Move over mashed potatoes! 💛🎉 Creamy Mashed Cauliflower with garlic butter is the low carb side dish to make! You can doctor it up with sour cream, Parmesan cheese or chives for richer flavor. Serve it at Thanksgiving, holiday celebrations, or with weeknight dinners because it’s EASY and ready in 25 minutes!

A bowl of mashed potatoes topped with a pat of melting butter, chopped chives, and cracked black pepper.

Easy Mashed Cauliflower Recipe

If you love creamy and rich mashed potatoes but are looking for a way to reduce the carbs, this easy recipe for mashed cauliflower is incredible.
Made with just 5 key ingredients and ready in less than 30 minutes, cauliflower mash is not only easy, it’s a healthier option than mashed potatoes. My opinion only of course.
Since this this easy side dish is naturally vegetarian and gluten-free, it’s a good dish to serve at holiday meals where you may have a mixed group of eaters. If you want to keep it vegan, use vegan versions of the dairy products.
But don’t only save this one for Thanksgiving or Christmas holidays meals. It’s a keeper on busy weeknights when you want a low carb alternative to mashed potatoes. It goes great with garlic butter chicken, oven-baked pork chops, or lemon butter salmon.

A bowl of mashed potatoes with a ladle, topped with black pepper and melted butter. Garlic cloves are visible in the background.

A bowl of mashed potatoes topped with a pat of butter, chopped chives, and ground pepper, with plates, forks, and blocks of cheese in the background.

Simple Ingredients for Creamy Mashed Cauliflower

Depending on your flavor preferences, you can add garlic, Parmesan cheese, sour cream, butter, or chives.

Tip: While I think a bit of sour cream and butter go a long way to add some creaminess and flavor to this very simple of all vegetables, our humble cauliflower, you can experiment and see if you can get away without using them, or using less.

Cauliflower – Use a large head of cauliflower that you dice into florets. Aim for a 2-pound head of cauliflower which yields about 5-6 cups florets. You technically could buy bags of precut cauliflower to save time, although it’s more expensive.
Melted butter – Only 2-3 tablespoons but it makes a huge difference in the final flavor and texture. I like salted butter but unsalted is fine or you may use vegan butter.
Garlic – Roasted garlic cloves are amazing but you can simply cook it in a skillet with the butter.
Salt and Pepper – Since this is such a simple recipe, both are essential to really enhance the natural flavor of the cauliflower.
Grated Parmesan cheese, optional – I never say no to cheese but you can.
Sour cream, optional – Or use thick Greek yogurt or cream cheese. I also think this makes a big difference in the final flavor and texture but if you’re really watching things, you may be able to omit it.
Garnishes, optional – Chives, green onions, parsley, cooked bacon bits, a pat of butter, drizzle of olive oil, and more.

Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.

A bowl of cauliflower florets surrounded by cream, grated cheese, butter, salt, pepper, garlic cloves, and fresh chives on a light surface.

A plate of mashed potatoes topped with butter, black pepper, and chopped chives, with a fork resting on the side.

How To Make Cauliflower Mash Recipe

Cook the Cauliflower: I’ve tried both steaming it with a steamer insert over a pot of water and boiling it directly in water. I don’t think it makes enough of a difference in the final result to recommend steaming compared to just boiling. Cook the cauliflower florets however you prefer until knife-tender and drain.
Cook the Garlic: Mince the garlic and add it to a saucepan with the butter, heat to melt the butter, and brown the garlic for about 1 minute.
Blend: Add the cauliflower to a food processor along with the garlic butter, salt, pepper, place the lid on it, and blend. You may also use an immersion blender or old fashioned potato masher. Tip – Since there’s no starch like potatoes so it’s virtually impossible to over-blend.
Optional Ingredients: Depending on the texture and flavor you desire, add the Parm and/or sour cream, to taste.
Taste, Garnish with desired remaining ingredients, and Serve your creamy cauliflower puree.

Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for step-by-step photos and process shots of the cooking process.

Great Make-Ahead Recipe

Because mashed cauliflower reheats so well – and you don’t have to worry about the sticky and gummy factor like you do with mashed potatoes because there’s no starch – you can feel confident making this 24-36 hours in advance of Thanksgiving or Christmas meal celebrations and keep it airtight in the refrigerator.

Reheating it in the microwave is what I do for ease but you could do it on the stove or in a casserole dish in the oven.

▢ 1 large head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets (approximately 2 pounds which yields about 5-6 cups florets)
▢ 2 to 3 tablespoons butter, (I like salted butter but unsalted is fine; or a vegan buttery substitute)
▢ 3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
▢ 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
▢ ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
▢ ¼ cup sour cream, optional and to taste (lite may be used, or thick Greek yogurt may be substituted, or 2 ounces brick-style cream cheese)
▢ ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese, optional and to taste
▢ Garnishes, optional and to taste (finely minced chives, green onions, parsley, bacon bits, olive oil, extra butter on top, etc.)

Cook Cauliflower: To a large stockpot, add water until nearly full, bring to a boil over high heat, drop in the cauliflower in when the water is boiling, and allow it to boil for about 10-12 minutes, or until very tender. Alternatively, you can steam it by placing a steamer basket inside a large pot filled with water, bring the water to boil over high heat, add the cauliflower, reduce the heat to medium-high or medium, and cover, and allow the cauliflower to steam for about 10-15 minutes, or until very tender. Steaming prevents the cauliflower from directly touching water, which some say prevents a watery mash; although in reality I don’t find one method of cooking the cauliflower to better than the other. Do what’s easier for you.While the cauliflower is cooking, move on to the next step.
Sautéing Garlic: To a large skillet, add the butter, garlic, cook over medium-high heat for about 1 minute, just enough to melt the butter and lightly cook the garlic; stir the entire time so you don’t burn either. When done, turn off the burner and set aside.
Drain: Reserve 1 cup of the water used to cook the cauliflower just in case you need it later (doubtful) and then drain the cauliflower very well in a colander.
Combine: If you’re going to use an immersion blender, to a large skillet (same one you used for the garlic butter is fine), add the cooked cauliflower, salt, pepper, sour cream and/or Parmesan as desired. (Or like I do, an extra couple pats of butter too.)Alternatively, if you’re going to use a food processor, place all the ingredients into the canister of a food processor.
Blend: Either with an immersion blender or food processor, blend until the desired consistency is reached. Tip – Don’t worry about over-mixing. Cauliflower contains no starch, so unlike potatoes, it won’t turn gummy so you can blend until your heart’s content!
Taste and Garnish: Taste the mash and make any necessary flavor adjustments, as desired.
Flavor and Consistency Tips – I always add more salt and if it tastes at all flat or boring, it will likely benefit from additional salt. I like to use sour cream for a creamier mash. If the mixture is too dry, you can either add a bit of sour cream or some of the reserved cooking water, a few tablespoons at a time, blending after each addition. If it’s too wet/moist, adding Parmesan cheese will help bind it and tighten up the consistency.

Make-Ahead: Mashed cauliflower reheats very well and you don’t have to worry about the gummy/tacky factor like you do with reheated mashed potatoes because there’s no starch. You can feel confident making this 24-36 hours in advance of Thanksgiving, Christmas, or other events and keep it airtight in the fridge.

Storage: Recipe will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days. I’ve never frozen it but it will probably be fine. Reheating it in the microwave is what I do for ease but you could do it on the stove or in a casserole dish in the oven.

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 154cal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 31mg, Sodium: 820mg, Potassium: 481mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 340IU, Vitamin C: 70mg, Calcium: 128mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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