Vegan Cauliflower Parmesan

Vegan Cauliflower Parmesan by Pasta-based. Crispy breaded cauliflower, covered in sauce and melty, gooey vegan mozzarella cheese in a white baking dish with two utensils digging underneath a piece of cauliflower.

This recipe for cauliflower parmesan is a vegan take on classic Italian chicken parmesan. Crispy breaded cauliflower florets, baked in marinara sauce and smothered with melty, gooey vegan mozzarella cheese. This recipe is easy to make and delicious served over pasta or rice.

This vegan cauliflower parmesan recipe is our new favorite Italian weeknight meal. It’s super easy to make if you have the sauce already on hand. If not, here’s a recipe you can use for an easy vegan tomato sauce. You can also make your vegan mozzarella cheese at home, although we shredded a block of Violife mozzarella when we took the photos.

Vegan Cauliflower Parmesan by Pasta-based. A crispy, breaded cauliflower floret on top of a plate of linguine smothered in sauce with burst grape tomatoes.

Last weekend we bought tickets for VegFest Colorado, a two-day vegan event filled with vegan food trucks and vegan businesses. We ate soooo much food! We even brought a few tupperwares to fill up with goodies for the week, which sounds like a smart idea until we got home and just ate it all that night anyway ??? (can you blame us!?).

Vegan Cauliflower Parmesan by Pasta-based. A cauliflower floret being dipped into an Italian breadcrumb mixture using silver tongs.

Anywayyyyy, having this recipe in our back pocket helped the week go by much smoother. We work a lot during the weekdays and it can be stressful to think of dinner after our evening commute. Whipping this meal up takes about 10 minutes of hands-on time and the rest is waiting for it to get hot in the oven, perfect time to do a little bit of yoga in the living room or jump in the shower.

Vegan Cauliflower Parmesan by www.pastabased.com. Crispy breaded cauliflower lined up on a baking sheet.

Here’s what we have going for this cauliflower parmesan recipe:

CRISPY CAULIFLOWER. ♡ The breading for the cauliflower is so simple – a mixture of almond milk, flour and Italian breadcrumbs (gluten-free subs work great). Mix together the almond milk and flour batter. Add a few extra Italian spices to the breadcrumbs to get that savory flavor. Cover the cauliflower with batter and breadcrumbs, then bake until crispy.

MOSTLY HANDS OFF. ♡ Use pre-cut cauliflower florets to make this recipe even quicker. Other than mixing together the batter and breading the cauliflower, you’re looking at a simple hands-off dinner.

SAUCE AND CHEESE. ♡ After you crisp up the cauliflower, add the florets to a baking dish with sauce and cheese and bake once more until the sauce is hot and bubbly and the cheese is melty and gooey. You can use your favorite brand of sauce and cheese or make them homemade.

Vegan Cauliflower Parmesan by Pasta-based. Cauliflower parmesan scooped on top of a plate of linguine with two hands coming in to grab the plate.

4.29 from 7 votes
Vegan Cauliflower Parmesan
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
55 mins
Total Time
1 hr 5 mins
 

Crispy breaded and roasted cauliflower florets smothered in vegan marinara and topped with melty, gooey, vegan mozzarella cheese. Baked - not fried - for a healthier, savory take on a classic Italian recipe.

Course: Dinner, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword: cauliflower, parmesan
Servings: 4 servings
Calories per Serving: 387 kcal
Ingredients
batter ingredients
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour substitute
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
breading ingredients
  • 1 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 450°F / 230°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. 

  2. Cut cauliflower into florets. In a medium bowl, make a batter by whisking together flour and almond milk. The batter will be very liquidy. 

  3. In a separate bowl, prepare the breading by mixing together Italian-style breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, and nutritional yeast.

  4. Add cauliflower florets to batter and stir to coat. Using tongs, remove one piece of battered cauliflower and transfer to bowl with breading. Evenly coat cauliflower florets with breading and place in an even layer on baking sheet.

  5. Bake for 40 minutes, flipping halfway through, until crispy. Remove from oven and set aside. Lower oven to 375°F / 190°C.

  6. Add a layer of marinara sauce to the bottom of an 8x8" oven-safe baking dish. Add crispy cauliflower florets on top of sauce, covering the bottom of the dish. Add another layer of marinara sauce on top of the cauliflower. Top with vegan mozzarella cheese. 

  7. Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly. Remove from oven and set aside to cool slightly. Serve warm preferably over pasta.

Recipe Notes

Nutrition Facts
Vegan Cauliflower Parmesan
Amount Per Serving
Calories 387 Calories from Fat 135
% Daily Value*
Fat 15g23%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Sodium 314mg14%
Potassium 618mg18%
Carbohydrates 54g18%
Fiber 7g29%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 11g22%
Vitamin A 530IU11%
Vitamin C 22.4mg27%
Calcium 146mg15%
Iron 3.2mg18%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

September 11, 2018

RELATED POSTS

10 Comments

  1. Reply

    Jasmin | VeeatCookBake

    August 7, 2018

    I love breaded cauliflower. Love all the spices you use. 🙂

  2. Reply

    jen

    August 9, 2018

    5 stars
    I could eat cauliflower all day, everyday… and if it looks like THIS – there is no stopping me!! Hahaha. yum yum yum!!!

  3. Reply

    Gemma

    August 13, 2018

    I love experimenting with cauliflower! Going to use oat milk to make it nut free too

  4. Reply

    Gemma

    August 13, 2018

    5 stars
    I love experimenting with cauliflower! Easily make this but free with oat milk too

  5. Reply

    Nicole Dawson

    August 14, 2018

    YUM! My belly is happy just looking at this.

  6. Reply

    Tania | Fit Foodie Nutter

    August 21, 2018

    5 stars
    Wow, this dish would make such an impact amongst my guests for sure! Bookmarking to make it for a girls get together next week! Thank you for a great recipe x

  7. Reply

    Erin

    August 21, 2018

    Wow! Just looking at the pictures makes me hungry. This looks amazing!

  8. Reply

    Suzanne

    September 21, 2020

    This looks so good! What a versatile dish that has all the yummy Italian flavors!

  9. Reply

    Vanessa

    September 21, 2020

    Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?

    • Reply

      pasta-based

      September 30, 2020

      It’s only lasted for about 4-5 days in our fridge, but that was just because it looked too delicious to not eat anymore 🙂

LEAVE A COMMENT

Recipe Rating




4K Shares
Pin3K
Share89
Tweet