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!!!
Tracey says
Love love love this recipe…have made it many times ❤❤❤
Has anyone ever tried roasting the cauliflower before making this…just a thought…
still love it though by far my fave
Making it today with Christmas Dinner!!🎄🎄
Kristy says
I am JUST starting Keto and have always hated cauliflower and been a meat and potatoes girl. I tell you what, I tried this cauliflower mash recipe and was BLOWN AWAY!!!!!!!! I used grated romano cheese and only used the heads of the cauliflower florets, and removed the stems. This will become a staple in my household!!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Yay! Another cauli mash convert! 🙌🏻🎉
Gianna says
Thank you, Mellissa, this recipe is awesome!
In autumn cauliflowers are very cheap in Italy and this puree is so yummy 😋!
Easy to cook 👩🍳 and very appreciate by all my family members.
Roisin says
This was amazing! I was deeply suspicious as I’m not a big cauliflower fan but as I’m now trying a keto diet I needed an alternative to potatoes. This mash was super tasty and cheesy, no graininess for me. I had a cup of it with some veggie sausages and was full. Looking forward to the rest of it today.
Janna says
I just wanted to say THANK YOU! We’ve tried so many mashed cauliflower recipes on Keto and they’ve always been runny and terrible. This recipe wad PERFECT! I’m so relieved to finally have a tasty replacement (and easy!) for malted potatoes.
AngieNYC says
Followed your recipe exactly except I used half & half (didn’t have cream on hand) and it was delish! This recipe is a keeper– thanks so much for sharing it!
Juhuleee says
Thank you! First time making caulimash, used your recipe and it was great! Love your site!
L.B says
Yum!!!! This was so good. You weren’t kidding when you named it “Better than Potatoes.” We made this for a dinner with friends, and they (who are not Keto) loved it, and asked for the recipe as well. So easy and quick and delicious! Will definitely be making this again, and again, and again :)
Tamera Porter says
Hi Mellissa!
I don’t have a microwave. Should I just steam the cauliflower? And then Should I let it drain for a long time afterwards to remove extra water? Thank you for your help! Love your recipes 💕
Mellissa Sevigny says
Yes that can work Tamera, but you still won’t get the same texture. Second best to microwaving is probably oven roasting.
Annie says
My PICKY PICKY fiance really misses potatoes. Made this recipe with some sharp white cheddar (extra, of course, he likes cheese) – added some minced garlic, 3 strips of bacon, a dash of bacon grease….and he is in LOVE. Thank you! He is so picky and it’s so hard for me to find things he loves!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Yay! So happy you could make it work for both of you!