Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

For The Cauliflower:

If you’re unsure about mac n cheese with cauliflower (will it really satisfy that craving?), don’t be. The veggie tastes very neutral here because the sauce is so cheesy and rich! You’ll need:

• Cauliflower – Fresh cauliflower is ideal, but frozen works too—just roast it a bit longer. The amount of sauce in my recipe is for your average head of cauliflower (4 cups of florets), so if yours is very large or small, you might need to scale the sauce up or down a bit.
• Olive Oil – Or avocado oil. In an earlier version (including my YouTube video), I used melted butter to keep it simple, since it’s already in the sauce below. But with the high roasting temp, I now recommend a heat-safe oil.
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper – Add 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder if you want more flavor, or a pinch of cayenne pepper if you like a kick.

For The Cheese Sauce:

I love this sauce so much that I wrote a whole cheese sauce post on it! It’s perfect for keto cauliflower mac and cheese, and I also use it for topping roasted broccoli. You’ll need:

• Shredded Cheese – The base of the sauce, which also thickens it all by its lovely self. Sharp cheddar cheese is my fave, but mild cheddar works, too. You can swap it for any melty cheese, like Gruyere, Gouda, or Monterey jack.
• Heavy Cream – Makes it rich and creamy. Substituting any kind of milk (except full-fat canned coconut milk) will be thinner, so you’d need more cheese to compensate.
• Almond Milk – To thin out the sauce and balance the richness. I used store-bought, but you can easily make your own almond milk, or swap in coconut milk beverage for a nut-free option (the liquid kind from a carton, not the canned thick kind). You can also just water down more heavy cream, or use regular dairy milk if you don’t mind the extra carbs.
• Butter – Make sure it’s unsalted, or your cheesy cauliflower will be too salty. I like this grass-fed brand.

Cook The Cauliflower

You can use any method you like, but I highly recommend roasting! Sometimes I air fry the cauliflower for smaller batches. You can also steam the cauliflower for a quick option. To roast:

• Season the cauliflower. In a large bowl, toss the florets with the olive oil, salt, and pepper.
• Roast until golden. Spread the florets on a baking sheet (I have this one in every size and love them). Roast in the oven until tender and browned on the edges.

Make The Cheese Sauce

In a saucepan over low heat, stir together the cheese, cream, almond milk, and butter, stirring frequently until smooth. Alternatively, you can simply microwave the ingredients until the cheese melts, then stir until smooth. Be careful not to overheat.

Mix Together

Transfer the cooked cauliflower to a large bowl (you can even reuse the one from earlier!). Pour cheese sauce on top and mix to coat evenly. I like a little fresh cracked pepper over the cauliflower mac and cheese at the end.

Storage & Meal Prep

• Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing cheesy cauliflower, as the texture of the sauce changes.
• Meal prep: Cut and roast the vegetables, make the cheese sauce, and store separately. When ready to serve, reheat the cauliflower and sauce (I often just use the microwave for lunch), then toss together.
• Reheat: Cauliflower mac and cheese is more mushy after reheating, but still so delicious! You can microwave it, or use your oven at 350 degrees F.

Serving Ideas

I’ve totally enjoyed a big bowl of this easy cauliflower mac and cheese all by itself! But it’s also super versatile with proteins for a more balanced meal:

• Comfort Food – Try my low carb chicken nuggets, keto fried chicken, bacon wrapped hot dogs, or a for all the nostalgic vibes. For a homestyle meal, go for slow cooker turkey breast or keto meatloaf. You can even spoon keto chili over the cauliflower mac and cheese.
• Chicken – My family’s faves are simple baked chicken legs, air fryer chicken quarters, and garlic butter chicken. You can also whip up some buffalo wings for game day!
• BBQ – You can’t go wrong with my juicy burger (or a lighter turkey burger), quick air fryer brats, or saucy BBQ chicken legs. If you want to get fancy, grill a steak.

More Low Carb Cauliflower Recipes

If you like my cauliflower mac and cheese, you’ll probably also love my other comforting cauliflower recipes:

Cauliflower Gnocchi

Roasted Broccoli And Cauliflower

Whole Roasted Cauliflower

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Cauliflower Breadsticks

Cauliflower Cheese Soup