This Twice-Baked Cauliflower is a low-carb side dish that’s one of the most popular cauliflower recipes on Kalyn’s Kitchen! This is a recipe the entire family will love, and I bet once you try it your family will ask for it over and over.

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Twice-Baked Cauliflower shown in baking dish on rust colored napkin

For many years now this low-carb, Keto, and gluten-free Twice-Baked Cauliflower has been one of the most popular cauliflower recipes and one of the most popular side dish recipes on my blog. Literally thousands of people make this recipe every month, and I like the recipe so much myself that I love knowing other people are enjoying it too.

In fact, this recipe is such a trademark of my site that back in 2017 when I switched my blog to WordPress and couldn’t make any changes to the site for a week, this was the post I chose to have front and center during that time. Now there’s been another update to the site, and it seems like it’s time to remove all that talk about the blog platform and focus more on the recipe itself. So let’s talk about low-carb Twice Baked Cauliflower!

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

  • head of cauliflower
  • cream cheese
  • sour cream
  • green onions
  • freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • bacon
  • grated sharp cheddar cheese

What makes this recipe so popular?

Of course the combination of cauliflower + cheese is one of the things that starts this recipe out to be a winner. And the recipe has cream cheese, Parmesan, and sharp cheddar for lots of cheesy flavor. There is also some sour cream to up the creamy factor, and just enough crisp bacon to add plenty of bacon flavor. And the dish is finished off with just enough sliced green onions to add a bit more flavor.

Is this cauliflower recipe really baked twice?

Through the years a few readers have gently pointed out that the cauliflower is not really baked twice. And they’re right, it is boiled and mashed and then baked. But I wanted the title of the recipe to remind people of twice-baked potatoes, and twice-cooked cauliflower didn’t seem to have the same ring to it!

Can you use other kinds of cheese in the Twice-Baked Cauliflower?

Of course you are always free to switch out the ingredients in a recipe any way you prefer. But for this mega-popular recipe I really urge you to try it as the recipe is written the first time. The recipe has been consistently popular since 2008 (!) and personally I think this combination is just right!

recipe steps collage for Twice-Baked Cauliflower

How to Make Low-Carb and Keto Twice-Baked Cauliflower:

(Scroll down for complete printable recipe with nutritional information.)

  1. Cut up the cauliflower and cook in boiling salted water until it’s barely soft, then drain well.
  2. Mash the cauliflower, leaving some chunks. (I mashed it a few times in the colander and then transferred to the pan I cooked it in and mashed a bit more.)
  3. Cook the bacon until it’s very crisp; then crumble bacon, slice green onions, cut cream cheese into cubes, measure sour cream, and measure Parmesan.
  4. Combine mashed cauliflower, cream cheese, sour cream, green onion, Parmesan, and 3/4 of the crumbled bacon.
  5. Put the mixture into a glass casserole dish (with a lid) that you’ve sprayed with olive oil or non-stick spray, and top with sharp cheddar and the rest of the bacon.
  6. Bake with the lid on at 350F/180C until the mixture is bubbling and all the cheese has melted, about 30-35 minutes total. (I take the lid off for the last 10 minutes or so to brown the top a little.)
  7. Serve hot, and totally expect that even cauliflower-avoiders are going to go crazy over this recipe.

Twice-Baked Cauliflower in baking dish on napkin

Make it a Low-Carb Meal:

Seriously, this Twice-Baked Cauliflower recipe is so popular that many people must be serving it regularly as a side dish, and I think it would be good with almost anything. But if you want some recommendations I think this would taste amazing with Chicken Cutlets with Mustard Sauce, Air Fryer Fish Sticks, Air Fryer Marinated Chicken Breasts, Pan-Grilled Steak with Olive Sauce, or Grain-Free Breaded Pork Chops.

More Popular Low-Carb Cauliflower Recipes:

Weekend Food Prep:

This recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

Twice-Baked Cauliflower shown in baking dish on rust colored napkin
Yield: 8 servings

Low-Carb Twice Baked Cauliflower

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 large head cauliflower
  • 4 oz. cream cheese, cut into cubes
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup green onions, minced
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or more)
  • 6 slices bacon, cooked until very crisp, fat blotted with paper towel and then crumbled
  • 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
  2. Spray a glass casserole dish with olive oil or non-stick spray.
  3. Cut out stem and core from cauliflower, and cut into small pieces.
  4. Cook in large pot of boiling salted water until cauliflower is tender, but not overly soft.
  5. Drain well and mash with potato masher (affiliate link), leaving some chunks.
  6. While cauliflower is cooking, cook the bacon and crumble, slice green onions, cube the cream cheese, measure sour cream, and measure Parmesan.
  7. Mix cream cheese, sour cream, green onion, Parmesan, and 3/4 of the crumbled bacon into the drained cauliflower.
  8. Spread evenly in a 1.5 Quart Glass Casserole Dish (affiliate link).
  9. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and reserved bacon.
  10. Bake 20-25 minutes covered, or until hot and bubbly.
  11. Remove the lid and bake about 10 minutes more, or until the cheese is slightly browned. Serve hot.

Notes

This reheats very well and can be frozen and thawed in the fridge, then reheated.

Recipe created by Kalyn.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 292Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 12gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 468mgCarbohydrates: 6.4gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 14g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

square photo of Twice-Baked Cauliflower in baking dish

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Cauliflower is very low in carbs, and this should be a good dish for any low-carb eating plan, including Keto. For the original South Beach Diet this is probably a once-in-a-while treat due to the amount of saturated fat, although you can make a more South Beach friendly version with light cream cheese, light sour cream, low-fat cheese, and even turkey bacon if you prefer, and it will still be delicious.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Side Dishes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This popular recipe was first posted in 2008, probably with photos that would make me shudder if I saw them now. The recipe was last updated with more information in 2022.

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