Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes is an easy and delicious low carb alternative to traditional mashed potatoes, and just as smooth and creamy. Serve this healthy side dish with comfort food dinners, at the holidays or anytime you crave a creamy mash. If you have cut out or reduced potatoes from your diet – these cauliflower ‘potatoes’ are the best alternative!
Cauliflower taste is 1 out of 100. I promise! It really is a versatile vegetable that can be used in so many ways. Make rice with it, ‘potato’ salad and even pizza crust!
Table of contents
Smooth and Creamy Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
You can swap cauliflower mashed potatoes for traditional starchy potatoes. Almost no one will notice. I love mashed potatoes and mashed sweet potatoes but I make this low carb alternative as well. Cauliflower cooks faster than potatoes and there is no peeling involved, which makes it a great side dish to whip up quickly when serving pot roast or mushroom stroganoff.
How does it taste? Personally, I think cauliflower taste is 1 out of 100. However, from readers’ comments I have learned you either love it or hate it. So, make this cauliflower mash recipe and decide for yourself. It really is a great low carb potato substitute!
Why This Mashed Cauliflower Recipe Works?
- Easy: Cauliflower cooks quickly and there is no peeling involved, perfect for when you are in a hurry!
- Low carb: One potato has approximately 26g of carbs, one cup of cauliflower has 5g of carbs, we will let you do the math!
- Healthy: Not only is cauliflower low in starch, it is high in nutrients such as vitamin C, folate, vitamin K, vitamin B6 and potassium.
- Flavorful: This cauliflower mash potato recipe uses the same simple ingredients found in a traditional potato mash – salt, butter and garlic – giving cauliflower ‘potatoes’ a very similar taste!
Ingredients for Cauliflower ‘Potatoes’
- Cauliflower: You can use whole, pre-cut or frozen florets for your cauliflower potatoes.
- Garlic: Whole garlic cloves are added to water and then mashed with cauliflower for more flavour.
- Butter: Ghee or coconut oil will work as well.
- Salt and freshly ground pepper: To taste.
How to Make Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
- Prep: Separate cauliflower into florets and cut in smaller chunks. In a medium pot, combine cauliflower, garlic and enough cold water to cover the vegetables.
- Cook: Place lid on top and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for about 10 minutes or until cauliflower is fork tender. Drain and do not discard garlic.
- Season: Add butter or extra virgin olive oil, salt and ground black pepper to taste. Garlic stays too.
- Blend: Using an immersion blender or in a food processor, process until very smooth or desired consistency. Garlic is blended as well. Adjust salt and pepper to taste, if necessary.
Cauliflower potatoes taste better when fresh. Next day it has more prominent cabbage smell.
Tips for Best Cauliflower Mash Results
- Remove excess water: No one really wants an extra watery mash! Drain your cauliflower until it is no longer hot in colander over the sink.
Draining your cauliflower removes excess water which will result in thicker, creamy mash! See recipe card notes on how to do this.
- Using frozen cauliflower: Add cauliflower to a boiling water. It will take a few more minutes to come to a boil rather than fresh cauliflower. That is the only difference.
- Cooking garlic: Cooking garlic makes it less spicy. Once mashed with cauliflower it adds nice flavor.
- Add cream cheese or sour cream: Sure, add to taste or for a loaded cauliflower mash, just note the calories content will change.
FAQs
You have to remove extra water. Place drained cooked cauliflower florets in a towel lined bowl and let cool down until safe to handle. Then hold onto the ends, make a ball and twist to squeeze out extra moisture. The trick is not to touch super hot blob with hands – use tongs.
One serving or 1/4th of the recipe contains only 99 calories. Where regular mashed potatoes run at 237 calories. This recipe when finished is only 14 grams of carbs vs. 35 grams.
Regular potato masher will make more rustic with chunky texture “potatoes”. But it works if you don’t have a blender or food processor. I also think a hand mixer or standing Kitchen Aid mixer will work. Some readers have just mashed cauliflower with a big spoon!
Both cauliflower and potato are vegetables. And we all know most of us need to eat more vegetables. Potatoes are good for you. Homemade cooked potatoes. Not fast food chain potato fries.
There is also another side. Too much of anything is not good. Even kale or quinoa. So, everything in moderation. One thing I can tell you, you can eat more turkey and pumpkin pie with cauliflower mashed potatoes.
Serving Recomendations
- Comfort food: Serve with baked chicken breast, balsamic pot roast and a side of garlic green beans. Finish with healthy chocolate cake.
- Grilled proteins: A perfect summer side paired with grilled rosemary chicken and balsamic vegetables.
- Light and healthy: Lemon chicken with kale salad with garlic and parmesan pair perfectly with the cauli mash!
- Traditional: Healthy fried chicken and Instant Pot corn on the cob paired with this healthy mash can’t compare to Colonel Sanders.
- BBQ: BBQ chicken, pulled pork and coleslaw make this a nice picnic option.
- Meatballs: Thai turkey meatballs and Asian salad and you have an Asian fusion type of a meal.
- Double down on cauliflower: Really love this veggie like I do? Serve as a side with chicken cauliflower and rice skillet!
- Really the sky’s the limit: Try Instant Pot pork chops, carne asada or check out 45 dinner ideas that would pair well with this healthy cauliflower side dish!
Making This Recipe in Advance
Serving: Cauliflower mashed potatoes taste best fresh and consumed same day. Next day, there is a very prominent cabbage smell.
Reheating? I do not suggest to reheat it next day. I recommend to make only what you will eat same day. You can cut the recipe in half.
Freezing? I also do not suggest to freeze it. I tried and I did not like the results.
More Low Carb Cauliflower Recipes
- Roasted cauliflower
- Cauliflower risotto
- Cauliflower potato salad
- Cauliflower fried rice
- Slow cooker cauliflower mashed potatoes
Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2.5 – 3 lbs medium cauliflower head
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp butter I used salted or olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Separate cauliflower into florets and cut in smaller chunks.
- In a medium pot, combine cauliflower, garlic and enough cold water to cover the vegetables.
- Place a lid on top and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for about 10 minutes or until cauliflower is fork tender. Drain.
- Add butter or olive oil, salt and ground black pepper to taste.
- Using an immersion blender (a food processor), process until very smooth or desired consistency.
Serving: Cauliflower mashed potatoes taste best fresh and consumed same day. Next day, there is a very prominent cabbage smell.
Reheating: I do not suggest to reheat it next day. I recommend to make only what you will eat same day. You can cut the recipe in half.
Freezing: I also do not suggest to freeze it. I tried and I did not like the results.
Video
Notes
- How to make cauliflower mash thicker? You have to remove extra water. Place drained cooked cauliflower florets in a towel lined bowl and let cool down until safe to handle. Then hold onto the ends, make a ball and twist to squeeze out extra moisture. The trick is not to touch super hot blob with hands – use tongs.
- Using frozen cauliflower: Add cauliflower to a boiling water. It will take a few more minutes to come to a boil rather than fresh cauliflower. That is the only difference.
- How many calories? One serving or 1/4th of the recipe contains only 99 calories. Where regular mashed potatoes run at 237 calories. And only 14 grams of carbs vs. 35 grams in real mashed potatoes.
- Cooking garlic: Cooking garlic makes it less spicy. Once mashed with cauliflower it adds nice flavor.
- Can I add cream cheese or sour cream: Sure, add to taste.
- No blender? Regular potato masher will make more rustic with chunky texture “potatoes”. But it works if you don’t have a blender or food processor. I also think a hand mixer or standing Kitchenaid mixer will work.
Nutrition
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I love your recipe because it’s low fat!
Hello
I noticed that the nutritional panel reads 12 grams of sugar: just wondering where does the sugar come from as we are trying to watch sugar intake and 12 grams is a fair amount for a vegetable dish.
Thanks
You are so adorable!!!!!! I’m going to join as I love your videos!
I am curious as to why you didn’t use your Insta pot to do the cauliflower?
🙂 I didn’t have it then. You can pressure cook whole head for 0 mins, sure.
This recipe is simple and easy to make! This is a great healthy alternative to mashed potatoes! I don’t own an immersion blender, so I mashed it up with the back of a large spoon. I even used this recipe when I made your “Cauliflower Shepherd’s Pie!” I was fine with the taste and the smell the next few days after I made it.
Thanks for your positive feedback Sharon 🙂
This the most yummy thing I’ve ever had the pleasure to make and of course for my child and wifey to eat ,enjoy and wanting more, I I totally agree next day would ruin the flsvor and the natural taste that it gives…I’m not a good cook,but totally excited making this snd other recipes you might honor us to enjoy…thank you!!
You are so welcome Patty!
The first time I made these I wasn’t sure it was something my husband would like but he loved them and has asked for them several times since. Thank you for sharing! Looking forward to trying more of your recipes as well.
Awe, you are so welcome Tina! So happy to hear you are enjoying my recipes! Please don’t be shy to leave me a comment with a star review once you make any recipe. Have a great week!
Excellent idea, Olena! And I used my own roasted garlic from the freezer (didn’t have fresh one on hand), and it worked well too! 🙂
Yum!!!
This recipe is delicious!
Fantastic! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Yes, yes, yes!! I used frozen cauliflower. Absolutely perfect!!
Hello,
I have 2 bags 10oz each of frozen riced cauliflower. Will it work the same way? I cannot get a recipe that specifies frozen riced cauliflower….
You need at least 2 lbs for this recipe to work. 1 lb = 16 oz. Or adjust other ingredients in the recipe proportionate to your amount of cauliflower. Frozen riced will work. Just boil it like cauliflower but less time cause it’s small pieces.
Just made this tonight it was awesome!
I am a meat and potato type man. This is probably the best substitute for potatoes. I gave it four stars not because of it being bad but because I know it’s just not real potatoes. I kept tasting this dish to give my opinion , to the point of being careful not to eat all of it.
Mind blowingly good. Amazing taste, super easy and 100% guilt free.
So happy to hear cauliflower mash got a new fan!
This was soooo simple and delicious! The perfect substitution for mashed potatoes! Thanks!
So happy you enjoyed my low carb cauliflower mashed potatoes, “I wish I knew your full name”.:)
It turned out great. I added sour cream, cheddar cheese, and chives for the finished product.
Olena, love your recipes! I find when cooking…even steaming cauliflower, I still need to remove some of the water/ liquid after cooking. Otherwise, the whipped cauliflower, though good, is slightly thin texture. To me, by removing the extra liquid, makes the end result a much better consistency…more resembling mashed potatoes. Thanks for all your wonderful recipes!
That is true. I’m just too lazy to do an extra step but I can see how it helps.:) I will add it to the recipe’s notes actually. Glad you are enjoying my recipes.:)
Thank you for this, my daughter has developed a potato allergy and it’s been hard with such a rare allergy! I’m so glad I can make her classic mashed potatoes with very little difference in taste but huge benefit in nutrients!
That’s a rare allergy for sure. Glad you made it work.
Not as rare as one may think. Many people are nightshade sensitive/ allergic, and never figure it out. I’d suggest checking on peppers, tomatoes, eggplant and other nightshades, as well as being tested for MTHFR, as that is a sign of it. As someone with MTHFR gene variant, I have to avoid nightshades too. Potatoes was the 1st thing I figured out. (With MTHFR, a person does not get rid of toxins as rapidly, and things like nightshades actually build up when eaten in quantity, making you feel as though you have been poisoned).
Made it 3 times and my Italian family loved it!
Just made this tonight all I can say is Fantastic
I tried these tonight, very good
Can you use frozen cauliflower rice for this? How much?
Yes. One bag of frozen cauliflower rice replaces medium head of cauliflower.
Does the garlic get pureed too or do you toss those after cooking?
It gets pureed, don’t toss.
I don’t have a food prossesor anymore. Can I just whip them up with a hand held mixer?
Hm, I have never tried.
I toast bread crumbs in butter (or olive oil), with a little salt and perhaps garllic, if you like.Take the cauliflower apart into little pieces and undercook them just a minute. Put the verywell drained cauliflower-ets head first into the bread crumbs, cover for a minute to make it really hot, stir well so everyone gets their share of bread crumbs and serve. Yum. From Hungary.
That sounds so good! We made similar cauliflower in Ukraine, dipped in eggs ash and then cauliflower. Of course I love garlic haha.
My electric pressure cooker works wonders here. Locks in all the nutrients and doesn’t stink up the house which was always my bigger problem with cauliflower before.
I absolutely HATE cauliflower but I MUST say this recipe is beyond AMAZING!! I followed the recipe and used butter (out of Kerry Gold). I even sent this to my mom who hates veggies but I know will like this. Next I will try roasting with the garlic and red onions too. That sounds yummy. Thank you SOOOO MUCH Olena for sharing :).
You are welcome. Yes, sometimes the way cauliflower is prepared the smell of it is bleck. Especially in desserts. But most of the times it is good.
Delicious! Healthy alternative when craving mashed potatoes. I’m pairing the cauliflower mash with crock pot chicken pot pie!
Sounds good. Now I am craving a crock pot chicken pot pie.
Good luck!:)
I just made this recipe and it was so easy I used regular that I bought at Aldi. Itwas really good.
This recipe sounds so easy and yummy! I actually have my cauliflower cooking right now so I can add this to my meal prep for the week.. Can’t wait to try it
Awesome. I just cooked buffalo cauliflower soup yesterday which I am about to post and thought cooked chunky cauliflower did remind me of something. These mashed potatoes.:) Enjoy!
Tried this with oilve oil instead of butter and I really loved it. I’m going to try and sneak it into one of my kid’s dishes, I’m sure she’ll like it!
Hi Christina. Any type of fat will work. Even melted pork fat. Kidding but that is what we ate in Ukraine with fried potatoes.
Um, my kids didn’t like mashed cauliflower. Oldest one said it is not bad but no thank you haha. Try and see. Never know! My kids still shock me sometimes with food choices. In a good way.
We are dairy free so liked this method. I used 1tbs coconut oil and 1 tsp salt in vitamix. Did steam garlic with the cauliflower. May try oven roasted next time
Steam the cauliflower in basket & use half butter &half cream cheese. Works for me!!!
Thanks for the other suggestions !!!
I will try it… It looks YUMMY.
Hi Olena, I buy my Kerry Gold Butter from Costco and stock up, as it’s more expensive in regular grocery stores… thanks for the recipe, I’m going to give it a go tonight!
Hi Sylvia. Costco in Canada doesn’t carry it.:( However, since I don’t use butter a lot it lasts forever. Let me know how you like these.:)
For grassfed butter, look for Kerry Gold butter from Ireland. It is amazingly delicious.
I agree. There is also Kiwi brand. I also bought my local farm’s grass fed butter and it went bad really fast like real butter from childhood in Ukraine. It became dark yellow outside and tasted bitter. Ew but at least I knew that I had real butter. I didn’t expect that but now I know.
I made it today! Very tasty! Thank you for recipe! 🙂
Boiling the cauliflower as we speak. But why add the garlic in the water when it will be drained?
Cooked garlic adds nice flavour. It is less mild than raw one and better in this dish.
I used organic free range chicken broth instead of the water and it was delicious! The broth gives the cauliflower so much flavor! Thanks for the recipe!
So far my attempts at mashed cauliflower haven’t turned out too well, but your recipe looks terrific, and I like Suzanne’s suggestion of roasting rather than boiling to reduce the water content (and nutrient loss). I’ll give both methods a try, using your recipe. Thanks!
I promise this is delicious! I am very honest about my recipes and do not like BS.
I discovered that mashed cauliflower comes out much better if you roast it in the oven with a little olive oil, rather than steaming or boiling – less water content that way. I like to roast mine with garlic and red onion for extra flavor, before puréeing in the food processor.
I should try that! Thanks for sharing!
Great idea! Thanks.