Easy Gluten-Free Cauliflower Cheese

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Gluten-Free Cauliflower Cheese doesn’t have to be an inferior version than one made with plain flour. This cauliflower cheese is quick and easy to make. It's rich, creamy, cheesy and infused with roasted garlic, dijon mustard and a final stir of crème fraiche. It's always a big hit if you serve it as a vegetarian main meal or as a delicious side dish to your roast dinner.

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Is there any more comforting and homely supper than a traditional cauliflower cheese? And if you have a gluten free diet then there's no reason to miss out on your favourite comfort food.

This gluten-free version is made with simple ingredients and uses only cornflour (cornstarch) and milk instead of making a roux with flour and butter. It's the best way as not only does it give a much smoother, creamy sauce than using an all-purpose gluten-free flour (which can sometimes have a gritty thin mouthfeel) but it's also so much quicker and easier.

I'll let you in on all the hacks on the different ways to enrich this cheese sauce so the finished dish retains all the cheesy deliciousness of your favourite traditional British dish including how to get the creamiest sauce that is as good as, nay surpasses, the roux version, with bags of deep cheesy flavour.

Gluten-free flour required

This gluten-free version uses cornflour (cornstarch) and is a great way of making an easy cheesy sauce. It is so much more straightforward actually than making a roux (which would be the traditional way of as all you need to do is whisk together the cornflour and milk for a few seconds in a cold saucepan then once it's smooth place on the heat and bring to a gentle simmer. The sauce will thicken and at this point you stir in the cheese so it becomes a gorgeously creamy and velvety sauce.

Cornflour substitution

And if you can't have cornflour due to dietary restrictions then I recommend rather than swapping for another flour (although arrowroot can work in the same way, it can also make it a little gloopy) that you do make a roux version instead. However, please don't use an all-purpose gluten-free flour as it just doesn't give great results to sauces. Instead follow my recipe for a roux based cheese sauce which is made with either cassava flour or sweet rice flour for a good result.

Ingredients

• Cauliflower. Choose a fresh cauliflower. Either a large whole cauliflower or two smaller ones. I have made it before with frozen cauliflower florets but the results were too mushy.
• Cheese. The secret to any decent cheese sauce I think is to use a mix of cheeses, here we use: a mature cheddar cheese for flavour and Red Leicester for sweetness and colour. You could use all cheddar or all red Leicester. I have also been known to swap either cheese for gruyère which has a lovely nuttiness.
• Whole Milk. I insist on whole milk rather than semi-skimmed for the true full bodied flavour. You can swap for oat milk.
• Cornflour (cornstarch). Using this starchy flour means you don’t have to make the effort of a roux, even my non-gluten-free mother in law makes it this way now – it’s so easy.
• Dijon Mustard. The true trick when making a cheese sauce is to add a teaspoon of Dijon mustard to the proceedings which really brings out the cheesiness. 
• Roasted Garlic. Now, this is optional as it may sound like a bit of a faff but I do make the extra effort as the oven is on anyway so it’s actually not that much bother. All you need to do is pop the garlic cloves in the oven on a small parchment lined baking tray with a splash of olive oil and then roast for 10 minutes as the cauliflower is par-boiling and you start the sauce. They add a mellow flavour which gives the sauce depth. However, if you simply cannot bear this one extra step then a ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder is also acceptable.
• Crème fraiche. Since we’re not making a traditional roux we lose a little bit of the richness to our sauce. We can easily sort that out though with a final stir of crème fraiche in at the end. It adds a hint of luxury to the sauce and I prefer crème fraiche to cream as the tanginess really compliments the cheese. It is an optional step but one I rarely skip. 
• Gluten-Free Breadcrumbs. As well as the mound of extra cheese I will insist you grate over the top of the assembled dish you will also need a little bit of crunch. You can use my recipe for seasoned gluten-free breadcrumbs which add another level of flavour or even ground almonds.

Step-by-step instructions

For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.

1. Roast 2 whole garlic cloves in the oven for 10 minutes in a splash of olive oil. Peel and mash.
2. Par-boil cauliflower florets in a large pot of salted water for 5 minutes until slightly tender, then drain, pat dry and place in an ovenproof dish.
3. In a cold saucepan, whisk cornflour into milk until smooth. Turn onto a medium heat then bring to a low boil, and melt in cheese.
4. Add mustard, pepper, salt, roast mashed garlic, and crème fraiche to make a thick sauce.
5. Pour the cheese sauce over the top of the cauliflower, scatter with extra cheese and breadcrumbs.
6. Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated oven until bubbly and golden brown.

Expert tips

• Even floret sizes. When preparing the cauliflower, ensure the florets are cut into similar sizes (cut larger ones in half) so that they cook evenly.
• Par-boil carefully. When par-boiling the cauliflower make sure the water is boiling in the saucepan before adding the in the florets so that they cook for the exact time. If you overcook the cauliflower it can go watery and mushy.
• Dry thoroughly. After draining the cauliflower make sure the florets are dry before adding to the sauce. You can either allow the cauliflower to dry naturally for an hour or so or pat dry with a clean kitchen towel.
• Layering. When pouring over the cheese sauce make sure every single floret is covered.
• Extra crispy top. To ensure a really crispy top you can place the finished and baked dish under a hot grill for 5 minutes to crisp up even more.

FAQs

Recipe variations

• Cauliflower and broccoli. This works so well when you combine the broccoli with the cauliflower for added colour and flavour. Follow the basic recipe below but use a 50% mix of both vegetables.
• Add bacon. Include crispy bacon bits to the cauliflower cheese topping for a salty smoky savoury twist. Cook bacon separately until crisp, then crumble it and sprinkle over the cauliflower before baking.
• Spice it up. Mix in some diced jalapeños or red pepper flakes to the cheese sauce for a kick of heat.

More traditional recipes for a gluten-free Sunday lunch

• Gluten-Free Yorkshire Puddings
• Gluten-Free Gravy
• Gluten-Free Stuffing
• Gluten-Free Bread Sauce
• Carrot and Swede Mash
• Braised Red Cabbage
• Cheesy Brussel Sprout and Leek Gratin

✨Have you tried this Easy Cauliflower Cheese? Please leave a 5-star ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ rating on the recipe card and consider leaving a comment as well! I would love to hear about how your recipe turned out and your feedback also helps other readers✨

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Gluten-Free Cauliflower Cheese

Georgina Hartley

Gluten-Free Cauliflower Cheese doesn't have to be an inferior version. This cauliflower cheese is rich, creamy, cheesey and infused with roasted garlic, dijon mustard and plenty of white pepper.

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine British

Servings 6 people

Calories 260 kcal

Ingredients

 

MetricUS Customary

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 large head of cauliflower - about 600g cauliflower florets
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves
• ▢ 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ▢ 500 ml whole milk
• ▢ 4 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch)
• ▢ 200 g cheese - grated, I used a mix of mature cheddar and red leicester
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
• ▢ 2 tablespoons crème fraiche
• ▢ 15 g gluten-free breadcrumbs*

Instructions

 

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan assisted / gas mark 6 / 400°
2. Toss the garlic cloves in the olive oil and place on a small baking tray lined with parchment. Roast for 10 minutes until the cloves feel soft. Peel the cloves and mash with the back of a fork.
3. Whilst the garlic is roasting, separate the florets of the cauliflower then place in a large pan of boiling water. Bring back up to a gentle boil, then cook for 5 minutes.
4. Drain the cauliflower florets and pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel then pour into an ovenproof dish.
5. In a medium sized saucepan whisk the cornflour into the whole milk then once smooth switch on the heat and bring to a low boil.
6. Sprinkle in the grated cheese and stir in until melted in.
7. Add the mustard, pepper, salt, mashed garlic and crème fraiche and stir in until it becomes a thick smooth sauce.
8. Pour the cheese sauce over the cauliflower florets then sprinkle on the extra cheese and the breadcrumbs.
9. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes when the cheese should be bubbling and the breadcrumbs turning golden brown.

Notes

• The serving size suggested is for 6-8 as a side dish and 4 people as a main dish.
• You can use 1 large head of cauliflower or 2 heads of small cauliflower but the total amount of cauliflower florets you need is about 600g.
• This par-boiling produces cauliflower with a slight bite.
• You can swap the roasted garlic for ¼ teaspoon garlic granules.
• For the cheese I used a mix of 100g Mature Cheddar Cheese and 100g Red Leicester as I love the flavour and the colour of Red Leicester. You can certainly use all cheddar. Make sure it is a sharp cheddar cheese so the flavour really shines through.
• Go to my Homemade Gluten-Free Breadcrumbs recipe for the ultimate seasoned breadcrumbs which taste incredible sprinkled on top of this cauliflower cheese.

Making Ahead - It can be made ahead by assembling the dish in the ovenproof dish right up until you add the grated cheese and breadcrumbs. Leave to cool and then you can keep in the fridge for a couple of days. Then sprinkle on the cheese and breadcrumbs before placing in the oven. Increase the oven time by 5-10 minutes since you are cooking it from chilled.

Freezing - you should mix the par-boiled cauliflower into the cheese sauce and then freeze in a tightfitting container. It can keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. Defrost completely overnight before pouring into the ovenproof dish and then sprinkling over the cheese and ground almonds. Increase the oven time by 5-10 minutes.

US customary measurements

These US measurements for the ingredients provided are based on a conversion calculator. This recipe was tested with metric measurements and I recommend using a digital scale to weigh ingredients for the most accurate results. READ MORE >>> Why you should always weigh vs measuring with cups 

Nutrition information

Please note that the nutrition information provided below is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients you use. Please seek a professional nutritionist’s advice for further clarification.

The nutrition serving is for 1 serving of cauliflower cheese, assuming it is portioned into 6 servings. 

Nutrition

Calories: 260kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 13gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 291mgPotassium: 451mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 547IUVitamin C: 47mgCalcium: 368mgIron: 1mg

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