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Ready to learn how to roast a whole cauliflower head?! This whole roasted cauliflower recipe is a show-stopper, whether you’re a meat eater and having it as a side dish, or it’s the main course of a vegetarian meal. While it makes a stunning addition to a Christmas or Thanksgiving menu, whole baked cauliflower recipes are also easy enough to enjoy any night of the week.
This one is drizzled with a garlic parmesan sauce, perfectly cooked, and sliced into circles or wedges for serving. It’s similar in flavor to my garlic parmesan oven roasted green beans, but with a more dramatic table presence.
Why You’ll Love This Whole Roasted Cauliflower Recipe
- Rich garlic parmesan flavor
- Tender inside, golden outside
- Just 10 minutes of active prep time, and the rest is hands-off
- Looks and sounds fancy, but super easy to make – it’s the best roasted cauliflower head!
- Naturally gluten-free, healthy, low carb, and keto friendly
- Perfect as a side dish or as the main course of a vegetarian meal
Ingredient & Substitution Notes
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for a whole roasted cauliflower head, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Cauliflower – I used a medium whole cauliflower head, so if yours is large, you may need to increase the amounts of the oil and seasonings. After you wash the cauliflower, be sure to dry very well — this roasts the exterior instead of steaming it in the oven and infuses the seasonings and cheese.
- Olive Oil – Helps the seasonings stick and adds flavor. Ghee would also work well and add a buttery taste. I don’t recommend using butter, which tends to burn too easily.
- Garlic – Use fresh garlic, since it will get crushed and blended into the sauce. Minced garlic is more likely to burn. If you don’t have any fresh garlic, you can substitute about 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, but fresh tastes best.
- Seasonings – Including dried basil, parsley, and thyme. You can also use an equivalent amount of homemade Italian seasoning instead to save time.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese – Parmesan is tangy and crisps up well on roasted whole cauliflower, almost like bread crumbs. If you don’t have parmesan, a variety of hard or soft cheeses will work, such as feta, blue cheese crumbles, or shredded cheddar, but the texture of the topping will be different. If your lifestyle allows or if you want a vegan option, swap the cheese for bread crumbs instead.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
How To Roast A Whole Cauliflower Head
This section shows how to cook a whole cauliflower head, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Prep cauliflower. Roasting a head of cauliflower whole requires removing the core while leaving the head intact. Use a paring knife to remove outer leaves and cut off the bottom so it’s flat. (See the video on the recipe card below to see how I do this!)
TIP: Be careful not to cut off too much.
Cut off the woody center of the bottom stalk, but be careful to avoid removing too much, as cooking whole cauliflower requires the head to stay intact. See the picture below for how it should look.
- Make sauce. Stir together olive oil, garlic, parmesan, basil, parsley, thyme, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Season. Place the cauliflower head upside down (core side up) in a dutch oven (this one is the perfect size for whole roasted cauliflower!). Drizzle 1/2 the sauce over the top of it and let it drip down the core.
- Flip. Turn cauliflower over and drizzle with remaining sauce. Use a basting brush to spread it all over. Make sure that the entire head of cauliflower is covered in sauce.
- Bake cauliflower in the oven whole. Cover the dutch oven with lid and bake until the cauliflower is tender. It should pierce easily with a knife or fork.
- Broil. Sprinkle more parmesan cheese on top and broil until the cheese is browned. If you like, sprinkle with fresh parsley for garnish, and/or even additional parmesan.
How Long To Roast A Whole Head Of Cauliflower?
For a whole roasted cauliflower recipe, roast it 35 to 45 minutes covered, followed by a few minutes under the broiler.
If you want to know how to make roasted cauliflower in the form of florets instead of roasting a cauliflower head whole, try a roasted cauliflower florets recipe instead. This will require much less time in the oven, but a bit more prep time. Broccoli and cauliflower florets can be roasted together and make a colorful addition to any meal.
How To Serve A Roasted Cauliflower Head
The “hardest” part of this garlic parmesan roasted cauliflower? Serving it! But don’t worry, I’m here to help. 😉 Here is how to serve whole roasted cauliflower:
- Carefully lift the full roasted cauliflower out of the dutch oven and onto a cutting board. I usually use two large forks and lift from underneath.
- Slice the whole baked cauliflower. You can slice the cauliflower into “steaks” (large circles) or cut it into thin wedges, kind of like a pie. I prefer wedges, but it’s up to you!
Storage Instructions
- Store: Place leftovers in a covered container in the fridge up to 4 days.
- Meal prep: Mix the garlic parmesan sauce in advance, then use when ready. Alternatively, you can also bake the whole roasted cauliflower with parmesan and reheat when you’re ready to eat it.
- Reheat: Warm a whole roasted cauliflower head in the oven by covering it in foil and baking at 350 degrees F. (You might want to add fresh parmesan on top before reheating.) The microwave works in a pinch, but the texture is best with the oven method.
- Freeze: Cut into slices or pieces, let it cool completely, and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months.
What To Serve With Whole Roasted Cauliflower
Whole cauliflower recipes can be the star or main entree of a vegetarian meal (plain or with a drizzle of tahini sauce!), but cooking whole cauliflower also makes the perfect side dish to your favorite protein. Try out some of these main entrees:
- Steak – For a fancier meal, you can’t go wrong with filet mignon, sirloin steak, or even New York strip.
- Chicken – Try chicken cacciatore, Tuscan chicken, creamy mushroom chicken, or simple chicken drumsticks.
- Pork – Pair whole roasted cauliflower with pan seared pork chops, stuffed pork chops, or pork tenderloin.
- Seafood – Make lemon cod or baked salmon for weeknights, or sea bass, lobster tails, or halibut recipes for special meals.
More Whole Cauliflower Recipes
There are so many ways to turn whole cauliflower into a mouthwatering side dish! While this is my only recipe for roasting cauliflower whole, these easy cauliflower recipes use an entire head as well:
Tools To Make Whole Baked Cauliflower
- Enameled Dutch Oven – Creates the ultimate tender-crisp texture. This one is the perfect size to hold a head of cauliflower.
- Porcelain Serving Platter – Put your cauliflower whole roasted recipe on display with a stunning platter.
Whole Roasted Cauliflower
Whole Roasted Cauliflower
With herby garlic parmesan topping, this whole roasted cauliflower head recipe is a showstopper — but so easy! Learn how to make whole baked cauliflower with simple ingredients.
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
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Rinse the cauliflower head and pat dry. Remove the outer leaves. Carefully cut off the bottom so that it's flat and most of the woody stem is removed, being careful not to cut off so much that it falls apart. Be sure the head stays intact.
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In a small bowl, make the garlic Parmesan sauce. Stir together the olive oil, minced garlic, 2 tablespoons (28.3 grams) grated Parmesan (half of the total amount), basil, parsley, thyme, sea salt, and black pepper.
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Place the trimmed cauliflower head upside down (core side up) onto a 6-quart (5.6 liters) dutch oven. Drizzle 1/2 of the sauce over the cauliflower, tilting it to let it drip down the core and all around. Flip over and drizzle the remaining sauce over the top. Use a pastry brush to brush on any that had dripped down to the pan or didn't spread well.
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Cover the dutch oven with a lid and bake for 35-45 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender and pierces easily with a skewer, knife or fork.
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Remove the lid. Sprinkle the top of the cauliflower with the remaining 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese. Place the cauliflower under the broiler and broil for about 5 minutes, until the cheese is browned.
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Related Easy Recipes
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/4 head of cauliflower
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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98 Comments
Nancy
0I made this recipe as directed last night. I needed a bit more sauce, perhaps my cauliflower was super big. I made it in a ceramic, not cast iron dish on which the lid wasn’t very tight so I needed more cook time. Really good flavor, I’ll definitely make this again and again.
Joan Young
0I would like to make the roasted whole cauliflower for Easter Sunday, however with everything else that I am making oven room will be tight. So my question is how can I prepare this the day before? Thank you for your help.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Joan, You can make and reheat it when you’re ready to eat. You can find more instructions on this in the post.
Marianne Burton
0I loved the sauce ingredients. My husband loves cauliflower cooked whole. As I didn’t have time to roast it, I boiled it and brushed half the sauce on while it cooked and the rest after I removed the cauliflower from the pot. It was delicious but would have been twice as tasty roasted. Next time! 🙂
Carol Collins
0This recipe has a quick prep time and easy assembly of ingredients! It came out as expected and was delicious. I will make this again!
Suzanne
0I made this for Sunday dinner and it was excellent. The whole cauliflower was eaten!
Tam
0Unless you have a cauliflower the size of your fist, it is not going to be cooked in the time allotted. We sliced off the ends and put it in for another 20 minutes. Still not soft in the center.
Heather
0I made this for the first time last night for dinner. This recipe is a definite keeper! Hubby & I enjoyed it as it was a nice change from the usual. I’ll be making it more often for sure. Thank you!
Suzen Brasile
0Wonderful flavor, so easy to prepare & it warmed up the cold kitchen.
Lisa
0So yummy! Skipped the Parmesan to make it vegan. We loved it!!!
Amy
0The whole family loved it.
Molly
0Could you do this in an air fryer?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Molly, Yes, this could be made in the air fryer, but I haven’t tried it to confirm cook time.
George
0I love this recipe. I’ve been making this on and off for at least a year. It’s a great recipe to make for your friends who think they don’t like cauliflower. The only thing I do when making mine is adding additional sauce.
Debora
0I am so glad that I found your site. I made the Roasted Cauliflower for some friends that just turned vegan and man was this dish ever a hit!! They went back for seconds very quickly. I followed exactly but did not broil at the end with parmesan cheese as I, the cook, am a fan of tasting the food with spices and oil. This will definitely be on our menu rotation. Can’t wait to check out and make other recipes.
Dawn
0. The cauliflower was cooked perfectly and seasoned perfectly, super easy to make. I highly recommend this recipe.
Tessa Harvey
0This sounds sooo good I am making it tonight thank you without the website I would never have known about this so thank you.
Leah Reynolds
0What an impressive and delicious dish! I made this at my son’t house where they have a Dutch oven, and it blew everyone’s socks off. My 5-year-old grandson particularly liked the part without the extra cheese on top. You read that right. Without. Much healthier than my old recipe with lots of mayo and cheddar and my family actually preferred it! Thanks!
Tammy
0Can I use a cast iron Dutch oven?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Tammy, As long as it has a lid, then yes.
Judith Krieger
0So delious. Will definitely make again.
Shelli Groulx
0This was absolutely delicious!!! I had run out of sea salt so skipped it, and we didn’t even miss it. Fantastic…will definitely be making this again and again!!
Laurel Hatch
0Hello, I’m going to try this whole baked Cauliflower with the Parmesan coating. It appeals to me very much. Way back in the 70’s, my mom dated a French Chef. I was 13. He made a whole Cauliflower in the oven with mustard covering half of it. What I remember is eating a lot of it and that tasted wonderful. Just yellow mustard. How primitive we must have seemed to him. We didn’t even have Dijon mustard. But in 1974 we didn’t have the exposure to variety. We were barely introduced to push button land line phones. So baking whole heads of Cauliflower is not new, but certainly traditional if you are vegetarian.
Kelly Weaver Rusk
0Delicious!! Tip: Drop more Parmesan in to char in the bottom of the Dutch oven. Yum!
Kerry
0Do you think I could use nutritional yeast instead of parm for non dairy version?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Kerry, Sure! That will work great.
Susan
0This is a super easy and tasty recipe. I put it into my monthly menu. The only tweak I made was using Herbs de Provence in place of the Basil and Thyme.
DAVIDSON GERMAINE
0What if I don’t have a dutch oven? And cooking time therefore. Thanks in advance.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Davidson, Feel free to use a baking dish and aluminum foil to cover the top of the cauliflower. The cook time will increase, I would start checking after 45 minutes, but it may need an additional 10-15 minutes in the oven to fully cook through.
Pauline
0I don’t have a dutch oven either but have recently bought an airfryer. Would that work for this please?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Pauline, Yes, an air fryer would also work.
Beth
0Five star recipe. Simple, easy and delicious. Been looking for a go to cauliflower recipe and this fits the bill. Will definitely make again soon. Thanks.
Beth
DAwn
0I found my new cauliflower recipe!! I don’t have a Dutch oven, so I cut mine into flowerets and tossed them with the garlic parmesan sauce before putting them on a sheet pan and roasting. WOW!! So yummy!!
Jamie
0This recipe was delicious and easy to make. I don’t always like cauliflower and I really enjoyed this.
Elaine
0Absolutely delicious, I coulda ate the whole head myself. Very easy to make and my family really enjoyed it. Thanks for the recipe.
Cara
0This dish is super easy and delicious! I’m making it for the 3rd time! I do double the garlic Parmesan sauce because I like a lot of sauce esp if the cauliflower is large. It’s been a hit every time!
Mary
0Love this recipe. Super easy and so tasty. Thank you!
Lisa Watkins
0Great recipe! This will be my “go to” roasted cauliflower recipe. It was easy to make this vegan. My 18 month old granddaughter loved it as well as the rest of my family.
Lori
0Hello! Thanks for the recipe. I’m just preparing it now, but don’t see a temperature for the oven. Did I miss it? Thanks again!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Lori, Please bake at 400 degrees F.
Toni Olenick
0Delicious! Perfect! Even my pickiest child LOVED this, and so did my hubby and I!
Baker Judy
0Hi Maya,
Roasting a head of cauliflower has been on my to do list for awhile. I saw your easy recipe, and decided to do it for dinner tonight. It’s tonight’s “rate a recipe.” I don’t have a Dutch oven, so put it in a deep casserole Pyrex. Unfortunately, Pyrex can’t go under the broiler. I uncovered it for 10 minutes, but the cheese really didn’t melt. Should I put this on a cookie sheet, wrapped in foil, next time? Thank you.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Judy, Use whatever you have that is safe to go under the broiler. A cookie sheet would probably work fine.
Ashley
0Where is the qualities of ingredients?
I don’t see how much just what to put in. Am I missing it?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Ashley, If you can’t see the recipe card, then your browser may be in ‘Reader Mode.’ Be sure to turn it off so you can view the full recipe.
Cynthia
0What’s your cooking suggestion if you don’t have a dutch oven? like using a cookie sheet.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Cynthia, I’d recommend a deep baking dish and then you’d want to tent it in foil instead of the dutch oven lid.
Kat
0This was SO amazing! Everyone loved it, including my one year old!
I’ll be making this again a lot. Thank you for the recipe 🙂
Tayo
0I so love this idea. I currently have a head of cauliflower in my fridge and I didn’t feel like making cauliflower rice again. I’ll definitely try this!
Whitney
0I love the herbs you used in the marinade! The flavors are so great, I usually have cauliflower as a side but this really could be a main course!
Wilhelmina
0Oh. My. Goodness. This cauliflower is fabulous! Even my cauliflower-adverse hubby was impressed!
Ashley
0We love this roasted cauliflower recipe! Will definitely be making it again.
Pam Greer
0I had never tried roasting a whole cauliflower until I saw your recipe! The sauce sounded amazing and it was! We are meat eaters, but this has become our favorite no meat dinner!
Alexandra
0I love cauliflower, so I knew I was going to love this recipe, but it was even better than expected! Such a delicious flavour.
Sara Welch
0This is the best way to enjoy cauliflower! So easy and flavorful too!
Chanah
0Can I use this sauce on cauliflower florets instead of a whole head?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Chanah, Yes, that should work for you!
Veena Azmanov
0This is so very unique , perfect and an awesome recipe. Best when my vegetarian friends are around.
Whitney
0I have never been fan of cauliflower and all the trends of substituting it for rice or pizza but roasting it whole is definitely something I would like to try. I like the use of seasonings and it looks delicious.
Colleen
0I haven’t roasted a whole cauliflower head, so I need to try this! It looks so good. Thanks for sharing.
Aline
0OMG!! I love this recipe so much!! Made it for dinner tonight and love it!!
Katie
0This is totally different than when I normally do cauliflower! But we all loved it.
Katie
0Roasting cauliflower is the only way I’ll eat it. This did not disappoint!
Christina
0This recipe is incredible! It’s become my new go-to side dish!