I know some of you will look at this Paleo Cauliflower Oatmeal and just wonder WHY on earth we would want to make “oatmeal” out of cauliflower?! Trust me, I used to HATE cauliflower. But, is an AWESOME way to get your morning veggies in, and it’s so warm and comforting. Even my pickiest eater loves it! A very flexible recipe for whatever toppings or seasonings of your choice. This one is a game-changer!
Why I Love This Paleo Cauliflower Oatmeal
First, it’s gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, vegan, plant-based, and egg-free! Whew! That’s a whole lot of dietary needs being met right there. Plus, it’s quick! A filling hot breakfast that only takes 20 minutes to make. And, it stores great in the fridge for up to a week. That means you can make a big batch and reheat and eat throughout the week. This makes it a great meal prep option!
Finally, the toppings make this oh-so fun! Think of it like an acai bowl – the toppings and mix-in can change the vibe of this dish in so many tasty ways. A few ideas from our family favorites:
- Chunky Monkey – Mix in peanut butter, cocoa powder or a scoop of chocolate collagen, and top with sliced bananas, coconut flakes, chopped pecans or walnuts, and cacao nibs. My oldest son’s favorite!
- Tropical – Top with fresh chopped mango, pineapple, toasted coconut flakes, banana, and some kind of chopped nuts or seeds for a crunch.
- Berry Blast – Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries…oh my! Load it up with your favorite berries then drizzle with a nut butter of choice (I love the Vanilla Rxbar nut butter) and add granola for a crunch.
Other Recipes To Get Those Veggies In
I was a woman on a mission to learn to like veggies. Seriously, I didn’t like anything besides peas, corn, and potatoes until I was about 20. EEK! I have learned through much kitchen tinkering that most vegetables can be enjoyed, if you find the right recipe. Here are some other veggie favorites that have helped our family come around to them:
- Whole30 Crispy Veggie Fritters
- Whole30 Chicken Nuggets with Hidden Veggies
- Whole30 Budget Beef Stew (Pay attention to how I thicken the stew!)
- Paleo Pudding (yup…veggies! I dare you not to love it!)
- Paleo Fudgsicles with Hidden Veggies
- Whole30 Hashbrown or Cauliflower Waffles
Ingredients
- Riced cauliflower – Can use fresh or frozen. And no, if you use frozen it doesn’t need to be thawed first! I often cook it with frozen and it works out great to just go straight from the freezer to the pan. Wahoo for that time saved!
- Coconut oil – You can sub avocado or extra light-tasting olive oil here. I just prefer the flavor and result slightly with coconut oil.
- Coconut milk – Canned full-fat coconut milk is nice and rich, thicker than almond or other non-dairy milks. It will give the creamiest results! And also, if you can’t do coconut, any other dairy-free milk of choice will work. I also sometimes throw in half Vanilla Nutpods for a delicious flavor.
- Tapioca or arrowroot flour – Tapioca flour is usually what I personally have on hand, as I love it in baking muffins and such. I get mine from the bulk bins at Winco. You can also find it easily on Amazon here. But, arrowroot or even potato starch will work as well to thicken this oatmeal.
- Date paste – Simply a paste made out of pureeing soaked dates and hot water. See the recipe below. I love this for a natural sweetener. But, you can substitute coconut sugar, monk fruit sugar, or other sweetener of choice here, to taste.
- Toppings of choice – See above for fun flavor combination we enjoy. But, the sky is the limit here: fruits, berries, nuts, seeds, nut butter, peanut butter, coconut flakes, cacao nibs, granola, raisins…go crazy!
Cauliflower Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 16 oz riced cauliflower
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 can coconut milk preferred, but can sub 1 1/2 cup almond milk or other dairy-free milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2-3 tablespoons tapioca or arrowroot flour
- 2-3 tablespoons cold water
- 2-4 tablespoons date paste see recipe below. Can also sub coconut sugar or other sweetener.
- Toppings of choice: sliced banana, fruit, cinnamon, berries, nuts, coconut flakes, nut butter, granola, raisins, go crazy!
Instructions
- Put a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add coconut oil and stir until melted. Add cauliflower rice and stir. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is translucent and tender.
- Add milk of choice and vanilla, bringing to a simmer.
- Mix 2 tablespoons flour with 2 tablespoons cold water in a small bowl. Once mixed, add to cauliflower mixture and increase heat to medium-high. This will act like a thickener similar to cornstarch and should thicken it up within a minute or so of adding. If it's still not to your preferred thickness, mix together another tablespoon flour + tablespoon water and add. Cauliflower oatmeal should be thick and creamy, not soupy! If you used almond milk instead of coconut milk, you might need a little extra thickening.
- Remove from heat, add date paste and add toppings of choice. Pair with a protein to balance it out and enjoy!
Notes
Date Paste
Ingredients
- 1 cup pitted dates
- 1/2 cup hot water
Instructions
- Mix 1 cup pitted dates with 1/2 cup hot water, pushing the dates down into the water to moisten all. Let soak for 5 minutes. Puree in a blender or mixer until it makes a smooth paste.
I am even more excited to try this after reading everyone’s comments! YUM.
Are there any necessary changes to the recipe if using frozen riced cauli?
Good question! Frozen cauliflower will just have a little more moisture, so if it doesn’t thicken up enough after the 2 tablespoons flour + water, mix together another tablespoon flour + tablespoon water and add. Enjoy!
I tried this a couple of years and must have done something wrong, because it wasn’t my favorite. I just tried it again and made sure to follow the directions this time and it is AMAZING! 1) I’m obsessed and wake up excited to eat it 2) trying not to be disappointed about all the time I wasted thinking I didn’t like it when really I just made it wrong. THANK YOU!!!
Hi Autumn- I love making this recipe as the chocolate PB version. Just wondering if you’ve ever made it with the vital proteins chocolate collagen powder in place of the date paste and cocoa? Trying to decide how much to use and if it will affect the consistency? 🤔
I haven’t tried it but love that idea and bet it would be delicious!
I tried this recipe last year. Its my go to for oatmeal. I absolutely LOVE IT!!
I top mine bowl with granola and strawberries!
Than you Autumn for creating and sharing this recipe with us.
YAY! I love this cozy one that has so many great topping options. Thank you for letting me know it’s a fave!
I have tried this recipe many times and each time it never disappoints.
Such an easy recipe to follow and the ingredients used are simple.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and skill with us!
I love this recipe. Easy, nutritious, filling, delicious, and versatile. It’s my new favourite breakfast!
I was crazy skeptical about this at first. I’ve wondered if anyone has ever asked cauliflower if it wants to be turned into so many different things, or if it just wants to be loved for who it is. 😆😆😆 I tried it at my cousin’s urging. She said it was legit. Coming from her means that it’s awesome. I made it with coconut oil, and used cornstarch because I’m not super strict paleo. It was SO good! I don’t add any extra sweetener beyond the 2 TBS of date paste, which in my opinion, just cuts the sharpness from the cauliflower. I think the coconut milk makes it sweet enough. I love to add lots of fruit and paleo granola, or I’ll use a smaller bowl as my veggies with breakfast. You’ve converted me. I also want to give your cauliflower pudding a try in the future since I pretty much trust you with my life at this point. 😆😆😆
I was just as hesitant as most people when they see the phrase “cauliflower oatmeal” (who doesn’t enjoy the memes despairing about everything being made with cauliflower these days?). But I wanted to get more veggies in and was getting a bit bored of my usual spinach/eggs, and I trust Autumn’s recipes (plus the pics looked gorgeous), so I decided to give it a try.
Wow!! I didn’t know I could enjoy cauliflower so much! It’s got all the comfort of hot, creamy oatmeal but it’s VEGGIES. Just the kind of thing I was looking for. I’m the only one in the house brave enough to eat it but that’s just fine with me- whenever I make a batch, I get to stash the extras and know I have a healthy and hearty breakfast ready to go. The only thing I do differently is that I add a pinch of salt when I add the milk- I found it was a bit bland without it, but that bit of salt (just like when making regular oatmeal), makes a big difference for flavor. Otherwise, I follow as written! For yummy add ins, my favorite is a bit of cinnamon, spoon of peanut butter that goes in the same time as the date syrup, and then some fresh berries on top.
Thanks for another great recipe! I love this addition to my breakfast rotation!
I LOVE this recipe. I was hesitant at first with the cauliflower flavor, but I quickly fell in love! I omit the vanilla, and add cinnamon to make it whole30 compliant, and it still tastes amazing!
I get it, it sounds out there, but hooray that it became a keeper!
This was really good! My daughter liked it too.
Instead of date paste I cooked some blueberries with a little maple syrup mixed in. Yum!
Looking forward to trying the date paste and all the various add ins!
I love the way you made it your own – so many options on this one. Thank you!
Awesome recipe I cooked some up tonight and topped it with blueberries, pecans and coconut. It is delicious!
I’m so happy you dove into this recipe tonight and enjoyed. Thank you!
When my sister was in town (we used to be oatmeal lovers) we had this almost every morning! It was fabulous. All the creaminess and comfort of “oatmeal” but with not too much sweetness and yet so versatile on what you can top it with; banana, berries, RX nut butter, etc. Genius to use frozen riced cauli, hidden veggies for breakfast, yes please!! I would even eat this as a dessert, it’s that yummy!
Yay! So happy you love this breakfast veggie win enough to share it with your sis. Thanks!
Delicious. I’ve tried other cauliflower oatmeal recipes but this one is the best. I added apple, banana, walnuts and cinnamon. Thx
I”m so happy this version was a keeper for you. Thank you!
I love making this and adding banana slices and cocoa powder. This is a great alternative to oatmeal. And cauliflower is the best! 🙂
I am NOT a cauliflower fan, but this is really good. I did wind up adding a little regular rolled oats to the mix. The texture and the sweetness is just right.
Definitely a keeper recipe! It’s so easy to make it your own. I’ve been adding riced cauliflower to my kids packet oatmeal since making this and they don’t mind and this momma is happy! Yeah veggies!!!
At first I thought it sounds kinda gross and weird, but happy to report I’ve made it several times and LOVE it!! I can’t have even gf oats so this is a win for me to have something oatmeal-ish! Sometimes I’m too lazy to do date paste and just add honey! Thanks for a quick and easy and yummy non-egg breakfast!!
Just as good as a bowl of oatmeal!!! I give my baby oatmeal every other day and when I was doing a whole30 I missed my oatmeal so I tried this recipe and it’s soo good!! So now sometimes I mix half oatmeal half cauliflower!!! 😋 I always make a big batch so I have it for the whole week!
I love this! My family had oatmeal regularly growing up, but it always leaves me feeling so heavy and gross. This tastes just as good to me, but is a delicious bowl of veggies! Thanks for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Love starting the day with veggies that are delicious, thank you!
I love this recipe- you can customize it with a lot of different toppings for great variety. It is delicious, creamy and does a great job of keeping me full until lunch. I use a bag of frozen, roved cauliflower from Aldi and one batch lasts for three or so breakfasts. Great to have waiting in the fridge for me on busy mornings. Thanks!
I love this warm veggie-based breakfast option. So happy you have enjoyed it, thank you!
I’ve looked at this recipe a dozen times, finally, today, on the first day of AUTUMN, I walked into the kitchen to see my husband eating instant oatmeal. That was it, I needed this warm delicious cauliflower in my morning! So yummy and the date paste…just wow! Thanks for making my morning cozy and veggie filled [love].
Aw, I love that this recipe hit the spot on the first day of Autumn. It’s a cozy fave!
Hi!
For the date paste, do you blend it with or without the water they were soaking in?
Thanks! I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Hi! For the date paste, you mix it with the hot water they are soaking. You can also sweeten with any other sweetener that works for you (coconut sugar, keto sweeteners, etc.). Hope you love this recipe like we do!
This recipe is to die for. I made it this morning for breakfast. It was very yummy. Thank you
So happy you enjoyed this one, thank you! It’s such a nice option and I love getting veggies in in the morning.