“Cheesy” Vegan Roasted Cauliflower made with nutritional yeast for unmistakably cheesy flavor! This simple and easy healthy side dish is perfect to go alongside any main entrée. Be forewarned: it’s addictive!
I thought I’d take a special moment to highlight one of my favorite roasting vegetables – the cauliflower – and show you one of my go-to methods for making it over-the-top, better-than-brownies delicious.
Okay, don’t quote me on the brownie thing, but nevertheless, what we have here is a Julia Especial, and it’s the perfect side dish no matter the time of year. I love it during the fall and winter months!
What we end up with is delicious crispy cauliflower with cheesy flavor for a goof-proof approach to getting your kids to eat their veggies.
Don’t worry, I’ve made a Crispy Vegan Cheesy Roasted Broccoli recipe too!
And now, the elephant in the room: How in the haystack do we make something “cheesy,” if it is also vegan? The answer is simple! Nutritional yeast!
If you’re not sure what nutritional yeast is, don’t fret! I’ll explain.
What is Nutritional Yeast?
Nutritional yeast is a deactivated strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast, and has a nutty, cheesy, creamy flavor, making it a great “cheese” substitute in dairy-free or vegan food.
From a health benefits standpoint, nutritional yeast is far from being a superfood in its natural form, as It contains only a tiny amount of vitamins and minerals, but nothing significant; however, many companies fortify nutritional yeast with B12, which is significant to vegetarians and vegans, who have to supplement their diet in order to get enough B12.
Vegan macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes or cheesy cheese-less sauce of any kind?
Nutritional yeast’s your jam.
It can be found in the natural food section (or bulk food section) of your grocery store in the form of yellow flakes or powder. Of course, it can also be purchased online.
At this point in our conversation, you may think nutritional yeast is weird. I promise, it’s not.
I’m nowhere near vegan, and I think it’s just great! It’s an excellent way of adding flavor and “creaminess” to virtually any dish without the use of dairy.
Remember those Nacho Cheese Kale Chips and the Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Buddha Bowls I shared?
Both recipes called for – you guessed it – nutritional yeast.
In addition to being vegan-friendly, nutritional yeast is also paleo, primal, and Whole30 compliant.
Let’s discuss the rest of the all-star ingredients for this easy vegetable side dish.
Ingredients for Cheesy Roasted Cauliflower:
Head of Fresh Cauliflower – Fresh cauliflower works best here, and I don’t recommend using frozen cauliflower.
Nutritional Yeast – See all the details above for an in-depth explanation of this magical ingredient.
Olive Oil or Avocado Oil – Used to get all of the ingredients to stick to the cauliflower florets and for rich flavor.
Sea Salt – Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Ground Paprika – Adds just a touch of smoky flavor but no spice.
Cayenne Pepper – Contributes spice. Omit if you don’t like spicy food.
This combination of ingredients makes a flavorful roasted cauliflower that will turn any vegetable naysayer into a cauliflower fiend.
You can quote me on that.
Recipe Adaptations:
Add a little garlic powder for some garlicky flavor.
If you have a favorite vegan cheese sauce recipe you enjoy, whip it up for dipping the cauliflower florets!
Now that we’re familiar with the details of this easy vegetable side dish, let’s make it!
How to Make Roasted Cauliflower:
Remove the cauliflower from its packaging and chop off the green stems. Chop the head of cauliflower into florets. I like chopping the florets fairly small to maximize the cheesy flavor in each bite.
Preheat the oven to 415 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. If you don’t have parchment, you can spray the cookie sheet with cooking spray.
Add the chopped raw cauliflower florets to a large mixing bowl.
Drizzle with olive oil (or avocado oil), and sprinkle with nutritional yeast, sea salt, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Use your hands or a wooden spoon to toss and mix everything together until the cauliflower florets are well-coated.
Spread the cauliflower over the prepared baking sheet and roast on the center rack of the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring half-way through, or until the cauliflower is golden brown and tender.
Remove the cauliflower from the oven and taste for flavor. Sprinkle with sea salt and additional nutritional yeast if desired. Serve with chopped pistachios, pine nuts, walnuts, or pecans on top of the cauliflower alongside your favorite main course.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
The next time you’re in the mood for roasted vegetables, be sure to whip up this tasty side dish!
If you’re serving more than a couple of people, I recommend doubling the recipe because these cheesy bites disappear in a flash.
You’ll likely need more than you’d think!
This vegan cheesy cauliflower is the perfect side for those who don’t eat dairy for health or lifestyle purposes.
If you’re into vegetable centric side dishes and meals, also try out these vegetarian favorites.
More Vegetable Recipes:
- Roasted Portobello Fajitas
- Grilled Portobello and Summer Squash Quesadillas
- Small Batch Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas
- Garlic Herb Roasted Vegetables
- Creamy Dairy-Free Broccoli and Cauliflower Casserole
How “cheesy” do you like your cauliflower?
“Cheesy” Vegan Roasted Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower chopped into florets
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- ½ tsp sea salt to taste
- ½ tsp paprika
- Pinch cayenne pepper optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 415 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the raw cauliflower to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with nutritional yeast, sea salt, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Use your hands to toss and mix everything together until the cauliflower florets are well-coated.
- Spread the cauliflower over the prepared baking sheet and roast on the center rack for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring half-way through, or until cauliflower is golden-brown and tender.
- Remove from the oven and taste cauliflower for flavor. Sprinkle with sea salt and additional nutritional yeast if desired. Serve with chopped pistachios, pine nuts, walnuts, or pecans alongside your favorite entree.
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Nutrition
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Roasted cauliflower is boring, even though most vegetables taste great roasted with just ghee, salt and pepper. But I love your cheesy cauliflower. It’s great with orange or purple cauliflower, too. I try to eat cruciferous veg every week.
I changed the cook time. I do 10 minutes, stir (flip) then 10 minutes. It tastes super either way, but my spouse likes it slightly firm.
A tip for people with MTHFR mutations: Find a nutritional yeast that’s not fortified with folic acid.
Thanks so much for sharing this incredibly useful and tasty recipe!
Thanks so much for sharing your feedback, Elaine! I typically find cauliflower on its own to be a bit of a snooze fest too, so I hear ya! Appreciate you sharing the helpful info about nutritional yeast!! xo
This was AMAZING!!! Perfect level of heat – love that magical nutritional yeast!!
So thrilled you enjoy it, Rebecca! xo