Creamy Cauliflower Cheese Recipe (2024)

This recipe includes our quick and easy homemade bechamel sauce – aka white sauce. It can seem tricky when you’re making it for the first time, but don’t stress, we’ve got your back!

Once you’ve added your milk to the butter and cornstarch mix, it should thicken quite quickly. You’re looking for a white sauce that’s thick, but still easy to pour over your cauliflower.

Here’s some common issues that may occur, which are super easy to fix:

Sauce is too thick: Add more milk, and whisk, whisk, whisk it in to achieve your desired texture.
Sauce is too thin: Add another 1/2 tbsp of cornstarch at a time, whisking thoroughly on low heat and waiting a minute, until it thickens to where you want it.
Sauce is lumpy: Take it off the heat and make sure you’re using a whisk. Whisk it quite fast, making sure to scrape the edges and bottom of the pan! In no time, you should be back to an ultra smooth sauce. It may also be too thick – if so, add a splash of milk!
Sauce is burnt on the bottom: Get it off the heat, it was too high! It may still be salvageable. Have a quick taste, and if it doesn’t taste burnt, go ahead and pour over the cauliflower and just try not to touch the bottom with your whisk or scraper to avoid any burnt bits.

What You’ll Need

• Cauliflower – The star of this recipe. We usually make this with all cauliflower, but you might like to use half cauliflower half broccoli for extra colour and nutrition.
• Cheese – The real star of the show! You’ll need plenty of shredded cheese / grated cheddar cheese in the sauce and to garnish over the top before baking. For a more intense cheese flavour, use extra sharp cheddar cheese varieties, Parmesan, gruyere, Jarlsberg or raclette!
• Butter – We love salted butter for this recipe. It also works well with regular butter, margarine or Nuttelex if you prefer.
• Cornstarch / Cornflour – This helps to thicken the sauce while keeping it deliciously smooth. If you’re planning on making this recipe gluten-free, check the package to make sure your brand isn’t made from wheat. (Confusing, we know!)
• Milk – We use full cream milk but you can use skim milk if you like. Add a splash of cream if you feel like lashing out for an extra creamy cheese sauce!
• Spices – We love adding nutmeg and optional salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Creamy Cauliflower Cheese Recipe

Bake this creamy cauliflower cheese recipe for your next BBQ or dinner! This classic cheesy veggie bake is the ultimate Aussie side dish – super easy to make with only 6 ingredients.

• ▢ 800 g cauliflower up to 1 kg will work, separated into chunky florets, with leaves removed and stem removed
• ▢ 4 tbsp butter 60 g / 2.1 oz
• ▢ 5 tbsp cornstarch / cornflour 60 g / 2.1 oz
• ▢ 1 ½ cups milk 375 ml / 12.7 fl oz
• ▢ 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese 165 g / 5.8 oz, shredded / grated
• ▢ ½ tsp nutmeg

Optional

• ▢ salt and pepper to taste

• Place cauliflower florets in a large saucepan and cover with around 1.5 L / 3 pints of water. Bring to the boil and boil for 15-20 mins or until cauliflower has softened (test with a fork). Drain and transfer to a baking dish.

  800 g cauliflower

For the cheese sauce:

• Melt the butter in the same saucepan you used to cook the cauliflower, on medium – high. Add cornstarch / cornflour and stir well with a whisk for about 1 minute to make sure it’s cooked through. This will stop it tasting like flour in the final sauce. Tip: Aim for a lemon curd consistency here – if it’s too thin, add another ½ tbsp cornstarch / cornflour and mix well.

  4 tbsp butter, 5 tbsp cornstarch / cornflour

• Turn off the heat to pour in milk (this will stop the sauce becoming lumpy). Whisk through quickly, then pop back onto low heat and keep whisking until thickened, around 1 minute. Tip: If the sauce becomes too thick at this stage, add a little more milk to loosen.

  1 ½ cups milk

• Add 1 cup of cheddar cheese and stir to melt it through the sauce. Tip: You can increase heat slightly to help the cheese melt if needed.

  1 ½ cups cheddar cheese

• Season with nutmeg, and optional salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Tip: If the sauce is too thick to pour, add a little more milk once again to loosen.

  ½ tsp nutmeg, salt and pepper

To bake:

• Pre-heat oven to 180°C / 360°F.

• Pour the cheese sauce over the cauliflower florets, making sure each piece is well coated. Top generously with remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Bake for around 20 minutes or until the cheesy top is bubbly and golden brown.

  1 ½ cups cheddar cheese

• Avoid Watery Sauce – Make sure to drain the cauliflower really well so you don’t end up with extra liquid in your baking dish.
• Sauce Texture – If your sauce is too thick, add another splash of milk and stir to loosen.
• Melting the Cheese – If your cheese is stubbornly refusing to melt, don’t worry! You can increase the heat slight and keep stirring – it will melt eventually!
• Storage – Leftover cauliflower cheese will last for 2-3 days in the fridge, possibly longer, when stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
• Topping – Sprinkle the top with breadcrumbs, panko or seasoned stuffing mix for extra texture and flavour on that decadent cheese topping!
• Cheese – Swap the cheddar for gruyere, Jarlsberg or raclette for extra bite!
• Roast Instead of Boil – Mum always boils her cauliflower, but you can also use roasted cauliflower if you prefer. Pop on a lined baking tray and roast at 200˚C / 400˚F for around 20 mins until softened and lightly golden on the edges.
• Easier Sauce – Instead of making the mornay cheese sauce, top the cooked cauliflower with thickened cream / heavy cream and cheese, similar to potato bake.
• Extra Veggies – Try it with finely chopped garlic, sliced onions, capsicum / bell pepper or mushrooms stirred through the cauliflower.
• Loaded Cauliflower Cheese – Stir in some lightly fried bacon and/or al dente macaroni before baking for a fusion cauliflower mac and cheese.

Nutrition Facts

Creamy Cauliflower Cheese Recipe

Amount per Serving

% Daily Value*

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