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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Amy J. says
This is delicious. The first time I made it, I only had parmesan on hand and used that, and it was fantastic. I made it with the cheddar the next time and used it to top off a low carb shepherds pie. This mash is just seriously SO GOOD with either cheese; delish! I could never get my cauliflower mash to not have a watery texture. Thank you so much for sharing! This will be a regular go to when I’m craving mashed potatoes! :)
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks Amy – I’ve used a few different sharp cheeses in a pinch too and it always tastes good – I still think my favorite is the Irish cheddar though!
Wendy says
Omg so darn delicious!
Amy says
Better Than Potatoes Cheesy Cauliflower is simply delicious!
Sarah says
My husband and son claim to hate cauliflower but this recipe is loved by everyone in my house. It is so creamy and delicious. I never get complaints when this is on the menu! Thank You!
Nancy Karamarkos says
I love this recipe!! I tried to puree these in my mixer and found it difficult, since they are so thick. Now I use my emersion blender to break everything up first right in the bowl before adding them to the blender. So easy to make and a great side to just about any protein!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks Nancy, glad to hear you figured out a way to make them work for you with the immersion blender!
Robyn Harris says
Oh Mellissa,I never thought I would love anything other than mashed potatoes, but I do. Your “Better than potatoes” cheesy cauliflower purée is amazing! My entire family loves it. We love all of your recipes. I follow each recipe to a T. Why mess with perfection?! Thank you for sharing! 💕
Breanna says
Even better the second day! Exceeded expectations! My husband wasn’t able to tell but thought they were a little thin for potatoes. Then I discovered that like regular mashed potatoes, they dry out a little when refrigerated. When reheating mashed potatoes, I always have to add milk or cream. With the cauliflower, I think they became even more like mashed potatoes on the second day! I plan to make them the day before Thanksgiving which is a win-win!
Mellissa Sevigny says
I never really thought about the change in consistency on the second day – I’ll have to pay more attention on my next batch!
Baby J says
White cheddar is the key…. “White sharp cheddar cheese” is what it says. And it’s delicious!!
Katharine says
So good! Made as instructed with the substitution of parmesan for the cheddar. Used the blender and came out nice and smooth. I loved it, and my son said it was delicious. Thanks so much!
Mellissa Sevigny says
So happy to hear that even your son enjoyed them! Thanks for taking the time to rate the recipe and leave a comment!
BC Marks says
An answer to the graininess some people are experiencing. I made this last night for company and it was absolutely wonderful. Everyone loved it. I followed the recipe to the letter. I put it in my food processor and it was very grainy. So then I put it in my Vitamix and in a matter of seconds it had its perfect creamy deliciousness. So maybe at least some of you are not getting the results from your food processor and should try the blender.
Mellissa Sevigny says
I agree with this 100%! The food processor just will never get it as smooth as a blender – it’s just not designed for that. Thanks for sharing your experience!