These healthy keto cauliflower patties are cheesy, full of flavor, high protein, kid-friendly and paired with a delicious creamy tahini lime dipping sauce.
Cauliflower patties are a tasty, easy way to get your veggies in. A little bit cheesy, nicely spiced with cumin and paprika, these are a hit all around for vegetarians and meat eaters alike.
My toddler even loves them! And to say she normally doesn’t think too highly of cauliflower is an understatement. I’ve actually been making them since she was itty-bitty since they’re a great baby led weaning food!
Why you will love this recipe
This recipe works on so many levels. These cauliflower fritters are cheesy, a crowd pleaser, keep well in the fridge, and have just the right level of flavor for sensitive kid palates but are still complex enough for adults to love.
Healthy cauliflower patties work as an appetizer, side dish or snack too. You can serve them with the dipping sauce as an appetizer before or with dinner or keep them in the fridge for a healthy veggie loaded snack on the go.
They’re light yet absolutely loaded with protein from the almond flour, cheese, egg and cauliflower so you don’t need to pair with another protein source. This makes them great for Keto or other high fat and protein diets or just for anyone that likes to eat healthy or get more veggies in their diet.
Ingredients
The ingredients are pretty simple so, for this recipe, it’s all about the technique and how the ingredients are combined.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for the patties:
- cauliflower – pick one without any brown spots if you can and if you can’t, just cut them off
- almond flour – make sure to get almond flour since it’s finer. Almond meal will work in recipes that call for almond flour but it will be more gritty and less smooth tasting.
- egg – not sponsored by them at all, I just love Vital Farms eggs. The yolks are so rich and creamy and so yellow they’re almost orange. Plus they taste better than any other store brand I’ve ever bought.
- salt – I highly recommend using Himalayan salt or another mineral salt over regular table salt since it has vital minerals in it and regular table salt or sea salt can have anti-coagulants, plastic from the ocean and other toxins
- cumin
- black pepper
- garlic powder – one of the only spices I buy in bulk. You can use
- paprika
- cheddar cheese – you can use another type of cheese but cheddar, especially sharper varieties, adds flavor that complements the other ingredients.
- oil – I use and recommend avocado oil for most cooking since it has a high smoke point
And here’s what you’ll need for that dipping sauce:
- tahini – make sure to stir so you don’t get just the settled paste or oil
- olive or avocado oil
- soy sauce or use tamari to make gluten free
- lime juice – fresh squeezed is best
- water
- garlic powder
- cumin – yup more of this stuff
How to make healthy cauliflower fritters
These cauliflower patties are pretty easy but do take a few steps, as do most recipes that use cauliflower. First and foremost, you’ll need to chop that cauliflower up into tiny florets. The picture below shows how small we’re talking.
- From here, you’ll need to boil the cauliflower florets to soften them.
- While you’re doing this, you can combine and mix the other ingredients.
- Then form patties, add to an oiled pan and start cooking. Since the cauliflower will still need to get softer, low and slow is best for temperature and cooking time here so they don’t get overly browned.
- And once you’ve cooked for 6-8 minutes per side, you’re done and get to enjoy them!
- Not pictured and entirely optional – make the dipping sauce while the patties are cooking!
Making them kid-friendly
The whole reason I started making these was because my baby would actually eat them. I think I started making them when she was about 9 or 10 months old after my mother in-law made something similar.
For baby-led weaning, just chop the cauliflower smaller to make sure the tiniest of tots can’t choke on the pieces. Don’t just par-boil either. You’ll want that cauliflower to be really soft for babies.
My older niece and nephew liked them too so I consider them fully kid-approved! None of the kids were entirely crazy about the dipping sauce though so you can try serving with ketchup or ranch if your kids prefer it. Also, upping the cheese level to 3/4 cup may help picky eaters eat more.
What to serve with cauliflower patties
The recipe has a dipping sauce included but there are other ways you can eat these cauliflower patties. Here are some of my favorites:
- Use the cauliflower patties instead of english muffins in eggs Benedict.
- Top with taco fixings to make a tostada type of dish.
- Serve instead of french fries for kids with ketchup or ranch.
- Stack between two mini-buns to make a healthy vegetarian, protein-packed burger or slider, adding all the burger fixings (don’t forget the picked red onions).
- Make it a full meal by serving it over rice, quinoa or another grain with a side like this avocado cucumber salad or as the main for another vegetarian dinner combo.
- Add on top of a green salad as the protein source.
- These sweet potato patties get paired with a similar tahini dipping sauce so you can make two different types of patties with the same sauce.
Other healthy appetizers
If healthy appetizers is what you’re in search of, let me give you a few more ideas that’ll leave your mouth watering:
- These prosciutto melon skewers are fancy but still approachable since they’re easy to make.
- Same with these watermelon feta skewers, fun and a bit uppity but so so good.
- Mini zucchini pizzas are always a crowd favorite.
- Love a good seven layer dip but don’t want to lighten it up? Here’s the seven layer dip recipe you’re looking for.
- These zucchini cakes with yogurt dill sauce are another fun, healthy patty-like recipe to make.
- This baked feta with caramelized veggies is a favorite on this site and always goes over well.
Healthy Cauliflower Fritters with Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
Patties
- 3 Cups cauliflower florets 1 small cauliflower or ½ of a large cauliflower
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 1 egg
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. cumin
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. paprika
- 1/2 cup grated cheese cheddar is our favorite here
- 1 Tbsp. avocado oil divided (or whichever oil you prefer)
Dipping Sauce
- ¼ cup tahini*
- 1 Tbsp. avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 2 Tbsp. lime juice
- 1 Tbsp. water
- ¼ tsp. garlic powder
- ¼ tsp. cumin
Instructions
- Bring pot of water to a boil.
- Add cauliflower and boil for about 6-7 minutes until softened but not falling apart (time will depend on size for florets).
- Pour into strainer and drain.
- Chop cauliflower florets into smaller 1/8” sized pieces and then dump into a medium sized bowl.
- Add all other patty ingredients except oil and stir to mix well.
- Start heating half of the oil in a skillet over medium-low heat (add remaining oil as needed while cooking patties).
- Create 1/4” thick patties using about 2 Tbsp. of mixture per patty.
- Place patties into heated pan and cook for 6- 8 minutes per side.
- While patties cook, mix dressing by whisking together until thoroughly combined or mix in blender.
- Serve warm cauliflower patties with dipping sauce.
Notes
- *If your tahini is separated, stir well or if it’s too hard, just make sure you get some of the oil and paste when you’re measuring.
- Patties and sauce can be kept in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat patties in microwave or on a skillet prior to eating.
- If using for baby led weaning, skip the dipping sauce, chop the cauliflower smaller and make sure you boil until the florets are really soft, not just parboiled.
- For picky older kids, try using 3/4 cup cheese and serving with ketchup or ranch.
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