Vegan Cauliflower Parmesan

This recipe for cauliflower parmesan is a vegan take on classic Italian chicken parmesan. Crispy breaded cauliflower florets, baked in marinara sauce and smothered with melty, gooey vegan mozzarella cheese. This recipe is easy to make and delicious served over pasta or rice.

This vegan cauliflower parmesan recipe is our new favorite Italian weeknight meal. It’s super easy to make if you have the sauce already on hand. If not, here’s a recipe you can use for an easy vegan tomato sauce. You can also make your vegan mozzarella cheese at home, although we shredded a block of Violife mozzarella when we took the photos.

Last weekend we bought tickets for VegFest Colorado, a two-day vegan event filled with vegan food trucks and vegan businesses. We ate soooo much food! We even brought a few tupperwares to fill up with goodies for the week, which sounds like a smart idea until we got home and just ate it all that night anyway ??? (can you blame us!?).

Anywayyyyy, having this recipe in our back pocket helped the week go by much smoother. We work a lot during the weekdays and it can be stressful to think of dinner after our evening commute. Whipping this meal up takes about 10 minutes of hands-on time and the rest is waiting for it to get hot in the oven, perfect time to do a little bit of yoga in the living room or jump in the shower.

Here’s what we have going for this cauliflower parmesan recipe:

CRISPY CAULIFLOWER. ♡ The breading for the cauliflower is so simple – a mixture of almond milk, flour and Italian breadcrumbs (gluten-free subs work great). Mix together the almond milk and flour batter. Add a few extra Italian spices to the breadcrumbs to get that savory flavor. Cover the cauliflower with batter and breadcrumbs, then bake until crispy.

MOSTLY HANDS OFF. ♡ Use pre-cut cauliflower florets to make this recipe even quicker. Other than mixing together the batter and breading the cauliflower, you’re looking at a simple hands-off dinner.

SAUCE AND CHEESE. ♡ After you crisp up the cauliflower, add the florets to a baking dish with sauce and cheese and bake once more until the sauce is hot and bubbly and the cheese is melty and gooey. You can use your favorite brand of sauce and cheese or make them homemade.

4.29 from 7 votes

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Vegan Cauliflower Parmesan

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

55 mins

Total Time

1 hr 5 mins

 

Crispy breaded and roasted cauliflower florets smothered in vegan marinara and topped with melty, gooey, vegan mozzarella cheese. Baked - not fried - for a healthier, savory take on a classic Italian recipe.

Course: Dinner, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: cauliflower, parmesan

Servings: 4 servings

Calories per Serving: 387 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 medium head cauliflower
• 2 cups marinara sauce
• 2 cups vegan mozzarella cheese

batter ingredients

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour substitute
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk

breading ingredients

• 1 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan cheese

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 450°F / 230°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. 

2. Cut cauliflower into florets. In a medium bowl, make a batter by whisking together flour and almond milk. The batter will be very liquidy. 

3. In a separate bowl, prepare the breading by mixing together Italian-style breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, and nutritional yeast.

4. Add cauliflower florets to batter and stir to coat. Using tongs, remove one piece of battered cauliflower and transfer to bowl with breading. Evenly coat cauliflower florets with breading and place in an even layer on baking sheet.

5. Bake for 40 minutes, flipping halfway through, until crispy. Remove from oven and set aside. Lower oven to 375°F / 190°C.

6. Add a layer of marinara sauce to the bottom of an 8x8" oven-safe baking dish. Add crispy cauliflower florets on top of sauce, covering the bottom of the dish. Add another layer of marinara sauce on top of the cauliflower. Top with vegan mozzarella cheese. 

7. Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly. Remove from oven and set aside to cool slightly. Serve warm preferably over pasta.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Cauliflower Parmesan

Amount Per Serving

Calories 387 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Fat 15g23%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Sodium 314mg14%

Potassium 618mg18%

Carbohydrates 54g18%

Fiber 7g29%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 11g22%

Vitamin A 530IU11%

Vitamin C 22.4mg27%

Calcium 146mg15%

Iron 3.2mg18%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.