This easy cauliflower creamed corn uses our Magic Cauliflower Cream for a healthy swap! Vegan and dairy-free.

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Creamed corn topped with fresh thyme sprigs in a white bowl.

We’re making creamed corn from scratch today and featuring our favorite meal prep BFF: Magic Cauliflower Cream!

Wooden spoon stirring corn and onions in a skillet.

QUICK RECAP: WHAT’S MAGIC CAULIFLOWER CREAM?

Magic Cauliflower Cream is our favorite (and meal prep friendly!) cauliflower + vegetable broth purée. It has a similar texture to milk or cream-based sauces (kind of like a béchamel). We’ve been swapping it for milk, heavy cream, and other dairy in our favorite recipes (like this Creamed Corn, Mac and Cheese, or Mashed Potatoes!)

Measuring cup pouring cauliflower purée into a skillet full of corn kernels.

Is this creamed corn vegan? Dairy free? Gluten free?

Yes, yes, and YES! Because we’re swapping in our favorite Magic Cauliflower Cream, this creamed corn recipe is made without a butter and flour roux and without milk or cream. That means it’s naturally dairy-free, gluten-free, AND vegan (hip hooray!)

Wooden spoon stirring cauliflower purée into a skillet with sweet corn.

This creamed corn recipe comes together in fifteen minutes flat if you have some Magic Cauliflower Cream in the fridge or freezer (and if you need to whip up a fresh batch, it’s still ready in well under an hour!)

It’s also ultra-forgiving, so feel free to make your own substitutions and additions. We love mixing up the herbs, adding garlic, dialing the cauliflower cream up or down for different textures, and adding fresh veggies like bell peppers or green chiles (and if you’re not vegan or dairy-free, you can certainly stir in a splash of cream or a bit of butter!)

Use fresh, frozen, or canned corn for this recipe (just plan to extend the cooking time by a few minutes if you’re starting with frozen corn!)

We kept this creamed corn on the thicker side (personal preference!) but you can increase the cauliflower cream or vegetable stock if you like a thinner sauce.

Creamed corn in a shallow white bowl with two spoons and a green napkin on the side.

VIDEO: How to make cauliflower creamed corn!

Cauliflower Creamed Corn

Author: Jessie
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
Category: Side Dish
Cuisine: American

Print Recipe

Description

This easy cauliflower creamed corn uses our Magic Cauliflower Cream for a healthy swap! Vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free.

Ingredients

Scale

1 Tablespoon olive oil
½ medium yellow onion, diced (about ⅔ cup)
½ teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
3 ½ cups corn kernels (see recipe notes)
1 ½ cups Magic Cauliflower Cream
½ cup vegetable stock
Fresh thyme sprigs (optional), for garnish

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
Add thyme, salt, and pepper to skillet and stir to combine.
Add corn kernels to skillet and stir to combine.
Add cauliflower cream and vegetable stock to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower cream has reached a low simmer and corn is warmed through.
Taste and add additional salt or pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs (optional) and serve immediately.

Notes

What is Magic Cauliflower Cream? Cauliflower Cream is our favorite lightened-up (and meal prep friendly!) substitution for a traditional béchamel sauce (a milk or cream sauce thickened with a flour-and-butter roux). Find the full recipe here! (In a nutshell, cook 1 pound of chopped cauliflower with 1 and ½ cups of vegetable stock until cauliflower is ultra-soft, then blend well to make a smooth “cream”).

Substitutions and Additions. This creamed corn recipe is very forgiving – don’t be afraid to doctor it up! Switch up the herbs, dial up the heat with a dash of cayenne pepper or paprika, add extra cauli cream or veggie stock for a looser sauce, or toss in your favorite veggies. We love adding diced bell peppers, jalapeño or green chiles, or (if you aren’t vegan) a little cheese or a splash of cream or butter.

If you prefer to use fresh thyme, we recommend using 1 Tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves.

Use any kind of corn you like! This recipe works well with fresh corn cut off the cob, canned corn or frozen corn. If using frozen corn, thaw before using or increase the cook time by 2-3 minutes. For extra flavor, use grilled corn!

How to adapt for a Crock Pot or Slow Cooker: This sauce comes together in just a few minutes on the stovetop, but if you’d prefer, it’s easy to make in a slow cooker (we like this one!)! We recommend sautéing the onions in a skillet as directed first (you can skip this step if you need to, but the flavor and texture is much better when the onions are sautéed!) and then adding them along with the rest of the ingredients to your slow cooker. Stir to combine and cook on low for 2-3 hours or until you’re ready to eat! You may need to add an extra splash of liquid with this method – just keep an eye on it and adjust as needed!

Equipment. We like using a good nonstick skillet or a cast iron skillet here.

Keywords: vegan, cauliflower, healthy