What’s not to love about these Crispy Cauliflower Cakes with Marinara Sauce? These amazingly easy to make, husband approved Cauliflower Cakes will be one of those sinfully delicious, flavorful. Yet, almost guilt-free snacks you’ll love to eat with your favorite Marinara Sauce.
Yesterday was one of those days I was craving cauliflower, yet I also wanted something that was snack orientated. I decided to look at a few recipes on Pinterest but didn’t see much I was interested in snacking on. I was in one of those dipping something in Marinara Sauce moods, so I decided to make these cauliflower cakes and fill all my snacking requirements.
Look how crispy and delicious these Cauliflower Cakes look when they come out of the oven. I have to admit I snatched one of the Cauliflower cakes up immediately to test it out as soon as it cooled enough to test. Hit the spot too. The crunchy outside, soft inside, was a perfect texture combination to my taste buds.
The one thing I love about these Cauliflower Cakes with Marinara Sauce is that I could efficiently serve them just plain Jane with Marinara Sauce or make them look like a fancy eye-catching appetizer for my dinner guests, by simple toppings and garnishes as you can see from the image above and the one below–easy to accomplish either one.
Equipment needed:
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A steamer pot with the basket
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Food processor or chopper
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Mixing bowls
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Measuring spoons and cups
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Cheese grater
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A scooper or large tablespoon
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Sharp kitchen knife
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Large or small muffin tins
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Hot pads
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Bakers rack
Ingredients you will need for this recipe:
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Three cups of cooked cauliflower florets
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One cup of panko breadcrumbs
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1/2 of a cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
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1/4 of a cup chopped parsley
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1/4 cup of sliced scallions
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One teaspoon dried Italian herb blend
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Kosher salt to own taste
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freshly ground black pepper to own taste
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Two eggs, lightly beaten
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Cooking spray
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Favorite Marinara Sauce heated
Tips on choosing cauliflower:
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Choosing the right cauliflower: Cauliflower heads should be firm and tightly closed. White varieties should be very pale, with no dark “sunburned” spots. Reject any heads that show signs of softness, that’s the start of spoilage.
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Storing cauliflower for later use: Though it seems durable, cauliflower is extremely perishable. Keep it tightly wrapped in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator.
Time-saving techniques:
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If you are running short on time, you can use organic frozen cauliflower to substitute the fresh cauliflower. Just let the cauliflower thaw beforehand or defrost in the microwave oven. That will cut out about 6-8 minutes from the recipe.
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Some stores even carry the organic frozen riced cauliflower, and that will cut out another step in the Cauliflower cake recipe saving 2-3 minutes.
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Look for grated Pecorino Romano cheese in the deli section at the market to save about 4 minutes on the recipe.
Step by step instructions:
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Be sure to Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F ahead of time.
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In a food processor or food chopper, chop the cooked cauliflower florets until they are in tiny pieces, do not puree the cauliflower. You are looking for a coarsely grated texture. (see my time-saving tips for the cauliflower cakes.)
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In a large glass mixing bowl combine; cooked and chopped cauliflower, 2 cups of panko breadcrumbs, 1 of a cup of Parmesan-Romano cheese blend, ½ of a cup chopped parsley, ¼ of a cup sliced scallions, Kosher salt to taste, freshly ground black pepper to taste, and three lightly beaten eggs, stir to combine the ingredients.
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Pretreat the large or small muffin tins with cooking spray to prevent the cauliflower cakes from sticking.
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Scoop an even amount of the cauliflower batter in each small muffin hole and press down to form a little cake. (I filled mine to the top of the shaft with an ice cream scoop.)
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Bake in a preheated oven of 400° degrees F for 18-20 minutes, depending on your oven.
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Remove the metal muffin tins from the oven and let them slightly cool on bakers rack or heat resistant surface before removing the cauliflower cakes from the muffin tin. They should quickly come out of the pretreated tin, but if you are having an issue using a teaspoon to lift out the Cauliflower cakes.
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Serve with your favorite Marinara Sauce while warm.
Baked cauliflower cakes with marinara sauce are shockingly delicious, perfectly crispy, and lower-carb appetizers your guests will love
- 6 cups Cooked organic cauliflower florets steamed (about 1 large head of cauliflower) see tips on blog
- 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese see the tips on my blog
- ½ cup Chopped organic fresh parsley
- ¼ cup Sliced organic scallions or spring onions
- 2 teaspoon dried organic Italian herb blend Rosemary, parsley, basil, thyme, oregano, etc
- Kosher salt to taste
- Fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 3 large Eggs lightly beaten
- Cooking spray to pretreat muffin tins
- 2-3 cups Favorite Marinara Sauce heated
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
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In a food processor, process the cooked cauliflower florets until they are in tiny pieces, do not puree the cauliflower. You are looking for a coarsely grated texture.
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In a large bowl combine; cooked and processed cauliflower, 2 cups of panko breadcrumbs, 1 of a cup of Parmesan-Romano cheese blend, ½ of a cup chopped parsley, ¼ of a cup sliced scallions, Kosher salt to own taste, freshly ground black pepper to own taste, and 3 lightly beaten eggs, stir to combine the ingredients.
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Pretreat the small muffin tins with cooking spray to prevent the cauliflower cakes from sticking.
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Scoop an even amount of the cauliflower batter in each small muffin hole and press down to form a small cake. (I filled mine to the top of the hole)
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Bake in a preheated oven of 400° degrees F for 18-20 minutes depending on your oven.
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Remove the metal muffin tins from the oven and let them slightly cool on a heat resistant surface before removing the cauliflower cakes from the muffin tin. They should easily come out of the pretreated tin, but if you are having an issue using a teaspoon to lift out the Cauliflower cakes.
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Serve with your favorite Marinara Sauce while warm.
Don’t forget to use the Pin and Print Options to save this recipe for later!
© Heidy L. McCallum and The McCallum’s Shamrock Patch, 2020-2013 unauthorized use and duplication of content/ material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Heidy L. McCallum and The McCallum’s Shamrock Patch with proper and specific direction to the original content.
This was a fun appetizer to make! I loved the tips of using packaged cauliflower rice if you are in a hurry. I will be making this again soon.
Thank you so much!! I appreciate you sharing your thoughts Angela! Have a great day!!
This really was delish! I loved all the flavors in this cauliflower cake and will definitely be serving this again.
I am thrilled to hear that Rebecca! Thank you!
I loved this idea! It a great (new to me) way to use up my cauliflower the other day! Perfect for snacking or pairing up with a salad.I loved it and will be making it again
These cauliflower cakes were so delicious and tasty! My kids loved these! I Can’t wait to make these again!
That’s so awesome to hear Beth! Thank you for sharing!!!
I gave this recipe for cauliflower cakes 5 stars, it definitely deserves it! We have these for lunch any time I buy cauliflower. My husband loves them too!
Thank you so much, Pam!!! They really are yummy and easy to make! So glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Wow, Cauliflower Cakes with Marinara look amazing! Perfectas an appetizer that my entire family will love!
Thank you, Jordan! Have a great day.
These cauliflower cakes are the cutest! I love the marinara on top for an extra flavor.
Thank you, Katherine!!
What an incredible recipe! Love using cauliflower this way. My kids devoured these!! Will definitely make again. Thanks so much for sharing.
Thank you, Angela! So thrilled you enjoyed my recipe.
These Cauliflower Cakes with Marinara look great! They’d be perfect as part of a lunch buffet. Yum.
I totally agree with you, Helene!
Cauliflower Cakes with Marinara are a great idea for a healthy snack! I love cauliflower and I’m always looking fro new ways to use it. I will definitely try this one!
Thank you so much, Michelle! I love that you enjoyed the recipe
Oh wow! I love cauliflower and always looking for new recipes and ideas this cauliflower Cakes with Marinara is just perfect as I made a big batch of marinara sauce. Thanks, I will be making this recipe tomorrow.
Thanks for dropping by the blog today and leaving wonderful feedback.
These Cauliflower Cakes with Marinara look like a wonderful idea for a holiday appetizer. My whole family is wild about cauliflower, and I love how this taps into traditional comfort foods!
They would be a fantastic idea for a holiday party and more healthy too. I am so happy to hear your whole family loves it.
This Cauliflower Cakes with Marinara is such an awesome idea! I’m going to visit my mom next week and she is obsessed with making all things cauliflower so I’m going to send this recipe to her.
Hey there Danielle! I hope she enjoys the recipe! Let me know what she thinks when you get back.
What a delicious and creative way to enjoy some Marinara sauce and cauliflower! Good to find another way to enjoy cauliflower too.
I love cauliflower and I’m so thrilled to receive your positive feedback on this recipe for Cauliflower Cakes with Marinara!
This Cauliflower Cakes with Marinara is a great way to use cauliflower, these cauliflower cakes are really delicious.
Thank you, Jack! So glad you enjoyed the recipe. Have an awesome day.
Scrumptious. That is a really great appetizer, I’ll have to make these soon and add some cheese.
Hello, Luci sounds like an awesome plan. I hope you enjoy the Cauliflower cakes as much as we did. Have a wonderful night.
Loving that you combined all of my favorite flavors into a dish that’s also healthy!
Hi, there, Pam! I am so thrilled to hear you enjoy the recipe idea. I hope you’ll be back to share how yours came out. Have a great night.
What a great idea for an appetizer or snack! Perfect bites of pure Cauliflower comfort food!
Hello Ms. Sara, always nice to see a friendly face. I hope you’ll enjoy these cauliflower cakes. Let me know how yours turn out. Have a wonderful night.
These sound like tasty little Cauliflower Cakes, nice as an option on an appetizer plate
Hey there, and good evening Caroline, so happy you came by the blog and shared your thoughts on these yummy cauliflower cakes—enjoy!
Looks like a fabulous and flavorful bite of Cauliflower cakes.
Good evening, Andrea, thank you so much for stopping by the blog and sharing your comment. Let me know what you think when you make the Cauliflower cakes. Have a great night.
Can you post the link to the sauce you make?
Thanks
Barb
Hi Barb, thanks for stopping by. I will have to do a blog post soon for that. For now, I will msg you.
Hey these look really good. Do you think I could use broccoli instead? I love cauliflower but the kids hate it. Thanks in advance.
Hi, there Victor, I don’t see why you can’t try it and see. What would it hurt? Let me know.
These cauliflower cakes look tasty! Perfect appetizer to add to a spread!
Thank you,they were soo delicious!