced cauliflower, eggs, mozzarella, Parmesan, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet, over medium heat, about 4 minutes. Measure ¼ measuring cup per pancake, flattening them thin with the back of a spoon after placing in the skillet. Fry the pancakes over medium heat (not higher) about 5 minutes, until the underside has formed a sturdy, golden-brown crust. Be patient – if you flip them too soon, they will fall apart.
- Carefully flip to the other side, and fry 5 more minutes, or until golden-brown on both sides and sturdy enough to lift off the skillet.
- Repeat two more times, adding a tablespoon of olive oil before each batch. Keep the cooked cauliflower pancakes in the warm oven while you make more batches.
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living.