This vegan and keto garlic cauliflower mashed potatoes recipe is nomtastic and super easy to make in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop. No one will suspect that you’re serving low carb mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes!
Table of Contents
- The inspiration for this mashed cauliflower recipe!
- Instant Pot Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
- My favorite instant pot
- Make Ahead and Reheating Instructions
- Ingredients
- How to make cauliflower mashed potatoes
- What can you serve with it?
- More healthy cauliflower recipes
- Garlic Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes (Whole30, Keto) Recipe
The inspiration for this mashed cauliflower recipe!
I’m not a NPR listener. Whenever my friends talk about what they heard on Morning Edition, I smile and nod while secretly thinking about all the crazy stuff I heard on Howard Stern that morning. Still, Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift hosted an award-winning food show on Public Radio (or so I hear) and their cookbook, The Splendid Table’s How To Eat Supper, has some great recipes. A recipe I make over and over again is their Garlic Cauliflower “Mashed Potatoes,” which I’ve modified slightly (to make it super-Paleo AND Instant Pot compatible). You can make this cauliflower puree ahead of time and it’s the dairy-free dish that keeps on giving.
Instant Pot Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
Although the original recipe calls for steaming the cauliflower florets in a pot on the stove, I normally cook them for 3 minutes under high pressure in the Instant Pot. You don’t save a ton of time—maybe 10 to 15 minutes tops—but you definitely free up space on the stovetop, which is precious real estate during the holidays. Also, you don’t need to babysit the Instant Pot like you would a regular pot and that’s one less thing to worry about!
My favorite instant pot
Make Ahead and Reheating Instructions
Cauliflower mashed potatoes is one of my favorite vegetable side dishes because you can make it ahead and it tastes just as good when you reheat it. You can store the leftovers in a sealed airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. The easiest way to reheat cauliflower mash is to place it in a microwave safe glass bowl and nuke it for 2 to 3 minutes. You should stir it once twice while reheating so the dish is uniformly piping hot. You can also reheat the mash in a covered pot on the stove—just add a splash of broth if it looks a little dry.
Ingredients
- Large cauliflower head: I like to grab a hefty 3 pound one so I can make a big batch. You can also use frozen florets, but they do end up releasing a lot more moisture, resulting in a thinner cauliflower mash.
- Garlic cloves: Don’t skimp on the garlic! They get mellow and delicious as they cook with the cauliflower!
- Extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, or fat of choice: In place of butter, I use EVOO or avocado oil . Bacon drippings or ghee are also fab in this cauliflower mash!
- Ground nutmeg: The seasonings for this mash is pretty simple, but I think the ground nutmeg adds a special flavor that can’t be matched.
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Optional toppings: If you like, you can sprinkle on some sliced green onions, chives, your favorite minced fresh herbs (e.g., thyme, chervil, parsley, etc.), or crispy bacon bits.
How to make cauliflower mashed potatoes
Stovetop Instructions!
Start by filling a large (6-quart) stock pot with an inch or two of water. Put the pot on a burner set on high, dump in a steamer insert, and put on the lid.
While the water heats up, wash and trim a large head of cauliflower and cut up the florets and stem into pieces of roughly the same size. Don’t worry about how everything looks because it’ll get pulverized later in the food processor.
Once the water in the pot is boiling, throw in the stems, half of the florets, and all of the garlic. Salt everything liberally.
Then, toss in the rest of the cauliflower, season with more salt, replace the lid, and steam everything until the texture is soft and fork tender (~10 minutes). You won’t overcook it – trust me.
Instant Pot Instructions!
Pour 1 cup of water into the Instant Pot insert and place a steamer on top. Toss in the stems, half of the florets, and all of the garlic. Salt everything liberally. Next, toss in the rest of the cauliflower, season with more salt, lock the lid, and cook under high pressure for 3 minutes. Release the pressure manually.
Once the florets are done cooking on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot, transfer everything into a food processor.
Add the ground nutmeg, freshly ground black pepper and the avocado oil/extra virgin olive oil (for vegan version). Blend until smooth. (Yes, an immersion blender or potato masher also works but the texture of the mash may not come out as smooth.)
Taste and adjust for seasoning. Serve the “mashed potatoes” immediately or store in a covered bowl in the fridge for up to four days.
What can you serve with it?
More healthy cauliflower recipes
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Garlic Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes (Whole30, Keto)
Ingredients
- 1 large cauliflower ~3 pounds
- 5 large garlic cloves peeled and sliced
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper and more to taste
- 2 tablespoons ghee olive oil, avocado oil, or fat of choice
Instructions
Stovetop instructions
- Start by filling a large (6-quart) stock pot with an inch or two of water. Put the pot on a burner set on high, dump in a steamer insert, and put on the lid.
- While the water heats up, wash and trim a large head of cauliflower and cut up the florets and stem into pieces of roughly the same size. Don’t worry about how everything looks because it’ll get pulverized later in the food processor.
- Once the water in the pot is boiling, throw in the stems, half of the florets, and all of the garlic. Salt everything liberally.
- Then, toss in the rest of the cauliflower, season with more salt, replace the lid, and steam everything until soft (~10 minutes). You won’t overcook it – trust me.
- Once the florets are done cooking, transfer everything into a food processor.
- Add the ground nutmeg, freshly ground black pepper and the ghee or avocado oil/extra virgin olive oil (for vegan version).
- Process until smooth. (Yes, an immersion blender also works but your mash may not come out as smooth.) Taste and adjust for seasoning. Serve your “mashed potatoes” immediately or store in a covered bowl in the fridge.
Instant Pot instructions
- Pour 1 cup of water into the Instant Pot insert and place a steamer on top. Toss in the stems, half of the florets, and all of the garlic. Salt everything liberally. Next, toss in the rest of the cauliflower, season with more salt, lock the lid, and cook under high pressure for 3 minutes. Release the pressure manually. Then, follow steps 5 through 7 above.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How many cups of cauliflower does a 3 pound head yield? I’m trying you figure out if I chose to go the frozen cauliflower rice route how many bags would I need
This was really tasty and came together very quickly – I was actually making your paleo meatballs and was about to skip this step, but then I remembered I had cauliflower that needed some attention… so whipped this up super fast in the Instant Pot and it was delicious! The meatballs were too, and I liked them better than my improvised effort a few weeks ago without the mashed cauliflower. Thank you for the creativity and amazing taste combinations in all of you recipes.
These are so delicious, creamy. and quick! I mixed up a batch to make the meatballs and had a bowl of the leftover mash for lunch (topped with some crunchy bacon). Can’t wait to make them again!
I *love* this recipe. I use my blender and ghee and it comes out like a beautiful silky puree!