This creamy mashed cauliflower recipe comes together in under 20 minutes and results in light, fluffy, and irresistibly creamy cauliflower.
This mashed cauliflower recipe started as a replacement for our favorite mashed potatoes, but then it took a turn. We fell in love!
My mashed or “smashed” cauliflower is super simple to make. Our recipe only requires a few ingredients and tastes so good!
Key Ingredients
- Cauliflower: I usually pick up medium-to-large heads of cauliflower for this mash. When shopping for cauliflower, look for creamy white, compact clusters of florets, and pass on spotted or dull-colored cauliflower. For more tips, see how to buy and cut cauliflower.
- Cream Cheese: I like a little extra creaminess, and cream cheese does the trick. Other options are mascarpone cheese or another soft cheese like Boursin.
- Spices: I keep this mashed cauliflower super simple and stick with salt, pepper, and a tiny pinch of nutmeg, making it taste more interesting. If you have some in the fridge, a scattering of chopped green onion is nice, too.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Mashed Cauliflower
Tip 1: Simmer cauliflower in water, drain, and steam. The trick is to not overcook your cauliflower. I simmer it in water for about 10 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when your fork glides right through. After draining, pop it back into the warm pot, cover it up, and let it steam for a few minutes. This little trick keeps your mash from getting watery. It makes all the difference!
Tip 2: Mash right in the pot. I do not like extra dishes, so I skip the food processor and go straight for the potato masher. It gives the mash a bit of texture, which I prefer. If you like super smooth cauliflower puree, a food processor or blender is the way to go.
Tip 3: Add a few extras. I mash in the cream cheese and spices and then serve. You can add some extras if you want. Think of it like mashed potatoes. Anything goes! Add your favorite herbs, a garlic or chili oil drizzle, crispy shallots, roasted garlic, or shredded cheese.
Serving Suggestions
We make this a lot at home and love it with a variety of dishes. A few family favorites are this turkey meatloaf, which turns out so moist in the middle, our classic meatloaf, and this garlic-caper baked salmon, which is truly delicious. This mash is also amazing with meatballs spooned on top. Try our Swedish meatballs or these Italian meatballs.
More Cauliflower Recipes
- Epic Cauliflower Steaks
- Cauliflower Rice
- Roasted Cauliflower Soup
- Browse all of our cauliflower recipes
Easy Mashed Cauliflower
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
Mashed cauliflower is light, fluffy, and creamy. Our recipe calls for some cream cheese, which adds extra creaminess. You can omit or substitute it for butter, plant-based butter, or mascarpone cheese.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
1 medium cauliflower or 4 cups cauliflower florets
3 tablespoons cream cheese (45g)
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Pinch ground or grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon sliced green onion, optional
Directions
1Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2Cut the cauliflower into florets, add them to the boiling water, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until a fork can easily pierce through them.
3Drain the cauliflower, then throw it back into the hot pot (off the heat) and cover with a lid. Let stand for 2 to 3 minutes.
4Add the cream cheese, a pinch of salt, and freshly ground black pepper to the cauliflower. Then, use a potato masher to smash the cauliflower. Finish with a pinch of nutmeg. (If you have whole nutmeg, grate a little over the cauliflower using a Microplane).
5Stir, then serve with sliced green onions on top.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Leftover mashed cauliflower lasts in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Make it vegan: This is a vegan-friendly recipe, just leave out the cream cheese and replace with vegan butter. A sprinkle of nutritional yeast is also a nice touch and will add a bit of “cheesy” flavor to the cauliflower.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
Delicious recipe! Thanks for the tip of steaming before mashing. I added nutritional yeast, a cashew cream that I had made, and some garlic. Because we are “vegan with a side of meat”, we had this with Tuscan chicken. It was delicious!
Very Nice! I really appreciated the tip about putting the cauliflower back in the pan and letting it sit for a few minutes. What a game changer. I didn’t have nutmeg so I used mace. I also didn’t have cream cheese so I used some grated cheese and butter. I used my food processor for a slightly creamier texture. I am very pleased. I don’t normally eat cauliflower so this was a delightful surprise.
Your adaptations sound incredible! So resourceful to use mace and grated cheese – definitely proves how versatile this recipe can be. Wonderful to hear you enjoyed it even if cauliflower isn’t your usual favorite!
This was just oerfect. Thank you.
Just made this to accompany your turkey meatloaf (thanks for the link, exactly what I was looking for!) Very yummy and easy to make, added a little Parmesan for extra flavor too. And I cooked the whole head of cauliflower in my instant pot, 2 mins in a steamer basket with a cup of water in the bottom just for speed’s sake. Will be making again, thank you!
Easy and So Delicious!
It’s a winner. omitted the nutmeg cuz i didn’t have it. didn’t have cream cheese so i used some other soft cheese i had. also didnt have onion so i just put 1 tbls parmesan cheese insted. so yummy and so easy. loved it
My boyfriend turned up his nose at the idea of mashed cauliflower. I ignored this and made these anyway and didn’t tell him what it was til he was “mmm-mmming”. I made this as a side to your juicy pan pork chops. He was really impressed. Made for a romantic dinner without being too heavy. Thanks!
Can this recipe be made in advance and then warmed up in oven or microwave?
Yes, definitely. Just keep it covered in the refrigerator until you are ready to reheat.
I’ve always wanted to try mashed cauliflower but also always thought it was gonna be difficult. This recipe is SUPER easy and it is delicious! I added 1/2 cup of shredded cheese at the end and that gave me my cheese fix! Highly recommended!
Best mashed cauliflower I have ever had. Thank you!! Wouldn’t change a thing!
Five stars! Made it with frozen florets, low boil for 12 minutes. Other than those changes I followed the recipe. It was yummy! Not quite the texture of mashed potatoes but close enough! I served it with pork chops, gravy and corn. Mixed it with my corn just like I would mashed potatoes! This recipe is a keeper!
I was craving some cauliflower mash, but had no idea how to make it. I tried making it your way and it tastes exactly how I remember my pop making it when I was younger! Thank you so much for sharing.
It says that it is four servings, but what is the serving size? I want to put this recipe in MyFitnessPal if that is okay! This is the ABSOLUTE way to make mashed cauliflower and it is a CONSTANT in my house! Thank you!
Can the cauliflower mash be frozen?
Hi there, Yes, definitely. We recommend freezing in portions then thawing in the refrigerator before reheating.
I just love it. Thanks
An immersion blender does a great job, too.
More tasty than potato….what a good idea …and a good vehicle for experimentation ! I have just made it and tasted a little and going to put it under the grill before enjoying later this evening . I’ll have fun with this one and have the family guessing Thank you for this …….I wonder if Jamie Oliver knows about this !
Ann.
Super easy recipe – we love it! A real winner in our home. Our favourite twist is to add grain mustard to make the perfect accompanient to the traditional sausages and mash. Yummy!
I just made these and WOW. The only thing that I did differently was that I pureed it in a food processor. Tastes just like real mashed potatoes. Freaking love!!! Thank you!
Thank you so much! i am researching vegan ideas for my meals and you have made this so simple. of course, i will find a replacement for the cream cheese 🙂 It was fun watching and listening to you 🙂
Instead of cream cheese you can use a little sour cream or ranch sauce, maybe even yogurt.
Try mashing a little longer next time. It’s possible the cauliflower wasn’t as tender as it needed to be (although, 20 minutes sounds right).
Wish I saw your blog and recipe before I made my first attempt at cauliflower mash. Will definitely try it your way next time. I was very careful and boring with my first attempt but then started following my instinct by adding pecorino cheese, garlic & herb spice and little bit of cream and off course S&P. End the end my mash was saved and received with open arms.
I made it substituting Greek yogurt for sour cream. After putting mashed cauliflower in a casserole dish I sprinkled flavored breadcrumbs on top followed by a thin sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and finished with a drizzle of EVOO. I place in oven and broil until golden brown and crusty.
I love this recipe! I am moving toward cooking a healthy diet. My husband usually likes potatoes with everything. I tried this recipe, thinking that he would definitely give it a “thumbs down.” Instead, he really liked it and I’ve been cooking it in place of mashed potatoes — a much healthier, and tastier, replacement.
This recipe looks great -especially the suggestions from Bo Stenberg. can this be made in advance and reheated? any tips would be appreciated.thx
Brilliant. I added bacon fat. I wash my meds down with bacon fat. What the hell.
This is sooo good! I bet it would fool the crowd at my parent’s house on Thanksgiving!! I would even serve it to my dad (who hates cauliflower)! Of course I wouldn’t tell him what it was… 😉
I loved this recipe. I boiled the cauliflower in half low-sodium chicken broth and half water with 4 garlic cloves for 8 minutes. After the cauliflower and garlic was boiled, I put it all in the food processor. OMG, the consistency was smooth and the flavor so good! I had my dad try it, telling him it was garlic mashed potatoes(he hates cooked cauliflower). He liked it! I may add 3 garlic cloves next time.
Thank you for very clear an concise video
This is a very good idea, so I tried it and liked it. I used onion and chive cream cheese for more flavor. can’t wait to make this again for my family.
just found your page i am going to try the hummus and mashed cauliflower tonight’ Do you have vegan recipes? peggy
We have a meatless category and we may have a few recipes that can be vegan adaptable but we do not have specifically a vegan category.
Hi.
I love this site. I can’t believe it has all this information and does not contain the nutritional values. I must be missing it. I am a senior citizen and I am sure that must be it. Could some one tell me where to look for this information.
Thanks
Bruce
Hi Bruce, At the moment we do not provide nutrition facts for our recipes. It is something we are considering, though. For now, a great resource is this url: CalorieCount.com
It allows you to copy the ingredient list of our recipe and paste it into the form. Then it outputs nutritional facts. Hope that helps.
i made these tonight and they are DELICIOUS! next time, double the recipe! (and i used chicken broth to boil the cauli.) 😛 very tasty and creamy texture; with just a bit of “lumpiness” – just like mom’s mashed potatoes, lol!
this was so good will def make again
I’ve been mashing celeriac to reduce calories and carbs – looks like cauliflower is a great alternative as I know some poepl don’t like the celery taste you get with that
This is a great idea and could be a great substitute for mashed potatoes as a healthier alternative. I’ve never seen this before but think it looks delicious! Thanks for sharing.
Oh heaven help my face.