Mashed Cauliflower
How to make healthy cauliflower mashed potatoes as a low carb alternative to regular mashed potatoes. You can swap this super easy side dish for mashed potatoes. Almost no one will notice. I love mashed potatoes and mashed sweet potatoes but I would make this recipe for a low fat alternative.
Whoever came up with a solution how to make mashed potatoes with cauliflower is genius. I’m not sure who we have to thank for but there are a million different recipes online. I think mine is healthy, easy and simple. I don’t think cooking should be complicated.
So here is the best mock mashed potatoes recipe! I’m not biased. At all. Ask my kids. They eat this side dish on Thanksgiving like it’s their business.
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Does It Taste Like Mashed Potatoes?
Cauliflower taste is 1 on a scale of 100 when it comes to mashed “potatoes”. I promise! Even kids will eat it.
Here is the thing. This dish tastes better when fresh. Next day there it has more cabbage smell. Especially when you open the container to reheat. I warned you. And honestly taste is not as good. I recommend to make only what you will eat same day. You can cut the recipe in half.
Ingredients
Very simple. In case you have to send a husband to the store, he will not be confused.
- Cauliflower
- Garlic
- Butter
- Salt
- Freshly ground pepper
Are Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes Healthy?
Both cauliflower and potato are vegetables. And we all know most of us need to eat more vegetables. Unlike many people think potatoes are good for you. Homemade cooked potatoes. Not fast food chain 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 pie with cauliflower mashed potatoes.
What to Serve with?
- Baked chicken breast – juicy and very simple seasonings
- Baked chicken with peppers and mushrooms – saucy and perfect on top of “potatoes”
- Honey garlic salmon – 15 minute pan seared salmon with crispy skin
- Thai salmon – broiled salmon with easy healthy Thai sauce
- Thai turkey meatballs – OMG these are the meatballs of all meatballs!!!
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.
How to Make Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes (Video)
- 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 extra virgin olive oil, salt and ground black pepper to taste.
- Using an immersion blender or in a food processor, process until very smooth or desired consistency.
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste, if necessary.
- Serve hot like traditional mashed potatoes.
FAQs
Can I Use Frozen Cauliflower?
Yes. Many supermarkets sell frozen cauliflower florets. Very convenient.
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.
Why Cook Garlic?
Cooking garlic makes it less spicy. Once mashed with cauliflower it adds nice flavor.
Can I Add Cream Cheese or Sour Cream?
Yes. But first try without. These potatoes are so creamy and good with butter. Just try.
Can You Mash Cauliflower with a Potato Masher?
Yes. 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.
How to Make Cauliflower Mash Thicker?
To make cauliflower mashed potatoes thicker and more creamy you have to remove extra water.
- Place drained cooked cauliflower florets in a towel and let cool down a bit.
- Twist the ends one direction and the bottom another direction while holding onto the ball with tongs. This helps to remove extra water. The trick is not to touch super hot blob with hands. But also not to eat cold mashed potatoes with turkey. Because who would like that?!
- Follow the recipe and add seasonings. Then blend.
Can I Freeze It?
I recommend to enjoy this recipe same day. I do not suggest to reheat it next day. I also do not suggest to freeze it. I tried. I don’t like the result. But it’s up to you.
More Low Carb Cauliflower Recipes
- Cauliflower pizza crust – a little bit labour intensive but a real deal
- Cauliflower risotto – a date night in low carb restaurant meal
- Cauliflower potato salad – a hit at every potluck
- Cauliflower fried rice – 15 minute easy low carb takeout
- Slow cooker cauliflower mashed potatoes – when your stove top is just full!!!
Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
How to make Healthy Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes as a low carb alternative to regular mashed potatoes. Cauliflower taste is 1 out of 100. I promise!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Side
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: North American
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. Adjust salt and pepper to taste, if necessary.
- Serve hot just like you would serve mashed potatoes.
Store: Refrigerate in a glass airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating in the comments.
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.
Not so much. It’s still cauliflower. It was enough of a treatment that I could eat it, but it did not fool the kids.
Back to the drawing board for a way to cook this veggie AND make it taste good.
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.