With cheese topping, this easy, simple, spicy whole roasted cauliflower head served with garlic cream sauce is a showstopper at any dinner table.
Roasted Cauliflower is one of the best meat substitutes for Thanksgiving turkey, Christmas holiday roast, or even at a Super Bowl football party to serve your vegetarian and vegan family or friends.
Roasted whole cauliflower head - best vegetarian meat alternative
The roasted cauliflower recipe would be one of the best additions to any meal, where meat eaters can have this as a side dish, and vegetarians can have this as a main course.
The whole roasted cauliflower is crispy on the outside and tender with a melt-in-mouth texture on the inside. Serve this baked whole cauliflower with easy homemade garlic cream sauce, making the whole dish gluten-free, keto-friendly, and low-carb. You can also easily make it vegan with a few substitutions, which I have discussed below, so check them out! While you are here, also check out the healthy roasted cauliflower tikka recipe.
Ingredients for roasted cauliflower head
To steam cauliflower
Use bay leaf, small onion, ginger, garlic cloves, juice of lemon, and bouillon. You can skip adding bouillon if using any broth.
For the spicy mix
For the best flavor, use onion powder, garlic powder, red chile powder, salt, and tandoori masala (creole or curry powder).
Other ingredients to roast a cauliflower head
Butter and cheddar cheese make it rich and special for your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
For Garlic cream sauce
Butter, garlic cloves, pepper flakes, heavy cream, Italian pizza seasoning, cheddar cheese, spring onions, and a pinch of salt.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to roast whole cauliflower head?
Steam whole cauliflower
- Remove the leaves, cut the bottom flat, and nicely wash the cauliflower.
- Add 1.5 to 2 liters of water in a pot along with ginger, onion, garlic cloves, lemon, and bouillon, along with the whole cauliflower head. Cover and steam it for 10 minutes.
- Note: If you use vegetable/chicken broth instead of water, skip the above step. Bring the broth to a boil, place the cauliflower head over the trivet, and steam for 10 mins.
Make the spicy mix
- Add onion powder, garlic powder, red chile powder, salt, and tandoori masala (or any spice mix you choose) in a bowl. Mix the spices and keep this aside. You can store this in an air-tight container in a refrigerator and use it throughout the holiday season.
- Add softened butter and the spice mix as needed from above in another bowl.
Bake the best spicy roasted cauliflower.
- Preheat the oven to 425 F. Transfer the steamed cauliflower to the baking pan.
- Apply the spice mix over the cauliflower as much as possible.
- Bake it for about 12 to 15 minutes. Next, top it with cheddar or parmesan and bake for an additional 5 minutes if desired. Adding cheese is optional.
How to make Garlic cream sauce?
- Melt butter in a pan. Add garlic cloves and saute until lightly golden.
- To this, add pepper flakes and heavy cream and bring it to a simmer.
- Once the cream starts simmering, add Italian seasoning, cheese, a pinch of salt, and spring onions, and mix until the cheese is melted. Switch off the flame.
How to serve whole roasted cauliflower with sauce?
- Transfer the roasted cauliflower head to the cutting board using a fork and spatula.
- Cut them into steaks, rounds, wedges, pies, or any desired shape and size. Drizzle the cheesy garlic cream sauce and serve!
Storage Suggestions
If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container and refrigerate them for three days.
Make ahead: You can also make this roasted cauliflower minus the cheese topping ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator. Just reheat in the oven by following the instructions below. Then add cheese and bake for another 5 minutes so the cheese melts.
Or you can even prepare the spice mix, steam the cauliflower, and keep it in the refrigerator. Next day, mix the spice powder and softened butter, spread it over the cauliflower, and bake as per instructions in the recipe.
Reheating instructions: I agree it takes a lot of time, but I prefer reheating them in the oven to retain the texture of the cauliflower by covering it with aluminum foil and baking them at 350 degrees F or until heated through - it should take about 15 mins.
What to serve with roasted whole cauliflower?
I love to serve roasted cauliflower with garlic cream sauce, buttermilk biscuits, or dinner rolls to suck up the gravy from the plate. Sometimes, I even try it with aioli. These combinations are the best option as an entree for a vegetarian meal.
But you can also serve this as a side dish with steak, turkey, chicken, pork, or shrimp for your Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.
Recipe FAQs
Always use cauliflower that is nice, fresh, firm, and closely packed florets. Otherwise, they may fall apart.
To make this recipe vegan, use olive oil or coconut oil instead of butter. Use vegan cheese in place of cheddar cheese. Use cashew cream or soy-based cream to prepare the cream sauce. All other ingredients remain the same.
Overcooking the cauliflower makes it mushy, but undercooking is also not good. It may look crispy on the outside but remains tough and uncooked inside. So the best way is to steam it and then bake it.
Especially if you use organic cauliflowers, soak the cauliflower head/florets in salt water for 15 to 30 minutes before cooking. Soaking in salted water will remove any worms or bugs found in organic vegetables. Just rinse it under cool running water before cooking.
More vegetarian dinner recipes for holidays
You can make some of the best dinner casseroles for your Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.
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Recipe card
Best Whole Roasted Cauliflower Recipe with Garlic Cream Sauce
Equipment
- 1 Baking pan
- 1 Pot with lid
Ingredients
To steam cauliflower
- 1 Medium to Large Cauliflower head
- 2 Bay leaf
- 1 Small onion, roughly chopped
- 1 inch Ginger sliced or crushed
- 3 to 4 Garlic cloves
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 Bouillion (skip if using broth)
For the spicy mix (adjust to taste, the extra seasoning can be stored in airtight conatiner)
- 1 tablespoon Onion powder
- 1 tablespoon Garlic powder
- ½ tablespoon Red chile powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoon Tandoori curry or Creole powder
Other ingredients
- ¼ cup Butter, softened
- ¼ cup Cheddar, optional 25 grams
For Garlic cream sauce
- 2 tablespoon Butter
- 6 to 8 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon Red pepper flakes
- 1 cup Heavy cream (approx 200 ml)
- 1 teaspoon Italian pizza seasoning
- 2 to 4 tablespoon Cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 tablespoon Spring onions
- Salt, a pinch
Instructions
How to steam whole cauliflower?
- Remove the leaves, cut the bottom flat, and nicely wash the cauliflower.1 Medium to Large Cauliflower head
- Add 1.5 to 2 liters of water in a pot along with ginger, onion, garlic cloves, lemon, and bouillon, along with the whole cauliflower head. Cover and steam it for 10 minutes.2 Bay leaf, 1 Small onion, roughly chopped, 1 inch Ginger sliced or crushed, 3 to 4 Garlic cloves, Juice of 1 lemon, 1 Bouillion (skip if using broth)
- Note: If you use vegetable/chicken broth instead of water, skip the above step. Bring the broth to a boil, place the cauliflower head over the trivet, and steam for 10 mins.
Making the spicy mix
- Add onion powder, garlic powder, red chile powder, salt, and tandoori masala (or any spice mix you choose) in a bowl. Mix the spices and keep this aside. You can store this in an air-tight container in a refrigerator and use it with meat, veggies, or seafood throughout the holiday season.1 tablespoon Onion powder, 1 tablespoon Garlic powder, ½ tablespoon Red chile powder, ½ teaspoon Salt, 2 tablespoon Tandoori
- Add softened butter and the spice mix as needed from above in another bowl. Add all the spice mix from above and mix well for a strong flavor. For milder flavor, add 2 tbsp.¼ cup Butter, softened
Bake the best spicy roasted cauliflower
- Preheat the oven to 425 F. Transfer the steamed cauliflower to the baking pan.
- Bake it for about 12 to 15 minutes. Next, top it with cheddar or parmesan and bake for an additional 5 minutes if desired. Adding cheese is optional.¼ cup Cheddar, optional
How to make garlic cream sauce?
- Melt butter in a pan. Add garlic cloves and saute until lightly golden.2 tablespoon Butter, 6 to 8 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
- To this, add pepper flakes and heavy cream and bring it to a simmer.¼ teaspoon Red pepper flakes, 1 cup Heavy cream (approx 200 ml)
- Once the cream starts simmering, add Italian seasoning, cheese, a pinch of salt, and spring onions, and mix until the cheese is melted. Switch off the flame.1 teaspoon Italian pizza seasoning, 2 to 4 tablespoon Cheddar cheese, grated, 1 tablespoon Spring onions, Salt, a pinch
How to serve whole roasted cauliflower wth sauce?
- Transfer the roasted cauliflower head to the cutting board using a fork and spatula.
- Cut them into steaks, rounds, wedges, pies, or any desired shape and size. Drizzle the cheesy garlic cream sauce and serve!
Video
Notes
Storage Suggestions
If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container and refrigerate them for three days. Make ahead: You can also make this roasted cauliflower minus the cheese topping ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator. Just reheat in the oven by following the instructions below. Then add cheese and bake for another 5 minutes so the cheese melts. Or you can even prepare the spice mix, steam the cauliflower, and keep it in the refrigerator. Next day, mix the spice powder and softened butter, spread it over the cauliflower, and bake as per instructions in the recipe. Reheating instructions: I agree it takes a lot of time, but I prefer reheating them in the oven to retain the texture of the cauliflower by covering it with aluminum foil and baking them at 350 degrees F or until heated through - it should take about 15 mins.Nutrition
Note: We originally posted this whole oven-roasted cauliflower recipe with measurements for spicy mix for making two cauliflower heads in Nov 2022. It has now been modified in Oct 2023 to 1 cauliflower head. Use the stepwise image for reference only. Refer to the recipe card for updated recipe measurements.
Beth
MmmMM! This is going to be so good with our turkey this year!
Kate
I love how tender it gets! Absolutely delish way to prepare cauli! Thank you!
Justine
Yum! Not only did this look incredible, it tasted amazing!