Air Fryer Cauliflower Pancakes

Air fryer cauliflower pancakes or fritters can be made in a Ninja Foodi or pan fried on the stovetop. Low carb Keto side dish or breakfast idea we love.

Cauliflower Fritters

Call them what you wish really. If you have made mashed cauliflower before you already have the general idea down pat already. These have a crispy crunchy texture on the outside though which is way better if you ask me.

You could use your leftovers though to make these. I hate wasting food so if you’re anything like me you’ll love that idea. Pan fried or made in your Cosori or Ninja Foodi they turn out delicious.

Yes air fryer cauliflower is amazing, we make it often. When you want something a bit different though you can add all sorts of goodies into these. I mean, love bacon bits, add some into this mixture and fry those babies up! Please don’t deep fry them though, I just am so not into submerging my food in oil, just a spray will do here.

Air Fryer Cauliflower Pancakes

Let’s focus on my favorite appliance first shall we. I mean I am sure you can figure out how these are made in a pan with a bit of olive oil, that’s self explanatory. BUT if you love making easy Ninja Foodi recipes like I do these are the bomb.com I tell you.

Are Trader Joe’s cauliflower pancakes healthy?

Versus the batter type, yes, and they’re gluten free. Of course, homemade is always better and the healthiest choice. You can make these taste surprisingly similar to Trader Joe’s cauliflower pancakes in the air fryer, and you don’t have to trudge to the store to get them either.

This is one cheap vegetable let me tell you. We live in a smaller town where produce is NOT inexpensive, but this is one thing that stays consistently reasonable and I can get it year round. Isn’t always the case with more unusual air fryer vegetables let me tell you.

Cheesy Cauliflower Pancakes

You could easily add some cheddar cheese into this mix. OR melt some on the top at the very end, inside is yummier though. Leave it out if you need a dairy free option or make half and half depending on whom you’re serving.

To break it down really easily just throw your florets into a food processor. If you don’t have one or would use it often just grab a small one you can pull out and cleans easily in your dishwasher. Some mixers or blenders will have an attachment for this as well.

Whisk all the other ingredients together in a bowl and then combine this fine mix into it so you have a batter of sorts. It should be a bit like playdough.

Pick up a ball and flatten it a bit. If it is too wet then add 1 Tbsp of almond or all purpose flour to bind it a bit better. You don’t want it falling apart in your pan or air fryer basket.

Can you make cauliflower pancakes with frozen cauliflower rice?

You could! If you didn’t have fresh produce on hand you could grab a bag of cauliflower rice. If it is frozen you would want to allow it to thaw. In this case you wouldn’t need a food processor to break up the florets. Then follow the recipe instructions below adding flour, eggs, onion and parmesan to form into fritters or pancakes to cook.

These are great because you can use what you like and omit what don’t make your taste buds happy. Following a low sodium diet, no problem because you can leave that out or use Mrs. Dash salt free seasoning instead. Love adding air fryer roasted garlic to all the things, add some of that into your “dough”. And if you’re craving something a little different, try adding cauliflower rice fritters for a tasty twist! These are the ingredients we used, and they worked well for this batch:

Healthy Cauliflower Fritters Ingredients

1. Whole head of cauliflower
2. Almond flour, or all purpose works if that is all you have and works as a 1:1 ratio if substituted
3. Diced onions are optional but we love them
4. 2 large eggs will bind everything together
5. Salt and pepper are basic seasonings
6. Parmesan cheese is great but optional of course
7. Parsley is optional but adds a bit of color
8. Garlic powder and/or any other seasonings of your choice
9. Large skillet or machine to air fry

From there you could add 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro if you wanted, some bacon bits, green onions, a bit of shredded cheese….. Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top, a bit of copycat Qdoba salsa verde, whatever you like.

If you are trying to watch your carbs and regular air fryer pancakes aren’t on the list of okays, then this will be a hit in your tummy. There is a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here is a quick look at how you make them;

How to Make Air Fryer Cauliflower Fritters

• Chop your head of cauliflower into smaller florets. Put into a food processor and pulse until it is Ninja Foodi rice consistency.
• Empty on to a tea towel or a few folded paper towels. Press down to absorb as much water as possible.
• Pour into a bowl. In a pan on your stovetop cook onions with salt and olive oil until they start to turn clear. Add cauliflower. Cook together until softened.
• Whisk eggs in a bowl, add parmesan, flour, parsley and garlic powder. Add riced cauliflower into this bowl and stir to combine together.
  • Scoop up into small balls and flatten with palms.
  • If too wet add 1 more tbsp flour and stir again until it is the right consistency to bind together.

How long do you cook cauliflower pancakes in a pan?

You’re looking at 5-6 minutes over medium high heat On your stovetop – Pour about 1 tbsp olive oil into a skillet over medium heat and scoop up “dough” into your hands. Flatten into a pancake shape and fry for about 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown.

How long do you cook cauliflower pancakes in an air fryer?

6 minutes or so In your Air fryer – Preheat machine to 380 degrees F for 5 minutes. Flatten patties in your hand. Spray inside of air fryer basket with olive oil spray and lay patties inside without overlapping. Spray tops with olive oil spray and cook similar to our air fryer potato pancakes for about 3 minutes on each side. Spray other side when flipped over.

Remove when they are as browned on both sides as you’d like, leaving the insides tender and soft like mashed potato cakes. My family loves these as a savory breakfast or dinner side dish.

Will this recipe for vegetable fritters freeze well?

I don’t think vegetable pancakes freeze very well because when they defrost they will begin to break apart. The texture will be somewhat unappealing so I wouldn’t recommend doing that.

Another idea: You can use this same mixture but these instructions for air fryer mashed potato balls or cauliflower potato pancakes. Add a bit of breadcrumbs to the outside to create a bit of a crispy crunch. They turn out as hand held bites of goodness stuffed with cheese or left plain.

They will look a bit like our air fryer zucchini fritters when they are done. Love that veggie too? You should make them too and get your kids to love vegetables! If it is fun and they are able to pick it up like finger food you’re more likely to have a win and smile from them.

Want to try this with an Indian twist? Our Instant Pot cauliflower curry is great as a vegetarian dish or side dish.