Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
Cauliflower mashed potatoes are a low-carb version of classic mashed potatoes that doesn’t sacrifice on flavor or texture. This smooth and creamy mashed cauliflower can be made in just 20 minutes and is the perfect side for a weekday dinner or holiday meal!
I’m always a little suspicious of “lighter recipes” that are substitutions of classics, but cauliflower mashed potatoes are legitimately delicious. This is a side dish certainly worthy of holiday meals like Easter or Thanksgiving alongside some Maple Glazed Carrots, Butternut Squash Soup, and Drop Biscuits.
The first time I made mashed cauliflower at home, I was trying to recreate the cauliflower puree I so often had at fancy restaurants. They always tasted similar to mashed potatoes, but with a silkier and lighter texture, plus more flavor. I have finally figured out how to make them flavorful, creamy, and rich, yet lighter than usual.
Why This Recipe Is The Best
Not watery – I will show you in the step-by-step instructions below how to squeeze the cauliflower to remove excess water after steaming. This makes a HUGE difference in both the taste and texture of the cauliflower mashed potatoes, giving them a consistency closer to real mashed potatoes.
Flavorful, not bland – Another benefit of squeezing the water out is that it lets us replace the excess liquid with something more delicious: butter and sour cream. The mashed cauliflower will be creamy and flavorful without being overly heavy.
Make-ahead friendly – You can make the entire dish ahead of time, then reheat before serving, just like you would with regular make-ahead mashed potatoes.
Fully customizable – The beauty of this recipe is that you can try tons of different flavor variations.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Cauliflower: I typically use 2 heads of cauliflower for 4 people. You need more than you think, since we’ll be discarding the woody parts of the stems and squeezing a lot of the water out of the vegetable after steaming.
- Cheddar cheese: I love a sharp cheddar cheese in my mashed cauliflower. Skip the pre-shredded stuff and grate it yourself for the best melting texture.
- Sour cream: Just a bit adds a lovely creaminess to the cauliflower, along with a delicious tangy flavor.
- Butter: We don’t need a lot! Make sure it’s softened before you add it to the cauliflower.
- Salt and pepper: Don’t be shy here. We don’t want flat-tasting cauliflower!
- Chopped chives: I love fresh herbs in my cauliflower mashed potatoes. Chives are a favorite!
Step by Step Overview:
Cut the heads of cauliflower down into florets:
Steam or boil the florets until fork tender. You can do this using a steamer basket (affiliate) on the stove, a microwave steamer bowl (affiliate), or in your Instant Pot (affiliate) with the steamer insert. Do this in batches if needed, depending on the size of your pot or steamer.
Drain the florets, then let them cool until they can be safely handled. Place them in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much of the excess water as possible:
If you’re in a hurry, you can twist the cauliflower in the towel while it is still hot using tongs. Just be very careful not to touch the hot cauliflower with your bare hands!
Don’t skip this step. This is the best way to get the excess water out of the steamed cauliflower. I’ve tried other methods and they just don’t work as well!
Transfer the cauliflower to a bowl and stir in the cheese, butter, sour cream, salt, and pepper. If needed, you can use a potato masher to break down any remaining big pieces of cauliflower.
If you’d like a smoother texture for ultra-creamy cauliflower, transfer everything to a food processor and puree until smooth:
Finish by stirring in the chives or sprinkling them on top for garnish and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
This cauliflower mashed potato recipe is a fantastic side for hearty, meaty dishes like Beef Wellington, Roasted Pork Tenderloin, or Prime Rib.
I also love pairing mashed cauliflower with fish and seafood. The lightness of the creamy cauliflower perfectly complements grilled salmon or simple grilled shrimp skewers.
It also makes for a beautiful “base” to any plate. Spoon the mashed cauliflower into the center of the plate and top with your protein, letting the cauliflower capture any sauce.
If you have any leftovers, I also enjoy spreading them over Sourdough Discard Flatbread.
Recipe Variations
Consider this recipe to be a starting point. Once you get the method for these cauliflower mashed potatoes down, you can change up the flavors just like you would with traditional mashed potatoes!
- Add roasted garlic along with the other ingredients.
- Increase the amount of butter for a richer version.
- Swap the cheddar cheese for gouda, parmesan cheese, or even goat cheese.
- Instead of sour cream, use a bit of softened cream cheese or a splash of heavy cream.
- Use other fresh herbs, such as chopped parsley, thyme, or scallions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, so long as you’re okay with a chunkier texture, you can mash everything by hand. A potato masher can also help you break down larger pieces of cauliflower. If you have an immersion blender, that can also help achieve a smoother texture.
Eh, kind of. You can store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months, but I personally find that freezing really degrades the texture, so I don’t recommend it.
Yes. Make the cauliflower as written, then spread into a casserole dish and cool to room temperature. Cover and store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Reheat, covered, in the oven until warmed through.
This means you need to squeeze it a little better with the towel next time. I’ve tested it without the towel, just pressing as much water out as possible through a strainer, and it wasn’t good enough. The towel is important to getting as much moisture out as possible for the perfect creamy texture.
Tried this recipe? Leave a rating and comment below — I’d love to hear how it turned out! Or, follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest!
Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 heads cauliflower about 4 pounds total
- 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese about 2.5 ounces by weight
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons butter softened
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives optional
Instructions
- Cut the cauliflower heads down into florets, then steam or boil for about 8-10 minutes, until completely fork tender and soft.2 heads cauliflower
- Let the cauliflower drain and cool, then squeeze in a kitchen towel to remove the majority of the water in the cauliflower.
- For a chunkier cauliflower mash: Transfer the cauliflower to a bowl along with the cheese, sour cream, butter, salt, pepper, and chives. Mix by hand, using a potato masher as needed to break down the cauliflower.1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, 2 tablespoons chopped chives
- For a smooth cauliflower mash: Transfer the cauliflower, cheese, sour cream, butter, salt, and pepper to the bowl of a food processor. Puree for about 1 minute, until smooth. If desired, mix in the chives by hand or sprinkle on top for garnish.1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, 2 tablespoons chopped chives
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
157 Comments on “Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes”
I found steaming a whole head instead of breaking it down to florets absorbs less water as long as you don’t steam it long. I didn’t have to squeeze water out.
Can you use an electric hand mixer?
My guess is without the blades it wouldn’t get smooth enough, though you could try since the cauliflower is quite soft. This is also probably too thick for a blender.
What type of kitchen towel is good to use to drain the cauliflower with?
I like to use a linen type material rather than terry
Thank you for responding. I will try that. We have been using regular kitchen towels. It’s so hard to squeeze the water out.
Once cauliflower cools, can you drain liquid by using a salad spinner?
This i a question.
Can you use an electric hand mixer as opposed to a food processer ?
I wanted to try this recipe, it looks good. But I do not understand 14 Carbs per serving. There is hardly any ingredients that even have any carbs.
Nevermind, did not realize cauliflower was so high. But hard to imagine 2 heads only produce 4 servings. Will try it. Thank you
I attempted this tonight and what I found is that the recipe is missing something critical: LIQUID (typically milk). If you do exactly as directed, you will not end up with a smooth mash, but something that’s between mash and cauliflower rice. I poured some milk in as I was processing until I got to the consistency I wanted, but you really should tell people that; novice cooks might be confused and frustrated otherwise.
Omg!! This recipe is so good! I did do a few things differently though.
I used 6 bags of frozen cauliflower, I added a bit more sour cream (probably 1/2 cup or more), I also didn’t have a food processor so I used my ninja blender lol.
They turned out so smooth & so good! The consistency is almost identical to mashed potatoes, not runny AT ALL (I did make sure I squeezed as much water as possible out)! I made them for Christmas yesterday and me & my mom loved them! Thank you for sharing!
OH THIS IS WONDERFUL!!!
When your diet does not allow potatoes, this is the saving grace!!!
On the cauliflower can u use a mixer on it ?
Absolute best! I took your recommendation of drying cauliflower to extreme as I ended up with a brick which was easily solved by adding milk. Serving for thanksgiving so you know it was excellent. Thank you for the great recipe.
Will frozen florets work as well?
Yes, just follow the directions on the bag or whatever and then squeeze them, add them to the food processor/bowl as the recipe says. NB that if you squeeze them out, you need to add back some liquid such as milk to achieve the smooth consistency pictured.
Okay, so these were amazing! Thank you so much. My youngest loves mashed potatoes and I can’t wait to try these when she comes home from college. I used parmesan bc I was serving with Beef Bourguignon. Perfect.
Such a good recipe! They came out some much thicker and less watery than any cauliflower mashed I’ve had in the past.
Delicious! Easy! Will definitely make many more times!
I only used one head of fresh cauliflower bc it is just me. For a family you will most definitely need two heads.
I recommend.
How much is 1 serving? ( ex. 1 cup = 1 serving or 1/2 cup=1 serving)