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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Wow, I was making turkey meatloaf and stumbled across this recipe. I had the ingredients on hand, and made this super easy recipe. The taste imitates mashed potatoes 100%. Outstanding.
Are you steaming or just adding it to the liquid and boil for 20 minutes?
Hi Roy, You’ll bring the broth back to a boil when you add the cauliflower, but then reduce the heat to low to steam. Hope that clarifies!
I love this recipe! My picky husband and kids all love it too. To make it a tad easier (and less dishes to wash), once the cauliflower is soft, I pour the excess liquid into a bowl and leave the cauliflower in the pot. Then I measure out the 3T of liquid and add that back into the pot. I use an immersion blender to smooth out the cauliflower, right in the pot, rather than transferring it into a food processor. One less bowl to wash, and still tastes excellent!
Jenn,
Can I make this ahead of time and reheat in a pot without the texture being affected (we don’t have a microwave)? Thanks.
Yep that’s fine. Enjoy!
Is it ok to use frozen cauliflower instead of fresh? If yes, how much, by weight is needed to replace a 2# head of cauliflower? THANKS!!
Hi Marcia, I haven’t made this with frozen cauliflower, but a few people commented that they have successfully. You’ll need 2 lbs of frozen as well.
I’m trying to get my fussy 7 y.o. grandson to eat more veggies, so I tried this, since he likes mashed potatoes (I even put in a couple with the cauliflower). But, I think my mistake was using the food processor too much – the consistency turned out like Cream of Wheat (which I loved as a kid), so it wasn’t a success. I’m thinking of using the leftovers (a lot of it) into soup or maybe perogy’s with the cauliflower/potato mixed with bacon and cheese. Not sure what to rate; the taste was fine and it probably would have been more successful if I’d mashed it. So the 3 is more for me than you. I love your recipes and am in the process of going through all the recipes on my computer, keeping yours when I have multiple ones for the same type.
So happy to see my comments show up.
The soup and perogy’s turned out GREAT! The soup has been eaten, even with the addition of what I added from making the perogy’s (after all, what’s wrong with putting more cheese and some bacon into it?) – we’ll be having the other 11 perogy’s for breakfast tomorrow (had 10 of them for breakfast today). YUM.
I’ve never made perogy dough before, but it was quite easy; I’ve saved the website, if anybody would like it. I did look on Jen’s blog first, but there wasn’t a perogy dough recipe 🙂
The texture threw me off. I liked the flavors, however it was a little too creamy and goopy for me. It tasted like a soupy chowder to me. I’m not sure if I did something wrong, I followed the recipe exactly as written.
Absolutely amazing. I LOVE mashed potatoes — all potatoes really — but this cauliflower is fantastic! I’m a convert. Thanks Jenn!
loved this, followed suggestion of previous cook and added two cloves of smashed garlic to the cooking liquid… when I went to puree, could not find them, so they were pureed as well…
did not add the broth as it looked thin…next time will use a little more cauliflower…so easy and so good
Can this be made with frozen cauliflower from a package?
Hi Judy, I haven’t made this with frozen cauliflower, but a few readers have commented that they have successfully. Enjoy!