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
New to the low carb lifestyle and need some help? Try my free 3 day kickstart plan to get into ketosis fast! Then follow it up with any of my 12 free weekly menu plans – complete with shopping and prep lists!
You can also download all five of my ebooks, loaded with tasty original low carb recipes in a special bundle for just $19.99!!!
Rachel says
These were great. I actually ate all four servings, which probably defeats the purpose, but oh well!
Kim from FW says
Wow! I just made your cheesy cauliflower puree and all I can say is…wow! Soooo good! I’ve been on the HCG protocol, and just entered into Phase 3 of my second round…I have missed mashed potatoes so much, and this really hit the spot! I could have gotten the Dublinger cheese, but opted for extra sharp white cheddar. I also added an ounce of a soft queso cheese. It was delish!! Thank you for your research and diligence in creating this recipe! I’ve also been perusing your dessert recipes and plan to get to some of them soon! :)
Tina K. says
Oh MY! Oh, my, my, my, my, my!! I just found your site because I was looking for a mashed cauliflower recipe. Tried this one, and…OH MY! Had I not made them myself and known it was cauliflower, I would swear I was eating creamy mashed potatoes!! Followed the recipe except our microwave is broken, so I boiled the cauliflower until tender, about 15 min. I used only the florets. Then I blended in my Blendtec with the cream and butter and a little garlic salt. Put back in the sauce pan and added the cheese and a bit more butter along with salt and pepper to taste. I used Basque cheese from Trader Joe’s. It was perfect!! Thank you so much! My new go – to recipe! And now that I found you, can’t wait to try all the other recipes! Have been off sugar two weeks now, trying to lose the last 60 lbs. Feel so much better. Thanks again! By the way, I think I have perfected a low carb mini choc. cake recipe!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Welcome to IBIH Tina and I’m so glad you liked these! I still make them all the time when I’m craving comfort food and they never disappoint! I’ve never tried them with the Basque cheese (which is one of my VERY favorite cheeses of all time – so nutty and delicious!) but I’m going to try it now that you’ve given me the idea. Just have to find some – hopefully they’ll have it at Costco next time I go! Hope you enjoy the other recipes as much as this one! :)
Amanda says
I don’t have a microwave. What would be the best way to prepare cauliflower for this dish then? Boiling? Steaming? Roasting?
amcken3 says
She said steaming…I was hoping SOMEONE would weigh in on how to do this recipe with a stove top method…because of SERIOUS health issues I won’t use a microwave oven (I’d rather fail to the safe side in all I do).
Nicole says
Just made this in preparation for your “Bubble and Squeak” recipe for tonight. Absolutely delicious! I had to add extra garlic, as we love it! Thankfully I had 2 1/2 cups and only needed 2 for tonight. My son and I ate the leftovers for lunch and then used a spatula to clean out the ninja, not a smear was wasted! My husband, 12 yr old son and I have been low carbing for a month now with great success. The best part is we are never hungry and NEVER feel bloated after eating. I stumbled across your site a week ago and love your recipes! I have been craving potatoes since we started, and am thrilled that these taste just like them (without the bloating). Thank you, thank you, thank you! I have some friends at church who are struggling to eat low carb, so will be sure they all know about this angel who makes eating fun again!
Megan says
Wow, I was not expecting how rich and creamy these would be! Served with ham and steamed broccoli. It was the perfect accompaniment!
Melody says
I’ll admit…I was skeptical. I *love* mashed potatoes (ok, anything carb) and I’ve tried the various faux potatoes with less than pleasing results. Yes, I like cauliflower but it was always kind of ‘watery’ grainy without that fluffy potato texture. Until now. I used a 14 oz bag of frozen broccoli florets (put them out to thaw while I was preparing the rest of the dinner). They were still half frozen when I stuck them in the microwave. With my attention spread across the rest of the meal, I just plopped in the butter and cream and stuck it in the nuker without stirring. I did stir before the second 6 minutes. Dumped it into the Cuisinart with some salt and pepper and let it run for about 45 seconds, stirred down the sides and pulsed it 3-4 times. PERFECT! Even my son, had a small bit (but covered his with the gravy from the salisbury steak) and he hates cauliflower! As a diabetic who eats less than 25gm of carbs a day (and only in non-starchy vegies)…this will be a lifesaver for me!
Ellie says
This recipe is delicious on its own — just made it today — but it makes WONDERFUL substitute for the mashed potatoes in a shepherd’s pie. This batch was enough to add a satisfying layer of mash to an 8×12 baking dish and fed six people as a part of the pie. The cauliflower browns beautifully in the oven — even better if you cut up an extra 1 tbsp of butter and dot the top with it before baking, but it’s not necessary to do. I did encounter the graininess referred to in the comments and notes, but the baking (35 minutes at 375F) took care of that as well.
Nykii says
Hi Melissa,
Thanks for the recipes and all that you do! I don’t know if you posted this already above, but what were the original cream and butter amounts you used? As a keto-er I am looking to get a very high fat to carb ratio, so I’m interested to know how the original recipe compares. Thank you!
nequalone says
These are amazing! Thank you for keeping me on my diet plan. I bought your book and we love to make fried fish and tarter sauce. We also use the breading to make chicken nuggets. Tonight for the first time I added a tiny pinch of minced garlic and OMG. SO GOOD. Please make your next book in a paper version. I hate turning pages on my kindle while cooking.