Light and fluffy without a potato in sight, Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes are a veggie-powered alternative to traditional mashed potatoes. Use our frozen cauliflower hack to get this mild and creamy mash on the table in just 25 minutes!
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Whether you’ve been on the internet for 10 minutes or 10 years, one thing is fairly clear – recipe developers love to “glow up” cauliflower. Given the time and just the slightest nudge, we will gladly take the opportunity to play with our food.
Some cauliflower transformations just make good culinary sense – parmesan roasted cauliflower is addictively tasty, curried cauliflower soup is rich and luxurious, and you won’t miss the meat after tucking into a cauliflower shawarma grain bowl.
And while I certainly side-eye carb-conscious transformations like cauliflower pizza, I’m happy to give this humble veggie well-deserved snaps for being an excellent rice substitution; cauliflower risotto is darn good, and I’ve yet to meet a cauliflower rice recipe I won’t devour.
And as it turns out, it’s a darn good substitute for potatoes too. There are a variety of reasons to make cauliflower “fauxtatoes” instead of traditional mashed potatoes, but the biggest and most obvious one should be that they’re delicious.
Because cooked cauliflower has a naturally mild, almost “blank slate” flavor profile, it readily takes on the flavors of whatever you’re saucing or tossing it with. So yes, that absolutely means that tangy, buttery, cauliflower mashed potatoes are a thing, and they can be a thing on your table in just 30 minutes.
My Favorite Mashed Cauliflower Hack
Let’s say and celebrate it together: Frozen. Cauliflower.
Using frozen cauliflower florets to make mashed cauliflower saves time, money, and stovetop space. Simply cook frozen cauliflower in the microwave until it’s very soft, then whip with heavy cream, butter, and sour cream to make this rich and delicious mash.
How to Make Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
Cauliflower mashed potatoes have a mild flavor and silky texture; serve them with anything you’d normally serve with traditional mashed potatoes! This recipe is as simple as “mix and mash,” so it’s also great to “whip out” for a mid-week family meal.
- Steam frozen cauliflower florets. Snip off the ends of two bags of frozen cauliflower. Place in the microwave and heat for 5 minutes; flip the bags over and heat 5-8 minutes more, or until very soft. If you’d like to use fresh cauliflower, make tender, mashable steamed cauliflower with one of these three tested methods.
- Dry the cauliflower. Spread the steamed florets onto a baking sheet and allow to air dry for 5-10 minutes. Dried florets will create a fluffier mashed texture.
- Mash the florets. Mash the cauliflower with heavy cream in a food processor in batches.
- Add mix-ins. Scrape the mashed cauliflower into a large bowl. Add sour cream, melted butter, salt, and pepper; mix with a rubber spatula until well-combined.
- Season and serve. Always taste for seasoning and adjust with more salt and pepper until the flavor pops.
Essential Notes and Tips
- Steam the cauliflower until very soft – you should be able to easily mash a floret with the tines of a fork.
- Do not skip drying. I cannot stress this enough. If you want to go the extra mile, empty the bag into a mesh sieve after steaming and then use paper towels to gently blot on your baking sheet.
- Season generously, especially if you’re feeding people who may not be full cauli-converts yet.
- Mash to preference – if you prefer a smoother texture, add a touch more heavy cream.
Make It Your Way
Adjust and tweak cauliflower mashed potatoes the same way you’d tweak regular mashed potatoes!
- Load ’em up. Top with bacon, shredded cheddar, and more sour cream for loaded cauliflower mashed potatoes.
- Go garlicky. Add 6 or more cloves of roasted garlic to the food processor.
- Get cheesy. Fold in ⅓ to ½ cup of goat cheese, parmesan, or cheddar.
- Get bold. Garnish with infused extra virgin olive oil instead of melted butter – we like a drizzle of roasted garlic or truffle oil.
Did you make these cauliflower mashed potatoes? We’d love to know how the recipe turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below, or share with your friends and fam!
25-Minute Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
Description
Ingredients
- 2 16-oz bags frozen cauliflower florets
- ¼ c heavy cream
- ¼ c sour cream
- 6 tablespoon butter, melted
- 1.5 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon minced chives, optional
Instructions
- Snip venting holes in each end of the bags of cauliflower. Place into the microwave and heat 5 minutes. Flip the bags over, and heat an additional 5-8 minutes, or until the cauliflower florets are very soft and can be easily mashed with the tines of a fork.
- Spread the florets onto a baking sheet and air dry 5-10 minutes, or until tacky to the touch.
- Combine half the cauliflower with half the heavy cream in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Scrape the cauliflower mash into a bowl and repeat with the remaining florets and heavy cream.
- Add the sour cream, melted butter, salt, and pepper to the mashed cauliflower. Blend with a rubber spatula until well combined. Taste for seasoning and adjust with more salt, pepper, or sour cream as needed. Serve warm, garnished with fresh chives and melted butter if desired.
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