A keto cauliflower puree that’s better than mashed potatoes?! A bold claim! But I stand behind it! And believe me, nobody is more surprised than I am!
It’s day five in my week of low carb recipe posts, and my third day of strict low carb eating myself. Yesterday I wasn’t craving carbs, but I felt really foggy and knew I needed something other than protein in order to bounce back. I didn’t want to cheat so I decided to go with the mashed cauliflower, which is on my long list of vegetables that are “legal.”
Now I’ve done low carb diets before, and heard many people tout cauliflower puree as an acceptable substitute for mashed potatoes. I’ve even eaten it a few times and always…..meh, not so great.
I think part of the problem for me is that keto cauliflower purees always seem too watery and don’t have that true starchy mouth feel of real potatoes. I had long ago put mashed cauliflower in the category of “better than nothing but nowhere near as good as mashed potatoes.”
So yesterday I had a brainstorm on how to dry the cauliflower out a bit so the puree wouldn’t be so waterlogged. I cooked the cauliflower in the microwave, uncovered, for five minutes, and then another four – so a total of nine minutes.
I poured a little heavy cream and a tablespoon of butter into the bowl with the cauliflower and tossed them to coat after the first five minutes so they wouldn’t dry out too much.
Well it worked! I put them in my magic bullet and pureed them with a little more butter and cream and some Dubliner Irish cheese and they were amazing! The perfect starchy thick consistency that I had been missing in a keto cauliflower puree recipe!
So good that I tasted them and almost kept eating without taking any photos, reasoning that “I’d just make another batch for pictures later!” I came to my senses and managed to snap a few shots before I finished them off! ha ha! It wasn’t easy to wait though I gotta tell you!
In addition to the consistency issue, my other problem with low carb cauliflower mash recipes has always been the funky, skunky flavor natural to cauliflower. The addition of this cheese made all the difference! It embraced the funk and transformed it into a complex flavor that I couldn’t get enough of! It made regular mashed potatoes seem boring and one note! And I’m a person who loves mashed potatoes!
One last thing of interest – I ate the keto cauliflower puree around 3pm and it was probably about 2 cups worth (1 smallish head of cauliflower). I never ate another thing for the rest of the day, nor did I feel hungry at all. I even made chicken pesto pasta for my husband and son and sat with them chatting at the dinner table while they ate it and never once felt hungry or tempted by the pasta!
This is not normal for me and I credit the high satiety factor of the Keto cheesy cauliflower puree. Had I eaten mashed potatoes in the same way I would have been starving a few hours later for sure!
Maybe there really is something to this whole low carb, high fat thing – it’s an interesting experiment at the very least. An added bonus? The scale showed a 2.5lb drop from yesterday. But even if you aren’t trying to watch your carb intake, you want to make this dish–it will change your mind about Keto cauliflower puree forever!
I bought two heads of cauliflower yesterday and I’m so glad I did because I’ll be eating this for lunch again today! It’s only 9am and I already can’t wait! Yum!
Update – Here’s a 60 second recipe video that shows the process and how easy it really is!
“Better than Potatoes” Cheesy Cauliflower Puree (Low Carb)
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
Print Recipe
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This Keto Cheesy Cauliflower Puree is so thick, creamy, and delicious, you’ll never miss mashed potatoes again!
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 2 Tbsp heavy cream
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 2 ounces dubliner or other sharp cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Clean and trim the cauliflower, breaking it into medium sized pieces.
- Place in a microwave safe bowl with 2 Tbsp of cream and 1 Tbsp of butter.
- Microwave, uncovered, on high for six minutes.
- Stir to coat cauliflower with cream/butter mixture. Microwave for another six minutes on high.
- Remove from the microwave and put into a high speed blender or food processor along with the cheese. Puree until smooth.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. You can adjust the cream and butter to your preference.
Notes
To see a list of my favorite low carb products and brands that I recommend for sweeteners, flours, etc. you can check out the IBIH Pantry Ingredients Page!
- Category: Keto Side dish
- Cuisine: Vegetable
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 148
- Fat: 11g
- Carbohydrates: 4g
- Protein: 6g
*Update: I made this for lunch and I’m eating it now – bliss! I realized that Dubliner Irish Cheese may not be available everywhere so I made this batch with extra sharp white cheddar and it’s just as yummy! So if you can’t find the Dubliner or just don’t want to pay the extra for it, go for the extra sharp cheddar – easier to find and tastes great!
**2nd Update: I’ve made this cauliflower puree sooo many times now and still love it! Some posters have complained about graininess and that may be from your cheese not melting if your cauliflower is cooling off during the processing time. I’ve been popping it back in the microwave for a minute AFTER I blend everything together and it makes a huge difference. Try it!
***3rd Update: My sincerest apologies to those of you who complained about graininess of the cauliflower mash and I dismissed it as operator error! I made a batch yesterday and it was super grainy no matter how much I cooked or blended it. I’m positive it was from the membrane on the center of the stalk. I bought two at the same time (same brand, likely same farm) and when I checked the second one it had a hard, fibrous outside. I peeled it off and cooked it the same way I always do and it was perfect. Not sure if it’s age or what but next time check your cauliflower branch for a hard outer skin and peel that off before you cook it just to make sure you get the right consistency!
****4th Update: I’ve made some minor changes to the cauliflower mash recipe that represent how I make it for myself now, and it’s a significant reduction in fat and calories from the original. I find I can use much less butter and cream than when I started and I still love the flavor. Also, I’m posting the nutrition data since so many people have been requesting it.
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The cauliflower prices have hiked up like crazy in my city. To the other commenters (and maybe author if time allows!): what do you think could be a good replacement to mash instead of cauliflower for the same nutritional value? Thanks!
Now that I’ve made this deliciousness several times, I’ve started taking liberties…..
I smash the cauliflower with a whisk and I sorta …. double down on the butter and I’ve taken to adding sour cream as well. The cheddar is the perfect complement to the cauliflower and you’re so right that the combination of all these ingredients rivals the more traditional mashed potato. This dish really holds its own though.
Nicely created, Melissa!!
★★★★★
What is this microwave BS , I don’t allow one in the house. ? this is not cooking
I don’t have a microwave in my house either. Any other way to make this without need a microwave?
Good old fashioned steaming til it’s done.
★★★★★
Absolutely, hands down, THE best EVER!!! And I AM a self proclaimed “authentic mashed potatoes” snob!!!!!! Good job! Perfect AS IS!
★★★★★
The flavor was excellent!!! I think the only thing I’ll need to tweak is butter/cream. Ours came out a bit dry, and I think we can have an amazing puree if I add just a bit of cream or butter (or both)!
★★★★
Made this tonight to have with pot roast. I kept flavor tasting it as I whipped it up in the food processor and I kept saying… too sweet, kind of grainy. But I kept whipping. The final result was a creamy, stands up on its own mashed cauliflower. Yes, on its own, you can taste sort of that its cauliflower. It has a sweet nuttiness to it. But paired up with the pot roast, it is magnificent. It has a heaviness just like real mash potatoes and the mouthfeel is pretty darn spot on. The small cauliflower flavor when eating with a meat and a bit of gravy completely disappear. I’m glad this is the recipe I first decided to try this out with.
★★★★★
This is absolutely fantastic. Just a little bit of cheese does the trick to cover the cauliflower skunkiness and brings a nutty richness that is sooo satisfying! Served with pan-seared scallops. Delightful!
★★★★★
Best Cauli-mash ever. I was always underwhelmed by most cauliflower mash recipes as I thought they came out too bland and soupy, but this mash stands up! I think microwaving without covering is the key. The strong cheese adds a lot of flavor without overwhelming the taste. I have made this a couple of times now. It doesn’t hurt that it is a breeze to make too.
★★★★★
I forgot to add that I only coarsely chop the cauliflower before microwaving and then use an immersion blender to mash. Works perfectly.
★★★★★
Day 4 on Keto…
Last night while taking a break from cleaning out the pantry and fridge of carb laden leftovers and recovering from the “keto flu” I discovered this recipe. I quickly whipped up a batch. I put the first spoonful in my mouth and my mind screamed, “No! This is bad!!” Then I realized no, it is ohhh sooo gooood! Ate it right out of the smoothie cup. Told my hubbie the next morning and he said, “Great, did you save me any?” Uh, no.
You’ve given me hope that this journey will be a successful one.
I am sorry to piggyback on this comment but I can’t find a way to comment on my own.
THIS. IS. AMAZING.
I am a picky eater and have always struggled with cauliflower. I have cauliflower mash manyv ways and never got past acceptable. This is a great recipe and as easy as it is tasty. Thank you so much for figuring it out and sharing it with me.
★★★★★
This recipe is absolute PERFECTION.
Years ago, I tried the Southbeach Diet. And they had a supposed “delicious” mashed potato recipe made out of cauliflower. It was disgusting. And I definitely knew it was NOT mashed potatoes.
Since then, I’ve tried several versions of “faux” potatoes in my quest for health and they have always fallen short. Until now.
This recipe is DELICIOUS. First of all, the texture is right. These really DO come out light and fluffy and creamy. They aren’t grainy or runny or wet like most cauliflower recipes. And the TASTE?!!? Delicious. The Irish cheese really does take out any sour cauliflower taste without the dish being overly gooey or heavy.
I have now made this with both frozen pre-riced cauliflower and with fresh cauliflower I have riced in my blender. Amazingly, they BOTH came out delicious. I think I slightly favor the fresh because it seemed a bit lighter. If using frozen, definitely drain it well after you microwave it.
No matter HOW you make this, it is delicious!! I am officially converted.
★★★★★
Thanks so much Leighellen! I still make this allllll the time and it never disappoints! So glad you loved it too!
How did you cook the frozen riced cauliflower for this?? I have a bag, but I’m nervous!