This naturally creamy Parmesan cauliflower sauce gets its rich, cheesy flavour from grated Parmesan cheese and makes a lighter alternative to a traditional cheese sauce.
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This homemade cooking sauce is so easy to make in bulk and store in your freezer. Simply boil a head of cauliflower until tender, blend it with milk (plus a little cream for extra richness), add grated parmesan cheese, and you have a smooth, creamy cauliflower sauce that is perfect for pouring over vegetables, stirring through pasta, or serving alongside chicken or fish.
If you're looking for a lighter alternative to a traditional cheese sauce, this creamy cauliflower Parmesan sauce is well worth trying. The cauliflower provides the smooth, creamy texture, while the Parmesan adds a rich, savoury flavour. It's a delicious way to enjoy an extra serving of vegetables without feeling as though you're eating 'healthy food'.
This creamy sauce is versatile enough to use in everything from pasta bakes to vegetable gratins, and with the addition of a few sliced mushrooms, it makes an amazing sauce for a chicken schnitzel.
I've just published a similar recipe for a roasted red pepper and tomato cooking sauce, and this is another cooking sauce recipe that builds on that theme. Because the temperature is soaring at the moment, I'm looking for ways to cut down time spent over a hot stove, and with these sauces in your freezer, you can throw together a tasty meal in hardly any time at all.
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Why I love this recipe
- Wonderfully creamy without a flour-based roux. For those of you who struggle with lumps in their bechamel sauce, this recipe is a godsend! It turns out smooth and creamy every single time.
- A brilliant way to eat more vegetables. If you don't tell the family this creamy vegetable sauce has been made with cauliflower, they'll never know.
- Freezer-friendly. Freeze in one- or two-cup portions so you always have a homemade cooking sauce ready for busy weeknights.
- Ready to customise. Add mustard, chopped herbs, tomato puree, extra cheese or sauteed mushrooms depending on what you intend to serve with it.
- Made with everyday ingredients. The basic ingredients for this homemade cooking sauce are cauliflower, milk, Parmesan and seasoning, with a little extra cream if you would like a richer sauce. This is the perfect alternative to shop-bought white sauces.
What you will need for this easy cheesy cooking sauce
**This is just an overview to explain why I used a particular ingredient. The complete list of ingredients and the exact measurements are on the printable recipe card at the end of this post.**
- Cauliflower. You should remove the leaves from the cauliflower, remove the core and cut it into florets. A 500-gram or roughly 1-pound cauliflower will yield approximately 4 cups of sauce. Please note I haven't tested this recipe with frozen cauliflower!
- Parmesan cheese. Don't do what I did! I bought a pack of pre-grated parmesan cheese from Lidl, and when I opened the packet, it looked very powdery. It tasted of cheese, and it was OK (I suppose), but in hindsight, I would have bought a wedge of proper parmesan and grated it myself. You don't have to use expensive Parmesan, of course, supermarket own-brand 'hard cheese' will be fine - just be sure to grate the cheese on the smallest holes of your cheese grater.
- Olive oil or melted butter. Use either, depending on the flavour profile you are going for. I used olive oil, but I found the sauce wasn't creamy enough for my liking, so I added 2 tablespoons of double cream.
- Milk (and cream). If you use butter, see the previous point, you may not need to add any double cream. As far as the milk goes, you should start with 1 cup, then add extra milk 1 or 2 tablespoons at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.
I like to freeze the sauce while it is still quite thick. As it defrosts, it will release moisture. If the sauce is thick to start with, you can mix it back into the cauliflower. If the sauce was thin when it was frozen, you might like to pour the extra moisture away to prevent the defrosted sauce from becoming too thin.
How to make parmesan cauliflower sauce
In a nutshell, this is how you make the sauce:
- Boil the cauliflower and allow it to drain.
- Blend the softened cauliflower with the milk, Parmesan cheese and oil (or butter) until smooth.
- Taste, and enrich the sauce with extra butter and/or cream if necessary.
Step 1: Place the cauliflower florets into a pan of lightly salted water and boil for 8 to 10 minutes until the cauliflower is tender.
Step 2: Drain the cauliflower in a colander.
Step 3: Transfer the hot cauliflower to a food processor or blender and add the grated cheese, milk, and oil or butter.
Step 4: Process until smooth. Add extra milk (or cream if you prefer) if necessary until you get a thick puree.
Step 5: I like to freeze the cauliflower sauce at this stage (while it is still quite thick) and thin it down with extra milk if it needs it when I use it in a recipe.
Tips for a successful outcome
These are my top tips to ensure your creamy cauliflower sauce always turns out perfectly.
- Boil the cauliflower until it is very soft. Don't be tempted to undercook the cauliflower. It should be soft enough to blend into a smooth puree. In fact, it may seem slightly overcooked, but that's exactly what gives the sauce its smooth texture.
- Don't roast the cauliflower. I made the mistake of roasting the cauliflower, thinking it would give a better flavour. Don't roast it for this recipe! While roasted cauliflower is delicious, it dries out and browns in the oven, making the sauce darker and slightly grainy. Boiling keeps the cauliflower pale, moist and much easier to blend into a creamy sauce.
- Drain well, but don't worry about every last drop. Let the cauliflower drain for a few minutes after cooking to remove most of the excess water. Don't worry if a little moisture remains, though - the cauliflower is blended with milk, so a small amount of cooking water won't affect the finished sauce.
- Blend the cauliflower while it is still hot. For the smoothest sauce, blend the cauliflower while it is still hot. The heat helps the Parmesan melt into the sauce, giving a creamier texture. If the cauliflower has cooled completely, don't worry. The cheese will melt when you gently reheat the sauce with a splash of milk before serving.
- I've mentioned this before, but it's worth repeating. I like to freeze the sauce while it is still quite thick. As it defrosts, it may release a little moisture, but that's easily stirred back in as you reheat it. If necessary, add a splash of milk to reach the consistency you need for your recipe.
Ideas for using this creamy cauliflower sauce
Here are a few ideas to get you started; I'm sure you'll be able to think of plenty of other ways to use it!
- Chicken vegetable pasta bake. This is my favourite way to use the sauce. Toss cooked pasta with pan-fried chicken, mushrooms, peppers, courgettes and broccoli, then stir through the warmed cauliflower sauce. Top with grated cheddar and grill until golden and bubbling.
- Vegetable gratin. Steam a selection of your favourite vegetables until just tender.. Fold through the cauliflower sauce, transfer to an ovenproof dish, and sprinkle with grated cheese. Grill until the cheese is melted and golden. Makes an amazing side dish with air fryer chicken drumsticks or easy battered fish.
- Creamy potato bake. Layer thinly sliced par-boiled potatoes with spoonfuls of the sauce, finish with grated cheese and bake until the potatoes are cooked and the top is golden. Optionally add a layer of caramelised onions. Perfect with grilled meat or sausages.
- Lasagne. Instead of making a bechamel sauce, stir extra cheese into this cauliflower sauce before layering it into your lasagne.
- Creamed spinach. Stir a couple of spoonfuls of the sauce through wilted spinach for a quick and easy spinach side dish with a difference.
Ways to customise the sauce
The sauce tastes great as it is; however, sometimes we want to add our own twist to a recipe. Here are a few ideas:
- Dijon mustard. Stir 1 to 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard into the blended sauce. It adds a gentle tang that cuts through the richness of the parmesan without making it taste 'mustardy'. This will go well spooned over chicken, pork chops, ham or roasted vegetables.
- Tomato puree. 1 or 2 tablespoons of tomato puree stirred into the sauce gives a lovely rosy colour, with a slight tomato flavour. Perfect with pasta, meatballs or chicken.
- Mushrooms (my favourite). Saute mushrooms in butter and stir them into the finished sauce. I love to serve this over chicken schnitzel , beef schnitzel, or baked potatoes.
Main equipment to make this recipe easier.
I think the main piece of equipment has to be a food processor or blender. I absolutely love my Ninja food processor (< affiliate link) because it has automatic settings to pulse, blend, mix and chop, making light work of many kitchen tasks.
FAQ
Yes, but only slightly. The Parmesan, cream and seasoning mellow the cauliflower flavour, leaving you with a rich, creamy sauce that works beautifully with pasta, chicken, fish and vegetables.
Absolutely - that's one of the reasons I developed this recipe. Freeze the sauce in one-cup portions for 3 to 4 months. Defrost in the refrigerator and reheat gently, adding a splash of milk if required.
The most common reason is that the cauliflower was allowed to cool before blending, so the Parmesan didn't melt properly. For the smoothest sauce, blend the cauliflower while it's still hot. If your sauce is slightly grainy, don't worry - it will usually smooth out when reheated.
Yes, instead of making a flour-and-butter roux, this sauce gets its creamy texture from blended cauliflower. It's an easy way to add more vegetables while still enjoying a rich, cheesy sauce.
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Related recipes
Viist my sauces, dips and marinade recipes page for more tasty sauces. Here are a few you might enjoy.
📋The recipe
Creamy Parmesan cauliflower sauce
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Equipment
- Food processor or blender to blend the cauliflower.
- Saucepan
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Ingredients
- 1 pound / 450 grams fresh cauliflower
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup / 75 grams grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon olive oil OR melted butter
- 1 cup / 240 ml milk plus extra if needed
- 2 tablespoons double or heavy cream optional
Instructions
- Place the cauliflower florets into a pan of lightly salted water and boil for 8 to 10 minutes until the cauliflower is tender.1 pound / 450 grams fresh cauliflower, ½ teaspoon salt
- Drain the cauliflower in a colander.
- Transfer the hot cauliflower to a food processor or blender and add the grated cheese, milk, and oil or butter.½ cup / 75 grams grated parmesan cheese, 1 cup / 240 ml milk , 1 tablespoon olive oil OR melted butter
- Process until smooth. Add extra milk (or cream if you prefer) if necessary until you get a thick puree.2 tablespoons double or heavy cream
- I like to freeze the cauliflower sauce at this stage (while it is still quite thick) and thin it down with extra milk if it needs it when I use it in a recipe.
Notes
- Boil the cauliflower until it is very soft. Don't be tempted to undercook the cauliflower. It should be soft enough to blend into a smooth puree. In fact, it may seem slightly overcooked, but that's exactly what gives the sauce its smooth texture.
- Don't roast the cauliflower. I made the mistake of roasting the cauliflower, thinking it would give a better flavour. Don't roast it for this recipe! While roasted cauliflower is delicious, it dries out and browns in the oven, making the sauce darker and slightly grainy. Boiling keeps the cauliflower pale, moist and much easier to blend into a creamy sauce.
- Drain well, but don't worry about every last drop. Let the cauliflower drain for a few minutes after cooking to remove most of the excess water. Don't worry if a little moisture remains, though - the cauliflower is blended with milk, so a small amount of cooking water won't affect the finished sauce.
- Blend the cauliflower while it is still hot. For the smoothest sauce, blend the cauliflower while it is still hot. The heat helps the Parmesan melt into the sauce, giving a creamier texture. If the cauliflower has cooled completely, don't worry. The cheese will melt when you gently reheat the sauce with a splash of milk before serving.
- I've mentioned this before, but it's worth repeating. I like to freeze the sauce while it is still quite thick. As it defrosts, it may release a little moisture, but that's easily stirred back in as you reheat it. If necessary, add a splash of milk to reach the consistency you need for your recipe.
- Chicken vegetable pasta bake. This is my favourite way to use the sauce. Toss cooked pasta with pan-fried chicken, mushrooms, peppers, courgettes and broccoli, then stir through the warmed cauliflower sauce. Top with grated cheddar and grill until golden and bubbling.
- Vegetable gratin. Steam a selection of your favourite vegetables until just tender.. Fold through the cauliflower sauce, transfer to an ovenproof dish, and sprinkle with grated cheese. Grill until the cheese is melted and golden. Makes an amazing side dish with air fryer chicken drumsticks or easy battered fish.
- Creamy potato bake. Layer thinly sliced par-boiled potatoes with spoonfuls of the sauce, finish with grated cheese and bake until the potatoes are cooked and the top is golden. Optionally add a layer of caramelised onions. Perfect with grilled meat or sausages.
- Lasagne. Instead of making a bechamel sauce, stir extra cheese into this cauliflower sauce before layering it into your lasagne.
- Creamed spinach. Stir a couple of spoonfuls of the sauce through wilted spinach for a quick and easy spinach side dish with a difference.
- Refrigerator. The sauce can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. However, please be aware that cauliflower is a member of the brassica family of vegetables that do generate a distinctive odour!
- Freezer. This is my preferred method of storing. I transfer cup-sized (240 ml) portions to freezer bags, label and date, and freeze for 3 to 4 months.
- Defrosting. Place the frozen packet of sauce in a small bowl or on a plate (to catch any drips) in the refrigerator and defrost overnight. You could also use the defrost setting on your microwave.
- Reheating. Reheat in a saucepan on the stove. Add a splash of milk if the consistency is too thick.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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