Guys, you need this Cheesy Keto Polenta in your life! It’s got all of the flavors and textures of a true soft polenta, but without the carbs! ??
Polenta is typically made with cornmeal, and has long been a staple of both Italian and Mexican cooking. Hearty and inexpensive, polenta can be served soft, porridge style with a sauce over it (see my recently posted Keto Short Rib Ragu, which I served over this cheesy Keto polenta,) or formed into a log and then sliced to be grilled or fried.
This cheesy Keto polenta is best served porridge style, as it doesn’t contain enough natural starch to stay solid – I’ll work on a version for that down the road though, because fried polenta is ???
Obviously, a Keto polenta wouldn’t be made from cornmeal, so if you guessed cauliflower…ding ding ding, you are correct! But since a mildly gritty texture is characteristic of a true polenta, I added some almond flour to the puree. This technique thickens my cheesy Keto polenta, and gives it that authentic polenta mouthfeel.
Finally, because corn, and thus polenta, has a slight natural sweetness to it, I also added some erythritol to this Keto polenta to achieve that “corny” flavor.
Now let’s talk about the cheese, because you can’t put “cheesy” in the title and then skimp on the cheese amirite? I used a good quality Parmesan cheese in this cheesy keto polenta recipe, making it a comforting meal on it’s own, or as a neutral base for almost any pot roast, meat sauce, my turkey saltimbocca meatballs, etc.
That being said, this cheesy keto polenta recipe can be customized in flavor by switching up your cheeses – for example, if you’re going for a southern style “grits”, then you can use a smoked cheddar – turning this into a fabulous keto side dish for any kind of BBQ’d meats, or a base for Shrimp and Grits – similar to the recipe in my best-selling book Keto for Life.
If you want to go Mexican or Central American style, you can add any queso blanco, or queso fresco, maybe stir in a little chopped cilantro, and then use this as a base for my Cuban Pot Roast, or alongside my Mexican Chori-Pollo.
One final note about this cheesy keto polenta recipe… Since we also “eat with our eyes,” adding a few drops of yellow food coloring makes this keto polenta appear more authentic. If you hate the idea of artificially dying your food, you can get similar results with a small amount of turmeric or annatto as a natural alternative.
Of course, this is completely optional and won’t affect the results flavor wise at all – so you can absolutely skip this step if a golden-colored polenta is not important to you. I promise it will taste delicious either way!
Cheesy Keto Polenta – Low Carb
- Total Time: 17 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This versatile cheesy keto polenta is hearty and satisfying, with only 4g net carbs per serving! Customize it with different cheeses and serve in a variety of delicious ways!
Ingredients
- 4 heaping cups raw cauliflower florets
- 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon granulated erythritol sweetener
- 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup superfine blanched almond flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 3 – 5 drops yellow food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Combine the cauliflower, heavy whipping cream, butter, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and erythritol in a microwave safe bowl.
- Microwave on high, uncovered, for 8 – 10 minutes, or until fork tender.
- Transfer the cauliflower and liquids to a blender or food processor, and blend until mostly smooth.
- Return to the bowl and stir in almond flour, parmesan cheese, almond milk, and food coloring if using.
- Heat in the microwave for an additional 2 minutes.
- Stir and serve hot, garnished with more grated cheese if desired.
Notes
Approximate net carbs per serving = 4g.
Since microwaves vary, if yours is very powerful test out the cauliflower at 6 to 8 minutes so it doesn’t overcook. Alternatively, if your microwave is kind of wimpy, it may take up to 12 minutes or longer to achieve a fork tender cauliflower that will be easy to blend.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: keto side dishes
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3/4 cup
- Calories: 211
- Fat: 17g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 9g
Keywords: polenta, side dishes, cauliflower, keto, Italian, Mexican, gluten free, low carb
Marti says
Wonderful recipe. I replaced the almond flour with masa. From what I’ve read it doesn’t change the carb count that much and definitely adds the polenta taste. I’ve thought about adding some gelatin or zanthem gum to see if it would help bind the polenta so I can grill it.
Love, love, love your recipes.
★★★★★
ALP says
I really liked this “polenta.” I’m actually not even really into polenta, but to me this was just a firmer mashed cauliflower dish. I had it with the Keto Short Rib Ragu, and it is a good combo. I liked that I had plenty of time to make the cauli polenta while the short ribs cooked; I didn’t feel rushed or like I was running around trying to cook too much at once.
I made a few modifications: I skipped the sweetener, food coloring, and almond milk. I subbed sharp aged cheddar, and added 1/8 tsp of turmeric.
I don’t have a microwave so I boiled the cauli florets in boiling water for 10 minutes. Then added the cream, butter, salt, pepper, and garlic, and pureed with an immersion blender. Then I stirred in a bit of turmeric, and finished with the cheese and almond flour. Since my cauliflower was boiled I could tell I didn’t need any more liquid (hence skipping the almond milk).
I look forward to trying more recipes.
Thank You~
★★★★★
Karen Checchia says
I’ve made this recipe with both cheddar and parmesan cheese together and it came out delicious!!! I’ve served it with cajun spiced shrimps. Highly recommend it! The color of the cheddar cheese helped me reach the ideal yellow tone so I skipped the food coloring. Also skipped the sweetener but I’ll give it a try next time I make it. Thank you for this awesome creative recipe!
★★★★★
Mellissa Sevigny says
So happy to hear that you are enjoying this recipe Karen – it’s been awhile since I’ve made it but reading your comment reminded me that it’s time to make some shrimp and grits soon!
Sharon says
This was delish. I also added 1/4 cup goat cheese and just served it without processing.
★★★★★
Nicole Szymanowski says
Have you tried to make this dairy and nut free and if so does it turn out well at all?
Mellissa Sevigny says
I wouldn’t recommend it.
Diane says
Easy fabulous recipe. Have always made traditional polenta with Italian Pot Roast. This cauliflower polenta complimented the pot roast beautifully.
★★★★★
Cat says
I added a little amoretti corn flavoring (1/4 tsp) and about a cup of cheddar for shrimp and “grits”. It was amazing! I’ve also added the corn flavoring to the original recipe (without the cheddar) and topped it with a bolognese. Delicious!
For those on the fence about investing in what I refer to as liquid gold (amoretti corn flavoring), it is well worth the investment. I’ve been using the same bottle for about a year for “cornbread” and this polenta recipe. I’m from the southern US and it is pretty much necessary for living a Keto lifestyle in this part of the world ;)
Thank you soooo much for giving me back some of my favorite dishes Keto style! This recipe is the bomb! And so versatile! I have got to try your short ribs or Cuban pork with the polenta, though just topping it with garlic brown butter also works ;)
★★★★★
Cat says
Forgot to mention that Amazon currently has the Amoretti for about $24, it used to be $36.
Maryann says
Hi Melissa, can I throw it all in the instant pot?
pam says
Any version that doesn’t use a microwave? I don’t own one. :-)
Beth R. says
I will leave out the sweetener next time, but loved this otherwise! Your Mashed Cauliflower is my go-to recipe and glad to have a version of polenta! Can’t wait to try with the Short Rib recipe! I think I will also try adding a spoonful or two of mascarpone cheese to mimic my favorite traditional polenta recipe!
★★★★
Janice Flournory says
Thank you for another useful incarnation for cauliflower.
Lara says
Could you sub pre-riced cauliflower? That would save a step… how much would you say to use?
Lisa Carswell says
I tried this polenta recipe and it is delicious!
★★★★★
Marki Haynes says
I’ve missed polenta. Finally a keto recipe. Thanks!!
★★★★★
Beth says
Can’t wait to try this!
Regina says
I’ve been missing polenta so much, this is amazing! The appearance is so authentic looking with the food coloring. I super look forward to a recipe for a sliceable version, but this will satisfy my craving for now.
Side note – parmesan isn’t vegetarian unfortunately since it’s made with calf rennet.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks for catching this and letting me know Regina! I had no idea that Parmesan wasn’t vegetarian because of the calf rennet, which I googled, and lo and behold it is extracted from veal calves during butchering! I removed the vegetarian tag and changed the text as well. Thanks again!
Linda Giovanna Zambanini says
It turns out EU Parmesan has to be made with rennet in order to be certified as Parmesan. But in the U.S. BelGioioso makes a vegetarian Parmesan, and PETA’s site says many Parmesans in the U.S. are made w/o animal rennet (ie with a vegetable rennet). I found a list of them online. Just do some googling. Life is short, what would life be without Parmesan?!
★★★★★
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks for sharing this info – I had no idea!
Cici says
I have some frozen riced cauliflower that I got at Costco that I’d like to use for this recipe. Approximately how much by weight do you think your 4 cups of florets weighs?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Sorry but I have no idea – four cups of the riced cauliflower should yield a similar result though.
Marianne says
Frozen for some reason doesn’t cook up right. It isn’t as smooth.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks for letting us know!
Pebbles Worthington says
Hi. I wondered about that extract called Amoretti (or something like that) that some use to make faux corn bread. I wonder if that would do the trick if people didn’t want to add sweetener?
★★★★★
Paul says
I’ve used a similar brand of corn flavored drops and they do flavor polenta and grits to trick your mind. I would’ve bought Amoretti if it wasn’t so pricey
diana says
If you buy the Amoretti corn flavoring, try a drop in a separate serving first to see if you like it. It tastes like Buttery Sweet Dough Bakery Emulsion to me, like something you’d put into sweet rolls, and not at all like corn. I ruined a couple of really good dishes with it.
Antoniette says
Oh and maybe adding corn extract?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Never heard of such a thing! Will check it out!
Antoniette says
Hello!
This sounds awesome. I got excited hearing you mention fried polenta for the future. Do u think adding xanthan gum and then chilling it would help make it stick together enough to fry?
Thank you for all of your recipes!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Maybe with enough cheese and just a little gelatin and egg white it would hold together when chilled and could then be sliced. I’ll get working on it!
Stephanie Roth Reeve says
Is the sweetener necessary?
Mellissa Sevigny says
As I mention in the post, I added the sweetener to mimic the sweetness of real corn polenta – you can leave it out but it won’t taste as authentic.