Garlic mashed cauliflower with a pat of butter on top in a white bowl next to a stainless steel spoon in front of a white and grey towel all on a wooden surface (with logo overlay)

Garlic Mashed Cauliflower: A Healthy Alternative to Mashed Potatoes

As a healthier alternative to mashed potatoes, try making Garlic Mashed Cauliflower. It has all the flavor with fewer carbs and less guilt!

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Mashed potatoes are my ultimate side dish when it comes to any meal. While they are delicious, potatoes are also high in carbs. In high school, I would eat a package of instant mashed potatoes for a snack every day. Now, those carbs get to me a bit quicker. Mashed cauliflower is a great alternative that still tastes delicious.

One of our bountiful basket food co-ops came with a head of cauliflower. I’ve never eaten it before and had no clue what to make with it. I’ve seen many videos that sub cauliflower for potatoes and even pizza crusts, so decided to give it a try. 

Now, pizza is one of my favorite foods, so I haven’t tried to touch that one, yet. But, we did decide to give the mashed cauliflower a try. 

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting much. But I figured I would rather make an attempt at cooking something that ends up getting tossed rather than letting the cauliflower go bad in the refrigerator and throwing it away before it even gets used. I don’t like waste in the kitchen, especially food waste.

But, I was pleasantly surprised! The mashed cauliflower had almost the same consistency as potatoes and didn’t taste much different, either. I wouldn’t do this every time, but it’s a great alternative and healthier than the starchy potatoes. 

Not to mention, I had this entire recipe prepared in about 15 minutes. I think it took me longer to photograph the results than it did to make it!

Garlic Mashed Cauliflower Step by Step

Ingredients

  • 1 head cauliflower
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic (minced)
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (shredded)
  • 1 tbsp cream cheese
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper

Preparation

Cut the cauliflower into florets. They don’t have to be a specific shape or size, but small enough to work with. 

Use a steamer to soften the cauliflower. You can either use a dedicated steamer pot as I used or a steam basket that goes over any regular pot. Also, some rice steamers come with a steaming tray that can be used. Whatever method you use, steam the cauliflower for about 10 minutes.

Cauliflower in a metal steamer pot on a wooden surface

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic to the pan and cook for about 2-3 minutes, until it is fragrant and starts to brown. Then remove from the heat while the cauliflower steams.

Small saute pan with roasted minced garlic sitting on a wooden surface

Put half of the cauliflower in a blender or food processor and blend on high for a moment.

Cauliflower in a metal steamer pot next to stainless steel bowls with cream cheese, parmesan cheese, seasonings, and roasted garlic near a container with mashed cauliflower next to an immersion blender all on a wooden surface

Then add the rest of the cauliflower, garlic, cheeses, salt, and pepper. I used my immersion blender for this and it worked really well.

Empty metal steamer bowl next to another empty container of mashed cauliflower behind a stainless steel bowl full of garlic mashed cauliflower next to an immersion blender all on a wooden surface

Continue to blend until the mixture is creamy and there are no more chunks of cauliflower. Serve warm with a pat of butter if desired. 

Garlic mashed cauliflower with a pat of butter on top in a white bowl next to a stainless steel spoon in front of a white and grey towel all on a wooden surface (vertical)

Recipe

Originally Published On: October 22, 2018

Last Updated On: August 1, 2023

Garlic mashed cauliflower with a pat of butter on top in a white bowl next to a stainless steel spoon in front of a white and grey towel all on a wooden surface

Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

As a healthier alternative to mashed potatoes, try making Garlic Mashed Cauliflower. It has all the flavor with fewer carbs and less guilt!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course:
Side Dish
Cuisine:
American
Keyword:
cauliflower
Servings: 2 cups
5 from 2 votes

Ingredients

  • 1 head cauliflower
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic (minced)
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (shredded)
  • 1 tbsp cream cheese
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper

Instructions

  • Cut the cauliflower into florets
  • Steam the cauliflower for about 10 minutes, until it is tender
  • Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil
  • Add the minced garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant and brown then remove from the heat
  • When the cauliflower is done, add half to a food processor or blender and blend on high for a moment
  • Add the rest of the cauliflower to the blender with the garlic, cheeses, salt, and pepper
  • Blend until creamy and smooth
  • Serve warm with a pat of butter if desired
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Nutrition Facts
Garlic Mashed Cauliflower
Amount Per Serving (0.5 cup)
Calories 106 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 7g11%
Saturated Fat 2g10%
Cholesterol 8mg3%
Sodium 446mg19%
Potassium 430mg12%
Carbohydrates 8g3%
Fiber 3g12%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 97IU2%
Vitamin C 70mg85%
Calcium 109mg11%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

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21 thoughts on “Garlic Mashed Cauliflower: A Healthy Alternative to Mashed Potatoes”

  1. Yum we eat mashed cauliflower at least once a week. sometimes we add smoked cheddar because we like the taste, nut i will definitely be trying the roasted garlic next time 🙂

  2. 5 stars
    Recently, my husband and I decided to eat more cleanly. I’ve been very curious about all carb substitutes. I’m down with quinoa but have been hesitant to try cauliflower. This gave me a little boost to try it!

  3. I never tried something like that AND we just happen to look for some new stuff to cook. It looks good and easy to cook, i might try it. Thank you for sharing though!

  4. So it really tasted almost the same? Personally I hate the taste of cauloflower, but if you say it was similar, I may have to try this sometime and see if I can fool myself! (since the rest of my family loves cauliflower!)…

  5. UPDATE: We tried it tonight for dinner. My husband was shocked to see me eating cauliflower (he watched me make it) and ENJOYING it! My kids said they were the yummiest “mashed potatoes” they had ever eaten, until I told them that what they’d assumed was mashed potatoes was actually something else!

  6. You had me at garlic! This looks lovely! I am in fact a big fan of cauliflower,I don’t get why so many people don’t like it! I like to grill it, as a thick juicy cauli steak and add butter and tons of salt! I will def try this one out!

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