Finding the right kinds of side dishes on a ketogenic diet can be difficult. You usually end up defaulting to some salad soaked in dressing or vegetables sauteed in oil and butter. But, sometimes we just want a change that seems impossible to do if we need that extra boost of fat to stick on the plate. Sometimes a few leaves of greens just won’t cut it, and we want something hearty, full of fats, and delicious to boot.
There are days I find myself going overboard for a few hours, stalking people on Pinterest and looking at all the amazing pictures of food. There was an awesome picture that stuck out to me – a potato and parmesan pancake that looked so good that I just had to replicate it. I just couldn’t get it out of my head all day, so I sought out to do a version without the potatoes. Similar to my fried mac n cheese (WOW, my pictures have improved a lot since then!), this recipe brings cauliflower, cheese, and some delicious spices together to give you a crispy cake to put on the plate with dinner…if you can wait to eat it.
The first time I tried this, I didn’t roast the cauliflower, and that was exactly what was missing. Roasting the cauliflower will bring that deep, almost sweet tasting flavor profile that really brings it to the next level. The tarragon adds a beautiful freshness that brings all the rich and deep flavors together, and the pork rind crust gives that amazing crunch as you bite into the soft and gooey inside. All together, it’s one of the best sides I’ve made so far on keto, and I give my highest praises to you to try it!
Yields 8 Crispy Keto Cauliflower Cakes
The Preparation
- 16 ounces cauliflower
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup pork rinds
- 45 grams green onion
- 1 large egg
- 3 ounces white cheddar cheese
- 2 teaspoons psyllium husk powder
- 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
The Execution
1. Preheat your oven to 400F. Chop cauliflower into florets. Measure out the florets until you have 16 oz. worth.
2. Add cauliflower florets to a plastic bag and then add 3 tbsp. olive oil, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Shake well until cauliflower is well coated.
3. Pour cauliflower florets onto a baking sheet covered with foil. Then, bake for 35 minutes.
4. While cauliflower is cooking, add about 1/2 bag of pork rinds to a food processor.
5. Grind the pork rinds until they turn into a crumbly meal-like substance.
6. Slice up 3 spring onions, crack an egg and whisk it lightly, and measure out 3 oz. Shredded White Cheddar. Measure out 2 tsp. Psyllium Husk Powder, 1/4 tsp. Black Pepper, 1/2 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes, 1/2 tsp. Dried Tarragon, and 1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder.
7. Once cauliflower is roasted, add to a food processor and pulse it a few times to break up.
8. Combine all ingredients (EXCEPT pork rind crumbs) in a bowl.
9. Mix everything together well until a sticky mixture is formed.
10. Form the cauliflower mixture into patties, then dredge in the pork rind crumbs. Do this to make about 8 patties, then lay them on the same baking sheet you used to roast the cauliflower.
11. Bake at 400F for 25 minutes. Broil for additional 2-3 minutes if you want a crispier outside.
12. Remove from oven, let cool slightly, and serve!
This makes a total of 8 servings of Crispy Keto Cauliflower Cakes. Each serving comes out to be 129 calories, 10.2g fats, 2g net carbs, and 5.5g protein.
| NUTRITION | CALORIES | FAT | CARBS | FIBER | NET CARBS | PROTEIN |
| 16 ounce cauliflower | 104 | 2.3 | 18.6 | 10.4 | 8.2 | 8.2 |
| 3 tablespoon olive oil | 358 | 40.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1/2 teaspoon salt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1/2 cup pork rinds | 91 | 5.7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8.7 |
| 45 gram green onion | 14 | 0.1 | 3.3 | 1.2 | 2.1 | 0.8 |
| 1 large egg | 79 | 5.2 | 0.4 | 0 | 0.4 | 6.9 |
| 3 ounce white cheddar cheese | 344 | 28.3 | 2.6 | 0 | 2.6 | 19.5 |
| 2 teaspoon psyllium husk powder | 37 | 0 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 1.1 | 0 |
| 3/4 teaspoon black pepper | 4 | 0.1 | 1 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.2 |
| 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes | 3 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.1 |
| 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon | 2 | 0 | 0.3 | 0 | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder | 3 | 0 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.1 |
| Totals | 1039 | 82.4 | 35.8 | 19.8 | 16 | 44.6 |
| Per Serving (/8) | 130 | 10.3 | 4.5 | 2.5 | 2 | 5.6 |
Crispy Keto Cauliflower Cakes
Ingredients
- 16 ounce cauliflower
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup pork rinds
- 45 gram green onion
- 1 large egg
- 3 ounce white cheddar cheese
- 2 teaspoon psyllium husk powder
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon dried tarragon
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Measure out the cauliflower and chop into florets.
- Add the florets to a plastic bag and then add the olive oil and salt. Shake well until the cauliflower is fully coated.
- Spread the florets onto a baking sheet lined with foil and bake for 35 minutes.
- While the cauliflower is cooking, add the pork rinds to a food processor.
- Process the rinds until they become a crumbly meal. Remove and set aside.
- Slice up the green onions, crack an egg into a bowl and whisk it lightly, and shred the white cheddar. Measure out the psyllium husk powder, black pepper, red pepper flakes, dried tarragon, and garlic powder.
- Once roasted, add the cauliflower to the food processor and pulse it a few times to help break it up.
- Combine all ingredients (except the pork rind crumbs) in a bowl.
- Mix everything together well to form a sticky paste.
- Form the cauliflower mixture into patties and dredge these in the pork rind crumbs. Lay the patties on the same baking sheet used to roast the cauliflower.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Broil for an additional 2–3 minutes fot a crispier outside.
- Remove from the oven, let cool slightly, and serve!
