This keto cauliflower mash is better than mashed potatoes. Change my mind. Just kidding – you can’t. A bold claim, but I stand behind it. And believe me, nobody is more surprised than I am at how delicious this low carb cheesy cauliflower puree is!
If you’ve tried keto cauliflower mash or cauliflower puree before and found it lacking, I totally feel your pain!
I’be been on various low carb diets since the 90’s (1990’s – I’m not THAT old), and had heard many people tout mashed cauliflower as an acceptable substitute for mashed potatoes. I’d tried it a few times and always…..meh, not so great.
I think part of the problem for me is that keto cauliflower purees always seem too watery and don’t have that true starchy mouth feel of real potatoes. I had long ago put mashed cauliflower in the category of “better than nothing but nowhere near as good as mashed potatoes.”
Steaming or boiling the cauliflower always ends up in a watery, greyish, flavorless mess. If that’s been your experience, then I’m excited to introduce you to this keto cauliflower mash recipe – where I solved the problem by microwaving the cauliflower uncovered, which concentrates the flavors and also allows a lot of the liquid to evaporate while cooking, leaving you with a much thicker end result.
In addition to the consistency issue, my other problem with low carb cauliflower mash recipes has always been the funky, skunky flavor natural to cauliflower. The addition of a strong Irish cheddar cheese made all the difference! It embraced the funk and transformed it into a complex flavor that I couldn’t get enough of!
The naturally sweet flavor of the cooked cauliflower paired with the extra sharp cheddar in this cauliflower puree made regular mashed potatoes seem boring and one note by comparison. And I’m a person who loves mashed potatoes!
If you’re on the fence, and are worried about being disappointed yet again by another keto mashed cauliflower recipe claiming to replace mashed potatoes, then I implore you to scroll down and the read the comments of all the people who were skeptical at first, but had their minds blown when they gave this cauliflower puree recipe a try.
Then be sure to let us know what you think!
Tips for Making the Best Cauliflower Puree
Be sure to watch the recipe video in this post to see how we do it, and how easy it is – even when making smallish batches.
First, try to choose a head of cauliflower that feels heavy, and has tightly packed florets. If the head is loose and there is a lot of visible stem, you will likely end up with a grainy cauliflower mash from the thick membrane on the outer stem. If using stems and they seem thick, peel them with a paring knife to get that membrane off and you will be rewarded with the creamiest cauliflower puree of your life.
Second, be sure to trim your cauliflower into pieces that are no more than 2 inches in size. If you cook the cauliflower and there are some tiny pieces and some huge pieces, you will inevitably be left with some that are overcooked and shriveled, as well as some cauliflower pieces that are left raw in the middle – that will also result in a grainy puree.
If you can’t get Irish cheddar, a decent brand of extra sharp grocery store cheddar (like cabot or Cracker Barrel) will do – but don’t use the cheapest brand, or anything pre-shredded, or you won’t get nearly enough flavor to balance out your cauliflower mash.
Which Appliance Works the Best
If you read through the comments you’ll find that people did not have great results with blending this cauliflower mash in a food processor. If it’s what you’ve got, then it’s better than nothing, but you’ll find that it will not produce a creamy, smooth cauliflower mash – it’s just not built for that.
My favorite way to make this cheesy cauliflower mash is in my Nutribullet because I can easily shake up the cup to redistribute the cauliflower pieces while blending.
When making larger batches, I have made it in my trusty Blendtec blender (and back in the day my Vitamix) with good results, but it can be annoying to have to remove the lid multiple times to stir the mixture with a spatula to get it to blend. Since we are looking for a nice, thick consistency to our cauliflower mash, we don’t want to add more liquid to make it blend too easily or it will be a very loose puree.
So for that reason my favorite appliance for making this recipe is the NutriBullet, or some other kind of bullet style blender.
More Delicious Cauliflower Mash Recipes
- Bacon & Smoked Gouda Cauliflower Puree
- Cheddar Leek Cauliflower Mash
- Garlic and Chive Cauliflower Mash (Dairy free and SCKC friendly)
- Jalapeno Popper Cauliflower Mash Casserole
- Pepperoni Pizza Cauliflower Mash Casserole
Now you’ve got all of your keto side dishes covered, but if you’re in need of more keto dinner ideas to serve with this cauliflower mash, check out this post of keto dinner recipes next!
Cheesy Cauliflower Mash – Keto, low carb
- Total Time: 17 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Diet: Diabetic
Description
This Keto Cheesy Cauliflower Puree is so thick, creamy, and delicious, you’ll never miss mashed potatoes again!
Ingredients
- 1 large head of cauliflower
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 ounces Dubliner Irish Cheddar or other sharp cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Clean and trim the cauliflower, breaking it into medium sized pieces.
- Place in a microwave safe bowl with the cream and butter.
- Microwave, uncovered, on high for six minutes.
- Add the garlic powder and stir to coat cauliflower with cream/butter mixture. Microwave for another six minutes on high.
- Check that your biggest florets are fork tender, if still hard, microwave another 5 minutes.
- Remove from the microwave and spoon the cooked cauliflower and any liquid into a magic bullet or high speed blender.
- Add the cheese and puree until smooth.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Keto Side dish
- Method: microwave
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 148
- Fat: 11g
- Carbohydrates: 4g
- Protein: 6g
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Jodi says
I made this last night and I was thrilled with it! It was thick and creamy and the texture was exactly like mashed potatoes. I absolutely loved the ease and the decreased amount of wait time. I used almond milk and 2 wedges of the laughing cow garlic and herb cheeses, along with 2 cloves of roasted garlic, for one head of cabbage. 1/2 half of the entire serving was only 120 calories, for 1/4 would only be 60 calories. That is incredible. Thank you for this amazing way of getting a quick healthy comfort side dish. YAY
Mellissa Sevigny says
Sounds delicious Jodi, thanks for sharing your “hacks!” I haven’t bought laughing cow wedges in years but I can see how they would add amazing flavor to this! I’ll have to look for them on my next shopping trip to try this out! :)
C Dickershaid says
I have recently fallen in love with mashed cauliflower. I’ve been experimenting with a few recipes. This week I used southwest cream cheese, and a little butter. I put them in the bottom of the bowl and the hot cauliflower on top. I let it sit for a minute to soften up before I used the mixer. It came out great.
Trace says
I just had this for dinner and it is superb! Many thanks for the recipe and all the tips. I don’t particularly like cooked vegetables and have been struggling to keep my diet balanced on low carb, I’m sick of salad.
This recipe is a definite keeper and yes it IS better than potatoes!
leslie says
Any advice on baking the cauliflower? No microwave. Thanks! Can’t wait to try a non-micro version.
Becky says
Mashed cauliflower is AMAZING! Instead of using heavy cream, I use chicken broth. I steam my cauliflower in chicken broth and then add a little of the leftover broth to thin out the cauliflower. It is a Rachael Ray recipe. The cheese she suggests is the garlic and herb laughing cow. I end up using 4 of the triangles. I would love to try it with the cheese suggested here as well!
Angela says
I have made this probably a dozen times now and love this recipe. Last night I decide to blend in about 1/2 a jalapeno for a little kick. It turned out great too.
Thanks for the recipe! You rock.
Mellissa Sevigny says
I love your jalapeno idea Angela, can’t wait to try it – thanks for sharing!
vanessa says
Can I just say THANK YOU for this recipe? I’ve tried the mashed cauli faux potatoes before and they just have made me miss carbs more than i did before I tried to replicate them. This dish is AMAZING. The mouth feel is so potato-like and full-bodied. I used cabot 50% reduced fat sharp cheddar (one of my faves) and an extra splash of cream when blending. Thank you!
Yvette says
Thanx for sharing this dish. I really enjoyed it , and my hubby – king of the mashed potatoes- tasted a little spoonful – forcefully mind you, and of course didn’t like it. However….I caught him eating the rest out of the bowl after supper!!! Success!! I had to microwave mine about 6 minutes longer to get soft and I used my magic bullet but needed to add extra almond milk (and patience) so it would actually blend. I used gruyere cheese/almond milk combo with salt & pepper. Yummy!!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Glad you (and your husband though he’d never admit it apparently!!) enjoyed this, Yvette! :) I love Gruyere cheese and haven’t had it in awhile – might have to buy some so I can try it in my next batch of cauli mash! Sounds yummy!
Janet says
These were great. I’ve had mashed cauliflower before and never really thought it tasted remotely like mashed potatoes. These are definitely different – passed for the real thing. Thanks so much.
Amy says
Girl- I GET what u mean about adding the stinky funk cheese! The stinkier the better. It TOTALLY gets rid of the sweet cauliflower taste. I followed yr recipe and add herbed feta cheese on top and mixed it in- on original cook then after I heat it up. I don’t recommend adding it before you reheat. It makes a HUGE difference. You are amazing and thank you for being so generous with your recipes, you are truly a gem!!