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Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes Keto Low Carb

Creamy cauliflower mashed potatoes keto style are not mashed potatoes at all, but a low carb alternative packed with garlic, parmesan cheese, sour cream, butter, and all the good flavors! Whether a thicker mash or more of a purée (how I like them), the choice is up to you.

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Cauliflower mashed potatoes keto

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As a child, I absolutely loved potatoes. Fries, mashed, baked, au gratin, and all the yummy “loaded” style toppings. What child doesn’t like French fries?

Potatoes are a staple food in so many diets. However, in a keto diet when I have the option to choose something other than potatoes, that’s what I do.

And what’s my favorite substitute for potatoes?

Cauliflower. Yes, cauliflower. If you look long at many of my dinner recipes, you’ll find I use it quite often. Possibly frozen organic cauliflower rice is my favorite prepped food you can buy.

TIP: They have giant bags of organic riced cauliflower at Costco! It’s definitely a must-have for this household.

Actually, cauliflower is just so versatile and takes on the flavor of the spices and flavorings around it. Of course, there’s cauliflower rice, cauliflower purée or mashed “potatoes”, cauliflower potato salad, cauliflower mac and cheese, the list goes on.

And can I tell you a secret? Kids will actually eat it and enjoy it! Sometimes it takes a few tries to win them over, but it can be done.

Cauliflower mashed potatoes keto low carb

🍴Equipment

Overhead cauliflower mashed potatoes keto

🥘 Ingredients

  • 12 oz riced cauliflower (from frozen or fresh)
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 tsp salt (to taste)
  • 1/4 tsp pepper (to taste)
  • 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup chicken bone broth (or less depending on desired consistency)
Ingredients in cauliflower mashed potatoes keto

If you’ve read many of my recipe posts, you’ll know I always give the following advice. When selecting ingredients, buy as fresh as you can, and organic if possible.

Also, don’t forget to read the ingredients even for things like parmesan cheese or heavy cream! Surprisingly, or maybe rather not so surprisingly, different brands can hide sugar, preservatives, and other unwanted junk.

The best plan is to select quality ingredients for anything you make. The recipe includes the nutrition facts with the ingredients I use. However, if you’re calculating macros, I always advise figuring your own facts with the exact ingredients you use in the recipe.

Now, shall we make this delicious cauliflower mashed potatoes keto style recipe or what?

Bowl of cauliflower mashed potatoes keto style

🔪 Instructions

First of all, gather together the needed equipment and ingredients.

Secondly, cook the cauliflower rice. There are several ways to do this to get it nice and soft and ready to mash or purée. Here are my three favorite.

Method number 1: Steam the riced cauliflower for about 5 minutes on the stove. Use a steam basket over a pan of boiling water or your own steam method.

Method number 2: Cook the riced cauliflower for 5 minutes in a pot on the stovetop on medium-high with 1/4 cup water, stirring constantly.

Method number 3: Microwave the cauliflower rice for 5 minutes on high in a covered container with 1/4 cup water. Take it out carefully using oven mitts.

💭 Top tip

My favorite tip with anything using chopped cauliflower lately makes life so much easier. And I’m all about simplification. Buy frozen ready-made cauliflower rice.

Organic cauliflower rice is available more and more lately at the local grocery store, Costco, or a specialty grocery store. I personally like the size and texture for my recipes.

Also, often the frozen riced cauliflower gets frozen from fresher cauliflower than what you’d buy in the store. Not, always, but it’s good quality and saves me a step and some washing up. This equals a big thumbs up from me!

Close overhead view of cauliflower mashed potatoes keto

🧄 Garlic infused butter

Next is a little trick that packs the delicious garlic butter flavor in the mash.

Take a small saucepan and melt the butter on the stovetop on medium-high. Then, add in the minced garlic and allow it to infuse into the butter and soften. This should take 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Remove from the heat.

Purée the cauliflower mashed potatoes keto style

Some with like this step while others will not. With much experimentation, I’ve discovered cauliflower does not mash and shape exactly like a potato. Imagine that!

Therefore, instead of a potato masher or a hand mixer as I would use for traditional mashed potatoes, I use a blender or food processor.

Personally, I prefer more of a purée texture to a thick mash, and this works best in the blender. However, if you want a thicker, more traditional style cauliflower “mashed potato” keto style, use a food processor.

Why? The thicker the mash, the more difficult it is to get out of the blender. In that case, the food processor is the way to go and easier to use.

Once that’s decided, it’s time to blend the ingredients.

First, place the cauliflower rice, parmesan cheese, heavy cream, and sour cream in a food processor (or a blender for more of a purée). Process it all together on high for 30-40 seconds, pulsing as needed.

The pieces of cauliflower should be smooth and not lumpy.

After that, add in the melted butter and garlic and pulse to combine. There are some good smells in the kitchen now!

Next, slowly add in the bone broth a tablespoon at a time and pulse the food processor until the desired consistency is reached. The more bone broth, the thinner the mixture will be.

Add salt and pepper to taste and mix it in the cauliflower mashed potatoes. Now, serve with sliced green onions to garnish or your preferred keto gravy.

It’s pretty fabulous to serve as a base for my keto beef tips with gravy.

Plate of keto beef tips with cauliflower mashed potatoes

🥣 How to store it

Cauliflower mashed potatoes keto version can be kept in the refrigerator in an container for up to four to five days.

Also, if you are cooking keto for one, you can divide the recipe into four equal portions. Put each portion in a freezer bag or other freezer-safe storage container. It can be kept in the freezer for up to one month.

Spoon of caulflower mashed potatoes keto low carb

Staples of keto cooking

Cauliflower rice has become one of those staples of keto cooking. Really, it can absorb the flavors you put into it and is a fabulous alternative to rice, pasta, and potatoes. Yes, it’s a great substitute to lower the carb count.

And guess what! You may even grow to like it better than the original!

Also, I’ve come to depend on zucchini to replace pasta in soups and other dishes. Although, when I’m in a hurry, I’ll admit to leaving out the side altogether and just going for the meat!

Do you have other low carb options for sides or those traditional carb-filled foods? I’d love to see your ideas in the comments below!

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🍲 More keto recipes with cauliflower

  1. Keto Jambalaya
  2. Cauliflower Mac and Cheese Bake
  3. Easy Keto Butter Chicken With Cauliflower Rice
  4. Keto Sausage Stuffed Peppers
  5. Best Ever Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup
Bowl of cauliflower mashed potatoes

Keto Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

Yield: 6
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

Creamy cauliflower mashed potatoes are keto but not mashed potatoes at all! Whether a thicker mash or more of a purée, the choice is up to you. A low carb alternative to mashed potatoes packed with garlic, parmesan cheese, sour cream, butter, and all the good flavors!

Ingredients

  • 12 oz riced cauliflower (from frozen or fresh)
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 tsp salt (to taste)
  • 1/4 tsp pepper (to taste)
  • 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup chicken bone broth (or less depending on desired consistency)

Instructions

  1. Cook the cauliflower rice.
  2. Method 1: Steam for about 5 minutes on the stove.
  3. Method 2: Cook 5 minutes in a pot on the stovetop on medium-high with 1/4 cup water, stirring constantly.
  4. Method 3: Microwave the cauliflower rice for 5 minutes on high in a covered container with 1/4 cup water.
  5. Melt the butter in a small saucepan on the stovetop on medium-high.
  6. Add the garlic and allow to infuse into the butter and soften, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
  7. Place the cauliflower rice, parmesan cheese, heavy cream, and sour cream in a food processor (or a blender for more of a purée). Process on high for 30-40 seconds, pulsing as needed. Add in the melted butter and garlic and pulse to combine.
  8. Slowly add in the bone broth and pulse the food processor until the desired consistency is reached. The more bone broth, the thinner it will be.
  9. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  10. Serve with sliced green onions to garnish or preferred keto gravy.
    Nutrition Information:
    Yield: 4
    Amount Per Serving: Calories: 228Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 321mgCarbohydrates: 3gNet Carbohydrates: 2gFiber: 1gProtein: 5g

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    Nutrition Disclaimer

    Please be aware I am not a medical specialist or nutritional professional. On this blog, I share recipes and what works for me. Please do not take anything on this blog as medical advice and always consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program.

    I use MyFitnessPal.com to calculate nutrition facts as a courtesy to my readers, and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count because does not affect my own blood glucose levels.  

    This is as accurate as possible, but it’s best to independently calculate nutritional information on your own with the specific ingredients you use. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.

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