Mashed Cauliflower Recipe

If you need a low-carb alternative to mashed potatoes, this mashed cauliflower recipe is a godsend.

We get it — the creamy deliciousness you’ve been in love with doesn’t fit your new diet, so have we got the thing for you. This creamy cauliflower alternative has heaps of dairy, tons of flavor, and is sure to tickle your fancy.

And no, it won’t take long, about 20 minutes, though your presence will only be required in the kitchen for about five of those. It’s easy to mash cauliflower because it’s so soft when cooked. You can mash it in less than a minute.

But before we get to the recipe, let’s take a look at the dish first.

Mashed Cauliflower vs Mashed Potatoes

Despite their similar look, the two bring different vibes to the table.

Because of the low starch content, mashed cauliflower isn’t as heavy as mashed potatoes. Don’t get me wrong — it’s still very creamy and satisfyingly flavorful.

Speaking of flavor, we chose mashed cauliflower thinking of it as a replacement, but we fell in love with it for what it is (and created an impressive Instant Pot Mashed Cauliflower Recipe). It has this unique flavor that becomes irresistible when combined with aromatics and seasonings.

We think you’re gonna love it, even though it tastes nothing like its counterpart.

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Is Mashed Cauliflower Good for You?

Cauliflower has plenty of fiber and micronutrients, which are good for the body in many different ways. Fiber is also known to aid digestion and keeps us feeling full for longer, which is super helpful for appetite control.

As mentioned before, mashed cauliflower is also a low-carb alternative to mashed potatoes. This may make it sound healthier, but it’s not really; we’ll explain what matters instead.

How Healthy Is This Recipe? 

We base our recipes on the USDA’s dietary guidelines, which have no guidance on whether it is a healthy practice to reduce carbohydrates or not. Instead, here’s what it says about a healthy diet:

1. Calorie consumption should be controlled, depending on sex, age, and level of activity.
2. Intakes of sodium, saturated fat, and granulated (or added) sugar should be limited.
3. Various foods from different food groups should be included in the diet.
4. The body will go through different stages and will have different needs that should be met.
5. Alcohol isn’t advised. If it’s unavoidable, drink in moderation.

After making the recipe, we checked its nutritional labels and made necessary adjustments to make it fit with our guidelines.

Cauliflower doesn’t contain many calories, but the dairy component can ratchet up the sodium and saturated fat levels. We used just enough to keep them within the guidelines.

You can check out those guidelines here. They’re based on those of the USDA and are designed to control the intake of calories and nutrients.

Now let’s have a look at the main ingredients.

Main Ingredients

1. Cauliflower

Cauliflower comes in all shapes and sizes — there are purple, orange, and even green cauliflowers (no, they’re not broccoli). You can pick these instead of the common white one to make a beautiful “smashing” dip.

We highly recommend that you don’t use different colors in the same bowl. We learned our lesson back in art class and we have to say, it’s not very beautiful.

2. Dairy

Cauliflower tastes great already, but adding butter to it makes it even better. Butter makes everything better, and that’s a fact.

We could’ve used just heavy cream for the creamy texture, but it’s just too high in fat. In most of our recipes, we use a combination of heavy cream and whole milk, a half-and-half you might say.

To further enhance the creaminess, we added a touch of sour cream. You can use Greek yogurt if you want.

Finally, grated parmesan for that savory flourish. We didn’t use cheddar or mozzarella — they may look good as a pizza topping, but they’re too heavy for a creamy dip.

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3. Seasoning

We began to season the dip with salt and pepper, the two seasonings that go with almost anything.

Next, we added some garlic powder to complete the savory profile. If you like nibbling on little bits of garlic, you can always chop some up and add them to the dip.

We then complete the aroma profile by Sautéing some thyme along with the cauliflower to bring out the flavor better.

We also used parsley but it’s more for decoration than for flavor.

Finally, the dip is finished with a touch of paprika. We don’t think any more paprika than that is a good idea, but you can add more if you prefer.

How to Store and Reheat the Leftovers

Similar to mashed potatoes, this dish freezes well, thaws well, and can last for 3 months when frozen. We often store ours in airtight containers, but sometimes, we wrap it up like a ball of dough.

First, we grabbed a bowl and lined it with a square-ish piece of cling wrap. We took one serving straight from the pot and scooped it into the lined bowl.

We then carefully folded the cling wrap to form a ball of mashed cauliflower, and froze it.

To reheat, we simply removed the wrap and placed it in a pot with a tablespoon of water. When it got bubbling hot, we allowed it to cool down before serving.

How to Serve

Mashed cauliflower is a lot like mashed potatoes, so it can be served as a dip for crunchy garlic bread. The two make for satisfying finger food, perfect for parties or gatherings.

We couldn’t think of any better option, so please give us some comments if you have ideas on how to serve this amazing dip!

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More Cauliflower Dishes to Try

• Cauliflower Toast Recipe
• Cauliflower Lasagna Recipe
• Cauliflower Mac and Cheese Recipe
• Cauliflower Alfredo Recipe

Mashed Cauliflower Recipe

5 from 1 vote

This mashed cauliflower recipe is a great solution if you're craving mashed potatoes and looking for something similar. It tastes unbelievably good.

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• cook TIME 15 mins
• prep TIME 5 mins
• total TIME 20 mins

• COURSE Side Dish
• CUISINE American
• SERVINGS
  4

  servings
• CALORIES 119 kcal

INGREDIENTS

1x2x3x

• 22 oz cauliflower (cut into florets)
• 0.5 oz parmesan (grated)
• 1 tbsp sour cream
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp olive oil (divided)
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1 tbsp parsley (finely chopped)

INSTRUCTIONS

Image instructions

1

Add 1 cup water and 22 oz cauliflower to a pot and boil for 6 minutes.

2

Drain the cauliflower. Place a large sieve over a pot and place the cauliflower into it. Allow excess water to drain off before blending.

3

Add the dried cauliflower into a bowl with 1 tbsp unsalted butter, 1 tbsp sour cream, 1/2 tbsp olive oil, 0.5 oz parmesan, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp paprika, 1 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper.

4

Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth.

5

Add the mash to a bowl and sprinkle it with paprika, 1 tbsp parsley, and the remaining 1/2 tbsp olive oil. Serve.

NUTRITION

Nutrition Facts

Mashed Cauliflower Recipe

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 119Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Fat 8g

12%

Saturated Fat 3g

19%

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 4g

Cholesterol 13mg

4%

Sodium 262mg

11%

Potassium 499mg

14%

Carbohydrate 9g

3%

Fiber 3g

13%

Sugar 3g

3%

Protein 4g

8%

Vitamin A 180IU

4%

Vitamin C 77mg

93%

Calcium 77mg

8%

Iron 1mg

6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keywords: how to make mashed cauliflower, mashed cauliflower, mashed cauliflower recipe