This Roasted Parmesan Cauliflower recipe is a great side dish packed with nutrients and flavor. These crispy cauliflower bites are seasoned to perfection and oven roasted until it becomes tender, and has golden brown crispy edges (and a bit of crispy tops).
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✔️ Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower at a Glance
- Main Ingredients: Cauliflower, Parmesan Cheese.
- Texture: Tender and crispy. The best part is the golden brown, deliciously caramelized garlic Parmesan breading.
- Dietary Information: Vegetarian, low-carb, vegan adaptable, gluten-free adaptable, dairy-free adaptable.
- What you Need to Know: Parmesan roasted cauliflower is made (obviously) with cheese! Although the recipe can be adjusted to be dairy-free and vegan, I suggest you look at my Roasted Cauliflower Steaks recipe which is completely dairy-free.
- Highlights: This is an easy side dish made with simple ingredients . This roasted cauliflower recipe will definitely not break the bank .
- Skill Level: Easy. No special skills needed.
🔎 Why This Recipe Works?
- High Heat: Oven roasting intensifies the flavor of the cauliflower and turns a simple side dish into a masterpiece, full of caramelized nutty flavor.
- Light and Healthy: By using Parmesan cheese as a seasoning, instead of using a heavy cheese to drowned the cauliflower, we keep it light enough to be considered as a healthy side dish option.
🔎 What’s in this Roasted Parmesan Cauliflower Recipe?
Cauliflower is a mild tasting vegetable which means you can use a variety of seasonings with good results. It’s also available any time of year and can be found in any grocery store. For exact amounts and a complete list of ingredients, check the recipe card below.
✔️ Ingredients and Substitutions
- Cauliflower: I prefer using a fresh, average sized cauliflower head of about 2 to 2.5 pounds. About 4 cups of uncooked cauliflower florets. You can also make this recipe with broccoli.
- Oil: I use olive oil. Be generous with the oil as it helps with crispiness. I you are following a restrictive calorie diet, use cooking spray but know that you may not get the same results as when using olive oil.
- Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated cheese is best but I have used pre-grated cheese (from a container) and the results were great. Pecorino Romano can be used.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: I like the texture of Panko best, but you could use regular plain breadcrumbs. I like the texture of Panko best, but you could use regular plain breadcrumbs. To make this baked cauliflower Parmesan recipe gluten-free, I use gluten-free plain breadcrumbs. Panko breadcrumbs are very coarse and in my experienced they don’t stick to the cauliflower well.
- Seasonings: Garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and ground black pepper. Feel free to use other seasonings such as paprika, dried or fresh parsley, dried oregano and lemon-pepper.
How To Make This Roasted Parmesan Cauliflower Recipe
For specific instructions, temperatures and cooking times, check the recipe card below.
- Set the oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Coat it generously with olive oil or cooking spray.
- In a large bowl or in a resealable bag, toss the fresh cauliflower with olive oil and mix until the cauliflower is well coated. Season with salt and ground black pepper.
- In a medium bowl combine the panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Drizzle the remaining oil over the crumb mixture and mix well.
- Sprinkle the panko crumb mixture onto the prepared baking pan. Place florets (flat side down) on top of the crumbs and press them lightly to help the crumb stick to each floret.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the crumbs become golden brown. Remove from the oven and with a large spatula flip the cauliflower. Return to the oven and bake for 4-5 minutes.
🔪 Roasted Cauliflower Tips for Success
- Size Matters: Cut the cauliflower into evenly-sized florets for even roasting.
- Flat Edges: For extra crispy cauliflower, maximize the flat edges that touch the bread crumb mixture.
- Roasting Time: Not all ovens are equal and cauliflower florets can be of many sizes. The cooking time in the recipe card below is the time it took me to roast the florets to a perfect golden brown (see photos). To prevent under or over baking, always keep an eye on your veggies while they cook.
- Meal Prep Tip: For easy meal prep, cut the cauliflower into smaller pieces a day ahead. Keep in the fridge covered with a damp piece of paper towel on top inside an airtight container or resealable bag.
- Oil: Using enough oil is essential for perfect results. Don’t skimp on the oil.
- Parchment Paper: For best results, line the baking sheet with parchment paper. The crispy cauliflower tend to stick to aluminum foil.
- No Additional Steps: You don’t need to pre-boil or soak the cauliflower before roasting.
- Serving Suggestions: Serve with a side of marinara sauce.
✔️ Frequently Asked Questions
🔎 Why is my Cauliflower Mushy?
If your roasted cauliflower ends up mushy or soggy instead of crispy, it’s most likely because the baking pan was crowded. Place the cauliflower on a sheet pan in an even layer, leaving room between each cauliflower piece. Proper hot air circulation is essential for roasting and prevents the veggies from steaming.
✔️ Make Ahead, Storage, Freezing and Reheating
- Make Ahead: Prep the cauliflower a day ahead. Keep in the fridge covered with a damp piece of paper towel on top inside an airtight container or resealable bag.
- Storage: Leftover cauliflower tore in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: The extra moisture from freezing makes the Parmesan coating loose its crispiness. Although you can freeze this recipe for up to 2 months, its not ideal. When freezing, place cauliflower florets in a single layer on a baking sheet, then freeze until solid. Transfer the frozen florets to an airtight freezer-safe container Reheat from frozen.
- Reheating: Reheat cauliflower in a 350ºF oven until warm through. You can also reheat it in the microwave but the coating won’t be crispy.
You can serve this side dish as part of a vegetarian meal or with animal proteins.
Serve this easy Parmesan Cauliflower side dish with:
Roasted Parmesan Cauliflower
Roasted Parmesan Cauliflower is a simple, tasty and easy side dish your family will love. Cauliflower florets are tossed with olive oil, Panko bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and spices and oven roasted until tender, golden brown and crispy on the outside!
Ingredients
- 1 large head of cauliflower, about 2 ½ pounds = about 4 cups of florets, rinsed (see notes)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more to greasing the baking sheet (see note)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
Optional Garnishes
Chopped parsley, lemon wedges
Instructions
- Cut the cauliflower into medium size florets. Cut larger florets in half to maximize the flat surface of each floret (crumbs stick to the flat part of the cauliflower best).
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet pan with parchment paper and coat it generously with olive oil or cooking spray.
- In a large bowl or in a resealable bag, toss the cauliflower with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and mix until the cauliflower is well coated. Add salt and ground black pepper and toss to combine.
- In a medium bowl combine the panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Drizzle the remaining oil over the crumb mixture and mix well.
- Sprinkle the panko crumb mixture onto the prepared sheet pan. Place florets (flat side down), on a single layer on top of the crumbs and press them lightly to help the crumb stick to each floret. Try to leave some room between florets for better air circulation and crispiness.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the crumbs become golden brown. Remove from the oven and with a large spatula flip the cauliflower. Return to the oven and bake for 4-5 minutes.
- Serve garnished with chopped fresh parsley.
Notes
- How much cauliflower do I need?: You should get an average size cauliflower (medium size) of about 2 to 2.5 pounds. A 2-pound cauliflower head will yield roughly 4 cups of cauliflower florets (about 1.5 pounds of just florets). Remember that roasting will result in some shrinkage so calculate accordingly.
- How many people can I serve with this recipe?: We think 4 people can be served from this recipe however, how much each portion will serve is up to you. I know I could eat the whole thing by myself if you give me enough time!
Nutrition
Calories: 237 kcal, Carbohydrates: 14 g, Protein: 10 g, Fat: 16 g, Saturated Fat: 4 g, Cholesterol: 12 mg, Sodium: 399 mg, Potassium: 486 mg, Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 3 g, Vitamin A: 170 IU, Vitamin C: 69.3 mg, Calcium: 287 mg, Iron: 1.6 mg
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