Cauliflower bread buns are low carb and gluten free. They are perfect to use with hamburgers, sandwiches and more. And unlike other cauliflower bread substitutes, you don’t need to wring dry the cauliflower!
I’m really excited to share this recipe with you today. For two months I’ve had the idea of making some sort of cauliflower bread. While I’ve made cauliflower crust pizza, cauliflower breadsticks and even cauliflower crusted grilled cheese, I wanted something a little thicker and bread-ier. All of the ones previously mentioned involve a very thin crust, which doesn’t work as well for hamburgers or substantial sandwiches.
Well this is it. It’s thicker, sturdier, breadier. But the best part is that you don’t need to dry out the cauliflower.
You may recall that a few weeks ago, I shared a recipe for low carb bread buns. Well, that was research for this. These aren’t quite as bread-like as the low carb bread buns– instead they have a texture and taste more similar to other cauliflower bread substitutes. But they are thick and hold together well and are perfect for enjoying hamburgers and other grill items this summer.
Update: I now have a video for this recipe!
Cauliflower Bread Buns
Ingredients
- 3 cups finely riced raw cauliflower florets (see note)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp almond flour
- 2 tbsp coconut flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp dry Italian seasoning herb blend
- 1 tsp white sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, combine cauliflower, eggs, cheese, almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, Italian seasoning. Mix with a large spoon until everything is thoroughly mixed. The mixture should be wet but not liquid.
- Grease the cavities of a muffin top pan. If you don't own a muffin top pan, you can also make free-form ones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
- Measure out 1/2 cup lightly packed cauliflower mix. Dump onto muffin mold or onto a baking sheet and press down on the middle with the palm of your hand. If you are using muffin top pan, evenly spread the cauliflower across the mold and compact it down slightly with your knuckles or fingers so that the crumbs of the bread will be tight. If using a baking sheet, press down on the mixture with the palm of your hand and then spread and shape to form a round disc 4 inches wide and slightly more than 1/2 inch high. Compact down the cauliflower mix gently with your fingers or knuckles so that the crumbs of the cauliflower buns will be tight. Sprinkle tops of bread buns with sesame seeds.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until tops are golden and cauliflower breads are completely cooked. Use a thin spatula to gently loosen the bottoms of the cauliflower breads (I recommend using a good silicone cookie spatula which usually has a very thin edge that glides easily underneath.) Allow breads to cool slightly before eating.
Video
Notes
- I use this muffin top pan*, but you can do freeform ones as well.
- The cauliflower should be riced until it resembles coarse/large crumbs. 3 cups will be about 1/2 of a large head of cauliflower but it's best to actually measure it out
- *Some of the links contained in this post are affiliate links. Much like referral codes, this means I earn a small commission if you purchase a product I referred (at no extra charge to you).
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Related Recipes
More delicious cauliflower recipes can be found here!
Cauliflower Crusted Grilled Cheese
Question: How dry should the cauliflower rice be? For instance, if I buy a Costco size bag of riced cauliflower, I’ll need to make it smaller(no biggie) but I’m worried about the water content.
Are you using frozen riced cauliflower? Frozen cauliflower rice does have excess moisture so you should thaw it and spread it out on a kitchen towel and pat it dry. If you are using fresh cauli rice (like you find in the produce department) it should be fine.
Can I use frozen cauliflower that’s been defrosted?
Yes, but be sure to pat it dry. If it’s too wet it won’t work well in the recipe.
looking forward to more recipes to try
Thank you
Can you freeze the cauliflower hamburger buns
Yes, they’re freezer-friendly!
So I’ve made this recipe a few times now hoping it was something I was doing wrong but each time the results are the same. I get a great looking “bun” but when I try to using it for anything, it instantly falls apart. Forget about putting a burger in this or even making a sandwich as they have absolutely no strength at all.
We’re so sorry you’re having issues – if you measured everything correctly, the only other issue might be the baking. If they are overbaked, they will dry out and be more likely to fall apart – if you try them again, maybe bake them a little less. Every oven is different, so that might be the issue.
Is it ok to use grated Parmesan in place of shredded? If so, how much would you recommend? Thank you.
We haven’t tried grated, but the same amount (1/2 cup) should be okay.
So glad I found this recipe to replace the costly TJ’s cauliflower buns. In your video, did I see correctly that it calls for only one T of parmesan cheese? The written recipe calls for ½ cup. I already made 5 as per your instructions and while baking, was watching the new video.
The amount is 1/2 cup – in the video we don’t show the whole amount. Sorry for the confusion!
Looks delish!! Can you make these with just egg whites? Thanks for this great recipe. I have tried the Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Slims, which are quite tasty but I am always looking to make my own.
We haven’t tried using just egg whites, let us know if you do and how it works!
I made these yesterday and I was a little skeptical if they would hold up as a bun, and they sure did! They are so easy to make. I used frozen cauliflower rice, heated it and drained the water out of it with a paper towel. I used Nutritional Yeast instead of Parmesan and they turned out delicious. Make sure to grease the pan as these do stick! This is my go to recipe moving forward!
We’re so glad you loved them! Thanks for your tip about nutritional yeast, too.
OMG. I could have eaten this bread by itself. I did add an additional egg in mine as I grounded the raw cauliflower instead of using cauliflower rice.
I also placed mine in a baking pan instead of muffin pans and it turned out just like a loaf of bread.
Thanks for this tasty recipe. Glaze the top with honey and thank me later
Love that you added a honey glaze! We’re happy to hear it worked as a loaf, too – so glad you enjoyed it!
Deliciuos !!!
Question…just starting to take low carb seriously. Is the cauliflower cooked before ricing?
No, you should use raw riced cauliflower.
Have you ever tried it with frozen cauliflower tice? Thawed.
We haven’t, but if you try it make sure the cauliflower is thawed and dried. You might need to use a food processor to break down the cauli rice if the pieces are big, too. Hope that helps!
Hi there, I want to make 2 buns as there are only 2 of us. Should I use 1 egg only? Also, can I use regular flour?
We haven’t tried all-purpose flour and can’t say how that will work.
What can I do instead of cheese? I’m allergic to the milk protein. And I don’t really like non-dairy cheese.
You might to try our Bread Bun without cheese!
Has anyone frozen these then tossed it? Can they be put in freezer??
Yes, they are freezer-friendly.
Can these be made without the cheese? I am helping a friend who is going through cancer. He is on a special diet but He can have everything that is in this recipe except the cheese.
We haven’t tried this recipe without the cheese. You might want to try our other Low Carb Bread Bun – it’s similar but without the cheese.
Hi, do these buns freeze? They sound delicious!!
Yes, they are freezer-friendly. Keep them tightly wrapped in a freezer bag and then warm them in the microwave or oven when you’re ready to eat them.
Do you think these would be foldable? I was thinking of making calzones with this recipe. What do you think?
Unfortunately they are not foldable
Can you butter and toast these buns? I’m bored with all of my breakfast choices. Thought this be a good option!
We enjoy these untoasted and have tried buttering and toasting them. We do have a Low Carb Keto Mug Bread that is great for toasting. You might like to try that one.
Hi, what can I substitute for the almond flour? Or can I add more coconut flour?
We have nut allergies
Thank you
You might be able to just use coconut flour but I don’t know exactly how much without testing it
How would you reheat them after freezing?
Thank you
oven or microwave
They hold up so well that I put a leftover one in the toaster just this morning!
thank you for sharing!
I can’t have the almond flour. Has anyone tried doubling the coconut flour in place of the almond flour?
Hi I want to make this but I’m allergic to coconut, can I jut leave it out or can I substitute it with something else? Thank you
I don’t have a substitute that I have tested.
A godsend of a recipe for low carb diets: especially after I was making the recipe for the fourth time and had no cauliflower! I did have half a head of cabbage and the substitution was practically seamless. Since that discovery I have used cauliflower, cabbage, onions, parsnips, turnips, peppers and carrots in various combinations and they are all wonderful. I also add chia seeds and substitute a xanthan gum egg for one of the fresh eggs in the recipe. Thanks so much!
thanks for sharing! I’m happy it worked with so many different vegetables!
Loved these! We’ve made them several times and our favorite (for taste and texture) is using 1 egg and 1 flax egg in place of 2 eggs. I have a 4” round cookie cutter that works perfectly for shaping them.
glad you liked them!
These held up to burgers quite well, and tasted great. Plus easy to make. ??
I’m so happy you liked them!
Hi.
Is it ok to use mozzarella instead of parmesan cheese?
Thanks
that should be fine but you may need to add some salt and seasoning since mozzarella cheese is a little bland
Excellent! Love these and so easy! I got 6 outfoxed mine and they filled the muffin top pan.
I’m glad it worked out for you!
Best hamburger bun!
I’m glad you liked the recipe!
Can I use a grater instead of a food processor to rice the cauliflower?
yes
Just made the cauliflower buns. I have never cared for cauliflower, but am learning to love. They were amazing. In a hurry to eat and no burgers, I put some of my garlic butter, leftover spaghetti sauce and mozzarella cheese on. Stuck back in oven for4 minutes and it was amazing!! Froze the rest till I get some burger. THANK YOU!!
So glad you enjoyed!
Quick question, will these work in a whoopie pie griddle? It’s got 6 circular shapes that are the perfect bun shape. Thanks
I don’t have a whoopie pie griddle, but it sounds like it will work
A serving size is 1 Bun. Is that 2 pieces? As a bun has a top and bottom. Thanks T
Sorry for any confusion. This recipe makes 5 pieces. 1 bun refers to 1 piece. If you using for a sandwich or burger, you would need 2 pieces.
Hi, just wanted to let you know that I made these cauliflower buns today and they are absolutely delicious! Thank you so much, I have been missing bread so much and this recipe satisfies my cravings for bread. I dont have a bun top pan, so all I did was put the dough on a parchment lined baking sheet and flattened it into a rectangle and baked it like that and then cut it into square buns. It is so good!
Thank you
so glad you enjoyed these!
These are amazing! I added some seasoning like garlic, onion, and rosemary (some of my favorites) and brushed olive oil on top before cooking. These were delicious with avocado egg salad on top. Thank you for this amazing recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed!
I really want to try this recipe out. How long do they last after being baked? Have you tried to freeze any to use later?
they last a few days in the fridge. And yes you can freeze too
I just made three batches. I did add a little salt to the last two, and I added a tbsp of Trader Joe’s everything but the bagel seasining to the last batch and it was amazing. Love this recipe. It’s about the best I’ve found! And if you spread the whole batch out. In one big circle….TA DA!! Pizza crust!!!
I love the idea of using the everything bagel seasoning! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Easy recipe and they turned out great! Any idea how many points if Im using weight watchers?. I could figure it out, but I cant find the amt of saturated fats in the recipe. Thanks!
Sorry I don’t know how many points for weight watchers. The nutrition info I provided is all the info I have
Not bad. Definitely needs salt, pepper and some more seasoning. Going to try this toasted for breakfast tomorrow morning.
the breads are designed to be used as a bread/bun replacement for sandwiches, burgers, etc, so I made them fairly plain on purpose. glad they worked out for you though
Ha anyone tried these in place of the regular bread for BLT’s ??
I have and they work great
Where did you get your pan. I looked everywhere for one and cannot find one. Thank you
Amazon! they have several versions and the one I used is linked in the recipe box notes
I used your recipe as an inspiration tonight I made mine with 2.25 cups of cauliflower, 2 tbsp of coconut flour, 2 tbsp of shredded Parmesan, 1 tsp of baking powder, sprinkle of turmeric, garlic powder, basil, oregano and parsley and it turned out so good. My taste buds are dancing with joy!
your version sounds great!
These remind me (from the photos only) of Schlotzky’s bread. I cannot wait to make them!!
I hope you enjoy!
I made these with frozen cauliflower rice. They tasted great but did seem soggy and didn’t hold up well as a bun. I think the frozen product was wetter than fresh cauliflower and mine looked thicker than yours. I’m going to try left overs as a grilled cheese sandwich. I will definitely try again and remove more moisture after defrosting.
Yes, frozen cauliflower has a lot more moisture than fresh, which is likely causing them to not hold up well and be soggy.
Hi Kirbie. I just made 2 batches of this recipe, cauliflower buns, I love them. I wonder if you could freeze them after baking? Because I’d love to have these on hand. I used 4 cups of cauliflower to get 6 buns, and I used parsley because I don’t like oregano, everything else same except on top I used Trader Joe’s everything but the bagel seasoning it has garlic sea salt onion and sesame seeds black & white. Just a extra flavor. Yummy. Please let me know if you can freeze them. Thanks. I love these. Judy B
I have not tried freezing them but I think they should freeze well
OMG! Just took them out of the oven. Can’t wait for them to cool they are beautiful can’t wait to taste.
I used regular flour and added garlic and onion powder.
They are FABULOUS. I am now using these instead of any bread.
THANKS for sharing this EXCELLENT receipt!!
so glad you liked this recipe so much!
Very yammi! I used all purpose flour and some cheese which I found in a fridge. Next time I’ll add salt and pepper to my taste. Thank U for the recepie !
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Was wondering where you got the pan that the bread was baked in.
it’s a muffin top pan I bought from Amazon. it’s also linked in the recipe.
What can be used to replace the almond flour. We have nut allergies in our family
You can use regular all purpose flour
This was amazing!!! I altered it slightly by swapping the flours for normal flour, not gluten free but alot less carbs than a bun. Thanks so much for sharing!
So glad you enjoyed!
Can a regular muffin pan be used instead of muffin top pan?
If you want to make them as buns, I would suggest free form rather than regular muffin pan.
HELLO. The recipe sounds great, but I have a question about the video on the page. It looks like only a very small amount of parmesan in the video although the recipe calls for 1/2 cup.
The recipe uses 1/2 cup.
How would I go about storing these? Have you tried?
I think either fridge or freezer should work and just briefly reheat when ready to eat!
I have searched in stores and on line for muffin top pans. Where can I buy them?
Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003YKGRBY/
Would love to try these! (and your cauliflower cheese toastie recipe) but do you know the macros for them? Can’t risk making & eating them and going over.
I’m sorry but I don’t follow the macro diet so I haven’t calculated the macros for these. Have you tried apps like MyFitnessPal?
I used crumbled goat cheese. Mixed with my hands as a variation, these sandwich buns are excellent! Genius.
yum, sounds good! glad you liked them!
Is a muffin top pan the same as a muffin tin?
no it is not. You can see a photo of the muffin top pan in my post. It’s basically a flat pan that you can use to bake up muffins to only be the top round part of the muffin. This is the one I used: https://a.co/1XpoDG5
Hola! Would Besan (garbanzo flour) work? Thanks.
sorry, I haven’t experimented with garbanzo flour before
My wife and I are doing a whole 30 and these have been the best of the fake bread cauliflower things we’ve tried so far. Great flavor and texture. Favorite thing is that they don’t try too hard to be something their not, it’s clearly not bread but it’s delicious.
This is one of my favs! So glad you enjoy it!
I made these tonight and they were great! Made a grilled cheese sandwich and I have to say it’s the best sandwich I’ve had since going gluten free in 2005. I don’t have a muffin top pan (yet) so I used my pizza stone and some english muffin rings. Unfortunately I was out of parchment paper too 🙁 so I tried the first batch on the hot pizza stone by itself…the tops were great but the bottom was soggy and hard to get off the pan. The next batch I tried by greasing the pizza stone, it worked a little better but still the bottoms were much softer than the tops. That said, when I made the grilled cheese sandwich it didn’t really matter that one side was a little softer; the outside was easy to handle. The texture is most like bread of any gluten free type bread I’ve had. Loved it! I’ll be passing it on, and picking up a muffin top pan!
I’m so glad you enjoyed these! Yes, the pizza stone doesn’t work well for removing. I like the muffin pan best but if you get parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, that will also help with sliding them off easily.
Just tried these and they were delicious. Will definitely be making these again!
I’m so glad you liked them!
I’m just wondering what I can replace the almond flour with? My husband has a severe almond allergy. I really want to try these. I haven’t had bread in so long .
You can try doubling the coconut flour or replacing almond flour with all purpose or gluten free all purpose
Hi, I just saw this recipe and I’m super excited to try! I’m curious though whether there is either a mistake in the video, or in the recipe in regards to the amount of cheese required. The recipe says 1/2 cup cheese, but in the video, it looks more like 1/2 tbsp. Can you please clarify which is correct?? Thanks!
The 1/2 cup listed in the recipe is correct. Sorry about any confusion with the video. The cheese was dropped in by the spoonful and we skipped over the rest of the cheese being dumped in.
This is amazing, very creative and you can use it for so many things. Good solution for celiac disease or diabetes.
thanks!
Hi can you substitute rice flour, thanks
I have not tried with rice flour, but I think it will work
Flax meal can be used as a substitute for eggs – 1 Tablespoon flax meal with 3 Tablespoons of water = 1 egg. Mix together in a smsll bowl and let sit for about 5 minutes or do. Use golden flax meal.
thanks for the tip!
Made these tonight. They were delicious. They baked beautifully and held up so well. May try as mini pizza crusts. I found riced cauliflower at Trader Joes ready to use. Thank you.
I just made them again this weekend. so glad you enjoyed them!
We thoroughly enjoyed these in a chicken burger. I was pleasantly surprised how good they tasted and how well they stood up to being handled as a burger. Thank you so much for the recipe. How ingenious!
So glad you enjoyed it!
I have been on a keto diet for a few weeks now and it’s hard because I don’t like many vegetables. I bought cauliflower crumbles in order to make pizza but the hubby wanted burgers. So I tried the recipe and they turned out soooo delicious that I fooled my own tastebuds! I couldn’t tell that it was cauliflower at all. I edited the recipe slightly with 2 cups instead of 3 and threw everything in the food processor because I wanted to make sure that the mixture was combined completely. I think next time I’ll throw in some minced garlic and onion powder. Great recipe!!! Thank you so much!
so glad you enjoyed this!! =)
Shannon M , I’m so glad to hear I’m not the only one who isn’t keen on vegetables! I’ve just started the Atkins and I’m having the same problem. And… To hear you say these Cauliflower buns are yummy makes me want to try them all the more. I really want a burger! Kirbie, thank you for this recipe and I’ll be back to tell you both how it turned out ?
Do you think these could be cut up and used to make low carb stuffing? I have made cauliflower stuffing and while it tastes good the texture isn’t anywhere close to traditional bread stuffing. I was thinking this or the caulifower bread stick recipe cut into cubes.
yes i think this one would work for stuffing!
Thank you so much for this recipe! It’s my new go-to gluten free, low carb bun! I’m going to share it around and hope you get lots of new followers!
thank you! if could please link back to the post for the full recipe that would be great.
Can a flour other than coconut be used due to allergy? Maybe double the almond flour?
yes that should be fine
FYI..I created this recipe in MyFitnessPal. The total is (entire recipe): 484 calories, 28 g carb, 27 g fat, 38 g prot,14 g fiber, and 1086 g of potassium.
Per serving (if you make 6) it is: 81 calories, 5 g carbs, 5 g fat, 6 g protein, 2 g fiber, and 181 g potassium. Hope this helps you guys 🙂
Yes it did help,. Your recipes all look so yummy but I do wish they included the net carb stats for those who eat low carb. Where you stated per serving for six is that just one piece?
Dee..from my understanding..
Total carbs -fiber=net carbs
5-2=3 net carbs per piece.
Hope this helps.
Could you use frozen cauliflower if thawed out first?
I have not attempted it with frozen cauliflower, but I think it should work
Can the buns be stored? like regular bread but maybe in the fridge?
yes!
CAN THEY BE FROZEN FOR USE IN THE FUTURE? OR SHOULD THEY BE USED WITHIN A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME?
yes they can be frozen
Hi. Thanks for the recipe. Just wanted to let you know that when a recipe calls for one to ‘rice’ something, it means to actually put it through a kitchen tool called a ricer. You might want to google it. The ingredients are cooked. It looks like a huge garlic press and is generally used to make mashed potatoes. Hope this helps. Thanks.
Hi Sherry! I do have a ricer which I’ve used on potatoes. But it seems that since the popularity of cauliflower rice, riced has been used as a term with cauliflower to mean pulse/grate/chop/etc to the size of rice. I think if you check out other cauliflower recipes, you’ll see the term being used this way and to not cause confusion with the ricer tool, that is why I also explain what I mean when I refer to riced
Very delicious! More like a muffin than bread. Next time I would probably do the “free form” on parchment & cookie sheet. I added a splash of milk because the “dough” seemed a bit dry and crumbly to me. They turned out very well. Good recipe!
glad you enjoyed them! Free form def works too. I just felt that when baked in the pan it gives them a little more height since they can’t continue spreading
I cooked these today and they are perfect. Taste so well, just ate one by itself. Unbelievably great. Thank you for sharing recipes for good health. I have one month to turn my vitals around or else the doctor is putting me on meds so i am trying to eat healthy and this is definitely in my recipe box from now on.
Oh wow, thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. So glad you enjoyed these! Best of luck with turning around your vitals!
Hello Margie, Just wondering how you went with your medical ?
I downloaded the fitness pal . Still don’t know how it would tell you how many carbs , really want to make these
https://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator
This looks lovely and simple to make, can’t wait to try it. I also love your pictures! what camera setting did you use for the burger pic?
I shoot in manual mode, so my settings vary depending on day, subject, etc. At a glance, this was probably shot at around iso 400, f/4.5, 1/30 sec.
Since I do not do eggs or dairy, I’m going to use nutritional yeast to replace the cheese and flax eggs to replace eggs. Excited to try!
good luck! I hope it turns out well!
Hello! I am allergic to almonds (+all grains and coconut), and was wondering if Chickpea, or even Cassava flour, could be used for this recipe. Thanks so much!
Sorry I have not tested with any of those flours before.
I’m about to make these ? How did they turn out with nutritional yeast? What measurement did u use and replace which ingredient
Tried these! Absolutely delicious…
yay!! thank you for letting me know!
I would like to know if you have any recipe alteration recommendations for those of us who are allergic to eggs? I know what my egg alternative options are but I do not know what other tweaks I may need to make to accommodate the egg alternative.
Thank you!
Sorry, I have not tested these out with egg substitutes.
Grou.nd flax seed is a good binder and super good for you.
Trt phyllium husk…. act as perfect binder
Try ground flax seed
Did you cook the cauliflower first? Where did the food processor come in? Thanks!
you do not cook the cauliflower first. the food processor is a pre-preparation step, to get the cauliflower to be the size of crumbs.
Have you tried freezing them?
I have not, but I think it should be fine!
Do you have to use cheese with this for it to hold together?
The cheese and the egg act as binding agents. You can do a cheese-less version but you may need to tweak some of the ingredient ratios.
What is the carb count for the cauliflower bread buns?
please use a nutritional website like myfitnesspal
This looks like something I might try, but what do you mean by “riced”?
Pulse it through a food processor until they are the size of large crumbs or the size of small grains of rice.
I really like this concept–they look great, too. Do you think that regular wheat flour could be substituted for the coconut and almond flours?
I think it should work, but I haven’t tried it.
I didn’t use flour in mine at all and they turned out really good, but I used a muffin top pan to get the flat round shape. I also added 1tsp honey and a dash of ginger.
Yes it works well with regular flour