This delicious Keto Cauliflower Mash is an easy and nutritious low-carb substitute for mashed potatoes. This simple recipe comes together in less than 30 minutes using 4 basic ingredients.
Regular mashed potatoes are a classic all-American comfort food. Unfortunately, this beloved dish is high in carbs and therefore banned from keto and low-carb diets. With this Keto Mashed Cauliflower recipe, you can enjoy the same great creamy texture of mashed potatoes, but in an even more nutritious and low net-carb form. This recipe is vegetarian, low-carb, keto, Paleo, Whole30, gluten-free and grain-free making it suitable for a variety of eating restrictions.
Serve this low-carb Cauliflower Mash with Southern Baked Chicken Thighs or Sheet Pan Pork Tenderloin for a low-carb, comfort food meal the whole family will love.
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Ingredients
Here's what you need to make Keto Mashed Cauliflower:
- large head of cauliflower
- butter
- salt
- black pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Here's how to make Keto Cauliflower Mash:
Use a knife and cutting board to cut the cauliflower into large chunks.
While chopping the cauliflower, bring a large pot of water to a boil or high heat. Once the water boils, add the chopped cauliflower. Reduce the heat to medium-high and simmer until the cauliflower is tender and easily pierced with a fork, about 15-20 minutes.
Then, thoroughly drain the cauliflower in a colander shaking off any excess moisture.
Add the drained cauliflower, butter, salt and pepper to a mixing bowl and mix at medium speed until a puree has formed. (Alternatively, puree the cauliflower in a food processor for a smoother puree.) Serve immediately after mixing.
Hint: To make this Keto Cauliflower Mash recipe even easier, use 2-12 oz bags of frozen cauliflower florets and follow this recipe to skip the step of chopping the cauliflower.
Substitutions
Want to substitute an ingredient in Keto Cauliflower Mash? Here's how:
- Cauliflower - substitute peeled russet potatoes and follow this same method to make mashed potatoes, or do a combination or half potatoes and half cauliflower for cauliflower mashed potatoes.
Variations
Try one of these variations of Keto Mashed Cauliflower:
- Garlic - add 2 whole peeled cloves of garlic when boiling the cauliflower, then drain and mash them with the cauliflower for garlic cauliflower mash.
- Cheesy - add 4 oz of cream cheese or ½ c of grated parmesan cheese to the cauliflower when mashing for cheesy mashed cauliflower.
- Loaded -stir ¼ cup of cooked and crumbled bacon, ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese and 3 sliced scallions into the cauliflower mash. Serve as is, or, if desired, spread the loaded mashed cauliflower into a baking dish and bake at 350 until the cheese melts.
Looking for other cauliflower recipes? Try this Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Cheese.
Equipment
This equipment comes in handy when making Cauliflower Mash:
- knife
- cutting board
- large pot
- stand mixer, hand mixer or food processor
Storage
Store leftover cooled low-carb Keto Cauliflower Mash in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Top tip
For a big holiday meal, make this Keto Cauliflower Mash in advance and re-warm it in a baking dish covered with foil in the oven prior to serving to keep things simple the day of your gathering.
FAQ
This Cauliflower Mash recipe has 4 grams of net carbs per serving making it keto and low-carb-friendly.
To ensure the cauliflower mash is not watery, thoroughly drain the cauliflower prior to mashing and avoid adding any sort of liquid such as milk, cream or broth. If the mash still comes out watery, thicken it up by adding up to ½ of a cup of cream cheese or grated parmesan cheese to the mash.
To ensure that keto cauliflower mash is not watery, thoroughly drain the cauliflower prior to mashing and avoid adding any sort of liquid such as milk, cream or broth. If the mash still comes out watery, thicken it up by adding up to ½ of grated parmesan cheese or cream cheese to the mash.
Related
Looking for other easy vegetable recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
Serve this Keto Cauliflower Mash with one of these easy dinner recipes for a balanced meal:
Recipe
Keto Cauliflower Mash
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Use a knife and cutting board to cut the cauliflower into large chunks.
- While chopping the cauliflower, bring a large pot of water to a boil or high heat. Once the water boils, add the chopped cauliflower. Reduce the heat to medium-high and simmer until the cauliflower is tender and easily pierced with a fork, about 15-20 minutes.
- Then, thoroughly drain the cauliflower in a colander shaking off any excess moisture.
- Add the drained cauliflower, butter, salt and pepper to a mixing bowl and mix at medium speed until a puree has formed. (Alternatively, puree the cauliflower in a food processor for a smoother puree.) Serve immediately after mixing.
Notes
Nutrition
Food safety
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
Shannon
So easy yet yummy!