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    Home » Recipes » Smoothies & Bowls

    Creamy Cauliflower Breakfast Bowl

    Published: Jan 20, 2016 · Modified: May 14, 2019 by Audrey · This post may contain affiliate links · 40 Comments

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    Cauliflower Breakfast Bowl (Free from: gluten & grains, dairy, refined sugar, and oils)

    Yes, you read right. This is indeed a cauliflower-based breakfast bowl. And while it may sound completely crazy, rest assured I'm not the first to have thought of making cauliflower into a grain-free breakfast food, though for a moment when the thought popped into my head I mused at the thought of it being a first -- it's comforting to know I'm not the only cauliflower die-hard though!

    Cauliflower Breakfast Bowl (Free from: gluten & grains, dairy, refined sugar, and oils)

    I can really and honestly eat cauliflower for lunch and dinner a thousand ways and never get bored. So I was thinking why not turn it into a breakfast too.... I thought to make a porridge recipe for the blog, but then I had a look around and there are in fact already a hundred and one cauliflower porridge recipes out there, so I gave up on sharing mine altogether -- why clutter the web with more of the same...

    Cauliflower Breakfast Bowl (Free from: gluten & grains, dairy, refined sugar, and oils)

    ...But then this bowl happened, and I felt it needed to be shared. I was all out of fruit one morning (strangely except for the few lonely figs you see featured), not feeling like grains, and a nut-based porridge just seemed too heavy, but there was this cauliflower looking at me in the fridge and I winked back at it and knew exactly what needed to be done there. And done deliciously it was.

    Cauliflower Breakfast Bowl (Free from: gluten & grains, dairy, refined sugar, and oils)

    Really, if it sounds a little strange, rest assured it all quite makes sense. Cooked cauliflower blends into a smooth, creamy, and comforting mixture. We do it in alfredos and other sauces, so why not turn it into a sweet breakfast also?!

    This recipe is another one of those rough guide ones -- really it's more of a concept I thought to share: using cauliflower as a warm and creamy breakfast base, filled with your favorite fixings. So feel free to change things up, use more or less sweetener to your liking, or a different sweetener of your choice (though maple and molasses make things so delicious!), play around with flavors or add-ins, etc. Basically, all you're going to be doing is cooking up some cauliflower in a plant milk of your choice until it's nice and tender and soaked in delicious milk. And then you blend it all into a smooth cream of wheat-like porridge, and finish things off by adding flavors and fixings to your taste. Simple. Wholesome. Delicious. Interesting!

    Cauliflower Breakfast Bowl (Free from: gluten & grains, dairy, refined sugar, and oils)

    The one thing I will say is that the cauliflower flavor is a little pronounced when this breakfast bowl is "naked" -- that's why my favorite go-to flavor for this is chocolate. Chocolate makes everything better, doesn't it? And it masks the slight cauliflower taste perfectly too. Other flavors you could try though would be things like cranberry, cinnamon, etc. Though I know for some the mild cauliflower flavor is not even an issue at all. I like sneaky veggies in things, but not enough for something like this, so playing up the flavors with this one is a must for me.

    Cauliflower Breakfast Bowl (Free from: gluten & grains, dairy, refined sugar, and oils)

    You can make this "grainy" or more textured by adding cauliflower rice into it (cauliflower pulsed in a food processor to mimic the size of rice grains) after blending and then cooking a few minutes longer. You can also add in some almond flour or sunflower seed flour instead (delicious!). You can make it creamier by blending in something like a banana, mango, or persimmons... You can up the cauliflower-to-plant milk ratio by a lot to make it a thicker bowl too -- it becomes something akin to cream of wheat porridge like that. And of course you can throw in a thousand and one custom add-ins to your liking: nuts, seeds, raisins, dried cranberries, chopped dates, chocolate chips, fresh fruit, granola, rawnola, etc. Drizzle with melted chocolate, molasses, tahini or your favorite nut or seed butter. Stir in a bit of coconut manna, or raw sweetened condensed milk... or whatever you've got lying around in your fridge or cupboards or crave for that morning... and enjoy!

    Cauliflower Breakfast Bowl (Free from: gluten & grains, dairy, refined sugar, and oils)

    So here's how I fixed this particular bowl... give it a try and take it from there! :)

    P.S. You can make a larger batch of this for a few days in advance -- it keeps refrigerated well and tastes delicious chilled. You can also freeze some for later use.

    Print

    Cauliflower Breakfast Bowl

    Print Recipe

    ★★★★★

    4.7 from 3 reviews

    A warm, creamy breakfast bowl that's entirely grain and gluten-free, and provides a healthy dose of sneaky vegetables beneath optional fruit, nut, chocolate, and maple syrup drizzle.

    • Author: Audrey @ Unconventional Baker
    • Prep Time: 15 minutes
    • Total Time: 15 minutes
    • Yield: 1 serving
    • Cuisine: Breakfast

    Ingredients

    Cauliflower Base:

    • 1½ - 2 cups cauliflower florets
    • ¾ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or light canned coconut milk for a creamier version)
    • 2 tbsp maple syrup (or sweetener of choice)
    • ½ tsp cinnamon
    • ⅛ tsp salt (or more to taste)
    • ½ tsp raw ground vanilla bean (or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract)
    • 1-2 tablespoon cacao powder (or more for a darker chocolate flavor)
    • 1 tsp unsulphured blackstrap molasses

    Add-Ins:

    • nuts (I used some pecans), raisins, fresh fruit (I used figs, but strawberries are nice too), more maple for drizzling, coconut sugar for sprinkling (adds a nice subtle caramely flavor), extra almond milk to thin the mixture out a little.

    Instructions

    1. Place the cauliflower and plant milk in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes (or until cauliflower florets can be pierced easily with a fork).
    2. Use an immersion blender (or cool and transfer into a regular blender) to blend the cauliflower and plant milk into a smooth consistency.
    3. Add in all remaining base ingredients and mix everything to combine (I transferred a bit of the mixture into the bowl before adding in the cacao to have the black & white bowl). Adjust flavors to taste.
    4. Transfer into your bowl, top with add-ins and enjoy warm, or chill for a cold breakfast bowl (in which case add the add-ins when ready to eat).

    Did you make this recipe?

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Emilie says

      February 18, 2020 at 1:41 pm

      I made this this morning and YEAH I'm pretty stoked to have breakfasts back.

      I have to stay away from starch for an autoimmune disorder and it tasted so close to cream of wheat :)

      I used monkfruit as my sweetener and seasoned it with vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. I topped it with banana, chopped dates, hemp seeds, slivered almonds, strawberry, blueberry, and a tiny bit of almond butter drizzled over.

      I totally forgot but next time I want to add a scoop of my unsweetened pea protein powder!

      Thanks for the recipe!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        September 17, 2022 at 6:55 pm

        Hi Emilie. Thanks so much for your lovely feedback and for sharing the way you dressed this breakfast bowl up -- sounds delicious! I'm glad you found a basis for a breakfast idea here that works for your needs :)

        Reply
    2. M says

      November 26, 2019 at 2:19 am

      Audrey, this is brilliant! It will SAVE LIVES! I added a couple of dried apricots while cooking the cauli and also took it out the moment it got fork-tender. I blended the apricots with the cauliflower and the cauli taste was really minimized and it needed very little other sweetener. Thank you so much!!

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        December 10, 2019 at 10:25 am

        Oh, I love this idea -- thanks for sharing! :) So glad you enjoyed the recipe.

        Reply
      • Maryam says

        August 27, 2022 at 10:37 pm

        THAT is brilliant! Thank you so much!

        Reply
    3. Jonas Cohen says

      July 29, 2018 at 9:53 pm

      this looks marvelous! I'm on keto and have been looking for a cream of cauliflower rice recipe. I don't suppose you might have the macros for this recipe as you prepared it? Thanks so much.

      ★★★★

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        December 10, 2019 at 10:25 am

        Hi Jonas, no, I don't. But you can always run the recipe as you prepare it through one of the many free recipe nutrition calculators you can find online to get the macros.

        Reply
    4. Rebecca Clemmer says

      March 26, 2018 at 10:36 am

      Hmm, I'm thinking of taking this in a savory direction, by adding some Parmesan cheese and herbs and maybe some nuts....

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        March 27, 2018 at 9:02 pm

        Interesting ideas -- thanks for sharing :)

        Reply
      • Maryam says

        August 27, 2022 at 10:44 pm

        I’m on that savory page too Rebecca and want to take it further into a cheese that gets made with a ‘cauliflower milk’ instead of a seed or nut milk. Please let me know if you find anything!

        Reply
    5. Hannah says

      June 20, 2017 at 7:59 am

      Love this idea! I make a similar version of this with riced cauliflower boiled in water/milk then combined with eggs and flaxseed to make a porridge. Who knew cauliflower made such a delicious breakfast??

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        March 27, 2018 at 9:01 pm

        Thanks for sharing, Hannah :)

        Reply
    6. Kate says

      February 04, 2016 at 5:30 pm

      Good lord Audrey! I'm seriously like your biggest new fan. Again an amazing recipe. The crazy fruity Carob cake was such a hit, and I'm having this as we speak. So. Good. Will have to post this one as well and share your wealth!! So stoked for more. Xo

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        February 15, 2016 at 3:49 am

        Kate!! You're the best. Thank you so much for all your amazing feedback. So happy you're enjoying all these recipes. I feel I'm in good company :)

        Reply
    7. Kiki says

      January 30, 2016 at 8:48 pm

      Could I replace it with broccoli? It might be gross but you've heard of green smoothies, right? Maybe I could even make it mint or matcha flavored!

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        January 30, 2016 at 10:53 pm

        I don't see why not, Kiki -- I've actually been thinking of trying that too :) Just would need to make sure the flavors are balanced and that it doesn't actually taste like broccoli... unless you like broccoli cakes, that is ;) But yeah, I can see it working and will be trying it in the future myself. If you get there before me let me know how it turned out!

        Reply
    8. Kristen @ The Endless Meal says

      January 25, 2016 at 10:31 am

      This is brilliant! I'm so happy you decided to post this recipe ... I haven't seen any of the other cauliflower porridge recipes yet so this is brand new to me. Love it!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        February 15, 2016 at 3:50 am

        Glad I introduced you to something new-ish :)

        Reply
    9. Anjali @ Vegetarian Gastronomy says

      January 25, 2016 at 1:48 am

      Oh WOW! This sounds amazing, and I've never had cauliflower for breakfast so I'm so intrigued! Not too early to get those veggies in either. I have everything to make this, so hoping to try it out this week!!! I love cauliflower...so keep them coming!

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        February 15, 2016 at 3:51 am

        Cauliflower is so versatile. Can literally make anything out of this cruciferous veg. Love it!

        Reply
    10. Ellen @ My Uncommon Everyday says

      January 22, 2016 at 11:56 am

      This is nothing I would've come up with, but it sounds amazing!!! I love cauliflower and your creativity! Awesome.

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        January 24, 2016 at 9:58 pm

        Thanks very much, Ellen! Appreciate it ♥

        Reply
    11. Elisabetta@Però Sano says

      January 21, 2016 at 9:52 am

      Wow!!! I feel exactly the same, I really love cauliflower (and other brassicas). I made brownies and cakes with it but such a velvety cream... oh, I miss it...Thank you so much for your recipe and for blogging. You're so inspiring! :-*

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        January 24, 2016 at 10:06 pm

        Hi Elisabetta,

        Thank you so much. Cauliflower in sweets has now become a bit of an obsession for me -- can't stop myself, it's such a versatile veggie ♥

        I've made cauli cakes and was about to try it out in brownies as well -- good to know it turned out well for you :)

        Reply
    12. Sina @ Vegan Heaven says

      January 21, 2016 at 7:32 am

      Cauliflower for breakfast?! Wow, this is so creative, Audrey! At first I was like "what?! This is crazy", but it looks sooo good and I just shared a recipe for zucchini and oats last week, so I TOTALLY need to try this!! :-)

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        January 24, 2016 at 10:08 pm

        Oh, yeah -- Sina ♥ It's so good! I love zucchini in sweets and smoothies, so I can just picture how good it would taste in oats! Going to check out your recipe now... :)

        Reply
    13. Margaux says

      January 21, 2016 at 4:54 am

      YES! Nom nom nom! I'm going scouting for fresh cauliflower to make this because it sounds absolutely perfect - and with your amazing photos I can practically taste it too :)

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        January 24, 2016 at 10:25 pm

        Thank you so much! It's so good in a breakfast dish, and like you said smoothies, etc. Love this veggie to bits ♥

        Reply
    14. Bethany @ Athletic Avocado says

      January 20, 2016 at 6:17 pm

      Can I tell you how impressed and amazed I am by this recipe! I LOVE cauliflower and tend to buy tons of it, and it just so happens that I bought a little too much this week, meaning I need to use it up with this recipe! I think it was fate! Great recipe!

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        January 24, 2016 at 10:25 pm

        Haha, amazing -- enjoy it Bethany! That's exactly how I ended up with my first bowl... too much cauli, not enough fruit. Fate ♥

        Reply
    15. Natalie | Feasting on Fruit says

      January 20, 2016 at 2:07 pm

      This sounds crazy, but looks incredible! The toppings alone are drool worthy, I have a feeling I would forget entirely that I am eating a vegetable with all that yumminess on top. I actually made a chocolate cauliflower frosting a while ago and it tasted delicious with no hint of veggie, so I 100% believe that cauliflower is well disguised under all those toppings. The addition of a banana sounds delicious too! Even if cauliflower for breakfast has been done, you always seem to somehow do it better! I'm so glad you shared <3

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        January 24, 2016 at 10:28 pm

        Thanks Natalie :) It's so good. I know you're good with endless fruit... but knowing there's a plan B is always good :) I made a really delicious chocolate cake out of it yesterday actually as well -- it's so good. I can just imagine how good it is in frosting. Is the recipe on your blog? Hmmm.. I'm going to look :)

        I think I'm renaming this blog unconventional cauliflower because I honestly can't stop it with the recipes over here lol

        Reply
        • Natalie | Feasting on Fruit says

          January 24, 2016 at 10:34 pm

          Hahaha I like the name change! I've though about changing mine to feasting on muffins before just so we can post endless cauliflower/muffin recipes without it being weird and annoying :D I made my best batch yet of your pumpkin muffins today, mmm so good! And actually I don't think the cauliflower frosting is on my blog. Thought is was but now i can't find it...weird. It was just cauliflower and cacao and milk blended up though, simple stuff. I'm intrigued by this chocolate cake you have though :)

          Reply
          • Audrey says

            January 24, 2016 at 11:57 pm

            Oh, yeah, I searched and couldn't find it! Oh well, means you just need to make more sometime ;)

            And I love feasting on muffins so much ♥ So glad you're still going strong with those muffins!

            Reply
    16. Mara says

      January 20, 2016 at 11:12 am

      I will definitely try this at the weekend!
      Looks soo good! I think I'll also add a little bit of cashew butter to make it extra creamy! :)

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        January 24, 2016 at 10:57 pm

        That's awesome, Mara! I hope you enjoy it ♥ And you are right -- it is super delicious with cashew butter! :)

        Reply
    17. Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says

      January 20, 2016 at 10:04 am

      This is so me!! Has my name written all over the craziness!! But that's always it, the crazier the better ;) In love, Audrey!!!

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        January 24, 2016 at 11:02 pm

        Haha. Yep, I think you'll love this :)

        Reply
    18. Sarah | Well and Full says

      January 20, 2016 at 9:58 am

      Cauliflower for breakfast?? You certainly got my attention, girl! I would have never guessed that cauliflower would make such a sweet and creamy breakfast bowl! :D

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        January 24, 2016 at 11:03 pm

        Haha, glad it worked and brought you here, Sarah! :) And yes, it's absolutely delicious ♥

        Reply

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