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!!!
clew says
I have been on Keto for one week. I am a vegetarian and it has taken sooo much time -MATH- and research. I write down everything about everything(making sure to get healthy and sure to do it all right) and truly have been overwhelmed. Most of the recipes i have found and tried on the internet have been blah or bad. I have been so discouraged -How to make this a part of my life????
BUT today i found this recipe-expecting it to be unedible. OHHHHHHHH- I almost cried – i actually had tears in my eyes. IT WAS SOOOOO GOOD………. I CANT THANK YOU ENOUGH.
THIS WILL BE ON MY REGULAR MENU FOREVER……..
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks so much, I was worried when I started reading your comment ha ha – so glad it had a happy ending!! If you’re looking for vegetarian keto recipes, have you tried my cauliflower falafel? It’s pretty legit and gets rave reviews even from sworn cauliflower haters! Working on a huge collection of vegetarian keto recipes to post soon so stay tuned!
Megs says
Followed the recipe exactly and found it to be wonderful. Creamy all the way and not grainy or watery at all. We’ve been Keto for a couple months now so when I served this to my husband, he took a bite and startled me by asking what is this? I couldn’t tell at first weather he liked it or not. These aren’t potatoes are they? I finally realized that he thought they tasted too good not to be real potatoes and thought I’d taken us off the Keto wagon. Thank you for sharing!
Kevin Kruger says
If your cauliflower is ” water, grainy, or even almost stringy” then you’re not prepping it correctly. Cauliflower has virtually no insoluble fiber so it will purée very smoothly. Make sure there are NO leaves or leaf pieces – remove all during prep.
Holly says
I don’t leave leaves in there, or even much of the core. I have tried steaming, boiling, microwaving, simmering in milk, and roasting. I have tried wringing it out, drying it in a pot on the stove, and leaving it to drain for a long time. I have tried mashing, pureeing in a blender, using a stick blender, and the food processor. I have tried cooking longer and cooking shorter. I’ve tried using fresh cauliflower cut in big florets, in small florets, riced, and even frozen. I have tried I don’t know how many recipes, and read countless tips for how to cook it. And, every time, it has been runny, or grainy, or stringy.
Meg says
Looking for advice! What would be the best way to prepare this in advance to bring to a BBQ? Should I just triple the recipe and microwave it when I get to the party? Will the consistency hold up?
Thanks for your help!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Yes you can definitely reheat this in the microwave just before serving!
Greg Rampinelli says
I just made it today. Excellent! I think the combination of cheese and microwave is what does it.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks Greg, glad you enjoyed it!
Michelle says
Delish! I made it to go with my Mississippi Roast and I didn’t miss the mashed potatoes at all! Thanks for the easy recipe!
Patricia Tucker says
This is so delicious. I’ve started having some for breakfast with some sauteed greens and a fried egg on top. Fantastic! And very keto. Thanks.
Karla says
This was sooo yummy! Also so easy to make.
Mary Beth says
I have found that steaming the cauliflower and then “wringing” it in a clean kitchen towel reduces the watery issue with this veggie…it’s my go to with about any recipe using cauliflower now! :)
Leila says
This recipe sounds absolutely delish and I’ll be trying it out this week. My question is: can I freeze it and have it just as tasty? I’m trying to find recipes I can make in large batches and then portion out and freeze for future consumption.
Mellissa Sevigny says
I’ve never tried freezing it Leila – theoretically I don’t see why not though!
Kathy Miller says
I freeze mashed cauliflower all the time! :-)