Keto Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
Published June 21, 2019 • Updated March 15, 2026
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I steam the cauliflower in chicken broth instead of boiling it in water, and that one change makes this keto mashed cauliflower taste like the real thing. Cream cheese and parmesan do the rest.
Low Carb Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
I’ve been making this keto mashed cauliflower since I started keto in 2012, and it’s the side dish I come back to more than any other. The reason mine tastes different from most cauliflower mash recipes is the cooking method. I steam the florets in chicken broth instead of boiling them in plain water. That broth infuses real flavor directly into the cauliflower, so you’re not starting from a bland, waterlogged base and trying to fix it with add-ins.
The squeeze step is where this recipe actually happens. After the cauliflower is fork-tender, I drain it, sandwich it between paper towels, and press out every drop of liquid I can. Skipping this is the single biggest reason cauliflower mash turns into soup. Reader after reader has confirmed the same thing in the comments below. Tricia put it perfectly: “The cream cheese can only do so much if the cauliflower is still waterlogged.”
Once the water is out, everything goes into a food processor with cream cheese, parmesan, salt, and pepper. The cream cheese makes it rich and thick, and the parmesan cuts any lingering cauliflower taste. I blend until it’s completely smooth, and what comes out looks, feels, and tastes like real mashed potatoes. I’ve served this at Thanksgiving and nobody clocked it. Reader Keisha’s husband, who grew up on Midwestern mashed potatoes, was halfway through the bowl before he asked what she did differently. That’s the kind of review that matters to me.
Here’s a tip nobody else mentions: if you want these to taste even more like real potatoes, try mashed potato extract. Start with one drop. Seriously, one. It’s incredibly strong and you can always add more. I mentioned this to a reader a couple years ago and it’s become one of my favorite tricks for skeptics.
This is one of my favorite low carb side dishes to pair with rich mains. I make it alongside keto green beans and bacon for weeknight dinners, or next to keto sweet potato casserole when I want a full holiday spread. It holds up as a base layer under keto cauliflower gratin too.
If you love cauliflower as much as I do, try my cauliflower tots, cauliflower fried rice, or air fryer cauliflower. And if you want another mashed side that isn’t cauliflower, my mashed turnips are worth trying.
How to make keto cauliflower mash
I steam my cauliflower in a skillet with butter and homemade chicken broth instead of boiling it in water. The broth adds real flavor to the cauliflower from the start, so you’re not working against a bland base. I saute a couple garlic cloves in the butter first, then add the florets and broth and let it all simmer until a fork slides through easily (about 5-8 minutes).
Here’s the step that makes or breaks this recipe: squeeze out every drop of liquid before blending. I drain the cauliflower, sandwich it between paper towels, and press hard. You’ll be surprised how much water comes out. Skip this and you’ll end up with cauliflower soup, not mashed cauliflower. Two ounces of cream cheese cannot save waterlogged cauliflower. Once it’s dry, everything goes into the food processor with cream cheese, parmesan, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.
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Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter -
2 garlic cloves, minced
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1 head of cauliflower, chopped into florets
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1 cup turkey stock or chicken broth
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2 oz cream cheese
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¼ cup parmesan cheese
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½ teaspoon salt
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⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Melt butter
Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.
Sauté garlic
Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Cook cauliflower
Pour in cauliflower florets and broth. Simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 5-8 minutes.
Press out liquid
Drain fluid. Squeeze out excess fluid from the cauliflower by placing it between two paper towels. Get as much fluid out as possible for thick mashed cauliflower.
Puree
In a food processor or blender, combine the cooked cauliflower, cream cheese, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Puree until smooth.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen cauliflower florets or cauliflower rice instead?
I've made this with all three: fresh florets, frozen florets, and cauliflower rice. Fresh is cheapest but frozen cuts the prep time down to nothing. For cauliflower rice, cook it in a dry skillet with a little oil and no water until most of the moisture evaporates. Then sandwich it in paper towels and squeeze hard. That extra step kills the cauliflower smell too. I gave this exact advice to a reader a few years ago and it works every time.
Can I freeze this, and does the texture hold?
I freeze this all the time. I make double batches specifically so I can stash portions in the freezer for busy nights. The texture holds up fine. When I reheat from frozen, I microwave with a splash of chicken broth to loosen it back up. No issues with it turning watery or grainy.
How do I reheat without it getting watery?
I microwave mine with a small splash of chicken broth, not water. The broth adds flavor back instead of diluting it. I stir halfway through and check the consistency. If anything, the mash gets a little thicker as it sits, so that splash of liquid brings it right back to where it started.
Can I make this dairy-free?
I haven't tested a fully dairy-free version myself yet, but I'd swap the butter for ghee or coconut oil, and use coconut cream in place of the cream cheese. You'll lose some of the richness the parmesan and cream cheese bring, so I'd add extra salt and maybe a tablespoon of nutritional yeast to compensate. If you try it, let me know how it turns out in the comments.
How many net carbs are in a serving?
My recipe comes out to about 5 net carbs per serving. Most of that is from the cauliflower itself. The cream cheese and parmesan add almost nothing carb-wise, which is why I use them instead of milk or heavy cream. It's one of the lowest carb sides I make regularly.
How do I make the mash thicker?
The squeeze step is everything. I mean it. Squeeze the cauliflower between paper towels until you think you've gotten all the water out, then squeeze again. If it's still not thick enough after blending, I add a little more cream cheese or 1 teaspoon of arrowroot powder. I've honestly never needed the arrowroot when I squeeze properly.
What can I do with the leftover garlic butter broth?
I pour it back in a pot with a splash more chicken broth and turn it into gravy. I add xanthan gum, 1/8 teaspoon at a time, until it coats a spoon. It's way too flavorful to toss. You can also freeze it and use it as a base for soup later. A reader asked me this same question and I've been making the gravy version ever since.
Can I use sour cream instead of cream cheese?
I've tried it with sour cream and it works. Start with 1/4 cup and taste from there. Sour cream makes it a little tangier, which I actually prefer when I'm serving it alongside roasted chicken. The texture stays creamy either way.
I have made at least four other cauliflower mash recipes and they all had that waterlogged, vaguely sad quality that makes you feel like you're being punished for being keto. This one is different and I think it's the broth steaming that changes everything, because by the time you add the cream cheese you're already working with something that tastes like it has a reason to exist. Mine came out freaking rich. Not "pretty good for cauliflower" rich, actually rich. My only note is I could've squeezed out more liquid before blending, mine was slightly looser than I wanted, but I'll fix that next time.
Is the chicken broth thing actually what makes it taste better? Every cauliflower mash I've tried ends up flat even with butter and cream cheese. Maybe that's the missing piece.
made this tonight as my first keto recipe and honestly had no idea what i was doing but steaming the cauliflower in broth instead of water made a real difference in flavor. i was nervous about the squeezing step but it worked out and the cream cheese made it so creamy. one question, does it reheat well the next day or does it get watery again?
Reheats great actually. I do a small splash of chicken broth in the microwave, not water, and stir halfway through. If anything it gets a little thicker overnight, not thinner.
I doubled the parmesan (half a cup instead of a quarter) and it gave the whole thing so much more body. That sharp bite cuts right through the cream cheese. One tip: if your food processor runs hot, pulse it rather than blend continuously or it'll go gluey fast.
Yeah, more parmesan makes it feel like real mashed potatoes instead of just cauliflower. The food processor tip is legit, I've gone too long before and it goes from fluffy to gluey in about ten seconds.
My daughter was just told she has a dairy sensitivity and we've been doing keto together, so I'm trying to figure out how to adapt our favorites. Would dairy-free cream cheese still blend smooth in this or does it turn gummy? She loves mashed cauliflower so I really want to get this right for her.
I haven't tested dairy-free cream cheese in this one, but some brands do go gummy when blended. Coconut cream is a cleaner swap, blends out completely smooth.
My husband scraped the pot before I could even get it to the table, which is the most honest review I can give.
Scraped pot before it hit the table. That's the one.
Made this probably six times now, and the thing I figured out is being really aggressive about pressing out the liquid after cooking (I fold the cauliflower in a dish towel and wring it hard). The texture difference is real. Cream cheese and parmesan do the rest.
Six times and you've got it. Paper falls apart when you wring that hard. Dish towel or nothing.
My husband grew up on Midwestern mashed potatoes and is always suspicious of cauliflower substitutes. He was halfway through the bowl before he asked what I did differently. That said more than any compliment. Squeeze the water out before blending. Skipped it once, got soup. Four stars because it took two tries to nail the texture, but it's in the regular rotation now.
Skeptics who don't notice until they're halfway through the bowl. That's the real review. Two tries is pretty standard with cauliflower texture, glad it clicked.
Squeeze the cauliflower in a dish towel until you are surprised by how much liquid comes out. Skipped that step once and could not figure out why mine was soupy. The cream cheese can only do so much if the cauliflower is still waterlogged.
2 oz of cream cheese is not saving waterlogged cauliflower. The squeeze is where this recipe actually happens.
Wow, you can't tell that it is cauliflower. Everyone really thought they were delish, will definitely be making more of this. Not hard to do and fantastic.
Right? I've served this at Thanksgiving and nobody clocked it. The cream cheese and parmesan do most of the work honestly.
I am wondering if there is a recipe to make some gravy or some soup with this leftover butter garlic broth it seems to good to throw away
I'd pour it back in the pot with a splash more chicken broth and turn it into gravy. Xanthan gum, 1/8 teaspoon at a time, until it coats a spoon. Or just freeze it.
Delicious! My husband and I just loved them! They were perfect with the salsbury steak!!
That combo is so good. The garlic butter in this holds up to that kind of rich gravy.
Cauliflower rice is too watery
How do you use it to make mash pot
To use cauliflower rice, cook it in a skillet with a little bit of oil and no water. Try to cook out most of the moisture from it. Then remove it from the skillet and sandwich it in between paper towels. Squeeze out any excess fluid from the cauliflower. Then continue with the recipe. This should help get rid of the cauliflower smell too.
We LOVE this recipe and make it regularly. By far my favorite mashed cauliflower recipe!! Thank you!! I'm wondering how it would keep if made ahead of time and reheated later for a large gathering. Any thoughts? Does it change the consistency?
Yes, you could make it ahead of time and reheat. It shouldn't change the consistency - at least I haven't noticed when I have leftovers.
I made it and it turned out really good, i bought the mash potato extract to make french fries someday and was going to use it but got scared because i don't know how to ( like is a drop potent or a few drop and you are good?) plus i was having it with you hamburger mushroom sauce so didn't taste the cauliflower.
My questions, does it freeze well? or more to the point re-heat well? and how potent is the mash potato extract?
Freezes fine, reheats fine (I do microwave with a splash of broth to loosen it back up). On the extract, start with one drop. Seriously, one. It's strong stuff and you can always add more.