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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Made this today – it was DELICIOUS!
I really liked this recipe, but I made it a couple of different times with varying results. The first time it came out perfect! The second time I tried to double the recipe and had more difficulty because it overfilled the food processor so I ended up having to separate the puree and process it in two portions which I then added together and the texture just didn’t come out right. I’m going to give it a third go but I wish I could make more of it at once!
Still highly recommend, but stick with the normal recipe amounts listed (:
Really? 4 stars because “ your” change to this recipe didn’t work.
My son had a dental procedure done and could only have soft foods. I made this in 25 minutes, easiest thing in the world. And it was gone within 10 minutes! Really incredibly delicious. Will be making this all the time!
This is such a wonderful alternative to mashed potatoes. The broth and herbs make it so flavorful and no guilt going for seconds. I never have leftovers when I make this dish!
I made this for thanksgiving for vegan family members and by the end of the night it was all gone. Both healthy and delicious. Thank you so much for this recipe. I’m so glad my vegan family members can enjoy this yummy alternative to mashed potatoes.
Hi Jenn! I have dried thyme on hand and prefer to use that and save myself from buying the fresh one. How much should I substitute?
Hi Emily I’d use 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon. Enjoy!
Neither butter nor chicken broth are vegan, so I hope you substituted accordingly!
This cauliflower purée goes above and beyond and is the perfect side dish for steak, pork or roast chicken. Full of flavor and a favorite at our house! I’ll never make mashed potatoes again. The perfect replacement and much healthier!
5 stars!
This recipe has become a family favorite! My husband often requests it instead of mashed potatoes, which is amazing, because he LOVES mash potatoes!!
This recipe is an absolute keeper! So smooth and delicious, yet also feels very decadent. For a touch more flavor, I would consider adding a little bit of onion (or onion powder) and some roasted garlic (or garlic powder). Because transferring to a blender is sometimes tricky, I instead drained the cauliflower while reserving the liquid, then put the 3 T. of broth back into the pot with the cauliflower and the butter and used my immersion blender. Plus, it made for an easier clean-up, because I find the immersion blender easier to clean than the food processor. It takes a little longer to get it smooth, but I’d rather spend the time doing it that way and have an easier clean-up.
This wonderful recipe has become a weekly staple to my vegetable adverse family. We serve it with all kinds of protein. Perfect side, low calorie and simple. As one of 10 children I e shared with my 9 siblings and many have included this in their rotations. Thanks Jenn. Great way to add another vegetable to any meal.
I have one daughter that loves cauliflower and one that dislikes it. Well, they both very much like this recipe. I did microwave my cauliflower vs. steaming, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly as written. The addition of the thyme gives it some depth that plain mashed cauliflower does not have. Also, this is much healthier than those that use cream to make mashed cauliflower. Thanks for this recipe!