Low-Carb Broccoli Cheese Gratin

Broccoli gratin takes me back to my childhood, when mum used to slather our vegetables in a cheesy sauce to make them more appealing to our fussy palates. Now as an adult I love broccoli, but I still enjoy this dish and its memories of childhood.

The star of this dish is the thick, rich cheesy sauce which would be great in any vegetable bake. Xanthan gum is used to thicken, and while it won't be obvious at first, you will notice the sauce come together and start to thicken nicely as you add the rest of the ingredients.

I like to bake my gratins in a flatter baking dish so that there are more edges with golden, crispy cheese — the best parts — however you could also make this in a deeper casserole dish if you prefer.

You can serve this low-carb broccoli gratin as a side dish or main dish. Depending on the meal you serve this broccoli gratin recipe with, it makes 4 to 8 sides, or 2 to 3 vegetarian keto mains. Nutrition facts are calculated per 4 servings.

Step-by-step

1. Preheat your oven to 200 °C/ 400 °F (conventional), or 180 °C/ 355 °F (fan assisted). Steam or boil the broccoli just enough so that it is still crunchy on the inside. Drain well and place into an oiled casserole dish.

   

2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the xanthan gum, stirring constantly. Note that the butter will start to foam a little, but wont yet start to thicken.

   

3. Still whisking, add the garlic powder, cream cheese and ¹/₃ of the almond milk and stir to combine, then gradually add the rest of the milk and continue to whisk until you have a smooth sauce.

   

4. Remove from heat and stir through ¹/₃ of the cheddar cheese. Pour the sauce over the broccoli, and gently stir through. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.

   

5. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until the cheese is melted and browned. Serve immediately or let it cool down and store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

   

Recipe

Low-Carb Broccoli Cheese Gratin

★★★★★4.8 (75 ratings)

This easy one-pot recipe made with broccoli and cheese is great as a low-carb side or vegetarian keto dinner.

Hands on

15m

Overall

50m

Servings

4

6.7 g

Net carbs

11.5 g

Protein

21.9 g

Fat

263

kcal

1 serving2 servings3 servings4 servings5 servings6 servings7 servings8 servings9 servings10 servings11 servings12 servings16 servings

US + metricMetricUS

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Ingredients makes 4 side servings

• 1 large broccoli (450 g/ 1 lb)
• ¹/₂ tsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter (28 g/ 1 oz)
• ¹/₄ tsp xanthan gum or glucomannan powder
• ¹/₃ cup cream cheese, room temperature (80 g/ 2.8 oz)
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (240 ml/ 8 fl oz)
• ¹/₂ tsp sea salt, or to taste
• ¹/₂ tsp ground black pepper, or to taste
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese, grated (113 g/ 4 oz)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 200 °C/ 400 °F (conventional), or 180 °C/ 355 °F (fan assisted). Steam or boil the broccoli just enough so that it is still crunchy on the inside. Drain well and place into an oiled casserole dish.

2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the xanthan gum, stirring constantly. Note that the butter will start to foam a little, but wont yet start to thicken.

3. Still whisking, add the garlic powder, cream cheese and ¹/₃ of the almond milk and stir to combine, then gradually add the rest of the milk and continue to whisk until you have a smooth sauce.

4. Remove from heat and stir through ¹/₃ of the cheddar cheese. Pour the sauce over the broccoli, and gently stir through. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.

5. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until the cheese is melted and browned. Serve immediately or let it cool down and store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Nutrition per serving

Carbs 10%Protein 17%Fat 73% of calories

Net carbs

6.7 g

Total carbs

10 g

Fiber

3.4 g

Sugars

2.8 g

Protein

11.5 g

Fat

21.9 g

Saturated fat

12.6 g

Calories

263 kcal

Sodium

602 mg · 26.2% RDA

Magnesium

40 mg · 10% RDA

Potassium

501 mg · 25.1% EMR

Nutrition by ingredient

Per serving	Net carbs	Protein	Fat	kcal
Broccoli, broccolini, fresh	4.5 g	3.2 g	0.4 g	38
Garlic powder, spices	0.2 g	0.1 g	0 g	1
Butter, unsalted, grass-fed	0 g	0.1 g	5.8 g	51
Xanthan gum, thickening agent	0 g	0 g	0 g	1
Cream cheese, soft (full-fat)	0.6 g	1.4 g	5.6 g	49
Almond milk natural (unsweetened)	0.2 g	0.3 g	0.7 g	8
Salt, sea salt	0 g	0 g	0 g	0
Pepper, black, spices	0.1 g	0 g	0 g	1
Cheddar cheese	0.9 g	6.5 g	9.4 g	114
Total	6.7 g	11.5 g	21.9 g	263

• Gluten free
• Egg free
• Nightshade free
• Pork free
• Avocado free
• Coconut free
• Fish free
• Shellfish free
• Pescatarian
• Vegetarian