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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Wow, I was making turkey meatloaf and stumbled across this recipe. I had the ingredients on hand, and made this super easy recipe. The taste imitates mashed potatoes 100%. Outstanding.
Are you steaming or just adding it to the liquid and boil for 20 minutes?
Hi Roy, You’ll bring the broth back to a boil when you add the cauliflower, but then reduce the heat to low to steam. Hope that clarifies!
I love this recipe! My picky husband and kids all love it too. To make it a tad easier (and less dishes to wash), once the cauliflower is soft, I pour the excess liquid into a bowl and leave the cauliflower in the pot. Then I measure out the 3T of liquid and add that back into the pot. I use an immersion blender to smooth out the cauliflower, right in the pot, rather than transferring it into a food processor. One less bowl to wash, and still tastes excellent!
Jenn,
Can I make this ahead of time and reheat in a pot without the texture being affected (we don’t have a microwave)? Thanks.
Yep that’s fine. Enjoy!
Is it ok to use frozen cauliflower instead of fresh? If yes, how much, by weight is needed to replace a 2# head of cauliflower? THANKS!!
Hi Marcia, I haven’t made this with frozen cauliflower, but a few people commented that they have successfully. You’ll need 2 lbs of frozen as well.
I’m trying to get my fussy 7 y.o. grandson to eat more veggies, so I tried this, since he likes mashed potatoes (I even put in a couple with the cauliflower). But, I think my mistake was using the food processor too much – the consistency turned out like Cream of Wheat (which I loved as a kid), so it wasn’t a success. I’m thinking of using the leftovers (a lot of it) into soup or maybe perogy’s with the cauliflower/potato mixed with bacon and cheese. Not sure what to rate; the taste was fine and it probably would have been more successful if I’d mashed it. So the 3 is more for me than you. I love your recipes and am in the process of going through all the recipes on my computer, keeping yours when I have multiple ones for the same type.
So happy to see my comments show up.
The soup and perogy’s turned out GREAT! The soup has been eaten, even with the addition of what I added from making the perogy’s (after all, what’s wrong with putting more cheese and some bacon into it?) – we’ll be having the other 11 perogy’s for breakfast tomorrow (had 10 of them for breakfast today). YUM.
I’ve never made perogy dough before, but it was quite easy; I’ve saved the website, if anybody would like it. I did look on Jen’s blog first, but there wasn’t a perogy dough recipe 🙂
The texture threw me off. I liked the flavors, however it was a little too creamy and goopy for me. It tasted like a soupy chowder to me. I’m not sure if I did something wrong, I followed the recipe exactly as written.
Absolutely amazing. I LOVE mashed potatoes — all potatoes really — but this cauliflower is fantastic! I’m a convert. Thanks Jenn!
loved this, followed suggestion of previous cook and added two cloves of smashed garlic to the cooking liquid… when I went to puree, could not find them, so they were pureed as well…
did not add the broth as it looked thin…next time will use a little more cauliflower…so easy and so good
Can this be made with frozen cauliflower from a package?
Hi Judy, I haven’t made this with frozen cauliflower, but a few readers have commented that they have successfully. Enjoy!