Creative veggie-centric “steaks” made with cauliflower and a crave-able cracker coating. Oil-free, gluten-free, grain-free and packed with flavor.
The other night Dan came home from a dinner raving about a juicy steak that he’d eaten.
For those of you who don’t know, my better half is decidedly not plant based, so we communicate our passion for our separate eats verbally to each other.
OK, so, actually it’s usually me babbling to Dan, just home from work, about all of the amazing things I made that day.
I lean over the kitchen island granite excitedly, waving colorful snapshots on my iPhone in his face.
So Dan’s steak stories got me thinking about steak.
Not about missing steak, but how it would be fun to do a veggie-centric dish where there is one veg star.
Friends, I give you Cracker Crusted Cauliflower Steaks, starring Cauli.
Clearly it had to be cauliflower.
If you’ve been following along with Flora & Vino for a while, you know I’ve put cauliflower in a bit of…everything.
To recap: We’ve mixed it in our oats (see my Cauliflower Oats), turned it into tabbouleh (check out my Mediterranean Bowls with Cauliflower Rice Tabbouleh), roasted it for a warm salad (this Rosemary Roasted Cauliflower Salad), and of course, blended it in our smoothies, (you need these 4- Way Banana Free Smoothie Bowls!)
That’s a lot of cauli.
So it made sense to just make a meal of it all on its own.
I know what you’re thinking.
No bowl?!
A meal on a plate on Flora & Vino?
I know, I know.
I actually thought about tucking them into a bowl of greens, but these steaks were begging to be served flat like their meaty namesake so I went with it.
Let’s talk cracker crust.
I was inspired by my favorite crackers to make the coating for my steaks. Jilz Crackers are quite literally the only crackers that I eat.
These tasty seeded crackers are made with minimal, real ingredients, and are also gluten free, paleo, and vegan. They’re also delicious.
For this recipe, you can go with any of their cracker flavors. I chose the original flavor, but anything goes!
The meal will take on the wonderful seasoning of the crackers.
If you don’t have Jilz on hand, no problem! Sub your favorite cracker of choice and share with me what it is!
If I told you this recipe has zero oil, gluten, or grains would you believe me?
Because it’s true.
If you’re scratching your head wondering how the heck I managed to get all those cracker crumbs to stick to the cauliflower without oil or egg, I’ll let you in on the secret.
The crackers stick to the cauliflower after dipping them in a simple batter of almond flour and unsweetened almond milk.
That’s it!
The hardest part of this meal is cutting the cauliflower steaks themselves.
Depending on the size and shape of your cauliflower heads, you may be able to get more or less “steaks” out of one head.
I was only able to get four full slabs from two heads of cauliflower, but mine had fairly narrow stalks.
Be sure to save the florets on the sides for a separate dish or go ahead and coat them in the batter too to serve as cauliflower tots!
These Cracker Crusted Cauli Steaks are perfect to make when you’re feeling a little creative and want to make something special to share.
They’re best served fresh, so invite your friends over and have a hearty cauli steak dinner!
Try pairing this with your favorite roasted veggies, mashed potatoes, and greens for a full entree.
If you don’t want to hassle with cutting perfect “steaks”, try coating cauliflowers florets in the batter and cracker crumble instead.
They’d be great to serve with ketchup or your dip of choice for a game time snack, appetizer, or side.
If you make these Cracker Crusted Cauliflower Steaks I’d love to hear what you think.
Give me a shout on Instagram and use #floraandvino to show me your steaks.
Check out my Pinterest page to pin more recipes like this one to make later!
Want more creative cauliflower recipes? Check out my Cajun Cauliflower Poppers and Cauliflower Cashew Butter Alfredo.
For more meatless “steaks”, try my Tofu Steaks with Apricot Cucumber Mint Compote.
Do you love this post and want more? Go to my homepage and subscribe to get recipe updates sent right to your inbox!
XO Lauren
Cracker Crusted Cauliflower Steaks
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4-6 steaks
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Creative veggie-centric “steaks” made with cauliflower and a crave-able cracker coating. Oil-free, gluten-free, grain-free and packed with flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 large heats of cauliflower, rinsed and outer leaves removed
- 1 package Jilz Crackers or 1 1/2 cups of your favorite cracker (gluten-free and grain-free as needed)
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- pinch of Himalayan sea salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 1 TBSP lemon juice
- For serving: parsley, lemon, your favorite dip
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a large baking pan with parchment paper.
- Stand each rinsed head of cauliflower on its steam and use a sharp knife to cut in half down the center. Cut as many 1″ inch thick cauliflower “steaks” from the center of each half as you can. You’ll be left with florets on each side– save these for later, or “bread” them along with the steaks for cauliflower tots!
- Add the crackers to a food processor or high speed blender and pulse until they reach a fine meal (see photo). Transfer the mixture to a bowl, and mix with the basil, oregano, Himalayan sea salt, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes.
- In another large bowl, whisk together the almond milk, oat flour, and lemon juice until smooth.
- One at a time, dip each cauliflower “steak” into the almond milk batter, making sure they are well coated. Drain off any excess batter and transfer to the cracker and herb mixture and flip until all sides are well coated. Finally, transfer to the baking sheet. Repeat for all cauliflower steaks.
- Bake the cauliflower steaks for 20 minutes, then flip (carefully!) and bake another 20 minutes, until the cracker crust turn golden brown and a fork slides through the steak with ease.
- Serve cauliflower steaks warm with lemon and fresh herbs and your choice of sides and/or dips.
- Best when fresh, though leftovers quick for 2-3 days refrigerated.
Notes
Recipe adapted from The Blissful Basil
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Category: Entree, Appetizer, Snack
- Method: Oven-Bake
- Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-Free, Oil-Free, Grain-Free
[…] a creative tip from Flora & Vino on her veggie take on steak, cauliflower crusted with Jilz Crackerz. Our simple seeded crackers […]