This easy cauliflower mash is one of my favorite low carb swaps for mashed potatoes, especially for holiday dinners. Fresh steamed cauliflower gets blended with cream cheese, cheddar, and garlic for a creamy, fluffy side, then you can load it up with bacon and green onions.
I used to serve potatoes with almost every meal (thank you German husband!), but after years of creating low carb recipes for our readers, low carb vegetable sides like this have become just as much of a go-to for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
We usually serve mashed cauliflower loaded with bacon, cheese, and green onions, but I leave the toppings off when serving it with this keto pot roast so the creamy mash can soak up the gravy.
Things to Know About our Keto Mashed Cauliflower
- The recipe only takes about 20 minutes, start to finish!
- Cream cheese and cheddar give the cauliflower a rich, whipped texture.
- Our recipe is low carb and keto friendly with just 4g net carbs per serving.
- Use need a food processor or high speed blender
- We use cauliflower, you'll just need to buy one whole head.
- Make it loaded! Add bacon, extra cheddar, and green onions just before serving. These are optional of course!
Love cauliflower? You'll also want to try our low carb keto cauliflower casserole and our cauliflower mac and cheese!
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What are the Ingredients?
Please see the recipe card for the exact quantities!
- Fresh cauliflower - One large head of cauliflower is the base of the mash. Pre-cut florets work too and save prep time.
- Butter
- Garlic you can use fresh minced garlic, jar garlic, or frozen Dorot cubes
- Cream cheese - we used regular cream cheese
- Cheddar cheese - A little shredded cheddar adds cheesy flavor without overpowering the cauliflower. I prefer shredding cheese from a block since it melts more smoothly.
- Salt and pepper
- Bacon, green onions, and extra cheddar - These are optional toppings that turn the recipe into a loaded cauliflower mash.
How to Make Mashed Cauliflower
Step 1: Cook the cauliflower
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the chopped cauliflower for about 6 minutes, or until very tender.
Drain it well before blending. Extra water can make cauliflower mash thin instead of creamy.
Step 2: Make the garlic butter
While the cauliflower cooks, melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute, just until fragrant.
Step 3: Blend until creamy
Add the cooked cauliflower, garlic butter, cream cheese, cheddar, salt, and pepper to a food processor.
Blend until smooth and creamy. Depending on the size of your food processor, you may need to work in two batches.
Transfer to a serving bowl and top with bacon, green onions, and additional cheddar if desired.
Recipe Tips
- Drain the cauliflower really well. Excess moisture is one of the biggest reasons cauliflower mash turns watery.
- Cook the cauliflower until very tender. It should mash easily with a fork before it goes into the food processor.
- Use a food processor for the smoothest texture. It creates the whipped consistency that makes this closer to mashed potatoes.
- Taste after blending. Add additional salt and pepper as needed before serving.
What are Some Variations of Mashed Cauliflower?
Unloaded cauliflower mash: Leave out the crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar, and sliced green onions for a simple yet flavorful cheesy mash.
Different cheese: Swap the cheddar for Gruyère, Parmesan, or another flavorful melting cheese. Or why not mix in a
What to Serve with Cauliflower Mash
Cauliflower mash works anywhere you'd normally serve mashed potatoes.
Serve it with our roasted turkey breast for an easy low carb holiday dinner. The herb butter and pan juices are especially good spooned over the mash.
Our air fryer bacon wrapped green beans add a crisp green vegetable to the plate and are another low carb side that works well for holidays.
For a larger holiday spread, add our green bean casserole with cream cheese for another comfort-food side made without traditional starchy ingredients.
Meal Prep and Storage
- Make ahead: Yes. We've made this earlier in the day and reheated it, which makes it especially helpful for holiday meals. A reader also asked about this specifically, and the recipe can be prepared ahead and reheated.
- Refrigerator: Store leftover cauliflower mash in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: Reheat gently in the microwave or on the stovetop, stirring occasionally until warmed through.
- Freezing: You can freeze cauliflower mash, although dairy-based mash can be slightly less smooth after thawing. Stir it well when reheating to bring the texture back together.
Nutrition / Macros
Per serving:
- Calories: 110
- Carbohydrates: 7g
- Fiber: 3g
- Net carbs: 4g
- Protein: 6g
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated fat: 4g
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 375mg
The current recipe makes 8 servings, with each serving approximately ⅓ cup.
FAQs
Is cauliflower mash actually good?
Yes, especially when it's seasoned well and blended with ingredients that add richness. Cream cheese, cheddar, butter, and garlic give this cauliflower mash a creamy, savory flavor that's much closer to loaded mashed potatoes than plain puréed cauliflower.
What are some common mistakes people make when cooking mashed cauliflower?
The biggest mistake is leaving too much water in the cooked cauliflower. Drain it very well before blending, and make sure the cauliflower is tender enough to purée smoothly.
How do you make cauliflower mash for keto?
Use cauliflower instead of potatoes and blend it with low carb ingredients such as butter, cream cheese, cheddar, garlic, and seasonings. This recipe has about 4g net carbs per serving and can be topped with bacon for a loaded keto cauliflower mash.
What is the secret to good mashed cauliflower?
The secret is very tender cauliflower with as little excess water as possible, followed by blending it in a food processor. That combination produces a creamy, whipped texture instead of watery or grainy cauliflower.
Low-Carb Vegetable Recipes
- Low carb broccoli cakes
- Easy cheesy green beans
- Slow cooker cabbage
- Pureed butternut squash
- Creamed spinach recipe
- Low carb baked radishes
- Brussel sprouts casserole with bacon
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Recipe
Cauliflower Mash (Keto, Low Carb)
Ingredients
- 1 large cauliflower cut into into small pieces
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoon cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup Shredded cheddar cheese
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼-1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- Garnishes- green onions cooked bacon, cheddar cheese
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, bring a pot of water to boil over high heat. Turn the heat down to medium and simmer the chopped cauliflower for 6 minutes or until it's very tender.
- In a small skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the cauliflower, garlic butter, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and salt and pepper to a food processor and blend it until it's smooth. You might need to split it into two batches, depending on the size of your food processor.
- Transfer the keto cauliflower mashed potatoes to a medium size serving bowl. Adjust seasonings as needed to your personal preference.
- Top with chopped green onions, more shredded cheddar cheese, and cooked crumbled bacon if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Jeanne Boehmler says
Can the loaded cauliflower potatoes be made earlier in the day and reheated
WholeLottaYum says
Hi Jeanne, yes! They can be made ahead and reheated. It makes holiday cooking so much easier. Jen