Cheesy Keto Cauliflower Au Gratin

Enjoy all the comforts of a cheesy au gratin or the flavor of a scalloped potato dish with this easy cheesy keto cauliflower au gratin. It has only 1.8g net carbs and is super easy to make with only 4 ingredients. So if you are looking for a rich and delicious keto side dish for a holiday or weeknight dinner this scalloped cauliflower side dish recipe is the one to try!

Try one of these many tasty cauliflower recipes.

Winter is coming.  And with winter weather approaching I’ve already started making casseroles and roasts and soups and stews. To me there is nothing better than a good cheesy casserole to warm your hearts and bellies on a cold winter day.

However since I like to keep the carbs down, I forgo the rice, pasta and potatoes and use substitutes like my favorite vegetable which is cauliflower. That means no milk, all-purpose flour or bread crumbs either in dishes like this creamy cauliflower au gratin dish.  

I still use the cream, butter and cheese though which are keto friendly ingredients and add tons of flavor. But in this dish I only used 4 simple ingredients to create this cheesy keto cauliflower au gratin. It’s the perfect side dish for holiday dinners and one of my favorite recipes.

The 4 simple ingredients in this keto side dish.

I only used 4 ingredients in this cheesy casserole: fresh cauliflower, Swiss Gruyere cheese, heavy whipping cream and green onions. I also use salt and ground black pepper to season a bit.

Head Cauliflower & Green Onions
I do not recommend using frozen cauliflower. The fresh tastes much more like scalloped potatoes if you slice it thinly and while frozen is often in florets. And the green onions really add to the dish so I would not substitute those if you can.

Cheeses and Cream
I like to use a Swiss Gruyere cheese mixture to create the cheesy sauce in this au gratin dish. Aldi now has it all the time and you can see it pictured below. However if you can’t find it, you can substitute with just Swiss or just Gruyere.

Along with the heavy cream the Gruyere has a special taste that sets it apart from other casseroles. They bake up together to make a decadent creamy cheese sauce. I would not substitute the heavy cream unless it was with half and half.

And If you want to use other types of cheese you can try some sharp white cheddar cheese instead and it would work but again I’m a fan of the gruyere Swiss flavors.

Is this casserole keto friendly?

If you are following a keto diet as opposed to a low carb diet the macros for 1 serving of this casserole is: 81% fat / 14% protein / 5% carbs which I would consider this cauliflower casserole to be a  keto casserole as well as low carb.

Let’s make this cheesy keto cauliflower au gratin.

Step 1: Set the oven temperature to 375°F. Spray your casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Step 2: You don’t want to cut the cauliflower into florets but instead cut the head of cauliflower into thin slices to make it layer more easily. I used a mandoline like this. You can use fresh cauliflower florets if you want but I would still slice them into thin even pieces.

Step 3: Once you have your ingredients lined up (cauliflower, cheese, salt, black pepper, green onions and cream) the basic steps are to layer them in a certain order. Remember to spray your muffin tins or casserole dish first.

Step 4: Get the prepared baking dish and start with the cauliflower, then add half of the cheese, all of the green onions and then season with salt and ground pepper.

Step 5: Add another layer of cauliflower but on the last layer, add the cream before the cheese.

Step 6:  Cover with foil and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes. Then take off the foil and bake for 40 minutes until fork tender and golden brown on top. Let cool before serving and the creamy sauce will set up a bit more. Note baking time may vary.

Store leftovers of this delicious side dish in an airtight container. Please scroll down to view the printable recipe card.

This keto cauliflower gratin has amazing flavor but it has a richer sauce so a large baking dish makes a lot. You only need a small amount to be satisfied. This will be great for the fall and winter months. It’s pure comfort food if you are on a low carb diet and even if you are not.

You can make this casserole in a muffin tin
or baking dish.

The first time I made this scalloped cauliflower recipe I did so in a muffin tin and they were soooo good. However they looked terrible and since I had enough time, I remade them in a baking dish.

They work great either way. The baking dish is easier to clean up but in the tins they get all brown and crusty around the sides and I personally find that part to be the tastiest.

So if you really want them more crispy try a muffin tin, however note they can be a real pain to clean.

More comforting keto casseroles to try.

I have quite a few keto casserole recipes on the blog and here are few of my favorites for days when you need a little comfort but want to stick to your low carb diet.

• keto cheeseburger or spaghetti casserole
• keto chicken bacon ranch, buffalo chicken or Mexican chicken casserole
• keto cheesy zucchini squash or cheesy spinach broccoli casserole (tasty side dishes)

We ate it as a cheesy low carb side dish with a nice pork roast and it was the perfect comfort food. The rich flavors of this keto cauliflower au gratin went great with the lean pork.

So I would recommend eating this with just about any meat main dish. And remember it would be a great holiday side dish whether you are on a low carb diet or not.

Here is the nutritional information per serving: calories 280
fat 24g / carbs 3.6g / fiber 1.8g / protein 9.4g – net carbs = 1.8g per serving

Keto Cauliflower Gratin Recipe FAQs.

• Can you make this casserole ahead of time? Yes you can. I could make it the day before but I would not do it any more than that.
• What if I don’t have Gruyere cheese? I prefer gruyere because it has a great taste but you can substitute with Swiss cheese.
• How long do I bake this if I use a muffin tin? Cover them with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Then take off the foil and cook for 20-30 minutes until brown and bubbly.
• Can you freeze this cauliflower au gratin? I have frozen cooked portions of this dish with no problem. I don’t think the cream and cheese would freeze well when uncooked.
• Can I use frozen cauliflower florets instead of fresh? I do not recommend using frozen as it will have a lot of water in it which will effect the cheese sauce and you will have difficulty slicing it thin.
• Can I used cauliflower rice or florets? You can use either however it will be more of a casserole than a scalloped or a cauliflower gratin. The sliced pieces are more like the scalloped potatoes than the rice or florets, but it would work and still taste great. Note it will probably take less time to cook if you use riced cauliflower.

And for a tasty low carb appetizer or snack, check out my friend Lauren at Delicious Little Bites’ loaded cauliflower bites. They are the perfect decadent dish to snack on.