Twice-Baked Cauliflower (Video)
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.
Click here to PIN Twice-Baked Cauliflower!
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!
How to Make Low-Carb and Keto Twice-Baked Cauliflower:
(Scroll down for complete printable recipe with nutritional information.)
- Cut up the cauliflower and cook in boiling salted water until it’s barely soft, then drain well.
- 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.)
- 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.
- Combine mashed cauliflower, cream cheese, sour cream, green onion, Parmesan, and 3/4 of the crumbled bacon.
- 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.
- 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.)
- Serve hot, and totally expect that even cauliflower-avoiders are going to go crazy over this recipe.
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:
- Instant Pot Loaded Cauliflower Soup
- Loaded Cauliflower Mock Potato Salad
- Cauliflower Rice Sausage Casserole
- Ham and Cauliflower Casserole au Gratin
- Roasted Cauliflower with Parmesan
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!
Low-Carb Twice Baked Cauliflower
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
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
- Spray a glass casserole dish with olive oil or non-stick spray.
- Cut out stem and core from cauliflower, and cut into small pieces.
- Cook in large pot of boiling salted water until cauliflower is tender, but not overly soft.
- Drain well and mash with potato masher (affiliate link), leaving some chunks.
- While cauliflower is cooking, cook the bacon and crumble, slice green onions, cube the cream cheese, measure sour cream, and measure Parmesan.
- Mix cream cheese, sour cream, green onion, Parmesan, and 3/4 of the crumbled bacon into the drained cauliflower.
- Spread evenly in a 1.5 Quart Glass Casserole Dish (affiliate link).
- Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and reserved bacon.
- Bake 20-25 minutes covered, or until hot and bubbly.
- 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:
8Serving Size:
1Amount 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.
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.
334 Comments on “Twice-Baked Cauliflower (Video)”
I used ricotta cheese instead of sour cream because I forgot to get some at the store and omg this is such a great recipe! Thank you!!!
So glad you enjoyed it! I really like the idea of using ricotta cheese!
can this be made without the cream cheese?
You probably can if you substitute it for something else that is creamy and has the same amount of volume. I’m not sure what that would be, maybe more sour cream, goat cheese, or cottage cheese. I’d love to know how it works if you try something.
GREAT recipe. Truth told, I’m not above taking the easiest route possible, so I use frozen riced cauliflower (10 oz. pkg). As the recipe says to leave some small chunks and this cauliflower is riced, I’m sure the consistency is different. That’s the only deviation from the recipe I make but the family loves it. And it does, to paraphrase (Daryl Hannah from “Steel Magnolias”) “freeze beautifully”.
So glad you enjoyed it. I haven’t tried it that way, but I’m a fan of taking shortcuts whenever they work to your satisfaction, so no judgement from me! And yes, I love to pull this out of the freezer for a treat!
You don’t add seasons??
I’ve made this for many years with exactly this recipe. The bacon adds salt, so I don’t think you need that but you could certainly season with fresh-ground black pepper if you want. Hope you enjoy!
Could this be made with the frozen cauliflower after it’s cooked?Â
I haven’t made it with frozen cauliflower, but if you look down in the comments there are some people talking about doing it that way. I would prefer fresh cauliflower but it sounds like frozen cauliflower might work too.
I made this using frozen cauliflower rice and it was amazing!!!!! I did add a bit more bacon and all the cheeses but I can’t see where this could go wrong…did not taste like cauliflower AT ALL! That was my worry because I’m not a fan.Â
Thanks for sharing your results, and I love hearing that this will work with cauliflower rice. Glad you enjoyed it!
Hi. This sounds so good. I see people have used frozen and riced cauliflower, which I love. Have you tried making this and freezing for meal prep side dish before baking? I was hoping this could freeze and then, since I’m trying to utilize my IP some, maybe this can be cooked Pot in Pot from frozen and then thrown in the toaster oven to brown the top a bit? Does anyone have any suggestions or thoughts?
Hi Tammie. I haven’t made it with frozen riced cauliflower or tried making and freezing for meal prep. But I’m guessing it would work, although that’s only a guess. The recipe is pretty versatile though. Love to hear how it works if you try it!
[edit – November 2019] The nutritional info has now been added for this recipe.
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This is by far my favorite keto/low carb recipe! My kids even love it!! So glad I found this recipe!! I make it at least once a week now!!Â
Thanks Ashley; glad to hear you are enjoying it!
What size is a serving?
It says 8 servings ( as a side dish) so it’s one-eighth of the amount. I haven’t measured it any more exactly than that.
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Made this today and it was a hit with the boyfriend! I used frozen cauliflower and bacon bits instead of making my own bacon. I boiled the cauliflower too long, so I think it turned out mushier than it should have, so I’ll have to keep a closer eye on that next time. Boyfriend asked me to add more green onions next time I make it including sprinkling some on top because he likes green onions so much. He went back for a second helping and talked about how good it was. It was such an easy and quick recipe. Will definitely save it and make it again soon! Thanks so much for sharing it.
So glad you enjoyed it! I haven’t tried frozen cauliflower, but I think the cooking time will be a lot less.
I have made this recipe many times since I first found it in 2010. The original recipe I have is called Just Like Stuffed Baked Potatoes from Linda’s Low Carb Menus & Recipes. It was made with frozen cauliflower and no sour cream. I buy huge heads of cauliflower almost weekly and am always looking for new ways to prepare it. Have tried it on guests who enjoy it also. Low carb has gotten easier for me.
I first made it in 2006 and it’s been popular ever since! (I had to scroll back to the first comment to see jus thow long ago it was. So glad you’re enjoying the recipe and that it’s helping with your low-carb goals!
Bev did you use something in place of the sour cream? I would like to try it with out it.
Made this tonight….delish….i don’t measure anything….just eyeball to my own liking….wouldn’t even think of using frozen cauiiflower…..turned out so good….my Mother loved it!!!….i will continue to make this since i love potatoes and just recently lost 80 lbs…….Made a Ribeye steak, with mushrooms and marsala wine, the twice baked cauliflower and some fried greens…..Yum…..oh so yummy!!!! lol….Thank you!!!!
Glad you enjoyed!
LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!!!
I am so tired of just “roasted cauliflower”!
I did a couple changes. I chopped the cauliflower into small pieces, and roasted it for 20 minutes. I used applewood smoked bacon. It has a strong flavor, so I only used 4 pieces. I used 2 ounces of cheddar, because my husband thinks “a little cheese goes a long way”.
So glad you liked it.
Just made this and it’s delicious! Thanks for the recipe
Hit with the entire family! I used frozen cauliflower rice and it was delicious. I microwaved the cauliflower per directions on the bag and then used an immersion blender to smooth it a bit. So good!
SO glad you enjoyed it! And thanks for reporting about how you made it work with cauliflower rice. A lot of people have been asking about that.
How many bags of frozen Cauli rice did you use for this recipe?
This looks delicious! Â Do you have any thoughts on if this would work with frozen riced cauliflower?
You might read through the comments to see if anyone has made it that way. I don’t think the texture will be quite as good but it might be ok. I would thaw the cauliflower first or it will take too long to get cooked through.
Just made this and so glad I did! Â I converted to low carb lifestyle in November and finding myself bored with the sides, as I sorely miss potatoes and yet to find a close replacement…..I have found a winner! Â The cauliflower dish is so full of flavor and I love the texture! Â Thank you so much for sharing!
So glad you enjoyed it!