This veggie-loaded Vegan Cauliflower Casserole is layered with ooey-gooey cheese, topped with buttery breadcrumbs and then baked to perfection. It’s easy and delicious!
Autumn is right around the corner and that means it’s time for everything warm, comforting and definitely cheesy! Am I right? So, to celebrate, I’m sharing this Cheesy Vegan Cauliflower Casserole to kickoff the season.
It will fit right into your weeknight dinner routine, weekends or for your holiday table. It’ll be on our Thanksgiving table along with my Meatless Loaf, Sourdough Bread Stuffing, Vegan Greenbean Casserole, and my Sweet Skillet Cornbread Recipe. I can’t wait!
This veggie-packed casserole is also kid-friendly. I mean, who wouldn’t eat their veggies when they are smothered in a cheesy sauce?
How to Make Vegan Cauliflower Casserole
(full ingredient amounts in recipe card below)
STEP 1
Combine the breadcrumbs, garlic and melted butter together. This will create a buttery and crispy top to your casserole!
Note: You’ll need to soften the cashews first for the vegan cheese sauce. To do this, boil water in a small pot and remove from heat. Add cashews and cover for 15-20 minutes until they’re softened.
STEP 2
Cover and steam the cauliflower in about 1″ of water in a Large Pot. Cover and steam until just tender (about 7-10 minutes). Uncover and remove from heat.
Note: You can also boil the cauliflower until just tender (about 5 minutes). Drain really well before putting in the casserole dish.
STEP 3
Time to make the vegan cheese sauce! To get started, drain and rinse the cashews (discard soaking water). Now place all cheese sauce ingredients in a High-Speed Blender. Blend until cashews have completely broken down and the sauce is smooth.
Note: If you don’t have a high-speed blender, the cashews might not completely break down and this could result in a gritty texture. You can try soaking the cashews longer for 12 hours or more.
STEP 4
Now for the stretchy cheesy goodness! Pour blended vegan cheese sauce into a medium skillet/pot over medium heat (I used the same pot for steaming the cauliflower). Cook for 4-5 minutes until it thickens up a lot and becomes slightly stretchy. Stir often to prevent it from burning and sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Note: If the cheese sauce is too thick for your taste, you can add a little soy milk or broth to thin it out. Taste for seasoning and add more if needed.
STEP 5
Pour half of the vegan cheese sauce into the greased casserole dish and spread along the bottom. Now add the cauliflower florets on top in mostly one layer.
STEP 6
Top with more vegan cheese sauce! Pour the remaining cheese sauce on top of the cauliflower and spread out evenly. You can sprinkle the top with fresh-cracked pepper if desired.
STEP 7
Now sprinkle the top with prepared panko breadcrumbs and cover with foil. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is hot and bubbly. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes or until breadcrumbs are light golden brown.
Topping Ideas:
- Fresh-Cut Parsley
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- Vegan Parmesan Cheese
Enjoy!
Tidbits:
– I recently switched to Sari Foods Nutritional Yeast. I like it better because the vitamins and minerals are naturally occurring. They don’t add any synthetic vitamins, so it’s better for you and it doesn’t taste as bitter either. It’s a few dollars more than most brands but so worth it. (*It doesn’t contain B12, so you’ll have to supplement if you depend on nutritional yeast for that)
– If you have Vegan Lactic Acid, you can use that in replace of the lemon juice. It adds a similar tangy flavor that cultured cheese has. I usually add 1 1/4 teaspoons in place of the lemon juice. You’ll need to add a few tablespoons of broth or non-dairy milk to make up the liquid portion of the lemon juice.
I’d love to hear from you
If you make this Vegan Cauliflower Casserole, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs so I don’t miss it.
Cheesy Vegan Cauliflower Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower , cut into bite-size florets (about 2.5 pounds)
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (GF if preferred)
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter , melted (+ more for greasing dish)
Cheese Sauce
- 1 cup raw cashews , soaked in very hot water
- 2 cups unsweetened soy milk
- 1 cup vegetable broth , low sodium
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour/starch
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic , (+ a pinch for breadcrumbs)
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion
- 1 1/4 teaspoons sea salt , more to taste
Optional Toppings
- Fresh-cut parsley
- Crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F (200° C). Lightly grease a 3-quart casserole dish and set aside.
- Combine the melted butter, breadcrumbs and a pinch of granulated garlic in a small bowl. Set aside.
- To soak cashews, boil water in a small pot and remove from heat. Add cashews and cover for 15-20 minutes, until softened (*see note).
- While the cashews are soaking, you can steam the cauliflower. Place about 1 " of water into a med/large pot that will fit your steamer basket. Place your basket on the bottom and cover pot with a lid. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat to med-low to maintain a low boil and place cauliflower florets into the basket. Cover and steam for 7-10 minutes, until just tender. Uncover and remove from heat.
- Drain and rinse cashews (discard soaking water). Now place all cheese sauce ingredients in a high-speed blender. Blend until cashews have completely broken down and the sauce is smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
- Pour cheese sauce into a medium skillet/pot over medium heat (I used the same pot for steaming the cauliflower). Cook for 4-5 minutes until it thickens up a lot and becomes slightly stretchy. Stir often to prevent burning. If sauce is too thick for your taste, you can add a little soy milk or broth to thin it out. Taste for seasoning, and add more if needed.
- Pour 1/2 the cheese sauce on the bottom of the greased casserole dish. Now add the cauliflower on top in one layer. Pour the remaining cheese sauce on top of the cauliflower. Now sprinkle with prepared breadcrumbs and cover with foil. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is hot and bubbly. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes or until breadcrumbs are light golden brown. Remove from oven. *Sprinkle with optional fresh-cut parsley and crushed red pepper flakes. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
ESMA
Hello, I would really like to give this a try, but I was wondering if this would taste would just by making it, in the stove? I don’t really use de oven ever, thank you!
Melissa Huggins
It could work, but the top won’t get crispy. I would just steam the cauliflower until tender then make the cheese and combine together. I would skip the breadcrumb topping. I hope this helps. 🙂
Angela
This was the best bake I have ever made ! I only used 1 TBSP of Dijon and no panko so I blitzed very stale sourdough and added yeast flakes with the butter. OMG! I will be making this again and again, The easiness of making the sauce and putting in the fridge saved time, and tonight had it again and it tasted just as good if not better! Thank you so much for sharing. If i could give it more than 5 stars i would!
5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Melissa Huggins
Hi Angela, this is such a nice compliment! I’m so glad it worked out for you. The sourdough breadcrumbs sound phenomenal! Thank you for making it and sharing your feedback 🙂
Ina
This recipe sound great. Can you use frozen cauliflower rather than fresh? I have a bunch of frozen cauliflower I bought when the stay-at-home time started but we were able to get fresh so now I am trying to find recipes to use it in since it doesn’t taste very good just roasted or steamed. Thanks.
Melissa Huggins
Yes, you can use frozen cauliflower. It’s just as delicious! 😀
Ljo Rogers
Recipe was divine! Easier than it looks and wonderfully delicious. Got it down for comfort food in the future
Melissa Huggins
Yay! I’m glad you liked it. Thank you so much! 🙂
Waheed
Hi,
This was a lovely dish that we made. Can you provide the serving size (in grams or cups) that equates to the 187 calories that you have indicated
Thanks,
Waheees
Smaranda Alecu
Amazing recipe ! Thank you! You saved me ! I had some cauliflower and couldn’t eat it raw because it was way to hard, and I cut it in small pieces. This fit perfectly. I’m so happy I tried it! The béchamel sauce came out amazing! ( I skipped one cup of soy milk and the broth one-I didn’t have and it was soo rich and creamy). The sticky sesame cauliflower recipe is amazing too.
Keep inspiring us! Kisses & Hugs. God bless you 🙂
Melissa Huggins
This is such a nice compliment. Thank you for making it and sharing your modifications. God bless you, too. xoxo
Nichole underhill
We love this casserole! I add broccoliwirh the cauliflower, and put it over top of some quinoa. So delicious!!
Melissa Huggins
It sounds perfect with broccoli and quinoa! So healthy! Thank you for giving it a try 🙂
Kristin Karnecki
Love this recipe, thanks for sharing!
Melissa Huggins
You’re most welcome! I’m so happy you liked it 🙂
Renee Breit
Made this yesterday and it is gone! Delicious!! Thank you for sharing (I had to substitute almond milk and cornstarch for tapioca) and it was great!!!!
Renee Breit
Oops. It was so good, I commented twice. 😬😏
Melissa Huggins
Lol! Thank you so much! 🙂
Melissa Huggins
Hi Renee, I’m so glad you liked it so much! It’s a family favorite over here. Thank you for giving it a try and sharing your feedback. 🙂
Anne Davis
What was the amount of almond milk and cornstarch to compensate for tapioca flour? I don’t have that flour and honestly, don’t see myself buying any.
Renee Breit
Just made this cauliflower casserole and it is outstanding! (I substituted almond milk for soy and cornstarch for tapioca flour) those were the only things I didn’t have.
So delicious. Thank you for sharing.
Steven
I made it last night without the Pablo and vegan butter. I used hemp seeds to top it with for a little texture. II did use some more garlic and some black pepper to add mor flavor. Without the buttered breadcrumbs, it needed a little more. Does it really have 187,000 calories for 8 servings? That seems incredibly high for what is in it. I don’t count calories, but my clients that are trying to lose weight do and they won’t eat something with over 2,000 calories per serving. I really liked it and wanted a cheesy sauce for this and other dishes and I will be making again.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Steven, Thank you for giving git a try and sharing your modifications. It’s only 187 calories per serving. The ‘K’ just stands for kilocalories. 🙂
Anish
This was so yummy! Thank you for sharing!!
Melissa Huggins
You’re most welcome! Thank you for making it! 🙂
Jennifer
I’d like to make this but my son is severely allergic to cashews. What changes would you suggest to achieve a cashew-free version?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Jennifer, can he have macadamia nuts or almonds? They will both work well (make sure they are unsalted and blanched). The almonds will take much longer to soak (best overnight). The macadamia nuts will take the same amount of time as the cashews. I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions 🙂
Lauren
Super simple and the end product was great! I would have liked a little less lemon juice (and I like lemons), but other than that a great casserole.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Lauren, I’m so happy you liked it. Thank you for making it and sharing your feedback 🙂
Shannon
I just used one whole large lemon-and it worked great! Loved this recipe! Have tons fresh from the garden and was looking for new ways to prepare. This will be a staple in our plant based household!
Sue
I cannot wait to make this! Just wondering if leftovers can be frozen. Thank you!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Sue, I’ve frozen the sauce for a few months with success, but I haven’t tried it with the cauliflower. I had to add a few splashes of broth on the reheat. I think it should freeze nicely with the cauliflower too, but I’m not 100% sure. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it. Thank you for stopping by 🙂
Maggie
I was craving a “cheesy” casserole and found this recipe on Pinterest. I’m trying to get my family to eat more vegan meals, but I have a meat/cheese loving hubby and an extremely picky 5 year old that doesn’t like veggies. I was hesitant to make it because my son has never willingly eaten cauliflower in his life. I made it anyway. He ate an entire bowl full without any push from my husband or me. And my husband said he’d eat it again, which is a huge win!! I will definitely be making this often! Thanks for the great recipe!
Melissa Huggins
This is the greatest compliment! I’m so glad it went over well with everyone. Thank you for giving it a try and sharing your feedback. 🙂
Kelly
Delicious and super creamy!
Melissa Huggins
Glad you liked it! Thank you 🙂
Kelly
I made this for a potluck mid December and it was a HUGE hit. It was so good that we made it again as a side for our vegan Christmas dinner this year and we are making it again tonight! My mom requested it for Sunday dinner tonight, and she’s the furthest thing from vegan lol so happy I found this recipe it’s definitely a keeper, I will be making this again and again!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Kelly, this is such a nice compliment! I’m so glad it was a hit with your family. Thank you for sharing your feedback 🙂
Farfalo Didymus
Most delicious, thank you. I added a bag of frozen peas for some green & top with a splash of sriracha.
Korrin
I’m so glad I made this tonight! My family really liked it. Our 3 year old particularly loved the panko breadcrumb topping and hummed the whole time he ate 😂! Thank you for sharing!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Korrin, this makes me happy! Humming to food is the greatest compliment! Thank you for giving it a try 🙂
Lisa G.
Does this recipe reheat well? I only have one oven and am trying to make some dishes ahead of time. I can’t wait to try this!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Lisa, Yes, fully prepare it up until the baking step and refrigerate without the buttered breadcrumb topping. Then add the breadcrumbs right before baking the next day. Thank you for stopping by 🙂