This keto mashed cauliflower is the perfect low-carb alternative to mashed potatoes. This comfort food tastes just as good as mashed potatoes but without the extra calories. It's so creamy, garlicky, thick, fluffy, and delicious. You can pair this low-carb side dish with pretty much anything, such as grilled meat, stew, or vegetables.
The Best Mashed Cauliflower Recipe
You're going to love this mashed cauliflower. It's a tasty side dish you can serve with any main entree, a guilt-free and flexible low-carb option. Even the picky eater in your family will love this one. It's absolutely the best-mashed cauliflower recipe that you can make from simple ingredients in less than 30 minutes.
Cauliflower is one of the most popular ingredients used in Keto recipes. This cruciferous vegetable is low in starch but offers a lot more nutrition than potatoes and white rice, as it has healthy amounts of ingredients like fiber, vitamin c, and vitamin k.
The Ingredients for Keto Mashed Cauliflower
This keto mashed cauliflower is made from fresh cauliflower, garlic, butter, cream cheese, and parmesan cheese.
The fat content found in butter, cream cheese, and parmesan cheese adds a rich flavor and smooth texture to the mashed cauliflower. You only need a small amount of these fat products to make the mashed cauliflower taste amazing.
Cauliflower. It is one of the most popular ingredients used in Keto recipes. This cruciferous vegetable is low in starch but offers a lot more nutrition than potatoes and white rice, as it has healthy amounts of ingredients like fiber, vitamin c, and vitamin k.
In this recipe, I used fresh cauliflower florets. Frozen cauliflower will work as well.
Cream Cheese. You can use light or full-fat cream cheese. It's one of the secret ingredients to make mashed cauliflower extra rich and creamy.
Butter. I used salted butter. You can also use unsalted butter and adjust the saltiness by adding extra salt to the mixture.
Cheese. Either parmesan cheese and Pecorino Romano cheese can be used in this recipe.
How to Make the Creamiest Mashed Cauliflower
The first thing you need to do is to cook the cauliflower. In this recipe, I cooked the cauliflower in the microwave in just 10 minutes. If you are not a big fan of microwaves, you can boil or steam the cauliflower on the stove. I'll show you how to do each cooking method below.
Once the cauliflower is cooked, you just need to add all of the remaining ingredients and pulse the mixture in a food processor until smooth.
For those who will be using the stove to cook the cauliflower, you need to make sure to remove excess liquid from the cauliflower with paper towels until it's very dry before adding the other ingredients.
So here are some important steps to follow.
Step 1. Cook the Cauliflower
- Clean and cut cauliflower into small pieces.
- Place the cauliflower florets in a microwave-safe bowl then cover it with a plastic wrap.
- Pierce the film with a fork then cook for 10 minutes.
Alternatively, you can steam the cauliflower for about 15 minutes or boil them for about 6 minutes. Be sure to drain well and remove the excess water with paper towels before adding the remaining ingredients.
Step 2. Make the Garlic Butter
- In a saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Step 3. Puree
- Carefully place some of the cauliflower florets in a food processor.
- Add garlic butter, salt, and cream cheese. Blend the mixture at high speed until smooth.
You may need to work in multiple batches depending on the size of your food processor.
FAQ and Cooking Tips
Place the leftover mashed cauliflower in an airtight container. Properly stored, the leftover will last up to 3 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer.
If it's frozen, thaw first before reheating. Place the mashed cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and reheat in the microwave for 50 seconds or longer. Or, put the leftover in an oven-safe baking dish and reheat it in the oven at 350°F for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature registers at 165°F.
Pair This Keto Mashed Cauliflower With
- Steak Bites with Peppercorn
- Creamy Mushroom Sauce
- Easy Chinese Roasted Chicken
- Baked Sausage with Mixed Vegetables
- Pan-Fried Trout
- Pan-Seared Branzino with Lemon Butter
Keto Mashed Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 2 pounds cauliflower florets
- ¼ cup salted butter
- 2 tbsp cream cheese
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 small garlic
- ½ tsp salt, (add more according to your liking)
Instructions
- Clean and cut cauliflower into small pieces. Put them in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, pierce the film then cook in the microwave for 10 minutes. Do not cool.
- In a saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook just until fragrant for about 30 seconds, stirring often.
- Carefully put the cooked cauliflower, garlic butter, salt, and cream cheese in a food processor. Blend the mixture at high speed until smooth. You may need to work in multiple batches depending on the size of your food processor.
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