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Get It NowDid you know that you can roast a whole cauliflower head without cutting it apart? I love roasted cauliflower florets, but when I want a main or side dish that looks impressive, they don’t compare to my whole roasted cauliflower recipe. And while it makes a stunning addition to a special dinner (like Christmas or Thanksgiving — it’s one of my go-to holiday sides), it’s also easy enough to enjoy any night of the week.
Why You’ll Love My Whole Roasted Cauliflower
- Rich garlic parmesan taste – I usually prefer to roast veggies in smaller pieces for all the browning and caramelized edges, but what roasted whole cauliflower lacks in that department, it makes up for in flavor! The herby garlic parmesan sauce is totally irresistible. (But I’ve also used it for tossing broccoli and cauliflower florets, too.)
- Golden outside, tender inside – Whenever I serve this, everyone comments on the contrast of textures and how unique it is.
- Quick and easy – The prep takes just 10 minutes, and no need to babysit the dish after that! I made this recipe to pop in the oven quickly with almost no chopping, so I can prepare other dishes.
- Looks fancy without the work – A.k.a. the kind of recipe I love making. Whole cauliflower recipes instantly look more special than chopped florets, but mine is actually easier.
- Works as a side dish or a main course – I have served this as a side with meat or as a vegetarian main. Whole roasted cauliflower can do it all.
Ingredient & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for my whole roasted cauliflower recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Cauliflower – My recipe uses a medium whole head of cauliflower. If yours is large, I recommend increasing the amounts of the oil, cheese, and seasonings by 1.5X, and you’ll need to bake it for longer.
- 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 truly tastes best.
- Seasonings – I used dried basil, parsley, and thyme. You can use an equivalent amount of Italian seasoning instead to save time. If you have fresh herbs instead of dried, just triple the amount, as they are less concentrated. Spices, like paprika or onion powder, can also make nice additions.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese – It adds a nutty, tangy flavor and crisps up on the roasted whole cauliflower, almost like breadcrumbs. You can try other cheeses, such as feta, blue cheese crumbles, or shredded cheddar, but the texture of the topping will be softer.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
How To Roast A Whole Cauliflower Head
This section shows step-by-step photos together with the instructions, to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Prep the cauliflower. Roasting a head of cauliflower whole requires removing the core while leaving the head intact. It’s easy to do! Use a paring knife to remove the outer leaves. Cut off the bottom and remove some of the core, so that it’s flat. (See my video on the recipe card below to see how I do this!)
- Make the sauce. In a small bowl, stir together the olive oil, garlic, parmesan, basil, parsley, thyme, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Season the cauliflower. Place the cauliflower head upside down (core side up) in a Dutch oven (this one is the perfect size). Drizzle half of the sauce over the top of it and let it drip down the core. Turn the cauliflower over and drizzle with the remaining sauce. Use a basting brush to spread it all over. Make sure that the entire head of cauliflower is covered in sauce.
- Roast in the oven. Cover the Dutch oven with a lid and roast the head of cauliflower until fork tender. It should pierce easily with a knife or fork.
- Brown the outside. Sprinkle more parmesan cheese on top of the whole roasted cauliflower. Place under the broiler until the cheese is browned. I like to sprinkle with fresh parsley for garnish, or sometimes even extra parmesan.
My Recipe Tips
- Dry very well after washing the cauliflower. This helps ensure that the exterior roasts instead of steaming.
- Be careful not to cut too far when cutting away the core. Making whole baked cauliflower requires the head to stay intact! You want to remove the woody center, but removing too much can cause it to fall apart. See my picture above for how it should look.
- Ensure that the entire head of cauliflower gets coated in sauce. You can use a spoon to help distribute it evenly, but I prefer a basting brush.
- Here’s how to serve it: Carefully lift the cauliflower out of the Dutch oven and onto a cutting board or serving platter. I usually use two large forks and lift from underneath. Then, you can slice it into “steaks” (large circles — see a visual in my cauliflower steaks post) or cut it into thin wedges, kind of like a pie (like I do in the pictures here).
Storage Instructions
- Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It stores quite well for me, though the texture of the topping changes a bit.
- Meal prep: I like to prep the whole cauliflower head and mix the garlic parmesan sauce in advance, but store them separately.
- Reheat: Cover in foil and bake at 350 degrees F. (I recommend adding fresh parmesan on top before reheating.) The microwave works in a pinch, but the texture is best with the oven method.
- Freeze: You can freeze the roasted cauliflower head whole, or cut into slices or wedges before freezing. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Leftover ideas!
I’ve repurposed leftovers from this dish in various ways. You can blend it into my creamy cauliflower soup, turn it into a cheesy cauliflower casserole, or add it to a roasted vegetable salad for extra flavor and texture.
Serving Suggestions
Whole roasted cauliflower actually works as a main dish or a side dish! For me it’s typically a side for one of these proteins:
- Steak – For a fancier meal, you can’t go wrong with filet mignon (the one I love the most), sirloin steak (the one I make the most), or even New York strip (the one I save for company).
- Chicken – Try my chicken Cacciatore to make ahead or baked chicken legs for a simple, flavorful dinner. For a richer main dish, I love creamy Crock Pot chicken or creamy mushroom chicken with this cauliflower as a side.
- Pork – Pair your cauliflower with golden pan seared pork chops (quick and easy), cheesy stuffed pork chops (when I want something a bit different), or my tender pork tenderloin recipe.
- Seafood – Make baked cod or baked salmon (my go-to quick fish recipe) for fast weeknight options. For special meals, I love sea bass, lobster tails (my favorite date night entree), or pan seared halibut.
- More Sauces – The garlic parmesan sauce in my whole roasted cauliflower recipe is already plenty flavorful, but it does soak in, so there isn’t really any extra. You can make a double batch and save half of it for serving, or sometimes I drizzle with tahini sauce at the end.
More Whole Cauliflower Recipes
There are so many things you can do with a full head of cauliflower! While this is my only recipe for whole roasted cauliflower without chopping it up, here are some of my other easy cauliflower recipes that use an entire head:
My Favorite Pot For This Recipe
My Dutch oven creates the ultimate crisp-tender texture, and it’s the perfect size to hold a head of cauliflower. You can make this recipe in a cast iron skillet or a regular pot instead, but using a skillet would require you to boil the cauliflower first, whereas a pot just doesn’t distribute heat as evenly.
Whole Roasted Cauliflower
With a golden garlic parmesan topping, this whole roasted cauliflower head looks impressive, but it's easy to make with simple 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.
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers, or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
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.
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
114 Comments
Carrie
1Hi, Tried your recipe tonight as I daily cook for my 86 year old Mom, and at times, My daughter. We all really loved this. Even Mom who doesn’t care for cauliflower commented on how good it was! Daughter said it had a Greek Flair. I followed the recipe , but as I like to do early prep,I put the mixture in the fridge, until ready to use…..which made it thick. Added a splash more olive oil and was perfect and did not drip. I used a foil lined small pan and covered it with foil. Was perfect at 35 min.then broiled with extra Parm. Thank you for an easy, great tasting recipe for Cauliflower!
Robin
1We enjoyed this recipe. I remember the first I made it I thought my husband would not enjoy. Surprise surprise he did enjoy more than anyone. He would ask for me to make it. So today I am making it as part of dinner. It is so delicious. Thank you Maya for the delicious recipes and ideas for dinner. God bless you.
Gwen
1I took a chance buying cauliflower, a vegetable my family isn’t used to having. I followed your recipe and it came out great! I cut it in slices (which I’ve never seen done before). There were no leftovers and my family said they loved it.
Denise ward Lee
1If I could give more than 5 stars, I would as this recipe is absolutely delicious, this is going to be done on a regular basis as it’s very impressive.
Maris
0I made this recipe twice! Well because the first one failed because my cauliflower fell apart. But of course, I’m not one to easily give up lol! This time, I followed the tip to be careful when removing the core. The cauliflower turned out perfectly tender on the inside with a golden crust on the outside. And it really looked fancy!
Lisa
0This roasted cauliflower had such a unique texture! The outside was golden and crispy, while the inside was soft and tender. So good!
Jean
0My whole family really enjoyed this recipe. It’s super flavorful and hearty enough to be a good main dish when paired with a salad, or a simple side. I’ve always wanted to try a whole roasted cauliflower dish but have been a little intimidated at how to do it. Your guide was perfect and the seasonings made it delicious.
Gretchen
0I love the flavor of this recipe! This is one of my family’s favorite sides. Who would’ve thought a cauliflower could be so delicious.
Natalie Paladio
0I love a whole roasted cauliflower and this does not disappoint. Super tasty and a cinch to make.
Deena
0Instead of parmesan cheese could I use Nutritional Yeast instead? It looks so delicious and would like to give it a try.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Deena, I haven’t tried that, but I think it would work. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
ECS
0This was a delicious recipe. I had a very large cauliflower and needed to add more oil to coat properly but not a problem. I cooked for 35 minutes but I will cut that down to 30 minutes next time, because it was falling apart. Still tasted great!
Donna
0I made this for my son and his family. We all loved it. It is delicious, easy to make and keto. Perfect!
Melanie
0I like it, the sauce is very flavorful. I used fresh herbs vs dried, and I liked the way it tasted. If I make it again, I think I’ll make more sauce. The sauce doesn’t get into the cauliflower very well, and I did a much better job cutting the core out, circling the knife down in there. Definitely More sauce to hit all the parts
Amy
0This is my go-to recipe every time; it’s always a hit. Thank you!
Mary
0Hi ! Looks delicious. I don’t have a dutch oven – is there something else I could use instead?
Thanks.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Mary, You won’t get the same texture, but you can use a large pot.
Melanie
0I used an enamel roasting pan with lid. Worked fine, the texture was perfect
Elam Menta
0Double the cooking time, perhaps triple it. Wasn’t remarkable really. Cutting the cauliflower up yields better spice coverage and let’s the natural sugars caramelize and will cook in about 45 minutes.
Donna
0Best cauliflower receipe I have ever tasted.
Allison Felton
0I loved this recipe made by my kind neighbor, Nancy.
Debra Walter
0I loved this recipe. I followed just as you said and it was tender and delicious. Thank you.
Tamara Griffin
0I make this recipe regularly!! It is delicious as a side or a main dish!
Elaine
0Absolutely delicious! We will be making this frequently. Thank you.
Nicole
0I did an oopsie and added all the parmesan so I didn’t broil at the end but the flavor is fantastic!! I’ll be making this a lot.
Louise O'Sullivan
0I have never roasted a whole cauliflower before. It was a great success. Will try this again maybe for when company is coming!
Brianna S
0I’m obsessed with this recipe!
Pauline Ungless
0I’ve tried roasting a whole cauliflower before and it was very bland and way overcooked, I followed the recipe to the letter. This one looks so good I’m going to try it tonight, I’ve only got a small head so I’ll really keep an eye on how fast it cooks. I really like the way the seasoning is put on the underside of the cauliflower and on top so the flavour will go right through. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Cherie Board
0I have made this many times! Even my 8 year old grandchild likes it! Very east and very good!
Leslie
0So tasty! I am a cheese lover so I added more parmesan after I sliced and plated.
R
0I made it for supper this evening, it was good! We found it a little bland, but still tasty and no complaints, I would make it again, first I will try it again with less Olive oil in the coating sauce. By the middle of cooking, most of the sauce was in the bottom of the pot, taking the flavour with it. I’m thinking I may keep the spice as is, I’m thinking the olive oil with the moisture from the cauliflower in a closed pot, created a “slide” for the spices to slide off. I will try “basting” first and if all else fails, I might add a little more savory flavour! I would also like to try or a bit of mild hot spice, I’m thinking “smoked paprika” or “cajun spices”. Additionally, I took the lid off about 15 minutes before the time was up, to lightly “brown” the top a bit, I should have tried basting at that point. Right now, I’m looking towards 4 more tries, with possible slight variations.
karyn
0Absolutely love this! Picky non-keto hubby ate it and said we should make it again. Thank you for another great recipe.
Shawna
0Do you know if I can cover it with foil only?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Shawna, I have never tried that method.
Bryan
0As I was reading the recipe it occurred to me that a possible improvement would be to halve the cauliflower veggie baking and bake it with the cut sides down. That would give you a bit of seasoning and browning on what would otherwise be the unseasoned inside of the head. I haven’t tried it yet but am planning to later today.
Coleen
0We made this as a Thanksgiving side dish. It was DELICIOUS!
Marlene
0I’m trying this for the first time tonight. I’ve roasted a whole cauliflower before, but boiled it in chicken broth and then baked it covered in melted butter, a little of the chicken broth, and thyme. I found out this past week that my triglycerides are high, so when I found this recipe instead of the one I’d been using, I thought I’d try it. It sounds healthier. I loved the other recipe, but this one is easier without boiling first, so it is easier, dirties fewer dishes, and is still very good. Only 2 of us in the house eat it, but I’ve eaten half of it and told my daughter-in-law that if she wants to finish off the last quarter, then I don’t have to make room in the fridge for it. LOL. She liked it, also.
Kim
0I don’t have a Dutch oven. Anything else I can do?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Kim, You won’t get the same texture, but you can use a large pot.
Journa
0Never thought I can successfully roast a whole cauliflower! It turned out to be so good a crowd-favorite! I’ll surely make this again, thanks Maya for this amazing recipe!
Stef
0I made this fabulous recipe for a dinner party and it was a hit all around! Thank you!
Glenda
0This was delicious! I had never roasted an entire head of cauliflower before and now I can’t imagine doing it any other way. Thanks for sharing!
MaryAlice Dunn
0Excellent recipe! Easy to follow directions. The Roasted Cauliflower head was so tender and very tasty. I will make this often.
R Ellison
0Oven TEMPERATURE????
Very important. I checked several times …did NOT see it
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0The temperature is on the recipe card, right above where you left this comment. It’s 400 degrees F.
Angela
0Amazing! I changed up the spice profile to cayenne and smoked paprika. It was phenomenal, this will be my go to from now on.
Deborah Love-Hawke
0This is the best whole cauliflower recipe we’ve found. Agree with other reviewers that you need to make more sauce, but overall delicious. After a recent heart event, we are trying more veg meals for the whole family. This one’s a keeper!
Cherie
0I have made this many times! It’s our go to for cauliflower! It’s easy and SO tasty! I have leftovers, and it’s easy to reheat!
Maryanne V.
0This was delicious. Followed the recipe except I added an extra tablespoon of parmesan by accident. Thank you for a great recipe I’ll be making weekly.
Christine
0I can’t believe I got this recipe right the first time! Just love it. Cauliflower had perfect texture and the parmesan was extra nice.. I did reduce the amount of herbs to about one tablespoon. I added extra 1/4 cup olive oil. I cooked it 5 minutes longer— a high altitude–and broiled it for 3 minutes instead of 5.. Really nice presentation.