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!!!
Paul Halliday says
Haha! Here’s some fun!
After finding cauli and avocado make perfect partners (see: https://picasaweb.google.com/107179421315824659117/Cuisine#5703522500787808130) and having such success with cauliflower and cheese to make a mash, you know what’s coming … yes, cauli avocado mash!
https://picasaweb.google.com/107179421315824659117/Cuisine#5704280259374449314
Granted, green mash might not be everyone’s idea of heaven but boy, this is good! Like a solid guacamole. Oh, and feta works so well at drying the avocado first. So, feta and avocado, blended, then add in the steamed and dried (but still hot) cauli with mild uncoloured cheddar. Blend. Serve out.
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
The pictures looked interesting! Some of my favorite ingredients in that mash so I can only imagine it’s delicious! Totally trying that next time I buy avocados! Thans for the idea!
Tina L. says
My husband loves your buffalo wings! He’s so happy he can have them on a low carb diet! That’s how I found your site and then I saw the recipe for the mashed cauliflower. I had heard that people used them as a mashed potato substitute but they always sounded a little gross, so I never made them for him. I thought I would give yours a try today and they are pretty darn good!I will give them to him tonight, but I do keep sneaking bites of them! I think he will like them. These aren’t runny at all. We’ll see how they are once they cool off and then are re-heated. I am really happy I found your site!
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Hey Tina, I’m happy you found me too! So glad your husband is enjoying the recipes! Let me know if the cauliflower made the cut! :)
Jacqueline says
Just tried some at a friend’s house the other day and they were runny! Sounds like something I will have to try. Saw this on Pinterest
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Just say no to runny cauliflower! Made it again tonight and it was delicious – I just can’t get enough of it lately! Hope you like it and will report back. Oh and share the recipe with your unfortunate friend – ha ha!
Amber says
Secrets I have found: garlic salt and feta(even fat free feta) the feta adds a starchy flavor the garlic salt—just makes for a more flavorful potato taste :o) happy mashing
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
I love feta so I’ll have to try that! Thanks!
themickeyd says
I have been doing low carb off and on for +15 years, and this is simply the best mashed cauliflower I have ever had. We had it with braised short ribs, our 7 year old son asked to try some so we gave them to him. He finished the cauliflower and left the potatos we had made for him on the plate. Bravo!
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Yay! I know how hard it is to get kids (and husbands!) to eat their veggies so this is definitely high praise! Thanks so much – I’m really happy that you all liked it! And your comment reminded me that I really need to make some short ribs soon! Love them!
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
glad you liked it Crystal! It totally replaced my potato urges and I eat it all the time. I am literally eating a bowl of it right now for dinner! So good, I’ve probably made it 15 times by now and I love it just as much as the first time!
Crystal N. says
Awesome! Just made this and love it! I think it could replace my mashed potato urges. Thank you!
Anonymous says
I just made this tonight, and my 17 year old asked what kind of potatoes they were! This is the closest I’ve gotten to a potato substitute. I was suprised how rich it tasted.
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
That’s great! I’m glad your family likes them too – sometimes it’s hard when you’re doing low carb (or any diet) and have to cook one thing for the fam and something else for yourself – a win win if you can get them to eat (and like!) what you are eating! As for tasting rich, hello cream, butter and cheese! One of the perks of low carb that offsets the cravings for sugar and bread so I figure why not enjoy it! :)
Leroy Kettleford says
My kids loved this, as did my wife. Thanks for posting this recipe.
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Thank you Leroy – glad your family enjoyed it!!!
Kimberli says
I make several versions of this. I’m doing the Whole 30 right now so no dairy but on day 31 I’m doing my favorite version. Mexican crema instead of whole cream, Ford Farm Coastal Cheddar, 2 peeled poblano peppers. This is my mexican side dish I server instead of rice.
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
That sounds really delicious!! Do you roast and chop up the poblanos and add them to the mash or do you stuff the mash into the poblanos? Either way I’m going to try this! I love all of those flavors – thanks for the idea!