Vegan cauliflower gratin features cauliflower two ways - blended into a velvety, cheesy sauce and as tender florets. This lightened-up vegan gratin is a welcome side dish anytime, from holidays and other special occasions to a plain old Saturday night in! Gluten-free option.
Why You'll Love Cauliflower Gratin
This vegan gratin is truly a celebration of cauliflower. And by blending cauliflower into the cheesy, dairy-free sauce we're automatically lightening-up a dish that is traditionally very heavy and rich.
But lighter doesn't mean it's lacking in flavor!
- Cashews add richness.
- Miso and nutritional yeast lend cheesy, umami-rich flavor to the sauce.
- Nutmeg, cayenne, and lemon add warmth and zest!
- And finally, a simple panko breadcrumb topping is made irresistible with vegan butter and dried thyme.
All you need are 20 minutes of hands on prep and about 45 minutes cook time. Then you're ready to dig into this gorgeous, creamy, vegan cauliflower casserole.
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Ingredient Notes
- cauliflower - you'll need 2 medium heads.
- raw cashews - these add richness and creaminess to the sauce; sub raw sunflower seeds, if needed.
- miso - either chickpea or mellow white miso. Adds umami, saltiness, and cheesy flavor to the sauce. Usually you'll find miso in the refrigerated section of the grocery store near the tofu.
- corn starch - this thickens the blended cauliflower sauce. Arrowroot starch is a great substitute.
- tapioca starch - or use arrowroot or additional corn starch.
- nutritional yeast - adds umami to the sauce but can be omitted if necessary.
- vegan butter - any brand you like is fine.
- panko breadcrumbs - gluten-free, if desired.
See recipe card below for amounts and full instructions.
How To Make Vegan Cauliflower Gratin
- Toast the breadcrumbs: In a saute pan melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the panko and thyme. Stirring often, cook for about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
- Prep one head of cauliflower: Cut one of the heads of cauliflower into equal-sized florets. You can also use most of the stem, cutting it into smaller pieces since it takes longer to cook than florets. Add about two inches of water to a large pot. Add the cauliflower and sprinkle with salt. Bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes or until tender. Drain the cauliflower, and transfer it to a blender.
- Blend the sauce: to the blender add water, cashews, miso, corn starch, tapioca, nutritional yeast, nutmeg, cayenne, lemon juice and salt. Blend until smooth, and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Locate a 2.5 quart gratin dish or 3 quart casserole.
- Prepare the second head of cauliflower: cut into equal-sized florets, and discard the stem. Cook the cauliflower the same way you cooked first head. Drain well.
- Assemble: Transfer the cooked florets to the casserole dish. Pour the sauce on top and use a spoon to gently stir the cauliflower and distribute the sauce. Evenly sprinkle the panko mixture on top, and add a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Bake: Bake until hot and bubbling and the panko is golden brown, about 40 minutes for a gratin dish or 30 minutes for a standard casserole dish (more shallow). Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Serving Suggestions
During the holiday season cauliflower gratin pairs well with any of these vegan main dishes:
- Vegan Turkey Roast
- Holiday Chickpea Loaf With Wild Rice
- Classic Seitan Roast
- Beyond Meatloaf With Shiitake Stuffing
Cauliflower gratin is also lovely served with a large green side salad or entree salad with beans or lentils.
The panko topping provides just a bit of crunch and contrasting texture, while the thyme adds an irresistible, savory aroma.
Substitutions
- tapioca starch - feel free to sub arrowroot or additional corn starch if you don't have tapioca.
- cashews - I haven't tested the recipe with a different nut or seed, but I suspect raw sunflower seeds would be a great nut-free option. I often use them in creamy salad dressings and vegan cheeses when I want an alternative to cashews.
- chickpea miso - lately I've had a difficult time finding chickpea miso in stores, which is a shame because it's amazing! If you can't find chickpea, white miso is the best option.
- vegan butter - this additional fat helps the breadcrumb topping crisp up; feel free to use olive oil instead.
Equipment
A high-speed blender like a Vitamix works best for blending the sauce since we're using whole cashews. If using a standard blender, you can soak the cashews in hot water for an hour first to soften them and help with blending. Then drain and proceed with the recipe.
To bake the gratin, you'll need either a standard 9x13-inch casserole dish or a 2.5 quart gratin dish (pictured). A gratin dish is deeper and has a smaller footprint than the casserole. This particular one is 10.5 inches by 7.5 inches.
Storage
Leftovers will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Or freeze for up to one month.
More Vegan Thanksgiving Side Dishes
This recipe is very versatile. Experiment and feel free to incorporate your favorite vegan cheese if you're looking for more decadence! You can also mix shredded vegan cheese into the cooled panko topping just before sprinkling it on top and baking it. There really is a lot of room for customization.
If you try this vegan cauliflower gratin I would LOVE to hear from you. Be sure to comment below and let us know how it turned out!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Cauliflower Gratin
Ingredients
- 2 medium heads cauliflower
- 1 ½ cups water
- ½ cup raw cashews - If you don't have a high speed blender, soak the cashews first in hot water for 1 hour, then drain, OR sub ¼ cup raw cashew butter.
- 1 tablespoon chickpea or mellow white miso
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 1 tablespoon tapioca starch
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- scant ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
For the bread crumb topping:
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs - gluten-free, if desired.
- ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Toast the breadcrumbs: In a saute pan melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the panko and thyme. Stirring often, cook for about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
- Prep one head of cauliflower: Cut one of the heads of cauliflower into equal-size florets. You can also use most of the stem, cutting it into smaller pieces since it takes longer to cook than florets. Add about two inches of water to a large pot. Add the cauliflower and sprinkle with salt. Bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes or until tender. Drain the cauliflower, and transfer it to a blender.
- Blend the sauce: to the blender add the water, cashews, miso, corn starch, tapioca, nutritional yeast, nutmeg, cayenne, lemon juice and salt. Blend until smooth, and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Locate a 2.5 quart gratin dish or 3 quart casserole dish.
- Prepare the second head of cauliflower: cut into equal-sized florets, and discard the stem. Cook the cauliflower the same way you cooked first head. Drain well.
- Assemble: Transfer the cooked florets to the casserole dish. Pour the sauce on top and use a spoon to gently stir the cauliflower and distribute the sauce. Evenly sprinkle the panko mixture on top, and add a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Bake: Bake until hot and bubbling and the panko is golden brown, about 40 minutes for a gratin dish (deeper) or 30 minutes for a casserole dish (more shallow). Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- tapioca - sub arrowroot or additional corn starch if you don't have tapioca.
- cashews - I haven't tested the recipe with a different nut or seed, but I suspect raw sunflower seeds will be a great nut-free option. I often use them in creamy salad dressings and vegan cheeses as an alternative to cashews.
- chickpea miso - lately I've had a difficult time finding chickpea miso in stores, which is a shame because it's amazing! If you can't find chickpea, white miso is the best option.
- vegan butter - feel free to use olive oil instead.
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used. We calculate this information using the online calculator cronometer.com.
This recipe was originally published in May 2019 and has been updated for content and improved instructions.
Lisa
Can this be prepared ahead and then baked on thanksgiving morning?
Lori
Hi Lisa,
Yes, definitely. Wait to add the breadcrumbs on top until just before baking. It might also need a few extra minutes in the oven since the whole dish will be cold from the refrigerator. Hope you enjoy!
Karen
I made this recipe just as written, and it was. delicious. I froze half for another meal. Thank you!