Learn how to make cauliflower mashed potatoes that are creamy and just as delicious as traditional mashed potatoes, minus the carbs! Ready in minutes and the perfect side dish.
Even those who watch their carbs crave comfort food.
Luckily, there are tons of low carb alternatives to popular comfort foods. Some of my favorites include mac and cheese, cornbread, and mashed cauliflower…that tastes like mashed potatoes.
What are cauliflower mashed potatoes?
As the name suggests, cauliflower mash is cooked and mashed cauliflower that is seasoned to look and taste like their potato counterpart. It’s a popular keto side dish, as cauliflower is lower in carbs that potatoes.
Why this mashed cauliflower recipe will be the dinner side dish-
- Tastes like potatoes. Mashed cauliflower is so versatile. When made in this specific way, it tastes almost identical!
- Healthy. Cauliflower is high in vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, potassium, carotenoids, and many other nutrients that the body needs for good health. It’s also low calorie and low carb!
- Easy to make. This entire side dish takes less than 15 minutes to make.
- Low carbs. One cup of cauliflower has just 5 grams of net carbs, so when it’s mashed and seasoned, it makes the perfect side dish to your favorite keto dinner.
What we love about this dish is just how much it tastes like potatoes and can be used like it too- In a shepherd’s pie, as a vehicle for meatballs, with plenty of gravy– the possibilities are endless!
Ingredients needed
If you regularly made potato mash before, you’ll notice the ingredients for this recipe are almost identical… except cauliflower instead! Here is what you need:
- Cauliflower- Cut the vegetable into florets.
- Butter- Unsalted and measured at room temperature
- Cream cheese- Gives cauliflower mashed potatoes a creamy texture.
- Parmesan cheese- Acts as a binding and thickening agent; you can also use hard cheese.
- Garlic cloves- Bake them for 15 minutes in the oven to use.
- Salt and black pepper- To taste.
- Parsley and melted butter/olive oil- For serving.
How to make mashed cauliflower?
With less than 5 minutes of hands on time, this is a very basic recipe. As long as your cauliflower is smooth, you are good to go!
Step 1- Cook the cauliflower
Start by take a steamer, add cauliflower, and place it over a large pot of boiling water. Steam it for at least 15 minutes or wait until it’s cooked. Once done, remove the water, cover with a lid and set aside.
Step 2- Prepare the garlic butter
Next, using the same pot, add some butter, then saute garlic until fragrant.
Step 3- Blend the cauliflower
Now, place the cauliflower and buttery garlic into a food processor and pulse/blend until smooth.
Step 4- Season and serve
Finally, transfer the mashed cauliflower to a pot and mix some parmesan cheese.
Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle some parsley and olive oil/butter to serve.
Is cauliflower healthier than potatoes?
While both cauliflower and potatoes are healthy and packed with fiber, cauliflower reigns supreme thanks to several key reasons-
- It is lower in calories than potatoes (28 calories per cup, instead of 134 calories for potatoes)
- It is lower in carbs- Cauliflower has 5 grams of carbs per cup whereas potatoes have 21 grams per cup.
- More fiber and antioxidants.
- It contains more vitamins and minerals.
How do you thicken cauliflower mashed potatoes?
For thicker cauliflower mash, once you’ve drained your water, try one of these tips:
- Add some plain, full fat Greek yogurt. It will enhance the texture and flavor while thickening the dish. Avoid non-fat varieties or else you risk them becoming watery.
- Mash the cauliflower by hand instead of the food processor. This way, you can control how smooth it is.
- Add extra parmesan cheese or cream cheese.
- Let the cauliflower cool before adding it to the food processor.
Storage instructions
Wondering what is the best way to store leftovers? Here are best practices for cauliflower mash storage:
- To store: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to five days.
- To freeze: Place the cooked and cooled cauliflower mash in an airtight container and store it in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Reheating: Microwave the mash for 30-40 seconds, or until hot.
What to serve with this dish
This dish makes the perfect side dish to simple proteins. Our favorite include-
- Meat– Chicken breast, chicken thighs, and pork chops.
- Seafood– Salmon, baked haddock, Chilean sea bass or shrimp.
- Comfort mains– Crack chicken, chicken parmesan, beef stew or beef stroganoff.
More cauliflower recipes to try
Frequently Asked Questions
Cauliflower is a fantastic vegetable to enjoy on a weight loss diet. It is low in calories and packed with nutrients.
When made correctly, cauliflower mash and potato mash taste almost identical.
If you’d like to make a mock mashed potatoes without cauliflower, try making keto mashed potatoes.
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Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes | Low Carb And Creamy
Ingredients
- 1 large cauliflower chopped into florets
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 3 tablespoons cream cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Boil cauliflower in salted water for 10 minutes or until fork tender. Remove and drain. Cover with a lid and set aside.
- In the same pot, heat the butter over medium high heat. Sauté garlic until fragrant.
- Add the cooked cauliflower into a food processor and pulse several times until smooth and creamy.
- Transfer the cauliflower mash into the pot with the garlic. Stir through the parmesan cheese, cream cheese, salt, and pepper.
Notes
Nutrition
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nice! miss traditional mashed potatoes, for obvious reasons and this dish actually makes cauliflower taste good, so thank you!
These are fantastic! We’ve tried several cauliflower recipes over the years and this one was the tastiest, easiest, quickest, and had a nice texture. I cooked the cauliflower in my InstantPot for 3 minutes and it came out perfectly. I also threw the cream cheese, parmesan, salt and pepper in the food processor after processing the cauliflower a few pulses. Our toddlers really enjoyed it as part of our shepherd’s pie as well. This recipe is a keeper!
Thank you for your input. I use my instant pot all the time.Make cook so much faster and still tastes delicious.