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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Lois says
Looks great and I want to try it. I don’t own a microwave, so I will need to play around with the process a little. Has anyone got any tips on how to make this using a regular stove?
Jo says
I did. I just cut the cauli up and steamed it on the stove top. I use a steamer basket thing so the veggies don’t sit in the water which makes them soggy. While steaming I just measured out the cream and butter and cheese. When it was cooked (I kept it a bit firm as I don’t like soggy veggies of any kind) I put the cauli in the food processor a few florets at a time so as not to jam the blade. I did have to keep moving it with a wooden spoon but no big deal. Then when it was all broken down I just added the other ingredients and mixed again. Came out perfectly.
PS if you don’t have one of this steamer basket things, just a pan with water will do. I just keep the water minimal – watch it so it doesn’t burn – and keep the lid on the pan. That’s the thing. Don’t boil with the lid off the pan.
Best of luck,
Jo
Stephanie says
I didn’t use the microwave. I boiled the cauliflower until it was soft enough to mash with a fork. Then I put the ingredients together and used my hand mixer. It was all good!
Hawkce541 says
The first time I made this it came out perfect. Nobody, not even my picky daughter, knew that the dish wasn’t potatoes. The last three times, it has come out with the right texture, but the taste is strong cauliflower to the point of being almost bitter. I can’t figure it out.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Could just be an issue with the crop – it’s hard to say, I’ve had some that were amazing and others that tasted funny or had a strange texture every once in awhile!
Jennifer Alexander says
I hate cauliflower, but these are awesome. I think any ingredient you might add to mashed potatoes could be used in this preparation. It’s really the cooking technique that keeps the veg from being so watery & allows you to get a smooth puree that makes the difference. I used sharp yellow cheddar, sour cream, and pureed roasted garlic, and they were amazing. Another bonus is that the prep time is really quick, especially considering you’re working with raw veg. Super fast, super easy. I also used mostly just the cauliflower florets and left out much of the stems (hard to get fresh enough produce here) and had zero problems with texture. Can’t tell you how much I appreciate your work on this recipe.
Charlene says
I just tried this recipe and it was divine! Thank you so much. Bye bye potatoes :)
Sandra says
I don’t use a microwave, what are your suggestions to cook the cauliflower?
Naomi says
This is amazing, better than potatoes!!
Ody says
Someone may have recommended this already but I have found roasting cauliflower gives it a richer flavor. It takes a bit longer than the microwave but the flavor is worth it if you have the time. I typically spread it out on a cookie sheet, place an ice cube or two, cover with foil (this speeds up the cooking a bit), uncover when almost tender and roast until golden brown. My cauliflower hating husband requests this purée on a regular basis.
Kat says
So delicious! And my husband likes it too. I made it with frozen cauliflower and it tasted just the same. Very easy and quick.
Alice says
This was super delish!!! I am on week 3 of low carb eating, and needed something exactly like this to keep me on track!! Thank you so much!!!
Brenda Palmer says
I have seen recipes for this around and bought a caulie today to try it. I liked your idea of keeping it dry. The only thing I did different was to add some ground garlic and a little chilli. Delicious. I added some of the leaves too. Hate to waste them?
Thank you
Brenda x