The Best Cauliflower Mash Ever
I know, there are probably at least half a million cauliflower mash recipes out there. So why bother posting another one, right?
Well, because firstly, it’s always nice to have options. The more, the better, me thinks.
And secondly, well, when I say this is The Best Cauliflower Mash Ever, I really mean this is The Best Cauliflower Mash Ever.
What sets it apart from the rest, you ask? Quite simply: the texture! (oh, and the flavor is pretty darn spectacular too, if you ask me!)
Every single time I’ve seen or been served cauliflower mash in my life, I found it to be on the soft side and even downright runny sometimes. No offense if you like yours that way, but that just doesn’t cut it for me. If I’m gonna eat something that pretends to replace my dearly missed mashed potatoes, let it at least have a similar mouth feel to that of the dish I used to cherish. This version does it so well, I think I almost prefer it to the real stuff… honestly.
Unfortunately, there’s only one way to achieve that and it would be by, you guessed it, squeezing the water out of the cauliflower before to puree it!
HA! My favorite activity in the whole wide world. NOT! But to get a cauliflower puree that thick, that creamy, that velvety, THAT delicious? I say taking the extra step is very well worth it.
As is the case with any other cauliflower mash recipe, you need to start by cooking the cauliflower. I’m a big fan of steaming mine. To do that, simply place the cauliflower florets into a steam basket and cook it over salted boiling water until it gets really tender, which should take about 8 to 10 minutes.
You’ll then want to let it cool slightly. Not too much, though. No one wants to eat cold cauli-mash!
Now for the fun part! Let the squeezing begin!
I borrowed a few pictures from one of my previous posts, my Creamy Cauliflower Fritters, to illustrate how I like to squeeze the water out of my cauliflower. I use a stainless steel bowl that fits very snuggly inside my sieve, and I use it to push down on the cauliflower until not a drop of water comes out. It works wonders!
If you couldn’t find such a bowl, you could also use a ladle, or a small unbreakable plate.
Really squeeze as much water out of the cauliflower as you possibly can. Break it up and move it around a few times while squeezing. You’d be surprised how much water is still left in there even after you think you’ve removed it all.
Transfer the now dry cauliflower to the bowl of your food processor and add mayo, ghee, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Process until smooth and creamy; you might want to stop once or twice to scrape the sides and make sure you get every last bit.
See how thick that puree is? Just the way I like it!
Now there’s only one thing left to do: serve your delicious cauli-mash with a little dollop of ghee and a sprinkle of chopped fresh herbs.
Here’s a tip for you: if like me you enjoy eating your puree really piping hot, throw it in the microwave for a few seconds before to serve it. It’ll make even it fluffier!
Oh, and I don’t think I need to tell you what to serve this with. It goes good with just about anything!
Except maybe for pie… maybe!
The Best Cauliflower Mash Ever
Ingredients
- 2 large heads cauliflower, cut into small florets (about 1.5kg | 3lb total)
- 1/4 cup paleo mayo
- 1/4 cup ghee, or make your own
- 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
- 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
- generous grating nutmeg
Instructions
- Place the cauliflower florets into a steam basket and cook over salted boiling water until really tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Squeeze as much water out of the cauliflower as you possibly can, then transfer it to the bowl of your food processor.
- Add mayo, ghee, salt, pepper and nutmeg and process until smooth and creamy. Stop to scrape the sides as needed.
- Serve piping hot with a little dollop of ghee and chopped herbs.
Nutrition
If you’ve tried this recipe, please take a minute to rate the recipe and let me know how things went for you in the comments below. It’s always such a pleasure to hear from you!
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127 Comments on “The Best Cauliflower Mash Ever”
This really DOES look like the best caulimash ever! For some reason, I never thought to squeeze the water out of the cauliflower. I’m finally revisiting cauliflower after avoiding it for half a year (thank goodness for changing tastebuds) and I’m definitely going to try your method!
You mean you actually don’t like cauliflower? Oh my! I think this recipe will definitely help change your mind, Chelsea! It’ll turn your taste buds into believers, that’s for sure! 🙂
It is really good. I was dreading having cauliflower mashed but I loved it. I honestly will eat this often and do not feel cheated at all! Thanks for the recipe!
Cindy
100 stars! Omg this is to die for!! I love mashed potatoes, but my husband made this cauli mash tonight and I am converted haha This is a must-have dish if you’re going slowcarb or lowcarb. I can’t thank you enough for this recipe!! 😄
You are so very welcome, Alison! Glad to hear you like it that much! 🙂
Amen! No more liquidy cauliflower mash I want the same texture! Can’t wait to try this recipe, even the pictures look delicious!
Hope you like it as much as I do, Krista! 🙂
So… I read the title and thought “yeah ok, I’m sure it’ll be just like every other cauliflower mash I’ve ever made. After all what else is there that one can do to caulimash?”… Well turns out it really is the best I’ve ever had. My husband as well! In fact he had to work late so I made his plate for later when he arrived home. He was halfway through the meal (served this with a pot roast/gravy) and said “Wait a minute! Is this cauliflower? If it is this is the best mashed cauliflower I’ve ever had, Im halfway through it and didn’t even realize it, what did you do different?”… The same thing actually happened to me, halfway through the meal I remembered it was cauliflower and though wow this is really much better than the usual mashed cauliflower! So, thanks for this keeper recipe!
Haha! Thank you so much for this awesome feedback, Kaley! I’m so very happy to hear that you (and your hubby!) agree with me in thinking that this is the best cauli-mash ever!! 🙂
I’ve yet to make a cauli mash, but this certainly does inspire! I love that it’s super healthy and a great way to get the kiddos to eat more veggies 🙂
Oh, I bet you will love it, Amy. And if you don’t tell the kiddos about it, they won’t even know it’s not potatoes they’re eating!
I was here looking for the mayo recipe because I am going to try it ONE MORE TIME. When I saw your raves about the cauliflower mash I had to check it out. The picture is BEAUTIFUL by the way.
I agree bout the texture. I did think out squeezing out some liquid, I just hadn’t done it yet. I thought my recipe was good. I use cashew cream and coconut milk, but mayo!! I’ve got to try this. If I can get to no fail mayo to work. 🙂
Love the addition of cashew cream! Why didn’t I think of that? I’ll have to give that a try, sometime! 🙂
OH! This looks like something I have to try, and I happen to have a cauliflower in the fridge right this very minute!
Will this freeze? And if so, at what point? Before mixing in the ghee and mayo? Or after?
Thanks in advance.
Not sure about freezing, Chris… I’ve never tried! I guess if I was to attempt it, I would freeze the final product. I may give it a try next time I whip up a batch!
i would only freeze maybe half of it in case it doesn’t freeze well. at least you’ll have half of it that you know will be ok. if i had to speculate, i’d say if you freeze it, it will get watery when it’s defrosted. try to make sure that it is totally cooled before freezing to help cut down on that. i would probably defrost it upside down on some paper towels.
I totally agree with you on the watery part, Carol. And great idea, those paper towels!
I tried freezing the finished product. Took out the container and put in frig the night before I was going to eat it and then the next day reheated it in the microwave. Could not tell the diff from when I first made it.
That’s very good to know, Elizabeth. Thanks much for sharing! 😀
What is ghee?
I sure wish I had read this last night before I made a watery cauli mash. I am heading back to the store now to buy another head of cauliflower just so I can try this. I can’t thank you enough for all your wonderful recipes. I am new to Whole30/Paleo eating, and your recipes have been a blessing.
Aw, thank you so much Martha, glad to hear. You’ll be happy to know that I’m starting another round of Whole30 on February 1st and plan on keeping at it until April 1st, so that means many more Whole30 compliant recipes coming this way! 🙂
Are the leftovers freezable?
Living alone and hate to waste!
Haven’t tried it yet, Linda, so I wouldn’t be able to say… Living alone, too, though, and trust me, I never waste this! Mind you, I’m one of those people who don’t mind eating the same thing several days in a row…
I think it’s worth trying, though. Next time I make a batch, I’ll try freezing a serving or two, just to see what it says. Honestly, I think it’ll freeze beautifully.
LET THE WATERY CAULI MASH REVOLT BEGIN!
Leave it to you to find the solution to this thin soupy cruciferous problem. I bow to the master..
HAHAHA! Lord did I miss you! You’re too funny, Jordan! 😀
I love this recipe is so tasty. My little girl say Thanks!
Awww, thank you Daria. Tell your little girl that she is most welcome! I am super happy to hear that she liked this cauliflower mash. 😀
Brilliant recipe and loving all the tips on how to get rid of excess water 🙂
This looks delicious! Any tips on reheating? I’d like to make this a day or two in advance and reheat for a family gathering.
Great recipe! My whole family loved it. Thanks!
Happy to hear! Thanks for taking the time to let me know, Carmela. I greatly appreciate that! 🙂
My family doesn’t like cheese or ghee. Any suggestions for substitute?
If it were me, I’d go with avocado oil, or better yet, pureed avocado.
We avoid dairy so I used coconut oil instead of ghee and the result was fantastic. I will definitely make this again. Thanks for the recipe, Sonia!
Good to know, Flo. Thanks much for the tip, and you are very welcome! 🙂
What are the nutrition facts for this recipe? Please tell me it’s not the same as the pictured nutrition facts below the recipe…
Why else would I have included that nutrition fact label? 😉
Maybe a salad spinner would work as long as your spin wasn’t too enthusiastic . 🙂
Nah… Unfortunately, I don’t think that would work. The cauliflower would be too soft and would end up being forced through the cracks or holes, along with the water. At least that’s what I think would happen! :/
Hi there. Love the recipe idea. I have never heard of ghee and am not paleo so i have 2 questions for you, do you thinki plain greek yogurt wouod work in place of yogurt and nutritional yeast instead of ghee
AND i want to make this ahead do you think it would reheat ok?
Just like mashed potatoes, cauli-mash reheats well in the microwave, but you will have to stir and mix once or twice in the process, to insure even heat distribution. As for your substitutions, first I’m assuming you meant yogurt instead of mayo… I suppose it would work and give the mash a bit of zing. Nutritional yeast would also add a different flavor. Honestly, though, I think that you would miss out on the richness of the ghee, and deprive of all its fat, you cauli-mash would not be quite as palatable. But I’m sure it would still taste great!
Squeeze the liquid out of the cauliflower, squeeze the liquid…
Sonia this was amazing! Simple, not overpowering… my tastebuds are singing.
We had it with roasted red peppers (covered in olive oil and garlic, onions and herbs served cold) and salmon.
Greetings from Vienna, Austria
Awwwww, thank you so much Mary! Your taste buds’ singing is music to my ears! 🙂 Glad to hear the recipe was to your liking, and thanks a great big bunch for taking the time to let me know. It’s sincerely appreciated!
Finally have a good cauliflower mash. The instructions for getting rid o the excess liquid and using the food processor was invaluable! Thank you!
You are very welcome, Brenda! 🙂 Thank YOU for the great feedback!
Your Cauliflower Mash looks so yummy:) I follow the Wheat Belly lifestyle an usually make the Mashed Cauliflower and thought that was the ultimate version to Mashed potatoes!!! I will definitely give yours a try, thank you:)
Can’t wait to hear what you think, Kathy!
This was my very first attempt at a cauliflower mash. Thankfully I had all of the ingredients on hand, with the exception of the nutmeg. I sprinkled some garlic powder in mine. It was absolutely AMAZING!!! The texture was creamy and light, and I dare say better than mashed potatoes! I’ve been emailing the recipe to family and friends. Thanks for the recipe for this wonderful dish!!!
Ha! Music to my ears, Wanda. Thank you so much for the awesome feedback; I’m really happy to hear that you too, practically preferred cauliflower to potatoes! And the pleasure is all mine, really! 🙂
This was divine!! Lot`s of dishes though, but soworth it! I used immersion blender instead of food processor, and it made silky smooth mash, I can recommend 🙂
So very happy to hear, Selena! Thanks for taking the time to let me know, too. I greatly appreciate that! 😀
We had friends over for dinner last night and I tried this recipe in place of mashed potatoes… it was amazing!! I think the trick is to definitely steam the cauliflower to minimize the liquid content. Also made the ghee butter… simple recipe as well.
Recommend both for healthier eating options.
Thank you Pauline! Glad to hear the recipes were a complete success for you! 🙂
I definitely think this would go great with pie…Shepherd’s (or cottage) Pie, that is! I made something very, very similar to this and used it atop shepherd’s pie and it was fantastic! I am definitely hanging on to this recipe though!
I had just about given up on cauli mash, because I couldn’t stand the watery texture. Last time I made it, I did exactly this, squeezed the water out. I didn’t do the food processor though, just mashed with the potato masher. I’m going to try this next time. It was LOTS better with the water squeezed out.
I’m ready to bet that you will fall in love with cauli-mash all over again, Nanci. Can’t wait to hear what you think!
Do you think a salad spinner would work to get water out? Depending on the holes and size of cauliflower chunks it might have to be lined with doubled cheesecloth.
Honestly, Cheryl am highly doubtful that it would work, but it’s still worth a shot. Definitely do the cheesecloth double lining thing, though…
I made this recipe for dinner tonight. I subbed nonfat plain Greek yogurt in place of the mayo. It was so good and my entire family loved it!
I make my own kefir and often make kefir cheese by letting the whey separate. I tried that in place of the mayo and it was great.
I am so trying this tonight lol I have all ingredients, might stick to greek yogurt instead of mayo though. Question, at my whole foods they already have cauliflower shredded as in like a rice, do you think that would work as well or just stick to the whole process?
That would most definitely work, Melissa, but why pay the extra money to buy cauliflower that’s been shredded for you? You only need cut it into florets, I say the little effort that it takes isn’t worth dishing out the extra bucks… but that’s just me. 😉
Very true indeed 🙂 Thanks. I used the cauliflower bunch I had already. I must saw this was so much more creamer than I expected. Thank you so much for this recipe. I am following you now and can’t wait to go through all the rest of your recipes.
Any chance you can use frozen cauliflower? I already have several bags in my freezer.
I’m not sure… to be honest, I haven’t had frozen cauliflower all that often in my life, so I don’t know how it would fare, texture-wise… I also think that it would contain a lot more water, which can’t really be a good thing in this case. Personally, I’d stick with fresh, but there’s nothing like trying to find out for sure!
I am ready to try this, my last batch (and first) was a bit watery. Just one question though, I thought mayo was not whole 30 compliant?
Never mind, just saw the recipe for the mayo. Just made both and it’s freaking amazing. Even the hubs liked it! Thanks ????????
Haha, you are very welcome! Glad you guys liked! 🙂
Thanks for the idea of squeezing out the liquid. I bet I am going to love this.
Made with Greek yogurt cream cheese for mayo for higher protein. It was/is awesome!
Hi, I was wondering if there are any good substitutions for the mayo? I’m not a huge fan.
Sour cream, maybe?
I have two comments. I just used frozen pre-mashed cauliflower by Green Giant. I was draining it in a colander when I came across this article. I got a lot of water just leaving it in there over a bowl. I just think that mashing it first and using a colander would be easier than squeezing it out. And I’ve used frozen cauliflower before. Actually, frozen veggies are known to hold more nutrients than the supposed “fresh” veggies in a grocery store (unless maybe from a trusted farm market)
Onto nutrient. I’ll post an article from whole foods that is informative but the thing that was noteworthy to know was that steaming is much better than boiling. The phytonutrients (no, it’s not misspelled) will leach out when boiled Steaming too long will also do the same, at least that was what I can derived from the reference that boiling for 3 minutes will leach more phytonutrients than 10 minute of steaming.
Here is that link to whole foods…
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=13
Oh, used that nutritional water for soup. Freeze it for later use?
Great recipe! Worked well with my homemade garlic mayo from 40Aprons.com. Love all of these bloggers who are making my ketogenic journey such a pleasurable experience. Thanks!
I never comment ???? but I had to! This is Theeee very best cauliflower mash recipe. Thank you for aptly naming it and sharing!
Hahaha, thanks Shawna! So very happy you think so, too! 🙂
I just made cauliflower mash tonight and it was pretty good with cream cheese, but still runnier than I wanted. Wish I had seen this recipe before I made it! Will make it like this next time. I am low carving, not paleo, but love paleo recipes. Thanks for the tips for the perfect mash!
I’ve no doubt that this one will be to your liking, Chrissy. Be sure to let me know how it was! 🙂
Carbing not carving!
I didnt care for it at all. Even after squeezing out the cauliflower, the texture was way too wet and gluey. Eww. Maybe less mayo would be better.
Sorry to hear, Lisa. Not sure I see how you could’ve gotten a gluey texture out of cauliflower, though, since it doesn’t contain any starch?
Can you use frozen cauliflower and steam it in the microwave in place of fresh cauliflower?
I really wouldn’t see why not, Krista. So long as you still squeeze that water out!
Wondering if you could use regular mayo and regular butter in place of the mayo you recommend and the ghee? We are having to curb my daughters carb intake and she happens to like caulifower(thank goodness!!!)
Thanks for the great recipe and all of the tips and tricks, can’t wait to try this!
Absolutely, Jayme! Hope your daughter digs the mash! 🙂
Waaay late to the party, but this solved my watery-cauliflower-mash problem. Ended up using a bit of cream cheese rather than mayo (I was out), and it just added to the “sorta clumps up like potatoes” thing.
I deleted my other saved recipes and added yours.
Haha! Awesome, Meadow! Real happy to hear that! 😀
Started keto this week and this was my first experimental recipe, so easy and delicious!
One question, any substitute for nutmeg? My gf is allergic.
Great recipe, thanks for sharing!
Just leave it out, Chris.
This was so delicious!! The whole family loved it!! I did use regular mayo and just regular butter (not as healthy I know) but very impressed. I was doing a prime rib dinner for family and they got to try it first time with me in place of my family famous mashed potatoes. They loved it and some even said they liked it more. Great replacement!!
Real happy to hear, Michelle! Thanks for the love <3
Hi Sonja
This looks and sounds terrific! This isn’t meant to rain on your parade because we’ve been recommended by our nutritionist to stop eating potatoes. Chef Buck makes a cauliflower pizza crust by dry frying cauliflower rice to remove most of the moisture. We’ve tried it and it’s amazing! Do you think that technique might work with your recipe?
I can’t have butter. What about MCT oil or olive oil? How much ground nutmeg would I add if I don’t have fresh? Thank You!
This was tasty. The best cauliflower recipe I’ve tried yet. I used my vitamix blender.
Thanks for sharing this cauliflower mash recipe. Just wanted to let you know that we included it in our list of the Best Paleo Recipes https://www.listsforall.com/best-paleo-recipes/
Would love to have you checkout the rest of the list when you get the time. Keep up the good work!
The texture was great but didn’t care for the flavor…… maybe I just don’t like cauliflower mash. I haven’t found a recipe I like yet. Thanks
Unfortunately, I can’t do anything about the flavor of cauliflower… glad you liked the texture still! 🙂
This is legit the best cauliflower mash ever. I may have sacrificed my favourite sieve as apparrently it wasnt up to the job, but well worth it! A worthy substitute to potatoes…now I just wish cauliflower was a bit more affordable here in NZ!
Hahaha! You’ll need to get a stronger, sturdier sieve! Good thing is your old sieve’s sacrifice hasn’t been in vain! Glad to hear the recipe delivered and lived up to its name! 🙂
I just made these and are sooo creamy and delicious. Good idea on squeezing out the liquid. That seems to be the #1 key. I like a lot of butter so I tweaked it a little…I also added some Parmesan cheese. Thanks for this amazing recipe!!!
You can’t ever go wrong with Parmesan cheese! 🙂
Hey there, first time making cauliflower mash. Instead of doing the squeezing here are two ideas : put it into a salad spinner and spin the water out. This works great with zucchini too! Also today what I did instead because I don’t have a salad spinner was to mash the cauliflower after boiling and then put the pot back on the heat with the butter. The water quickly evaporated, so I stirred it until it was the right consistency for me
I don’t typically leave reviews but I had to with this recipe. Prior to finding this recipe, I wasted a head of cauliflower trying to make non-soupy mash with no luck! It’s Thanksgiving Day in Canada and I was just about to give up until I found your recipe. I ranout to the store bought more cauliflower and got to it!
You saved my Thanksgiving dinner! I’m new to eating keto and the only one in my family and didn’t want to give in to eating potatoes! Thank you so much!!!
Haha! Thank YOU so much, Kiesha, for taking the time to leave this great reviews. Happy to have saved your Thanksgiving! Enjoy the rest of it! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! <3
What makes it so high in carbs? Doesn’t seem very ket o friendly does it?
This was sooo good! I am vegan so I swapped out vegan mayo and vegan butter. Turned out perfect! Love the fluffy texture. Made ahead for Thanksgiving, hopefully it holds for a couple days but i’m the only vegan so only I have to like it 🙂
Thanks for an outstanding recipe!! I halved it and used commercial mayonnaise with about 1/4 tsp of ground nutmeg and this is by far the best ‘cauli-mash’ I have ever tasted! I have been a low-carber forever and I much prefer these over those loaded with cheese, sour cream etc. They are so much healthier too! Thank you again!
You are so very welcome, Susan! I’m real happy to hear that you too, find this mash to be the best ever! Now you should really try making it with homemade mayo… take it to the next level! Plus, making mayo is sooo much fun! 😉
I just made this and my world is now a little bit brighter!
To squeeze the water out I used a clean tea towel and it turned out great. It tastes so buttery and the texture is perfect.
THANK YOU 😁
I now have a comfort option for my hormonal days!!! 🤣😝
You are very welcome, Jackie. Glad to hear this recipe is making your world a little bit brighter. 🙂
Just a word on salting the water used to steam vegetables – this is an unnecessary step as salt is not carried in the steam. It will not salt the vegetables.
I have a bag of cauliflower rice in the freezer, can I use that and if so how much? Thanks!!!
You are a genius! Seriously, this recipe is amazing. Squeezing out the water is the trick I have been looking for. The texture is just like mashed potatoes. Even my husband who loves real mashed potatoes loved this recipe. Thank you!
WOW!!! This is far and away the best recipe for mashed cauliflower. I don’t have a large fine mesh strainer so I put the steamed cauliflower in a flour sack towel and squeezed— so much water came out! Then I put that in a bowl with a small amount of butter, some Greek yogurt, and salt; then I blended with my immersion blender. Unbelievable how similar the consistency is to mashed potatoes and the flavor is great. This will be a go-to recipe from now on. Eager to try it with some roasted garlic!
Thank you for your awesome feedback, Gayle. Glad to hear the mash was to your liking. And I totally agree with the roasted garlic… It’ll be amazing, for sure!
This looks amazing and I’m definitely going to try it. I never would have though of squeezing out the water from the cooked cauliflower. I have one question, though. Cauliflower tends to be very sweet. What can be done to cut that sweetness? I love cauliflower, but after a while, the sweetness in mashed cauliflower kind of gets to me after a while, and puts me off.
Perhaps try adding a little bit of garlic, butter, lemon and/or salt to your mash? I think that it would most definitely help!
I’m wondering If I can prep a bunch of this and freeze it in single portions?
I tried this and it is really delicious. My husband could not believe there were no potatoes in with the cauliflower. Now that’s a Good Review!!
Very nice indeed. Well done. Tastes just like potatoe
Thank you so much for sharing your technique! It was the step I was missing (squeezing out the excess water). I almost gave up on cauliflower mash until I came across your recipe! You saved my keto diet.. haha!
You are very welcome, Shanon! Happy to hear! 🙂
Super easy and delicious
Thank you
Made this and it was delicious
Just …THANK YOU!!!
I kept wondering “what am I doing wrong?” All of my attempts have been more like a purée than amazing cauliflower MASH. Oh, sometimes I would get almost lucky, but now, I am looking forward to brighter days of consistently thick cauliflower mash!
I made this last night, and I’m here to tell you it was THE BEST! My hubby and I are both diabetic, and he LOVES potatoes and so do I! I needed a recipe that could satisfy that craving. When I found this, I decided to try it. And, I was so pleasantly surprised at the taste and texture! How thick it was! My picky-eater husband enjoyed it! Thank you so much for sharing! It went way beyond my expectations!