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 am a vegetarian. Will this recipe work as well with vegetable broth rather than the chicken broth? I’m wondering if this will alter the flavor too much. Thanks!
Arlene, Vegetable broth will work just fine here– hope you enjoy!
Can this be done in a nutribullet? I don’t own a food processor. Thanks!
Hi Denise, I don’t have a Nutribullet, so I’m not certain, but there may not be enough room in the Nutribullet or enough liquid in the recipe for this to be successful– sorry!
Thank you so much for such a fab recipe my kids asked for second and they hate all vegetables made with short ribs turned out great
Would love to try this recipe but do not have a food processor. Any substitutions? Thank you
Hi Melissa, While the ingredients would remain the same, I’m not sure there’s enough liquid in the recipe to have this work in the blender- sorry!
I have used a hand mixer and it worked quite well.
What I would do is mash it with a good, heavy fork until you had most of the chunks gone. From there I’d grab a whisk and whip the heck out of it until it was smooth.
Small price to pay for how good this is!
This recipe is great “as is”. Doubled the recipe & served it with turkey dinner for our family & guests. Everyone enjoyed it. Made turkey-vegetable soup out of the leftovers and added the leftover cauliflower mash after the soup had finished cooking. It gave the soup a creamy “turkey pot pie” texture & taste. Yum!
Simple recipe but the chicken broth kills the flavour of the cauliflower.
This is a delicious meal. I served mine with plain yogurt and the fresh cracked pepper… yum!
This is my favorite No Carb substitution. I love this recipe. I tried four other mashed cauliflower recipes. Just started cooking this for our Thanksgiving feast!!
Have made this twice now once with fresh cauliflower, once with frozen/steamed cauliflower – both were delicious, and my husband swears he would have thought this was mashed potatoes if I hadn’t told him. Great for low-carb eaters….
This recipe was delicious! It’s a great change from potatoes and my guests thought they were potatoes. Another wonderful recipe from Jenn.