These Gluten-Free Mini Cauliflower Muffins are so flavorful. They may not be what you think of as real muffins. They’re more like mini soufflé-style muffins. Not having the slightest bit of flour or baking powder, these little gems ROCK! Every bite has you wanting more.

This recipe’s star ingredient is the cauliflower. The extra depth of flavor in these gluten-free muffins comes from the liberally spiced roasted cauliflower. Finished with a dollop of Cream Cheese with Chives, my Gluten-Free Mini Cauliflower Muffins are a great addition to your brunch buffet.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes (includes the roasting time for the cauliflower)
Inactive Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Yields: 24 mini muffins
Equipment: 1 (10-cup) food processor, 2 (12-cup) mini muffin pans, 2 rimmed baking sheet pans, rubber spatula, stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a hand-held electric mixer, piping bag with a round tip, large mixing bowl

Ingredients for the Gluten-free Mini Cauliflower Muffins:
1 head of cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into bite-size florets (about 8 cups)
1 Fresno chili, roasted, seeded, and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon of chili powder
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1/3 cup of Greek yogurt, full-fat (substitute low-fat)
1/4 cup of fresh store-bought basil pesto (found in the refrigerated section)
1/2 cup of shredded Colby Jack cheese
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 egg whites, room temperature
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, freshly-ground

Cream Cheese with Chives Topping: (optional)
1 (8-ounce) bar of cream cheese, room temperature (softened)
3 tablespoons of fresh chives, finely minced

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Cut up a head of cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Spread them out on a sheet pan. Toss the cauliflower with olive oil, kosher salt, freshly-ground black pepper, cumin, and chili powder. Make sure all the florets are well coated. Add one whole Fresno chili to roast alongside the cauliflower. Roast for 20-25 minutes until the cauliflower is golden and tender. Remove the Fresno chili and set it aside.

Reduce the oven temperature to 400°F.

Do not overfill the food processor.
In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, add half the roasted cauliflower and half the chopped Fresno chili and garlic, pulse until smooth, no big pieces. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining roasted cauliflower florets, Fresno chili, and garlic, and process. Add to the rest of the cauliflower mixture.

The color and flavors are awesome, thanks to the Fresno chili and spices.

In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, full-fat Greek yogurt, basil pesto, Kosher salt, and black pepper, and mix to combine. Add the shredded Colby Jack cheese and stir again to combine. Finally, add the cauliflower mixture and combine.

In a small bowl, add two room-temperature egg whites. Whisk the whites until frothy. Add 1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar. Continue whisking until the egg whites reach the stiff peak stage. Refer to pictures.

Next, add the beaten egg whites slowly to the cauliflower mixture. Using a spatula, fold in the egg whites until just combined. Do not overmix. Spray the mini muffin tin pans well with non-stick cooking spray. Fill the muffin tins to the top with the cauliflower mixture.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the muffins from the pan and set them on cooling racks. Allow the muffins to come to room temperature for about 20 minutes.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add softened cream cheese and chives. Mix until combined. Transfer to a piping bag and set aside.

Once the muffins have cooled, arrange them on serving plates before piping on the cream cheese with chives.

There you have it, my Gluten-Free Mini Cauliflower Muffins.

Note:
1) Make sure the bowl for mixing the egg whites is completely dry.

2) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through a preferred online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.

https://lindalouhamel.com/2019/07/10/summer-time-flowers-and-herbs/