Creamy Mashed Cauliflower
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Simple enough for weeknight dinners and special enough for the holiday table, this easy mashed cauliflower recipe is one of those back-pocket side dishes every home cook needs.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
Creamy, buttery, and comforting, this mashed cauliflower recipe comes together with just a handful of ingredients in about 25 minutes. It delivers a silky, flavorful mash that lets cauliflower shine. Even the biggest mashed potato fans are often surprised by how much they love it.
My favorite review came from my friend Heather after she tested the recipe. Her text said it all: “OMG so good, just licked the bowl of my Cuisinart.”
This creamy cauliflower mash pairs nicely with comfort food favorites, like my classic meatloaf or turkey meatloaf, onion-braised beef brisket, or braised short ribs.
“Delicious, delicious, delicious–it’s just like eating mashed potatoes. So, simple to make, and quick too.”
What You’ll Need To Make Mashed Cauliflower
- Cauliflower: Its mild flavor and naturally creamy texture make it the perfect base for a silky purée. Look for a firm, heavy head with tightly packed white florets.
- Chicken Broth: Rather than boiling the cauliflower in water, this recipe gently steams it in chicken broth, seasoning it from the inside out and adding savory depth. Vegetable broth works well if you’d like to keep the dish vegetarian.
- Butter: A few tablespoons of butter add richness and help create the smooth, velvety texture that makes this mashed cauliflower so satisfying.
- Fresh Thyme: Lends subtle earthy flavor without overpowering the cauliflower. Chives also make a delicious alternative.
- Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper: Simple seasonings are all you need to enhance the cauliflower’s delicate flavor.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Steam the cauliflower florets. Cooking the cauliflower in chicken broth instead of water infuses it with flavor from the start. You want to steam it until it’s very tender. It should mash easily with a fork so the purée blends up silky smooth—cauliflower that isn’t cooked all the way through won’t blend smoothly and can leave you with a grainy texture.
Step 2: Purée until smooth. Transfer the cooked cauliflower to a food processor with the butter and a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid, then process until completely smooth. Be careful not to add too much of the broth—you can always add more if needed, but too much can make the mash thin or watery.
Pro tip: If you prefer a little more texture, pulse the cauliflower instead of running the processor continuously. This gives you more control and lets you stop when it’s exactly where you want it.
Step 3: Finish and serve. Taste the purée and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, then stir in the fresh thyme. Serve hot alongside your favorite comfort foods or holiday favorites. The mashed cauliflower keeps nicely in the fridge for 3 days or can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Easy Variations
- Loaded: Top with shredded cheddar, chopped chives, crumbled bacon, and a dollop of sour cream for all the flavors of a loaded baked potato—minus the potato.
- Cheesy: Blend in a handful of freshly grated Parmesan or Gruyère for extra richness and a nutty depth of flavor. Freshly grated cheese melts much more smoothly than pre-shredded.
- Roasted Garlic: Blend in a few roasted garlic cloves for a mellow, sweet garlic flavor.
- Pesto: Replace 1 to 2 tablespoons of the butter with pesto for a fresh, herby twist and a subtle green color (omit the thyme).
- Brown Butter: Swap the butter for brown butter. It takes just a few extra minutes to make but adds incredible nutty, toasty flavor.
- Truffle: Finish with a light drizzle of truffle oil and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt for an elegant finishing touch.
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Creamy Mashed Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower (about 2 lb/908 g), cut into ½-in (13-mm) pieces
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring the chicken broth and salt to a boil. Add the cauliflower; bring back to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low and steam for 20 minutes, or until cauliflower is very tender.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cauliflower to a food processor. Add 3 tablespoons of chicken broth from the pot, along with the butter. Process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add thyme and process until just combined.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Totally delicious! I made this for Christmas dinner instead of mashed potatoes since my sister was already bringing a potato dish. I loved everything about them, especially how well them went with the rib roast… which got me to thinking if I added fresh horseradish to this dish to eat with beef, I think it would be spectacular! And healthier than creamed horseradish! Thanks again Jenn!
OOOPs! 5 stars all the way!
This is not only better than mashed potatoes, but it’s also healthier. We paired this with the turkey meatloaf and roasted broccoli with chipotle honey butter, as suggested. It was an incredible meal! One that I will make forever!
P.S. Once Upon a Chef the cookbook deserves a sequel!
😊
The cauliflower was very runny after I’d pureed it, so I didn’t add the chicken stock. Because of this it was pretty tasteless. What did I do wrong? I strained the cauli before pureeing it.
Sorry to hear you had a problem with this. Are you saying that you didn’t add the broth before pureeing the cauliflower?
That’s correct. I steamed the cauli in the stock, strained it, then pureed. It was already too soupy.
Hi Christine, that’s kind of a head-scratcher – I haven’t had that problem before. Perhaps your cauliflower just contained more water, but it’s hard to say for sure. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
Another winner! Made this last night, reduced the amount of broth to 2/3 cup, puréed in the pot with an immersion blender, came out perfectly delicious. Devoured! Will be added to our Thanksgiving menu. Thank you, Jennifer for another terrific, easy recipe!
Can you use fresh dill instead of fresh thyme for this cauliflower mash
It will have a different flavor with the dill, but it will work. Please LMK what you think if you try it!
I made this to go alongside the turkey meatloaf from this site. Excellent recipe! I even fooled a couple of my girls, who thought the ‘mashed potatoes’ were really buttery. Next time I will definitely double the recipe as I had to ‘test’ the recipe several times before it made it to the dinner table. 🙂 Thank you!
This was so good! I left the broth in and used an immersion blender – they were perfect! I left the lid off a bit longer (was distracted with other meal prep) than I should have so perhaps the liquid evaporated a bit. The texture was absolutely perfect!
Who would have guessed cauliflower could taste so good? And it works very well for a make ahead side. Make exactly as recipe states, don’t forget the fresh thyme, and some folks won’t know that this not a potato mash! Wonderful!
Great recipe! Followed exactly as is, but strained the cauliflower after cooking and put back in pot, worked well with an immersion blender.
Added a little cayenne which is great if you like some heat. Just eyeballed it. Also strained it but that took a while.
Overall great recipe, my mom and aunt swears by your recipes!
Really lovely dish. Apologies for not staying true to recipe but I am a vegan so used homemade veggie broth with high quality EVOO for butter. Both easy and elegant.