Evolving Table

Healthy, simple, family-friendly recipes.

Mobile Only

Home » Recipes » Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower | Vegan, Keto, Paleo

Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower | Vegan, Keto, Paleo

55 mins 111 cals 6 servs

Dairy-FreeDinnerGluten-FreeLow-CarbLow-FatLunchNut-FreePaleoRecipesRefined Sugar-FreeSide Dishes & VeggiesSoy-FreeVeganVegetarianWhole30

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower is a wonderful vegan, ketogenic, low-carb, and Paleo cauliflower mashed potatoes recipe.  This cauliflower mashed potatoes recipe will give you super creamy cauliflower that is loaded with garlic flavor and are sure to be a hit at your Christmas, Thanksgiving, or weeknight dinner table.  

Gluten-free Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower in a bowl with a napkin for a quick side dish.

Garlic Mashed Cauliflower for the Cool Weather Win

Wow… it’s already October?!  Where did the time go this year?

I tell my husband all of the time how much Q4 (October-December, with a few extra days in September!) is my absolute favorite time of the year.

This time starts with my husbands birthday on September 23rd and ends with my birthday and New Year’s Eve.

The weather (finally!) starts cooling off a bit here in Texas and all things pumpkin spice and comforting start to appear on the table.  (Like this mashed cauliflower recipe!)

A mashed cauliflower recipe in a bowl with rosemary for a healthy side dish.

One downside with these three months of the year is how much unhealthy food seems to surround us.

For some reason, much of our culture tends to associate comfort food with unhealthy food… but it doesn’t have to be that way!

This roasted garlic mashed cauliflower is the perfect example of how eating healthy can also make you feel all warm and cozy inside.

Paleo side dishes which include this Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower in a bowl for the holidays.

How to Make Mashed Cauliflower

Making homemade mashed cauliflower is actually a rather simple process and consists of the following steps:

  1. Cut a head of cauliflower into florets and boil them in a large pot for 10-12 minutes.
  2. Dry the cooked cauliflower COMPLETELY.  If you leave too much water, the mashed cauliflower will be too runny.
  3. Add the cauliflower to a large food processor along with any seasoning ingredients.  (In this recipe we use fresh herbs and roasted garlic!)
    Cook’s Tip: Do NOT use a Vitamix or high-speed blender.  You will end up with overly-blended and runny cauliflower mashed potatoes.
  4. Puree until JUST smooth.  Be careful not to over puree or the mashed cauliflower will get too liquidy.
  5. Optional: reheat the cauliflower mashed potatoes in a pot over medium-low heat.  Serve and enjoy!

A bowl of mashed cauliflower with roasted garlic on a table with fresh rosemary as a garnish.

Regular Mashed Potatoes versus Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

For those of you with super acute taste buds, you may be able to tell the difference between regular mashed potatoes and this roasted garlic mashed cauliflower.

However, those of you with not-so-picky palates will hardly be able to taste the difference.  But I can promise you this… your waistline will be able to tell!

Coming in at a mere 111 calories and 3 net carbs per serving… this roasted garlic mashed cauliflower has become a new favorite, Paleo, low-carb, keto and Whole30 side dish in our family.

Close up picture of gluten-free garlic mashed cauliflower in a bowl for a delicious dinner.

Health Benefits of Garlic:

Did you know that garlic has been shown to potentially reduce blood pressure, reduce the length of the common cold, and lower cholesterol levels?

It is also shown to be full of antioxidants and anti-cancer compounds.

Roasting garlic brings out these nutritional benefits,  makes it easier to digest, and just tastes amazing!

A mashed cauliflower recipe in a bowl with rosemary for a healthy side dish.

How Can You Evolve this Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower?

This roasted garlic mashed cauliflower is gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, vegan, Paleo, soy-free and Ketogenic & Whole30 diet-approved.  A few ways you can evolve it to make it slightly healthier include:

  • Use organic cauliflower.
  • Try to buy California-grown garlic instead of Chinese grown.
  • Reduce the amount of olive oil used to make it slightly lower-fat.

Want more recipes like this Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower?

Ground Turkey Shepherd’s Pie

Crispy Parmesan Garlic Fries

Loaded Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

Ultra Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Garlic + Herbs

A mashed cauliflower recipe in a bowl with rosemary for a healthy side dish.
5 from 4 votes
Print

Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower | Vegan, Paleo, Keto Side Dish

Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower is a wonderful Paleo, vegan, ketogenic, low-carb, and healthier alternative to mashed potatoes.  They are super creamy, loaded with garlic flavor, and are sure to be a hit at your dinner table.  

Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 111 kcal
Author London

Ingredients

Roasted Garlic:

  • 1 head garlic
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • Pinch of salt

Mashed Cauliflower:

  • 1 head cauliflower cut into florets
  • ¼ c. almond milk
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 ½ tsp rosemary fresh
  • 1 ½ tsp thyme fresh
  • 3-4 roasted garlic cloves
  • ¾-1 tsp salt to taste
  • 1 pinch black pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Cut off end of garlic head. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
  3. Wrap garlic head tightly in aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, or until cloves become soft.
  4. Remove 3-4 garlic cloves by scooping them out with a spoon.

For the Mashed Cauliflower:

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil cauliflower for 10-12 minutes.

  2. Drain water and place cauliflower on a towel and dry cauliflower completely before proceeding.

  3. In the bowl of a food processor *combine cauliflower, almond milk, 3 tablespoons olive oil, rosemary, thyme, 3-4 roasted garlic cloves, ¾ - 1 teaspoon salt and a pinch of black pepper.

  4. Puree for 2-3 minutes or until mashed cauliflower is completely smooth. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl every 30-45 seconds to ensure even pureeing.

  5. If mashed cauliflower has cooled too much, return it to the pot and heat it to your desired temperature.

  6. Serve mashed cauliflower with a drizzle of olive oil and a few sprigs of rosemary or thyme and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

  • Do NOT use a Vitamix or high-speed blender.  You will end up with overly-blended and runny cauliflower mashed potatoes.

Nutrition Facts
Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower | Vegan, Paleo, Keto Side Dish
Amount Per Serving
Calories 111 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g 14%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Sodium 333mg 14%
Potassium 59mg 2%
Total Carbohydrates 5g 2%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Sugars 1g
Protein 1g 2%
Vitamin C 79.5%
Calcium 3.7%
Iron 2.7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Note: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links.

Most Recent Recipes

Mobile Only

Are you ready to evolve?

Sign up to get delicious updates delivered straight to your inbox!

Author Box – Mobile Only

Hey!! I'm London.

Come join me as we cook up uncomplicated healthy recipes your family will love, learn the basics of nutritious eating, and begin to slowly evolve..one healthy bite at a time!
First Time? Start Here!

Desktop only

Are you ready to evolve?

Sign up to get delicious updates delivered straight to your inbox!

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Comments


  1. Made these for my husband this past weekend and he loved them! He didn’t even know they weren’t potatoes until I told him. Thanks so much for the recipe!

    Reply

  3. Hi great recipe! Can’t wait to try this out! I was wondering what the amount per serving is?
    Thanks so much!

    Reply

    • Hi Ris! Thanks so much for the question, but unfortunately I do not know the exact measurement per serving. I normally just divide the total amount into six portions.

      Reply

  4. Hello, this looks fabulous! However hubby is not a fan of almond milk – do you think it would work with either oat or soy milk? Or would these alternatives give the puree an odd taste?
    Thank you

    Reply

    • Hi Sheree! I think it absolutely will. Make sure you buy an unsweetened kind and it should work great. If your husband likes cashew or coconut milk, those will substitute well, too! Thanks for the question!

      Reply

  5. Hi. Thank you so much for this recipe. When I made this last night, it was delicious! But it was more liquidy like a Cauliflower Soup?? I followed the directions (including putting cooked cauliflower on a towel to dry before processing it. The only difference I can see is that I used a Vitamix (not a Cuisanart food processor) to chop cauliflower & add all ingredients too?? Could that be why it turned out more like soup? Oh–by the way–I didn’t like the idea of wrapping the garlic in aluminum foil. Instead, I prepared the garlic just like you said, but placed garlic on a steel cookie sheet with an oven safe glass bowl over it & put in oven for 45-60 minutes. DELICIOUS!

    Reply

    • Hi Carissa! Using a Vitamix could have definitely resulted in a more liquidy texture. The Vitamix might chop it too finely as well as puree the “potatoes” too much. I love your idea of placing a glass bowl over the garlic! I am always looking for new ways to avoid using aluminum foil too much!

      Reply


  6. Thank you so much for this recipe!! I never thought I could find a good tasting mashed potato substitute! Life changer for sure!

    Reply


  7. I made this for a second time tonight and it turned out great! I only have one question, your recipe says to cool for 10 minutes before pureeing. When I did that, and after pureeing, my cauliflower was cold. I reheated in a dish, but was curious if yours still turns out warm?

    Reply

    • Hi Jessica! Thanks so much for your question. I am so glad you have enjoyed the recipe! The main reason you want to let the cauliflower cool is so you can handle it enough to dry it off thoroughly with a towel. Sometimes it will cool off a bit too much and you will need to return it to the pot to heat it back up. I have adjusted the recipe to reflect this for you and others! Thanks so much for your comment and review!

      Reply


  8. I made these cauliflower “mashed potatoes” and they are a game changer for me. They were just like mashed potatoes. I pureed them smooth and used dried herbs cuz that’s what I had, and they were just fantastic! I had heard about cauliflower mashed potatoes for years but thought they would be nothing like mashed potatoes… boy was I wrong. Thank you so much.

    Reply
shares