Mashed Cauliflower
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This mashed cauliflower recipe tastes so much like mashed potatoes, you’ll do a double-taste—comforting, delicious, and healthier, too!
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
This mashed cauliflower recipe is creamy and comforting—and it tastes remarkably like mashed potatoes. Maybe it’s just my eyes playing tricks on me, but it really does! Plus, it’s easier to make, healthier, and lower in carbs. But don’t make it solely for those reasons; this purée is delicious in its own right. When my friend Heather tested the recipe, she texted me, “OMG so good, just licked the bowl of my Cuisinart.”
This cauliflower purée makes a fantastic side dish to many comfort foods—think classic meatloaf or turkey meatloaf, onion-braised beef brisket, or easy BBQ boneless short ribs.
What You’ll Need To Make Mashed Cauliflower
- Cauliflower – Choose a firm, white head free from blemishes for the freshest flavor.
- Chicken broth – Adds depth and helps cook the cauliflower until tender.
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper – Enhances and balances all flavors in the purée.
- Unsalted butter – Adds richness and a creamy texture.
- Fresh thyme – Lends a subtle woodsy and earthy flavor.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by bringing the chicken broth and salt to a boil and a large pot. Add the cauliflower.
Cover, reduce the heat to low and steam for 20 minutes, or until cauliflower is very tender.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cauliflower to a food processor and add the butter along with a few tablespoons of the chicken broth.
Process until smooth and creamy, then taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Add the chopped thyme and process until evenly mixed. Transfer to a bowl and serve.
Make-Ahead & Freezing Instructions
Prepare the mashed cauliflower as directed, then cool and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. When ready to serve, reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally, or microwave in a covered dish, stirring every minute. For longer storage, freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
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Mashed Cauliflower
This mashed cauliflower recipe tastes so much like mashed potatoes, you’ll do a double-taste—comforting, delicious, and healthier, too!
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower (about 2 lbs.), cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring the chicken broth and salt to a boil. Add the cauliflower; bring back to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low and steam for 20 minutes, or until cauliflower is very tender. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cauliflower to a food processor. Add 3 tablespoons of chicken broth from the pot, along with the butter. Process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add thyme and process until just combined.
- Make-Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare the mashed cauliflower as directed, then cool and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. When ready to serve, reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally, or microwave in a covered dish, stirring every minute. For longer storage, freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 151
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated fat: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 13g
- Sugar: 5g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 6g
- Sodium: 731mg
- Cholesterol: 25mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Totally delicious! I made this for Christmas dinner instead of mashed potatoes since my sister was already bringing a potato dish. I loved everything about them, especially how well them went with the rib roast… which got me to thinking if I added fresh horseradish to this dish to eat with beef, I think it would be spectacular! And healthier than creamed horseradish! Thanks again Jenn!
OOOPs! 5 stars all the way!
This is not only better than mashed potatoes, but it’s also healthier. We paired this with the turkey meatloaf and roasted broccoli with chipotle honey butter, as suggested. It was an incredible meal! One that I will make forever!
P.S. Once Upon a Chef the cookbook deserves a sequel!
😊
The cauliflower was very runny after I’d pureed it, so I didn’t add the chicken stock. Because of this it was pretty tasteless. What did I do wrong? I strained the cauli before pureeing it.
Sorry to hear you had a problem with this. Are you saying that you didn’t add the broth before pureeing the cauliflower?
That’s correct. I steamed the cauli in the stock, strained it, then pureed. It was already too soupy.
Hi Christine, that’s kind of a head-scratcher – I haven’t had that problem before. Perhaps your cauliflower just contained more water, but it’s hard to say for sure. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
Another winner! Made this last night, reduced the amount of broth to 2/3 cup, puréed in the pot with an immersion blender, came out perfectly delicious. Devoured! Will be added to our Thanksgiving menu. Thank you, Jennifer for another terrific, easy recipe!
Can you use fresh dill instead of fresh thyme for this cauliflower mash
It will have a different flavor with the dill, but it will work. Please LMK what you think if you try it!
I made this to go alongside the turkey meatloaf from this site. Excellent recipe! I even fooled a couple of my girls, who thought the ‘mashed potatoes’ were really buttery. Next time I will definitely double the recipe as I had to ‘test’ the recipe several times before it made it to the dinner table. 🙂 Thank you!
This was so good! I left the broth in and used an immersion blender – they were perfect! I left the lid off a bit longer (was distracted with other meal prep) than I should have so perhaps the liquid evaporated a bit. The texture was absolutely perfect!
Who would have guessed cauliflower could taste so good? And it works very well for a make ahead side. Make exactly as recipe states, don’t forget the fresh thyme, and some folks won’t know that this not a potato mash! Wonderful!
Great recipe! Followed exactly as is, but strained the cauliflower after cooking and put back in pot, worked well with an immersion blender.
Added a little cayenne which is great if you like some heat. Just eyeballed it. Also strained it but that took a while.
Overall great recipe, my mom and aunt swears by your recipes!
Really lovely dish. Apologies for not staying true to recipe but I am a vegan so used homemade veggie broth with high quality EVOO for butter. Both easy and elegant.