- Ingredients and Substitutions
- How to Make Garlic Mashed Cauliflower
- Can you steam the cauliflower instead of boiling it?
- The food processor I use!
- My all-time FAVE olive oil!
- Oops! What did I do wrong?
- FAQs
- Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower Recipe
- What to serve with mashed cauliflower
- More Easy Cauliflower Recipes
Why a whole head of roasted garlic changes mashed cauliflower
I’ve always been a sucker for mashed potatoes. (These Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes are my fave!)
But some nights the rest of the plate is already doing the heavy lifting. A roast, a pan of gravy, a basket of rolls… and I still want something creamy next to it that isn’t going to flatten me.
That’s where this Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower earns its spot. You see, it has all of that silky smooth, creamy goodness of the classic side, but it’s made with an entire head of cauliflower!
The roasted garlic is the whole thing. A full head goes in the oven until the cloves turn sweet and jammy, and that mellow, almost nutty flavor is what keeps this from tasting like a bowl of cauliflower.
Three things make or break it: roast the garlic until the cloves are truly soft, dry the cauliflower completely after boiling, and use a food processor instead of a blender. (Miss any one of them and you get soup.)
This is perfect if you have some picky eaters in at the table or if you’re trying to lighten up your weeknight dinner spread. I love serving it with hearty Pork Chops with Apples & Onions or pairing it with juicy, baked honey mustard chicken thighs since it soaks up all of that delicious sauce!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Holiday table or Tuesday night. It holds its own next to a roast, and it still works on a random weeknight.
- Make it ahead. Roast the garlic up to 3 days early, or make the whole thing and reheat with a splash of milk.
- 20 minutes, one food processor. That’s the entire lift once the garlic is done.
- A whole head of roasted garlic. Sweet and jammy instead of sharp, which is what makes this taste nothing like plain cauliflower.
So amazing, delicious, and “garlicy”, which is my favorite part. Today I wanted potatoes so bad and this recipe fully satisfied my craving. LOVE IT!
– Shannon
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.
- Cauliflower: Grab a LARGE head. You want to end up with about 5 cups of florets, and a small head will leave you short.
- Roasted garlic: This is where all of the flavor lives. Follow How to Roast Garlic and do it up to 3 days ahead, or use one clove of finely minced fresh garlic if you are short on time.
- Butter: I’m a big believer that butter makes everything better. If you’re dairy-free or vegan, swap in a non-dairy alternative such as Miyoko’s.
- Milk: Regular whole milk gets you the right consistency. Half and half or heavy cream will make it richer, and a full-fat oat, soy, or cashew milk keeps it dairy-free.
- Fresh herbs: Rosemary and thyme are what I use, but sage or tarragon are good here too. Dried herbs work, just use ⅓ to ½ the amount.
- Olive oil: A good bottle actually matters for this one since it goes on right at the end, undiluted.
How to Make Garlic Mashed Cauliflower
Please see the recipe card below for the full instructions, ingredient amounts, and a printable recipe.
Roast the garlic.
Slice the top off a whole head of garlic, drizzle it with olive oil, and sprinkle it with salt. Wrap it in foil and bake at 400°F for 40 to 50 minutes, until the cloves are soft enough to squeeze right out.
This is the step to do ahead. Roasted garlic keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days, so knock it out the day before and everything else here takes 20 minutes.
Boil the cauliflower.
Cut the cauliflower into small florets and boil them until they are completely tender, 8 to 10 minutes. You want them falling apart, not al dente.
Dry it like you mean it.
Drain the florets, spread them out on a clean dish towel, and pat them dry. This is the step that decides whether you get fluffy mash or soup.
Don’t rush the drying. Cauliflower holds far more water than potatoes do, and every drop you leave behind shows up in the final texture.
Process until just smooth.
Add the dried cauliflower to a food processor along with the butter, milk, roasted garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Process for a minute, scrape down the sides, then go one more minute until it is smooth and mashed-potato-like.
The food processor I use!
This Cuisinart is the one I reach for when I want mashed cauliflower silky instead of soupy. (It pulls double duty for hummus, pesto, and pie dough, so it earns its counter space.)
Skip the high-speed blender for this recipe. It over-processes the cauliflower into something runny every single time.
Warm it up and serve.
If it cooled off while you were working, tip it back into the pot over medium-low heat until it is warm again. Finish with a drizzle of good olive oil and a few sprigs of rosemary or thyme.
My all-time FAVE olive oil!
This olive oil by Graza will make ALL the difference in the finished taste of your dish.
Just make sure you use the “Sizzle” olive oil for recipe’s where it needs to hold up at higher heat, and the “Drizzle” olive oil for finishing dishes!
Oops! What did I do wrong?
Why is my mashed cauliflower watery?
Almost always the drying step. Drain it well, spread it on a towel, and pat it dry before anything goes into the food processor.
Why is it grainy instead of smooth?
The cauliflower was undercooked. It needs to be completely fork-tender, to the point where a floret falls apart when you press on it.
Why did mine turn out runny?
You probably reached for a blender. A high-speed blender over-processes cauliflower into liquid, so use a food processor and stop as soon as it is smooth.
FAQs
Roasted garlic and a dry pot. The garlic does the flavor work, the towel-drying does the texture work, and you really do need both.
It is the swap I actually make. The texture gets very close and the roasted garlic covers the flavor difference, though it will always be a little lighter and looser than potatoes.
Leftovers keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave, adding a splash of milk or broth to loosen it back up.
It freezes for up to 1 month, but be honest with yourself about the texture. Thawed cauliflower mash comes back looser and a little grainier than fresh. If you do freeze it, thaw it overnight in the fridge and reheat it on the stovetop with a splash of milk. A little extra butter at the end helps bring it back too.
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Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower Recipe
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Equipment
- Colander
Ingredients
- 1 large cauliflower head about 2 ½ pounds, cut into small florets
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 4 cloves roasted garlic
- ½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- ½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the cauliflower florets and boil for 8-10 minutes, or until tender. Transfer to a colander and drain, then spread out on a dish towel and pat dry.1 large cauliflower head
- Add the cauliflower to a food processor along with the butter, milk, roasted garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, and black pepper. Process for 1 minute and then scrape down the sides. Continue processing for 1 more minute, or until the mixture is smooth and mashed potato-like in texture. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.2 tablespoons salted butter, ¼ cup whole milk, 4 cloves roasted garlic, ½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary, ½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Serve garlic mashed cauliflower with a drizzle of olive oil and a few sprigs of rosemary or thyme.
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Video
Notes
- Food processor only: Do NOT use a Vitamix or high-speed blender. You will end up with overly-blended and runny cauliflower mashed potatoes.
- Roasted garlic: Roast a head of garlic in the oven. Trim the ends, drizzle on 1 tablespoon of oil, sprinkle with salt, wrap in foil, and then bake at 400 degrees for 40-50 minutes. You can do this up to 3 days in advance and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Dry the cauliflower: Spread the drained florets on a dish towel and pat them dry before they go into the food processor. Any water left behind makes the mash soupy instead of fluffy.
- Dairy-free: Swap the butter for a non-dairy alternative such as Miyoko’s and use a full-fat plant milk like oat, soy, or cashew.
- Make ahead: The mashed cauliflower can be fully made ahead and stored in the fridge. Just reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring occasionally for even heating.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave, adding a splash of milk or broth if needed to loosen the consistency.
- Freezing: Let the mashed cauliflower cool completely, then freeze in an airtight container for up to 1 month. The texture comes back looser and a little grainier than fresh, so thaw it overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stovetop with a splash of milk.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What to serve with mashed cauliflower
This is a side that wants a main with some weight to it. Pork Chops with Apples and Onions and Olive Garden Chicken Marsala are the two I make most, mostly because both leave a pan sauce behind and this mash soaks it right up.
For steak night, spoon it under filet mignon. Blackened Salmon works if you want the whole plate on the lighter side, and one reader swears by it next to Easy Italian Meatballs with marinara.
Building a holiday plate? Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Pork Tenderloin, a pan of Cajun Cornbread Dressing, and Crockpot Glazed Carrots round it out without three things fighting over the oven.
And on a weeknight, Balsamic Grilled Chicken Breast or Ground Turkey Meatloaf are the fastest way to get dinner around it.
More Easy Cauliflower Recipes
Cauliflower has been doing a lot of work in my kitchen lately. These are the four I keep coming back to.
I don’t have cloves of the garlic, could I use minced garlic ,and how should I roast that ?
You absolutely can, Sharon! Saute it in a skillet over medium heat for 30-60 seconds, or until it’s lightly browned and fragrant. You’ll want 1/2 teaspoon for every clove of garlic.
just made this recipe!!!! it is awesome very delicious !!!!! thank you!!!!!
Hurray! So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Ron! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
just made this recipe !!!!! very good!!!!!!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Ron! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
Thanks for this wonderful recipe. It tastes so great with italian meatballs and marinara sauce.
Yay! So happy you enjoyed it, Leah – I bet that’s a delicious combo. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment 🙂
How is this vegan? Milk is not vegan…
You can use any milk alternative that you’d like – I use cashew milk and almond milk in this recipe and they both work great!
Thisrecipe is amaaaazing. Going in the heavy rotation. Even my husband who is a little averse to cauliflower mash looooved it. Thanks!
Oh that’s the best! It’s always a WIN when the hubby approves :). Thanks for your comment and rating!
So so so delicious
Yay! Happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe so much – thanks for the comment and rating!
I want to try this recipe tonight! However I don’t have fresh herbs, is it ok if I use dried herbs ?
Yes, Natalia! You absolutely can use dried instead of fresh. Just make sure to use about 1/3-1/2 of the amount suggested!