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Go ahead, call me crazy… I’ve never been a huge fan of mashed potatoes. Don’t get me wrong, they are good. They just don’t have that “wow” factor for me. I don’t recall where I first heard about keto cauliflower mashed potatoes, but I was both a little skeptical and curious. Very curious.
I guess my story with cauliflower mash is similar to the one with cauliflower rice, isn’t it? It sure sounds familiar…
Why Keto Mashed Cauliflower?
My intrigue with the idea of low carb mashed cauliflower happened years ago, and I still remember how excited I was to try it. I recall thinking, how cool would it be to figure out how to make mashed potatoes out of cauliflower?!
I wish I remembered the first place that I found a mashed cauliflower recipe, but sadly I don’t. I’ve been making this for so long!
I can never say no to the idea of creating a creamy, low carb comfort food out of a healthy vegetable. That’s pretty much one of my favorite things ever when it comes to food.
So, even though keto mashed cauliflower is not really potatoes, that makes it all the more interesting. Just like spaghetti squash makes great low carb noodles!
Besides, cauliflower has tons of nutritional benefits over white potatoes. It’s packed with fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, potassium, iron, and calcium. It’s definitely one of my favorite low carb veggies.
So, keto comfort food + nutrition? It’s no surprise that I had to try my hand at a keto cauliflower mashed potatoes recipe.
The Secrets to Perfect Cauliflower Mash
It definitely took some trial and error for me to get the perfect result to my liking. I’m excited to share it with you, so you don’t have to figure it out like I did.
It took me a couple tries to get the right texture for keto mashed cauliflower. My first attempt was a little grainy, and then a different time, it was too watery. It was like, yes, these are good, but they are no replacement for potatoes.
For the best cauliflower mashed potatoes, I wanted a whipped, smooth texture that was dense at the same time. Like actual mashed potatoes.
So, here is what I learned – the best tips for perfect cauliflower mash:
Get rid of every last bit of stems.
For the right texture, You only want the florets. No stems! The stems will result in a more grainy texture, so leave those out. You can re-use those for other low carb cauliflower recipes. And if nothing else, you can’t go wrong with throwing them into a stir fry.
Squeeze out the moisture
I know, I know. Squeezing cauliflower sucks. But, your keto cauliflower mashed potatoes will be much better if you do! If you have to, think of it as your workout for the day. Just don’t skip it. You won’t regret it once you see the dense, potato-like texture that you get as a result.
Make sure the cauliflower is cooked through
This seems obvious. What I mean by this is, you want to cook the cauliflower until it’s extremely soft. Don’t just get it crisp-tender. It needs to be SOFT. The softer it is, the smoother and creamier your result will be.
How To Make Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes Paleo (or even Vegan)
These paleo cauliflower mashed potatoes were not the first version I made. For a while, I was making cheesy cauliflower mash instead. Obviously not paleo. In fact, this was originally posted in 2015 as that recipe, but I’ve since re-made it as a new and improved version.
The cheesy recipe was pretty good but required more ingredients. You know I’m a huge fan of five-ingredient recipes, so this new one is just that (not including salt and pepper). And, I really wanted a version of keto paleo cauliflower mashed potatoes.
Fortunately, if you’re wondering how to make cauliflower mashed potatoes paleo, it’s super easy. Obviously, cheese is out, but I don’t think it’s necessary.
The main swap for paleo cauliflower mashed potatoes is replacing heavy cream with full-fat coconut milk. It’s just a small amount for this recipe, so I don’t think it imparts a coconut flavor.
Be sure to use the thick coconut milk in a can, not the thin beverage in a carton. It needs to be relatively thick and creamy since its main purpose is making the mashed cauliflower more creamy.
You can still use heavy cream if paleo or dairy-free aren’t priorities for you, so I mentioned that on the recipe card. Either one will work. Otherwise if you’d rather not use coconut, there’s another roasted garlic cauliflower recipe you can try.
Otherwise, all the ingredients for this cauliflower mashed potatoes recipe are naturally paleo.
I used grass-fed butter. If you’d rather not, feel free to swap that out with ghee or even olive oil.
This keto mashed cauliflower recipe isn’t fussy. I just prefer butter for the flavor of real grass-fed butter, but other fats will work just fine.
If you use the coconut milk and olive oil, this recipe would even be vegan, too. This variation would also make it whole 30 friendly. These are not current priorities for our family, but I like to mention it for readers that would like that.
The Best Paleo Keto Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes Recipe
The ingredients for paleo keto cauliflower mashed potatoes are crazy simple. Five of them!
Cauliflower, garlic, butter, coconut milk, and chives. Plus salt and pepper, which I don’t include in the ingredient count by convention.
With the tips above, you can make this the best cauliflower mashed potatoes you’ve ever had. They are, for me. The reason is the combination of the technique and the simplicity.
Those little tricks I told you about make all the difference. (Did you skip over that section above? Scroll up so that you don’t miss out!)
So, how do you make cauliflower mashed potatoes? It’s super easy. You just need 15 minutes!
Begin by steaming the cauliflower. You can do this in the microwave or on the stove, and I included instructions for both on the recipe card.
This is very straightforward, but the key here is to get the cauliflower very soft. If you don’t do this, your cauliflower mash will not be smooth and creamy.
Meanwhile, you can gather the rest of your ingredients. Combine the garlic, melted butter, and milk/cream in a food processor or high-power blender. You can also chop up the chives at this point.
Once you have soft, cooked cauliflower, drain it well over the sink. Then, wrap it in a kitchen towel and twist, twist, twist! You won’t get out as much liquid as you do with cauliflower rice, but there will be some.
Just try to get out as much moisture as you can. The more you do, the more you’ll have a dense, potato-like texture in your cauliflower mash.
Finally, add the cauliflower to the other ingredients in the food processor or blender. Blitz away, until completely smooth. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides. Add salt and pepper to taste.
If it’s too thick at this point, you can thin it out with more milk or cream. Like I said, this garlic cauliflower mashed potatoes recipe is not fussy!
Stir in the chopped chives at the end, and you’re all set. Mmm… creamy, dense, keto paleo cauliflower mash. Try this recipe with crispy oven baked chicken or filet mignon – it’s the perfect side dish!
Low Carb Keto Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes Paleo Recipe - 5 Ingredients:
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Tools To Make Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes:
Click the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- Stock pot – For cooking the cauliflower using the stovetop method.
- Glass bowl set – I highly recommend a glass bowl if you’re using the microwave method. Especially for longer microwave cook times like this, glass is better to use than plastic.
- Strainer – You can get rid of the moisture in the cauliflower by placing the cauliflower in this and then press down with a bowl. Alternatively, squeezing in a towel will also work.
- Food processor – The easiest way to puree the mashed cauliflower at the end. This is the one I use all the time and it gets it super smooth!
RECIPE CARD
Low Carb Keto Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes Paleo Recipe - 5 Ingredients
Recipe Video
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Instructions
RECIPE TIPS + VIDEO in the post above, nutrition info + recipe notes below!
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- Cook the cauliflower on the stove or in the microwave.
Stove method: Boil a pot of water with a tablespoon (14 g) of salt. Add the cauliflower, and simmer until very soft (about 5-6 minutes). Drain well.
Microwave method: Place the cauliflower florets in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons of water. Cover with plastic wrap, so that the plastic is not touching the cauliflower. Microwave on high for about 10 minutes, until very soft, stirring halfway through. Drain well. - Meanwhile, place the garlic, melted butter, and milk/cream into a food processor or high power blender.
Note: If you want to, you can saute the garlic first to mellow the flavor a bit. - When the cauliflower is done cooking, drain well. Squeeze out as much extra water as possible. You can do this by wrapping the cauliflower in a towel and twisting, or by pressing a bowl down over a strainer.
- Add the cauliflower to the food processor or blender. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides with a spatula occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste, and puree again. If it's thicker than you like, thin out with more milk/cream.
- Stir in the chopped chives.
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/4 of the entire recipe
The exact serving size will depend on the size of your head of cauliflower, but a serving is about 1/2 to 3/4 cup.
Video Showing How To Make Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes:
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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. Net carb count excludes fiber, erythritol, and allulose, because these do not affect blood sugar in most people. (Learn about net carbs here.) We try to be accurate, but feel free to make your own calculations.
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80 Comments
Gennie Salinas
This was by far the best I’ve made. Tasted just like mashed potatoes! I used heavy whipping cream, butter, salt and pepper. The tips on removing the moisture were very helpful.
Tom
Video shows addition of cream cheese. I’m not seeing it listed on recipe. What amount is used? Appears to be same as butter.
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Tom, The video does not include cream cheese. Did you watch the video in the recipe card or the sidebar? The video on the side may not be in alignment with the recipe on the page.
Linda Horte
If I use frozen riced cauliflower, what size bag should I use to match the recipe??
Wholesome Yum M
One medium – large head of cauliflower will yield roughly 4 cups of cauliflower rice. I think a 16oz bag of frozen cauliflower rice will do it.
Laurie
How would you modify this recipe if you wanted to use cauliflower rice packets? I bought a box that has 6 packets and would love to use several of them to make this mash. Many thanks!
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Laurie, Either method will still work with cauliflower rice. Empty the packets into a large bowl or saucepan, depending on the method you choose. Check for doneness after about 8 minutes.
Della Hall
Love this recipe, so yummy! Was wondering though if it’s possible to thicken the consistency a bit?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Della, Make sure you have drained off all the water from cooking. If the consistency is still a little thin, you can add an additional tablespoon of cream cheese.
Julie Murphy
I have tweaked your absolutely FABULOUS recipe!
I steam to 10-15 minutes instead of boil the cauliflower, which removes the need to drain fluids, as there’s little or none.
And I melt the butter in a small saucepan and gently saute the garlic ( halved or whole), which saves time, as I don’t have to melt it separately and the garlic’ll be blitzed in the food processor anyway.
And it’s a wonderful topping for shepherd’s pie!
Julie Murphy
Your mashed cauliflower recipe is brilliant, I make it a LOT!
… but I clicked on CHEESY mashed cauliflower and there’s no cheese in sight.
Wholesome Yum
Hi Julie, this is the improved version of the cheesy recipe I originally posted. It includes some improvements to make it paleo-friendly.
Phil Brown
How are you wrapping the cauliflower in a towel and wringing it out without either letting it cool substantially or burning your hand? I can take credit for the later as I didn’t want to have to reheat it.
Wholesome Yum A
Hi Phil, you can do whichever method you’re more comfortable with. If the mash ends up too cool, you can easily reheat it on the stovetop.
Kathy
This sounds great. Is this something I could freeze in individual servings?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Kathy, Yes, definitely!
GS
Can you buy a cookbook already in print form? I like my recipes in print form and can’t print them myself.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I have a cookbook coming in 2019!! You can sign up for the free newsletter here to be notified when it’s available.
Lisa
Maya- does your cookbook also have paleo options for each of the recipes? Thinking of grabbing me one with my barnes and noble gift card, but because of food sensitivities, I MUST eat paleo.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Lisa, Thank you so much for your interest! The only ingredients in the book that are not paleo are dairy, but approximately 70% of the book’s recipes are either already dairy-free or have dairy-free substitutions given. The book is here if you need the link. Hope this helps!
JP
I don’t know who needs mashed potatoes after trying this recipe. This is so much better than mashed potatoes and I really think you could fool a non keto eater with these. Delish! Love the simplicty of the recipe…had others and their too much (too much dairy and too many ingredients) 1 clove of garlic though for a small head, just enough flavor coming through with that.
Cindy
Absolutely loved it! Unfortunately loved it too much…..ate two servings and now can only allow myself 1 more carb for dinner! Yikes!
Frederick
I am about to embark on the recipe. Can I use Coconut Creme instead of Coconut Milk?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Frederick, Yes, you can!
Audra
Love love love! Favorite side dish. Makes me not miss the mashed potatoes!!
L
Roasted the cauliflower, no excess moisture to squeeze out. Pretty dense after using stick blender. Served it as a base for sauteed shrimp and bok choy with bacon. Will try with smothered pork chops. Have to find a paleo sauce for that. Thanks for the recipe. Soooo good!
Susan Frank
How does this freeze? and how to reheat?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Susan, You can freeze this in freezer bags after cooling. To reheat, thaw first and then heat on the stove in a saucepan.
Miranda
Yum! I’m thinking of making this for Turkey day! I’m wondering if I made it about 2 hrs ahead of time then put it in a casserole dish and rebaked/heated it up in the oven, if you think it would still be good and hold up?!? Thanks so much! Happy Holidays!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Miranda, Yes, that should work! Happy holidays!
Helen Spillane
OK. So…. Here’s a person who HATES Cauliflower….with a passion, sooo deep you could never measure. I have even been known to pull them out of frozen mixed vegetable…that’s how unimpressed I am with them.
So today… I had an injury and all I wanted for lunch was Mashed Potato and Vegemite. (I know its a weird Aussie thing OK??) So I came to the Warrior Kitchen Goddess’s website to see if she could solve my Keto dilemma.
O…M…G I baulked at buying the Cauli…. I hissed, as I cut it up. I wrinkled up my nose at it cooking. (In fact I walked away in the hopes it would burn!!.) it was very soft when I came back!! My daughter (who also shares my taste in Caulflower) helped me press the water out of it. Saying. “Cauli will still taste like Cauli Mum” We mixed it as instructed and…
W.O.W. my NEW Favorite recipe!!!
Bowing Deeply and sincerely to the Warrior Kitchen Goddess. Is there anything you can’t do?!?!
Thank You Soooooooo Much
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you so much, Helen! I’m so glad this mashed cauliflower turned this veggie around for you.
Helen Spillane
Just a quick note….. I was going through too much kitchen paper to get the water out. So I put the cauliflower into a cleaned cotton serviette and gave it some twists like a piping bag. Got loads more water put in a fraction of the time. Just becareful…its really hot when you twist and press, but oh so worth it!! Have a great day!!
KC JAG
Oh my garlic!!! Used 3 cloves of garlic and whew… Needless to say no vampires will be coming around. I feel maybe 1 clove would suffice. Maybe even a half? Other than that I tried no stems at all and yes it was really smooth.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
You can absolutely cut down on the garlic! Thank you!
Heather
Made these tonight to have with our roast beef dinner. Delicious! Thank you for another great recipe!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Heather! Sounds like an amazing dinner!
Micha
Decided on trying to lower my carb intake, I searched for a cauliflower mash and found yours to be the one I try. I tried it tonight it had such a lovely potato like texture, but my head of cauliflower must have been small. Unfortunately it did not make a lot and I only used one glove and it was overwhelming garlicky and I love garlic. I will be using your recipe but maybe more cauliflower and less garlic!
Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy you liked it, Micha! Please come back soon!
Whitney
The consistency was excellent! Most of the flavor was good as well. However; I put in two cloves of garlic instead of three because of another comment I saw on this recipe and the garlic burn was still just awful! My husband, who loves garlic, could not finish his portion the garlic burn was so strong. Next time I will be trying one clove of garlic, or garlic powder. Otherwise my husband said he would definitely eat them again! He is a devout potato fan and we just recently went on Keto. He says these are going to be a life saver and I agree! Wonderful overall recipe!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy you liked it, Whitney! Please come back soon!
Gloria
I kept looking at your recipe on Pinterest then decided to make it and I’m glad I did. I’m not on any kind of diet so I added a handful of shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese. Oh my gosh it was absolutely delicious. I will be making this again and again. Thanks so much.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy that you liked it, Gloria! Thanks for stopping by!
Rebecca Nancarrow
Hi Maya, thanks for this and so many of your recipes, will definitely try this as I suffer badly from watery mash!! You mentioned using ghee instead of butter for dairy free? Ghee is clarified butter so I’m curious why ghee is an acceptable substitute for Paleo diets? I ask as my daughter is dairy free and, as I love to use ghee, this would be a great win for our family!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Rebecca, Yes, ghee is suitable for paleo diets. Most people who are dairy-free can tolerate ghee just fine because it has the milk proteins removed.
Bonnie
Can you use cauliflower rice?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Bonnie, Yes, you can, but don’t boil it. You can either steam or microwave it, then make sure to squeeze very well to remove extra moisture.
Charlotte
This is the best caulimash recipe I’ve ever used, and I’ve tried so many. I found that I did have to add more butter and more cream to even get it to process, and I also added some sour cream. My non keto guests were blow away. This will be my go to from now on!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Yay! I am so happy you liked it, Charlotte! Thanks for stopping by!
Kathy
Is coconut cream the same as coconut milk?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Kathy, They are similar. If you have canned coconut milk, you can put it in the fridge overnight to separate the cream from the water, open without shaking, then use just the cream for this recipe.
Guy
What is the weight per serving in grams?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Guy, Sorry, I don’t have the serving size in grams. If you need this info, you can weigh the entire batch and divide that by the number of servings.
Risa
Hi, Love your recipe with coconut milk but wondering if I use heavy cream instead, how it will change the nutritional information, if at all? Appreciate your help. On a keto diet. Thanks.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Risa, Thank you! Yes, substituting ingredients would change the nutrition info a bit. If you want to make changes, you’d need to enter ingredients into an online calculator to see the result for the specific ingredients you used.
Terri Hancock
I’m going to try this! Question: I have a bag of frozen riced cauliflower. Would this work?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Terri, Yes, but don’t boil it. You can either steam or microwave it, then make sure to squeeze very well to remove extra moisture. The frozen riced cauliflower will likely have even more moisture than fresh.
Gina Ortiz
I’m really new to the keto lifestyle, so I was a bit skeptical about this recipe. I followed it to the letter, but I decided to leave out the garlic until the next “run.” I figured it would take me a couple of times to perfect it, but I hit the jackpot on the first try. I just cannot believe how delicious this is! The whole family loved it, and I am so grateful to you! I was not looking forward to giving up my beloved mashed ‘taters, and this is a wonderful substitute! Thank you so much! Your bread recipe is next! 😀
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I hope you like the bread recipe just as much, Gina!
Moe Moe
Nice mashed (no-potatoes) cauliflower! Works perfectly with the Keto diet I’m on! TY!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I love to hear that! Thanks for stopping by!
J.A.
This was amazing! Super smooth and very mash potato like. I threw some shredded cheese in there for a slight cheese taste.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy you liked them! Thanks for stopping by!
Candace Scott
I made these minus the coco topping and they were fantastic. Half the batch I put coco powder in with a small dollop of almond butter. These are the best “fat bombs” I have tried yet. They taste like cheesecake.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Candace, Thank you so much for sharing. Are you talking about a different recipe, though? This one is for mashed cauliflower, not fat bombs. 🙂
Helen
I will try this recipe out for sure.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Let me know what you think!
Karen
The raw garlic added to this killed it for me – overpowered the dish despite all the butter I added. Great consistency, however. So, I’ll try next time by cooking garlic or omitting completely.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Karen, Thank you for the feedback! I do admit this is a garlic lover’s recipe. It does need to be very finely minced, otherwise I think it would overpower even more. I tried to keep the recipe as simple as possible, so avoided adding the extra step of cooking the garlic, but I’ll bet sauteing it first would be amazing! You can easily omit it if you prefer, or just use garlic powder.
Karen
Thanks Maya. I did reduce to two cloves and put it through a garlic press but it was so overpowering and I do love garlic. Love your recipes, they keep me sane! Thank you! X
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Karen! I hope it works better for you if you try sauteing first. I’ll add a note to the recipe card that this is an option.
Eleanor Palmieri
Wow, Made this tonight. You have truly mastered cauliflower mash. So smooth. Thank you.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Eleanor!
Ushmana Palmo Rai
Hey Maya! Can I use basil as a substitute for chives or will it make a huge difference to the whole dish? Would love to hear back from you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Ushmana, Sure, you can! It’s not the most common flavor for cauliflower mash, but should be fine!
Kate
Turned out great – no more grainy watery mashed cauliflower. Instead of towels I used my potato ricer to squeeze out the water (may as well use it for something). That worked well – a lot of water came out.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Kate! I’m glad you liked it. I use my potato ricer for squeezing sometimes, too.
Alyson Lainhart
I really love your recipes. They are easy to follow and you have lots of tips for making it better. I am however kinda frustrated with trying to print your recipes. It insists on putting a banner at the top of the page. This makes your recipes two pages long. It is really frustrating.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Alyson, I’m really sorry about that! This was an issue on the website and not intentional. The banner has been removed from the print page.
Alyson
Thank you so much. It was hard to keep track of the recipes when they were on two pages.