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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I’ve been searching for a much healthier “mash potatoes” to appease my husband but be more inline with a higher protein lower carb life style.
This recipe (slightly altered) has become a huge hit in our house. I thought the recipe was a little bland for my taste, so i added a little bit of garlic powder and some sliced parmesan cheese to the mix and it came out totally Delish. My youngest who won’t eat mashed potatoes loves it and the rest of the family does too.
Win!
Would it become smooth enough with a stick blender rather than a food processor?
Hi Melanie, Not sure there is enough liquid to make it work with the stick blender.
Oh my my…D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!!!
This was the first time my family has ever had cauliflower purée and it was a success! Thank you for the wonderful recipe. Consensus…this is family’s new substitute for mashed potato. Turned out beautifully!
This is delicious! On occasion when I needed to double the recipe, and didn’t have enough cauliflower, I used the same quantity yukon gold potatoes as I would have cauliflower for half the recipe. No one has known I’ve ‘messed’ with their mashed potatoes. With the mashed potatoes, I did add a little extra chicken broth for the right consistency.
This is a new staple at our house!! Dare I say it’s even better than regular mashed potatoes??? Never-the-less I doubled the recipe and took 2 servings for myself for that ultra-comfort food experience!!! I will be serving with flank steak with garlic and rosemary tomorrow. Stay tuned for my review on that. Thank you Jen!!
I made this for my significant other because he is on a low carb diet and this is the best alternative to mashed potatoes! The only alteration I made was I used 1 tablespoon less butter than the recipe and it turned out fantastic! I have made this dish 3 times already because he loves it so much!
I really liked this. I have made it just like recipe. I have also made it w powdered goats milk. It give it a creamier richer flavor. Just one scoop. Yumm
I made this as one of our sides for Christmas dinner. It was delicious! Next time I will double the recipe. Even those at the table who claimed to not like cauliflower enjoyed it!
I just made this for dinner and it taste surprisingly good. I didn’t have any fresh thyme so I used a little bit of the dry herb instead. I will be making this again for Christmas.
Hi Jenn,
This recipe is very popular in our house. I’m thinking of making it for Christmas dinner. Is it ok to make it ahead & freeze it?
Lynda
Hi Lynda, I’m sorry I’ve never tried freezing it so can’t say for sure, but you can definitely make it several days ahead of time and reheat in the microwave.