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If you’re looking for a low carb mac and cheese replacement, you may be surprised by this cauliflower mac and cheese recipe. Yes, I know it’s not actual pasta, but it will totally fulfill that comfort food craving! It’s almost just as good, and so much healthier.
Cauliflower Mac n Cheese as Low Carb Pasta
Do you say “mac and cheese” or “mac n cheese”? Either way, this keto version with cauliflower will do the trick. It does for me, anyway!
That’s saying a lot, because when I was a kid, pasta was pretty much its own food group for me. Being one of the pickiest eaters you’ll ever find, even common so-called “kid foods” like fries and pizza were “no’s” at one point.
Pasta, on the other hand, that was always an enthusiastic “yes”! With some butter or olive oil and a very generous helping of shredded cheese… I could’ve eaten pasta every day. Fortunately, I was in rhythmic gymnastics for 20 hours a week, so there was no problem staying fit even with all the pasta I was eating.
Being Russian, I didn’t get to try all-American macaroni and cheese until much later. I still remember tasting it for the first time, at a friend’s house as a pre-teen. Not knowing (or caring!) back then about how processed it was, I absolutely fell in love! Of course the creamy cheese sauce was the best part. The carbs in mac and cheese didn’t even cross my mind.
My adoration for mac and cheese followed me through my college years. I didn’t cook a lot in college, but mac and cheese was a staple. I learned to make my own homemade kind eventually, and then I missed it dearly when I switched to a low carb and gluten-free lifestyle.
Of course, you’ll never think you’re eating pasta when you eat cauliflower. But, with the right low carb cheese sauce, it’s the next best thing.
Keto Low Carb Cheese Sauce is the Secret
These days, low carb cauliflower mac and cheese is my ultimate comfort food. The keto cheese sauce is so deliciously rich and creamy! That’s what makes this dish such a good mac and cheese sub. And, it’s super simple, with just three ingredients in the sauce, plus salt and pepper.
Roasted cauliflower makes a great stand-in for macaroni – hence the name, Cauliflower Macaroni and Cheese. It’s still on my list to create a low carb pasta recipe, but until then, the cauliflower does surprisingly well. Particularly because it’s roasted.
You guys, always roast your cauliflower whenever possible! Do not steam it, unless you’re making cauliflower breadsticks or something. Roasting is more flavorful, and you don’t get that steamed cauliflower smell. So. Much. Better. (If you’re looking for another delicious way to enjoy roasted cauliflower, try roasted broccoli and cauliflower with parmesan and garlic, or an easy pesto chicken bake with cauliflower.)
If keto cauliflower mac and cheese isn’t enough, you can lighten up the recipe by using more almond milk and less cream. Or just the opposite, make it more rich by using more cream instead. Coconut milk or coconut cream would also be fine, if you don’t mind some coconut flavor in there. I also like to throw in some garlic or other spices for a more adult version.
Making Low Carb Mac and Cheese for Kids
Backtracking a little, I said “so-called kid foods” near the beginning of the post, because I don’t believe in this “separate kid foods” nonsense as an adult. With my own kids, they eat what we eat at the table. Sure, I may cut it into fun shapes or something as they get older, but the food will still be the same as ours. Real Food.
My job is to offer my kids nutritious food, and it’s up to them to choose how much they want to eat. This is so important for them to learn to recognize hunger signals and get used to eating unprocessed foods. If you do this consistently, it pays off!
My two year old is excited when she sees that I made cauliflower mac and cheese. She actually begs me for more. If you have kids and are looking for ways to get them to eat more veggies, I hope you’ll try this recipe.
Low Carb Cauliflower Mac and Cheese Recipe with Keto Cheese Sauce:
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RECIPE CARD
Low Carb Cauliflower Mac and Cheese Recipe with Keto Cheese Sauce
RECIPE VIDEO
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PrintIngredients
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- 1 head Cauliflower (cut into small florets)
- 3 tbsp Butter (divided into 2 tbsp and 1 tbsp)
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 1/4 cup Heavy cream
- 1/4 cup Unsweetened almond milk (or any milk of choice)
Instructions
RECIPE TIPS + VIDEO in the post above, nutrition info + recipe notes below!
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (232 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
Melt 2 tablespoons (28 g) of butter. In a large bowl, toss together the cauliflower florets with the melted butter. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
Arrange the cauliflower florets on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for about 10-15 minutes, until crisp-tender.
- Heat the cheddar cheese, heavy cream, milk, and remaining tablespoon of butter, stirring frequently. (You can do this on the stove in a double broiler, or in the microwave.) Heat until the cheese mixture is smooth. Be careful not to overheat or burn the cheese.
- Toss cauliflower with cheese sauce right before serving.
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Recipe Notes
Net carbs per serving (1 cup): 7g
Video Showing How To Make Cauliflower Mac and Cheese:
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NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database. You can find individual ingredient carb counts we use in the Low Carb & Keto Food List. Carb count excludes sugar alcohols. Net carb count excludes both fiber and sugar alcohols, because these do not affect blood sugar in most people. We try to be accurate, but feel free to make your own calculations.
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80 Comments
NJ Taylor
It is rare to find cooks who give weights for everything, especially the main ingredients like cauliflower. Please include the weight, then those of us who are closely counting our macros can calculate our own.
Wholesome Yum A
Hi NJ, I provide weights when I can (simply use the metric button on the recipe card), but heads of cauliflower vary greatly in weight. If you’re tracking very closely, you’ll want to use a food scale and/or macro calculator.
Karen
Love your recipes, I’m not keto but watch carbs for diabetes. Just fixed “Mac” & Cheese , I ate the roasted cauliflower before I could make it ! Had never tried it and was pleasantly surprised !! But have the dish finally in the oven and so excited to try it ! Thanks , I loved it <3
Marian
Okay.. so I loosely followed the recipe in the sense that I never measure things (not personal, just never do)… had to add a little cream cheese to thicken things up and pan-fried my cauli for speed. I only had “smoked” cheddar only, so that’s what went in.
Also worth mentioning that I always have high hopes for random recipes and then HATE what I’ve made…Not this time!!! INCREDIBLE. 100% thick, creamy, comfort food Mac and cheese. It took me back 5 years to my pre keto carbfilled comfort food days.
Served with sausages.. Mac and cheese, and a grilled sausage.. heaven!!! And I NEVER write reviews either… so that’s saying something! I need to rave about this dish!
Heather
Made this for dinner and it’s pretty darn tasty. No, it’s not real mac n cheese but it’s the next best thing when you are on keto and haven’t had pasta in almost a year. I’ll be making this often. I also added keens dried mustard and fried bacon pieces to it. Yummy. Thank you and I enjoy all of your recipes!
Erin B
Easy, delicious recipe! Added chill flakes to the roasted cauliflower to bake, then added turkey bacon bits before covering in sauce, plus a little extra cheese on top. Definitely making again!
Betty Fritzke
I’d love to go KETO, but what does one do when you are severely lactose intolerant?
Wholesome Yum L
Hi Betty, you can absolutely still eat Keto if you are lactose intolerant. We have a lot of recipes available on our website that have dairy-free options. Click on the link below to see them.
Dairy-Free Recipes
Mike
You have given us so much more to choose from other than pork rinds and bacon!
Thank you
Denise North
Hi. I hope this isnt a dumb question but do you think I could do this with cauliflower rice? I have some in the freezer…
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Denise, Absolutely, you can!
Cathy Dean
I’ve made this several time. So good!!
Kristy Stovall
I’ve never roasted cauliflower before this recipe! It was much tastier being roasted! Great recipe!
Tracey Marshall
I can’t wait to try this tonight, I’m going to make this along with a gammon joint I have. I was wondering if I could out some Hellman’s English mustard in the sauce as well to give it a slight kick? Would the jar be best or the powdered mustard? Thanks for your awesome recipes. Love your posts xx
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Tracey, Yes, you could do that and either one should work!
Kaitlin Bangert
Can you make this with frozen cauliflower florets? If so, how much longer should I cook it for?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Kaitin, Yes, you can! Just roast them until they are crisp-tender, I’d guess 25 to 30 minutes, or you could go longer if you like them browned.
Debz
Great substitute for traditional Mac and cheese! Thanks for the tip on roasting cauliflower over steaming – my life is much better now!
Dawna Roskelley
I tried this with great skepticism but it was GREAT! Quick and easy and very good with the cauliflower baked. OK, I have to admit I made it with organic American cheese and organic cheddar combined as I didn’t have enough cheddar. The American made it taste like the old Kraft mac and cheese used to taste before they changed it years ago. After the change I hated it. But this was delicious. I will try it with just cheddar next time to be more Keto.
Full & happy
I riced the cauliflower before baking it. With the amount of cauliflower I had, it was probably 3 servings but OMG it was soooo good I could’ve eaten it all!
JaneR
PLEASE don’t call it MAC and cheese when there’s no macaroni in it!!! It’s Cauliflower Cheese – celebrate the dish as it is. It bugs me as I loved a proper (old school) Mac and cheese pre-keto diet, and this is not that.
A proper Cauliflower Cheese is worth celebrating, just as it is … add some bacon and it sings. Add some sliced Reblochon Cheese on the top and it’s suddenly singing opera!! It will NEVER be Mac n Cheese. It can be SO much better. Please break the trend of calling it what it’s not, and will never be.
Roseanne
Hi there I want to make ahead can I do this?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Roseanne, Sure, you can! The best way would be to cook the cauliflower and make the cheese sauce separately, then heat each and toss together after.
Marla K
I just found your recipe this morning and had to make it this evening. I also have put it in the oven with a little extra cheddar and some grated parm but if my finger swipe through the cheese sauce sample is any indication of how this is going to turn out, I’m so excited!! Thank you!
Babbsy
Hi. Looks delicious. I was wondering if the cauliflower could be roasted a day ahead and refrigerated then add the sauce right before serving and warm it in the oven. Thanks.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Babbsy! Yes, you can definitely do that!
Mboyle
Where does the 5 g of sugar come from???
Maya | Wholesome Yum
It would be from the cauliflower and the cheese.
Cindy
My husband loves this so much!! We make a this at least once a week. So easy and delicious.
Keto19
Made using 1/2 cup heavy cream because didn’t have almond milk. Fantastic!
sheila
Wow, love this recipe!! made it today for the first time, I added more cheese just because I always do, we love cheesy. Also added left over ham bites! Scored on the forever list. Thank You
Jan
I’m going to try this recipe. I’ve always hated pasta, but love cauliflower – perfect for me – thank you. 🙂
Deb
Maya, I love your site and recipes! I have a suggestion for all of you doing recipes: I would appreciate it if you would list measurements by weight as well as cups etc. It becomes difficult to determine the correct measurements for many reasons, some of which you touched on in your comments here…if a weight measurement was given rather than a cup, then the issue of how tightly we pack the cheese would not exist. Also when you call for a small head of cauliflower or a large cabbage, depends on each person’s perspective of what is large and small. Thanks in advance for considering this request!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Deb, If you switch to Metric measurements on the recipe card, everything is listed by weight.
Kari
I just made this with coconut milk and 1/2 cheddar 1/2 monterey jack and it tastes great. After, I mixed it I put it in a casserole dish, sprinkled with Parmesan and baked it for another couple minutes. So easy and filling. Thanks for the great recipe.
Donna
Made it with all the ingredients , but somehow the sauce is extra runny.
I even added extra cheese, still watery. What do I need to do to make it more creamy less watery?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Donna, I’m not sure why, it shouldn’t be runny. You can add more cheese, or you could try heating the sauce over very low heat to evaporate some of the extra moisture.
christina
I made this tonight and it was delicious! No leftovers! I added crumbled bacon to mine!! Will definitely make again. Thank you!
David
Splendid recipe. As is my habit with a new recipe, I made it exactly as written out of respect to the author. As I was making it I thought the cheese sauce might be a bit too thin, but not so. Went so well with a Duroc Boston butt, who needs pasta mac and cheese? Well done Maya. This replaces my other keto mac and cheese recipes.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy to hear that, David! Have a great day!
Gena
My 9 yr. old just made this for us for dinner by herself and it was SOOOOOOOO good!!!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Gena, That is so awesome!! I’m so glad you liked it and kudos to your daughter!
Nancy Langevin
Go Roasted! So delicious… I passed on the salt and pepper and used Tony Chachere’s More Spice seasoning. Also we only use Sharp cheese so the flavor was excellent. After mixing I put it back in the oven with more Sharp cheese and Parmesan on top. Love this!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy to hear that, Nancy! Thank you for stopping by!
Kerry
Thank you for this recipe! I love it, and I love how the roasted cauliflower tastes. Super easy to do.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy to hear that, Kerry! Please come back again soon!
Janice
Can defrosted cauliflower be used with same results?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Janice, You can do it with frozen cauliflower – no need to defrost first. It would just need to roast for longer.
DToney
There wasn’t a guide line as to what size cauliflower head, so I went with a really large one, (knowing how much my husband loves cauliflower.) Then I doubled the rest of the ingredients. Might add more cheese to thicken the sauce, but overall, it was delicious. Definitely will do it again.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy you liked it! Please come back again soon!
Joy
How would this do without the heavy cream? I have all the other ingredients..
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Joy, You can make it without heavy cream but it wouldn’t be as creamy tasting. You can try omitting it and then check if you need to add either more milk or more cheese to make the sauce the right consistency.
Natalie
You can heavy cream at home.
Amanda
My kids practically went face-down on their plates and my husband looks at me with extra love in his eyes. A total winning side dish for everyone. Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I just love to hear that, Amanda! I am so glad it was a huge hit with the whole family!
Marie Austin
Just made cualiflower mac and cheese ! Won’t be the last time ! VERY GOOD ! THANKS FOR RECIPE!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I love hearing that, Marie! Thanks for stopping by!
Vera
I saved this recipe because I started keto and it looked great! Tastes even better! I had no almond milk on hand so I had to use a little extra heavy cream, but it turned out perfect! This will be a regular recipe in my new lifestyle. Thanks for a keeper!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy you liked the mac and cheese, Vera! Thanks for stopping by!
Kimi
I just tried this, using a little more heavy cream (I did not have any almond milk, but I always have cheddar cheese, butter and heavy cream in the fridge). Yep, roasting makes all the difference, and the sauce…I am in LOVE! Almost ate the whole thing all by myself (Glad the hubs was working late tonight heh heh) I’ve got to share this recipe with my friends who are keto. Thank you so much!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy you liked it, Kimi! I agree, roasting is the best!
Ryan
My cheese sauce turned out really soupy. I used more cheese than called for and added some almond flour but its still a soup, how do I avoid that?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Ryan, Sorry that happened, I haven’t experienced that before. I wouldn’t recommend adding almond flour because it doesn’t thicken like a wheat flour would. If the sauce is too thin, I’d recommend just adding more cheese.
Robert
I don’t keep anything but heavy cream around. Can I sub the milk for only using heavy cream?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Robert, The consistency would be a little different but it should work. You might just need a little more of the cream since it’s thicker.
Amanda
About how small did you cut up the cauliflower? Was it pretty chunky or more chopped-up?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Amanda, the cauliflower pieces should be bite-sized so you don’t have to cut them up when you’re eating it.
Tiffany Robbins
Hi. How much saturated fat is in this recipe? I’m doing weight watchers so I was trying to put it in.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Tiffany, I only have the nutrition info that’s on the recipe card, but you can add the ingredients to any online calculator to get any other details.
Tiffany Robbins
Ok. Thank you.
Kate
Just made this for a quick dinner as I’ve been missing Mac & Cheese for a while. One word. AMAZING! After mixing the cauliflower in with the cheese sauce, I baked it in the oven for about 5 minutes to crisp up the top cheese layer. It was delish! Thanks so much for posting the recipe!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Kate! I bet crisping up the cheese made it extra delicious, I’ll have to try that!
Galit
Thanks. I made it again and now it is fine. All loved it!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Galit, That’s great to hear! I’m glad everyone loved it.
Lorren
Can I substitute more hwc or even half & half for the milk? I don’t want to use normal milk (and if I do will it still be keto friendly?) and don’t have almond milk…
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Lorren, Yes, you can use more HWC or half & half. The sauce would be a little thicker if using HWC. Usually regular dairy milk is not low carb, but this dish would still be pretty low carb even if using regular milk, since it’s only 1/4 cup milk for the entire 4 servings (or 1 tbsp milk per serving). Either way, feel free to use cream or half & half instead.
Galit
I made this and it was very tasty. However, the cheese, milk, and cream mixture turn out very liquid. What did I do wrong?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Galit, I’m glad you liked it, and sorry to hear it turned out liquid for you. I haven’t experienced that. It might have to do with how tightly packed your cheddar cheese is in the measuring cup? Try packing it a little tighter next time (mine isn’t super tightly packed but not extremely airy either). The sauce does thicken a bit as it cools from hot to warm, but you can always melt in more cheese if it’s too liquid. Hope that helps.
mrskinnypants
Awesome recipe Maya! Cool idea to toss the cauli and cheese mix right before serving. I hadn’t done that before and my versions always came together a bit oddly. Will try it your way. Thanks for sharing the recipe. – ryan
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Ryan! Doing it this way always works really well for me.