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Low carb cheesy cauliflower grits

A simple, delicious cauliflower grits recipe that nails down the texture of regular grits without a heavy carb count.

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Growing up in the South meant that cheese grits were a staple for morning breakfast. My dad made it a lot.We typically had it the classic way with ground corn, but as you know diabetes has changed my entire relationship with carbs.

While I do still enjoy grits from time to time, I wanted to offer up this alternative version. 

It’s made with cauliflower, which I know you’re probably rolling your eyes at this point.

I will say though, that I nailed the texture. It is creamy, has great bite, and really good flavors for a Savory dish. While cauliflower does present strong in this dish, you won’t mind it. It’s REALLY good.

cauliflower grits topped with cheddar green onion and bacon

As always I ask Bryan to try it, and he thought it was great. Is not one to lie either, you guys know he doesn’t love vegetables.

How many carbs in a serving of grits versus a serving of cauliflower grits? 

For one cup of grits alone, you’re looking at about 31 grams of carbohydrates, with less than 1 gram of fiber. 

In comparison, one cup of cauliflower rice contains 4.8 grams of total carbs, and 3.2 grams of fiber.

It’s a huge difference! You’ll feel fuller longer with the cauliflower grits and they’re SO good.

Ingredients for Low Carb Cauliflower Cheesy Grits

Low Carb Cauliflower Grits with bacon, green onions and cheese.
  • 4 slices of bacon + the reserved bacon oil
  • One head of cauliflower
  • one teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
  • half teaspoon salt
  • quarter cup of Louisiana hot sauce
  • one tablespoon of ground flax plus 3 tablespoons of water
  • 2 and 1/4 cups whole milk
  • cracked black pepper to taste
  • 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar
  • a quarter cup of chopped green onion

How to make low carb cauliflower cheesy grits

On high heat Start by frying your four slices of bacon until brown and crisp. remove bacon from pan and drain on a paper towel oh, leave the bacon oil in the pan.

Prep your head of cauliflower.  take half of your cauliflower, and add it to a blender. Puree this mixture until it looks thick and liquidy.

Add the other half of your cauliflower to your blender or food processor, and pulse it until the rest of the pieces are rice-like. Mix the two together and you should have a cauliflower puree with some texture. if it looks thick and textured (kind of chunky), you’re on the right track.

Turn off your burner

Carefully add your cauliflower to the bacon oil and stir. You’ll turn off the burner for these next few steps, so that you don’t overcook or burn your cauliflower.

Add in your granulated garlic, cayenne pepper, salt, hot sauce, ground flax and water. 

Give your mixture a stir and turn on your burner back on to low heat.

Add your whole milk a half cup at a time while continuing to stir. 

Continue to stir as the ingredients come together. You should see it thicken just a bit.

Add in your sharp cheddar cheese, and stir until the cheese has completely melted in.

Chop your bacon, and green onion to sprinkle on top of the mixture.

Enjoy!

What else can I make with cauliflower grits?

Old Bay Shrimp would be a great touch to this, you could also do a really nice steak, with these cauliflower grits as the side.

Recipe for Cheesy Cauliflower Grits

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cauliflower grits with bacon and green onion

Low carb cheesy cauliflower grits


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5 from 10 reviews

Description

Delicious and creamy cauliflower grits.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 4 slices of bacon + the reserved bacon oil
  • One head of cauliflower
  • one teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
  • half teaspoon salt
  • quarter cup of Louisiana hot sauce
  • one tablespoon of ground flax plus 3 tablespoons of water
  • 2 and 1/4 cups whole milk
  • cracked black pepper to taste
  • 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar
  • a quarter cup of chopped green onion
Instacart Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

  1. On high heat start by frying your four slices of bacon until brown and crisp. remove bacon from pan and drain on a paper towel oh, leave the bacon oil in the pan.
  2. Prep your head of cauliflower.  take half of your cauliflower, and add it to a blender. Puree this mixture until it looks thick and liquidy.
  3. Add the other half of your cauliflower to your blender or food processor, and pulse it until the rest of the pieces are rice-like. Mix the two together and you should have a cauliflower puree with some texture. if it looks thick and textured (almost a little lumpy), you’re on the right track.
  4. Turn off your burner
  5. Carefully add your cauliflower to the bacon oil and stir. You’ll turn off the burner for these next few steps, so that you don’t overcook or burn your cauliflower.
  6. Add in your granulated garlic, cayenne pepper, salt, hot sauce, ground flax and water. 
  7. Give your mixture a stir and turn on your burner to low heat.
  8. Add your whole milk a half cup at a time while continuing to stir. 
  9. Continue to stir as the ingredients come together. You should see it thicken just a bit.
  10. Add in your sharp cheddar cheese, and stir until the cheese has completely melted in.
  11. Chop your bacon, and green onion to sprinkle on top of the mixture.
  12. Enjoy!
Low Carb Cauliflower grits with cheddar and bacon | The Hangry Woman

Notes

  • If you want fewer carbs from the dairy feel free to sub for half and half. I wouldn’t go for full heavy cream, only because it will make the mixture too tight. 
  • You could also use unsweetened almond milk as your liquid, you may just need to add less, since it’s not as thick as whole milk. 
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American Southern

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cup
  • Calories: 271
  • Sugar: 7.8 g
  • Sodium: 365.6 mg
  • Fat: 18.9 g
  • Carbohydrates: 13.7 g
  • Fiber: 3.5 g
  • Protein: 13.4 g
  • Cholesterol: 43.3 mg

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10 Responses

  1. I’m not a big grits person but I made these because they looked so good! And they did not disappoint, everything about this recipe was delicious!

  2. So I must admit that I’m not normally a fan of cauliflower swaps. I like cauliflower but thought, it couldn’t be grits. Well, I was wrong. LOVE this recipe and will be making it again next Sunday for Easter brunch at home!

  3. I was so excited to try this low carb version of cheese grits! And I was not disappointed– the bacon made it so irresistible. We couldn’t stop eating it!

  4. So perfect and so so delicious! Ijust cannot have enoufh and i especially love how filling it was! Defo making this again!

  5. These cauliflower grits are so good!! I almost ate the entire pot by myself! The texture was perfect and then paired with the bacon and cheese, sooo delish!

  6. I LOVE grits and I was really skeptical about turning cauliflower into yet another thing…but this was SO GOOD. The cauliflower came out the perfect texture and there was so much flavor from the bacon. Very yummy and will make again. Thank you!

  7. One of cauliflower’s best qualities is its ability to absorb flavors. The final product was virtually identical in texture, and you were able to hide the cauliflower taste incredibly well the with rest of the ingredients. The magic touch is bacon… I mean… It’s bacon! Thanks for a great dish.

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Low carb cheesy cauliflower grits

A simple, delicious cauliflower grits recipe that nails down the texture of regular grits without a heavy carb count.
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Mila Clarke, MS, NBC-HWC

Mila Clarke is a Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, an author, self-taught cook, nutritionist and Integrative Nutrition Diabetes Health Coach, diabetes advocate and founder of Hangry Woman and The Glucose Guide App. Hangry Woman aims to take away the shame and stigma that comes with a diabetes diagnosis and covers topics like diabetes management, cooking, and self-care from the perspective of someone living with the chronic condition. Her book –– The Diabetes Food Journal –– Is one of the most sought after diabetes self-management tools for patients. Her online community – Glucose Guide – offers affordable health coaching, hundreds of diabetes-friendly recipes and community peer support. Mila has been featured by CNN, The New York Times, Eat This Not That, USA Today, Good Housekeeping and WebMD. She contributes to Healthline, The Washington Post, DiaTribe, and EatingWell Magazine. Mila lives in Houston, Texas with her Miniature Poodle, Noodle.

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