The Best Mashed Cauliflower

The Best Mashed Cauliflower, ever! This recipe is so delicious, ULTRA creamy and just about perfect. Includes step-by-step recipe video.

This cauli mash makes for the ultimate low carb side dish for THM S-Meals, for keto diets or just when you need creamy comfort food without all of the carbs.

Mashed cauliflower. Oh, how I didn’t want you to be true. I revolted. I didn’t want anyone to take away my potatoes and replace them with cauliflower.

I even tried a few recipes, and all of them re-inforced my stance: Mashed cauliflower is awful. But then… I decided to stop with all the tricks and gimmicks and just prep the cauliflower exactly how I would actual mashed potatoes. And, oh wonder, it’s beyond delicious!

My best Mashed Cauliflower

• … turns out amazingly creamy, thick and almost fluffy
• … tastes SO good – not watery, not bitter, not boring
• … my kids l-o-v-e it. Seriously. They ask for thirds (and they are very much into white potato anything)

Next to mashed sweet potatoes and roasted radishes, this might just be my favorite healthy side dish. Ever.

And it is SO easy to make, you won’t believe it – no chopping the cauliflower into tiny bits. No reserving of cooking liquid (who even remembers to do that at crunch time!) or any other special tricks needed!

Ingredients you’ll need

This is just an overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe – great as a visual grocery list! Scroll down to the recipe card for quantities.

Ingredient notes

• Cauliflower: Either fresh or frozen cauliflower can be used in this recipe. I buy whatever is available at a good price. And having a couple of bags stashed in the freezer always helps when I can’t get to the store!
• Sour cream: A reader recently asked if this recipe was possible with Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream, and I just tested it to report back. Yes, it works! You can use full fat sour cream for a higher fat version, or low fat sour cream/fat free Greek yogurt for a lower fat version. I let the yogurt sit at room temperature while the cauliflower was cooking to keep it from splitting.
• Cheese: I like a cheddar blend best here. The orange cheddar helps to ad a yellow hue to the mashed cauliflower, making it look even more like potatoes. Parmesan or Romano cheese are really delicious here too, though.

How to make Mashed Cauliflower

How to cook the cauliflower

Trust me, I tried everything. From steaming (too much hassle) to roasting (too crispy) and pressure cooking to mash right in the same pot (too watery).

Finally, I started cooking the cauliflower like I would potatoes, and it changed everything:

• boil in plenty of salted water until buttery-soft
• drain very well
• return to pot and place over medium-low heat, stirring from time to time until all excess water has steamed off

This works like a charm for silky smooth, thick and almost fluffy cauli-mash.

How to season cauliflower mash

Ah, the seasoning. You can obviously go wild and pile on the cheddar, chive and bacon (I should really share my recipe for that, too!).

Here I’m keeping it basic to imitate plain and amazing mashed potatoes: Sour cream, a bit of cheese, butter, nutmeg. Top with extra butter and chives, if you like.

• The sour cream is really necessary to give it that uber-creaminess the potatoes get from their starch.
• The cheese helps to kind of offset the strong cauliflower taste and the butter makes it silky.
• Nutmeg is a classic with potatoes, so it really gives it that hint of grandma-made-it.

How to mash the cauliflower

The ONLY way I like mashed cauliflower is by processing it in my food processor until it is perfectly smooth.

A potato masher makes mushy cauliflower rice, at best. So, use your food processor!

Recipe tips

• make sure you steam off all the excess water, or you’ll end up with watery mashed cauliflower
• use a food processor for the smoothest cauliflower mash!
• don’t skip the sour cream, it adds a nice creaminess you’ll otherwise miss

Can you freeze this recipe?

Uhm… I have honestly never tried. I don’t think so. BUT you can buy cauliflower when it’s on sale, clean it and divide it into florets and freeze it.

No blanching necessary for mashed cauliflower. Just drop into water, bring to a boil and cook until soft.

Serving ideas

You can use it like you would use mashed potatoes!

Use in an E setting (low fat):

Use low fat or fat free sour cream and keep the butter to 1/2 tablespoon and the cheese to 1 tablespoon.

• with turkey meatloaf and another starchy side
• as a side for lentil stew (a yummy, budget-friendly meal!)
• with stuffed peppers (brown rice and ground turkey filling plus tomato sauce = yum!)

In an s setting (low carb or keto):

• to top a shepherd’s pie made with juicy pork, lamb or beef
• with saucy meatballs, my Keto Swedish Meatballs or as a side for anything saucy, really! We love it with creamy pork chops!
• my Low Carb Oven Fried Chicken or my Low Carb Oven Fried Fish

More healthy side dishes

PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback! You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Sign up for my email list, too!

I first published this recipe on 09/13/2018. Updated with new photos and better formatting on 01/18/2021!