Keto Instant Pot Cauliflower Mash with Cream Cheese

Here is a healthy, flavorful, and creamy Instant Pot mashed cauliflower recipe loaded with garlic, cream cheese, and parmesan for you to make next! It makes for an amazing side dish and is a great keto and low-carb alternative to mashed potatoes. Serve it with some delicious beef stew, liver and onions, or some air fryer sausages, for a complete meal. I tell you, this dish is always a winner!

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• ingredients
• how to make low-Carb and keto Instant Pot cauliflower mash
• can I make Instant Pot cauliflower mash without a steamer basket?
• recipe variations
• make these other tasty low carb recipes!
• 📖 Recipe
• common questions

This is an easy recipe to make; you need no steaming basket, which means less cleaning later! Loaded and flavored with garlic, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, Greek yogurt, and parmesan, this mash is creamy and delicious, plus, cauliflower is good for you! This recipe is low-carb and keto-friendly and can even be modified to be vegan and paleo-compliant.

ingredients

You will require the following ingredients:-

• a whole head of cauliflower.
• unsalted butter - I like to use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level but you can also use salted butter. In this case, just make sure to use slightly less salt when seasoning to avoid ending up with some over-salted mashed cauliflower.
• full-fat Greek yogurt, and some cream cheese (this has a creamy and slightly sour flavor, which works wonders in this dish). You will also need some cheddar and parmesan cheese.
• garlic, salt, black pepper to taste, and some vegetable stock or water.

how to make low-Carb and keto Instant Pot cauliflower mash

Let's make some low-carb cauliflower mash in the Instant Pot! This is a summary of how to make keto Instant Pot Cauliflower mash, you will find the full instructions in the recipe card provided below.

1. Wash the cauliflower, remove the leaves, and cut off the thicker part of the stem. Set the Instant Pot to saute. Using half of the butter, fry the garlic until fragrant then add the water or stock.

2. Next, place the whole cauliflower head (no need to slice or chop) inside the Instant Pot and close the lid. Turn the valve to SEAL and program it to pressure cook under high pressure.
3. Once the cooking time is over, do a quick pressure release. The cauliflower should be fork tender, if not then simply pressure cook for a further 2 minutes. Carefully lift the trivet and transfer the cauliflower to a bowl (you can reserve any leftover broth for use in making other dishes, such as soups and stews).

• Let the cauliflower rest and cool slightly before blending.
• Process until smooth and creamy (you can drain any excess water at this point as well). Stir in the Greek yogurt, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese, and the remaining butter.
• Season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately, while still hot. Some of my favorite ways to serve this Instant Pot cauliflower mash are with Binti's Instant Pot Goulash (Hungarian), Sharilyn's Herby Braised Short Ribs, or my Instant Pot Chicken Thighs recipe!

can I make Instant Pot cauliflower mash without a steamer basket?

• Clean the cauliflower, peel off the outer green leaves from the cauliflower head and slice off the thicker part of the stem. The leaves are edible so feel free to use them if you like.
• Fill the inner pot with water or broth. Place the head of the cauliflower on the trivet (stem-side down is recommended but not a must) then lower it into the Instant Pot. 
• Secure the lid and pressure cook for 5-7 minutes, depending on how big your cauliflower is. When done, do a quick pressure release, carefully remove the trivet bearing the cauliflower and use a potato masher or an immersion blender to blend until smooth and creamy.
• Season with some salt, pepper, and your favorite toppings then serve.

Ok, this question comes up a lot and the answer is an absolute YES! Here is how to go about it:-

recipe variations

• Loaded mashed cauliflower - This recipe uses cream cheese, cheddar cheese, Greek yogurt, and parmesan cheese. You can, however, also use other types of dairy such as sour cream, blue cheese, gouda, or goat cheese. Add some crispy fried bacon for a nice crunch!
• Seasoning - use a variety of seasonings such as cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, curry powder, or ground nutmeg (be careful with nutmeg as it can sometimes be overbearing, and only use just a pinch)!
• Herbs - add herby flavors by using herbs such as thyme, parsley, or chives. You can use the herbs individually or together.
• Vegan mashed cauliflower - use vegan variants of cheddar cheese, butter, parmesan cheese, cream cheese, and Greek yogurt to make this recipe vegan or dairy-free.

make these other tasty low carb recipes!

Now that you have made it this far and made this recipe, don't forget to check out these other keto, and low-carb recipes.

• Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Thighs
• Instant Pot Lamb Stew in Red Wine
• Instant Pot Chicken Wings Three Ways
• Wirsing - German Savoy Cabbage Recipe
• Keto Meatloaf Recipes
• Parsley Cilantro Chimichurri

The recipe was modified in January 2022 to a more user-friendly version with recipe step photos.

📖 Recipe

common questions