Learn how to make mashed cauliflower potatoes, without the potatoes! This easy recipe is so good that you may not be able to tell the difference, because who can resist the buttery goodness of sautéed garlic and sour cream in the mix... 😉
Whether it's for holiday cooking or anytime of the year, this cauliflower mash recipe is a keeper! It makes it SO easy and delicious to up your veggie intake for the day by sneaking them into this amazing side dish. Total comfort food but with health benefits...a meal prep win-win.
This recipe pairs especially well with steak, chicken or turkey, such as this easy walnut and herb crusted chicken. And if you've arrived here just looking for good old fashioned mashed potatoes, here's a great recipe for homemade mashed potatoes.
🌿 Ingredients
All of the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe are readily available at any grocery store. And note that if you're not a big garlic fan, you can easily leave that out and still enjoy delicious, creamy mashed cauliflower. 🙂
- cauliflower
- garlic
- unsalted butter
- sour cream
- sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Chopped fresh parsley (optional, for garnish)
See recipe card below for exact quantities.
📝 Instructions
Ready to learn how to make mashed cauliflower "potatoes"? Awesome! Let's begin.
First, trim all the green leaves away from your cauliflower, wash, and then chop it into quarters.
Next, chop the quarters into even smaller 1-2 inch chunks, cutting away the inner stalks as you go.
Mince some garlic and set it aside for now.
Prepare the steamed cauliflower
Now, fill a medium pot with an inch of water or so and place the cauliflower florets into a steamer insert inside the pot. Cover, bring the water to a boil, and steam your cauliflower for about 12-14 minutes or until it's easily pierced with a fork.
Pro tip: If you don't have a steamer insert, just add the cauliflower directly to the water, cover and boil for 15 minutes or until tender, and then drain.
Meanwhile, warm a little butter over medium-low heat in a small saucepan and sauté the minced garlic for a few minutes until it's just golden brown (don't let it burn.) Remove the saucepan from the heat and set aside.
Use a food processor to blend
Add the cauliflower, garlic and butter mixture, sour cream, and salt and pepper to a food processor fitted with a standard S blade and process for a minute or two, stopping a few times to scrape down the sides with a plastic spatula.
Test the taste and add extra salt and/or pepper if necessary, and then serve immediately and top with freshly chopped parsley, if desired.
📋 Substitutions
This recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free as written. Feel free to make any of the following substitutions:
- Vegan - use plant-based butter and sour cream
- Garlic - use some garlic powder if you don't have any fresh garlic on hand; add it directly to the food processor before you blend everything together
- Butter - use ghee, olive oil, coconut oil, or a plant-based butter substitute
- Sour cream - use Greek yogurt, cream cheese, or a plant-based sour cream/yogurt/cream cheese
📖 Variations
Here are a couple variations you can try:
- Mashed cauliflower (no garlic) - just leave out the garlic; no need to replace it with anything
- Kid friendly - cut back a little on the amount of fresh garlic, leave out, or substitute a little garlic powder instead
🔪 Equipment
Here is the equipment you'll need to make this recipe:
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- medium pot
- steamer insert (optional, but recommended)
- food processor
- plastic spatula
🍱 Storage
Leftover mashed cauliflower will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
🎉 Top tip
Make sure to keep an eye on the garlic as it sautés in the butter. It'll be ready quickly and it's best to take it off the heat as soon as you first see it start to brown but not burn. This will impart an amazingly rich garlicky flavor to your mashed cauliflower "potatoes". 🙂
Enjoy!
🍳 Recipe
Garlic Mashed Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- chopped fresh parsley optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Prep: Trim the leaves from the cauliflower, wash, and chop into quarters and then smaller 1-2 inch chunks, cutting away the inner stalk. Mince the garlic and set aside.
- Steam: Fill a medium pot with an inch of water and place the cauliflower florets into a steamer insert inside the pot. Cover, bring to a boil and steam for about 12-14 minutes or until the cauliflower is easily pierced with a fork. If you don't have a steamer insert, just add the cauliflower directly to the water, cover and boil for 15 minutes or until tender, and then drain.
- Sauté: Meanwhile, warm the butter over medium-low heat in a small saucepan and sauté the garlic for a few minutes until just golden brown (don't let it burn.) Remove pan from heat and set aside.
- Process: Add the cauliflower, garlic and butter mixture, sour cream and salt and pepper to a food processor fitted with a standard S blade and process for a minute or two, stopped a few times to scrape down the sides with a plastic spatula. Test the taste and add extra salt and/or pepper if necessary.
- Enjoy: Serve immediately and top with freshly chopped parsley, if desired. Leftover mashed cauliflower will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
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