Eggs Benedict is a popular recipe for breakfast or brunch. Now, you can enjoy this classic meal even when on a low carb, keto or gluten free diet. This recipe is made up of cauliflower toast, ham and perfectly poached eggs topped with rich and creamy, homemade Hollandaise Sauce.
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Eggs Benedict is one of my favorite meals to order when I go out to a nice breakfast or brunch. Unfortunately, I have yet to come across a keto-friendly Eggs Benedict while dining out, so I decided to make one for myself.
I’m not a huge fan of any of the keto breads that I have tried so far, so in this recipe I use cauliflower “toast” as the base, then top them with a slice of ham, a beautifully poached egg and a super easy Hollandaise Sauce that you can make in just minutes using your blender.!
It may sound complicated because Eggs Benedict tends to have a reputation of being a bit fancier, but it’s actually really easy!
Why This Recipe Works
In this recipe, traditional English muffins are replaced with cauliflower “toasts” as the base. The cauliflower toast is actually the same recipe as Cauliflower Hash Browns. It is low carb, keto friendly and gluten free.
The toasts are made up of riced cauliflower, cheese and seasonings and the flavor blends perfectly with the ham, eggs and sauce.
Keto Eggs Benedict makes for an impressive Easter or Mother’s Day brunch, yet it’s actually very easy to make.
This recipe is also a great way to use up some of the leftover ham you might have after a big family or holiday dinner.
How to Make Keto Eggs Benedict
Ingredients
- Cauliflower toasts made with riced cauliflower, cheese and spices.
- Ham. We use pre-cooked, smoked ham and cut it into pieces to fit nicely on top of the toasts, but you can also use Canadian bacon.
- Poached eggs.
- Hollandaise sauce made quickly and easily using a blender. This from-scratch recipe is made with just a handful of ingredients – egg yolks, butter, lemon juice and salt. It’s creamy, buttery and downright addicting.
The entire recipe and instructions can also be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. You can also print the recipe from the card, if needed.
Prep!
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat mat if you have one, or parchment paper.
Rice the cauliflower and shred the cheese. You can reference this post on How to Rice Cauliflower, if needed.
Chef’s Tip: use fresh cauliflower for the best results. You can sometimes find riced cauliflower in the produce section of the grocery store.
Chef’s Tip: it is always recommended to shred the cheese from a block rather than using pre-shredded bagged cheese that contains additional starches and doesn’t melt as nicely.
Create!
** Keep in mind that you will be making the other parts of this recipe while the cauliflower toasts are baking.
Make the Cauliflower Toasts First
Place the riced cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, leaving one edge partially open to vent. Cook on high for 6 minutes.
Dump out the riced cauliflower onto a kitchen towel and let it cool to the point you can handle it without it burning.
Once cool, wrap the towel around the cauliflower and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Place the cauliflower back into the bowl.
Add the cheese, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika and egg. Mix well to thoroughly combine.
Form the mixture into 8 evenly sized patties on a baking sheet. You can shape them anyway that you like.
Bake for 15 minutes, flip, then bake another 5 minutes or until golden brown.
While the cauliflower toast is baking, make the Hollandaise Sauce.
Melt the butter in 20 second increments in the microwave or in small saucepan over medium heat until very hot and foamy.
Add the egg yolks, lemon juice and salt to a blender and turn onto high.
Drizzle the melted butter in through the flap on the blender lid until it’s well combined and starts to thicken.
Turn off the blender and transfer the sauce to a bowl. Keep warm.
While the cauliflower toasts are still baking, slice the ham.
Bring a saucepan filled about halfway with water and the distilled vinegar to a simmer. Crack each egg into a bowl, then gently slide it into the simmering water. Cover, turn off the heat, and allow to sit for 4-5 minutes.
Chef’s Tip: be sure to let the water come back to a simmer between batches.
Gently spoon each egg out of the hot water and place onto the ham slices.
Present!
Top with as much Hollandaise sauce as you’d like and fresh parsley, if desired.
Cut into the poached egg and enjoy.
Tips and Techniques
- Use fresh cauliflower for the best results. Some grocery stores now carry riced cauliflower in the produce section.
- Shred the cheese from a block rather than using pre-shredded cheese which doesn’t melt as well due to the added starch.
- You can make the cauliflower toasts up to 3 days ahead of time. Reheat them in the oven just before you need them.
FAQ’s
Is Eggs Benedict Keto Friendly?
Classic Eggs Benedict is made using English muffins and would therefore not be keto-friendly. This version on cauliflower toast is in fact keto-friendly with only 8 net carbs per serving.
Can Eggs Benedict Be Made Ahead of Time?
Not entirely. Hollandaise sauce is best used the day it is prepared and you will also need to prepare the poached eggs right when you need them.
Leftover ham can be used and the cauliflower toasts can be made ahead of time and reheated in the oven just before you need it.
More Keto Breakfast Recipes
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Keto Eggs Benedict (on Cauliflower Toast)
Ingredients
Cauliflower Toast
- 5 cups riced cauliflower
- 4 ounces cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 egg
Hollandaise Sauce
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/2 lemon (juiced, about 1 tablespoon)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
Ham
- 8 ounces cooked ham (or Canadian bacon)
Poached Eggs
- 8 eggs
- 1 tablespoon distilled vinegar
- fresh parsley (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
Cauliflower Toast
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat mat if you have one.
- Place the riced cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, leaving one edge slightly open to vent. Cook on high for 6 minutes.
- Dump out the riced cauliflower onto a kitchen towel and let it cool to the point you can handle it without it burning.
- Once cool, wrap the towel around the vegetables and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Place the cauliflower back into the bowl.
- Add the cheese, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika and egg. Mix well to thoroughly combine.
- Form the mixture into 8 evenly sized patties on a baking sheet. You can shape them anyway that you like.
- Bake for 15 minutes, flip, then bake another 5 minutes or until golden brown.
Hollandaise Sauce
- Melt the butter in 20 second increments in the microwave or in small saucepan over medium heat until very hot and foamy.
- Add the egg yolks, lemon juice, and salt to a blender and turn onto high.
- Drizzle the melted butter in through the flap on the blender lid until it's well combined and starts to thicken, about 60-90 seconds.
- Turn off the blender and transfer the sauce to a bowl.
Ham
- While the cauliflower toasts are still baking, slice the ham.
Poached Eggs
- Once the cauliflower toasts are done baking, place 2 on each plate and top with a piece of the ham.
- Bring a saucepan filled about halfway with water and the distilled vinegar to a simmer.
- Crack each egg into a bowl, then gently slide it into the simmering water.
- Cover, turn off the heat, and allow to sit for 4-5 minutes.
- Gently spoon each egg out of the hot water and place onto the ham slices.
- Top with as much Hollandaise sauce as you'd like and fresh parsley, if desired.
Notes
Tips and Techniques
- Use fresh cauliflower for the best results. Some grocery stores now carry riced cauliflower in the produce section.
- Shred the cheese from a block rather than using pre-shredded cheese which doesn’t melt as well due to the added starch.
- If you need to poach your eggs in batches, be sure to bring the water back up to a simmer before adding more eggs.
- You can make the cauliflower toasts up to 3 days ahead of time. Reheat them in the oven just before you need them.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on April 15, 2019. It was updated with more thorough step-by-step instructions, tips, techniques, FAQ’s and video in February 2021.
Alexandra says
I probably shouldn’t have read this delicious post on an empty stomach – it sounds SO good. This will be on a regular rotation in our household I am sure.
Deanne says
I love this idea! Saving it for a perfect weekend breakfast!
Luci’s Morsels says
I love leftover ham too. I’d be devastated if there weren’t leftovers! And I love the addition of the cauliflower toast. I always struggle to get enough veggies in classic breakfast dishes!
Mikayla says
Those eggs are perfectly poached! This looks delicious, I have to try cauliflower like this!
Sophia says
What a great idea! This looks so delicious and it’s perfect for a low carb diet. Yum!