Vegan Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

This Vegan Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower is the perfect side dish with roast chicken or for over the holiday season. It’s just like traditional mashed potatoes, but made with cauliflower heads and perfect for individuals on a keto diet.

If you’re looking for a healthy and delicious alternative to traditional mashed potatoes, look no further than roasted garlic mashed cauliflower. This easy side dish is made with simple ingredients and is packed with flavor, making it a great choice for any meal.

Even if you’re not the biggest fan of cauliflower, you will not be able to tell much of a difference. The only difference is a regular mashed potatoes recipe has a slight creamier texture.  

This healthy low-carb side dish is perfect for any night of the week, but my favourite time to serve it is at Thanksgiving or Christmas. Nobody ever notices the recipe isn’t made with regular potatoes.

One of the easiest ways to remain low carb at meal times is to replace your regular high-carb mashed potato with this garlic cauliflower mash recipe instead. It’s much lower in carbs and full of vitamins C, K, B5, B6, folate, manganese and omega 3.

If you love low carb recipes you may also want to try my 30 Low Carb Air Fryer Recipes.

KEY INGREDIENTS FOR THE VEGAN ROASTED GARLIC MASHED CAULIFLOWER

You will need the following ingredients listed below to make the creamy cauliflower mash (the exact measurements and full recipe are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post):

• Head of cauliflower – can chop up into cauliflower florets or use cauliflower rice.
• Garlic cloves
• Unsweetened almond milk – alternatively can use soy milk or any other plant-based milk with a mild flavor.
• Vegan butter – or regular melted butter.
• Fresh dill
• Olive oil – or avocado oil.
• Sea salt & black pepper
• Optional add ins – vegan sour cream, nutritional yeast, fresh chives, garlic powder, fresh herbs, vegan cream cheese, etc.

SIMPLE STEPS ON HOW TO MAKE

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Slice the top of the garlic, place in aluminum foil on a cookie sheet, and drizzle with olive oil. 
2. Roast the garlic bulb for 40 minutes.
3. Using a steamer basket, steam cauliflower. Alternatively you can boil the cauliflower in a large pot of water. 
4. You will need to squeeze out excess moisture with a thin dish towel afterwards. Cook until extremely tender and fork slides through cauliflower easily.
5. Prepare the almond milk, vegan butter, dill, and salt and pepper in a food processor. Once garlic is roasted, add 2-3 cloves of garlic to food processor, and add more as needed.
6. Let cooked cauliflower cool completely. Squeeze out excess moisture in cauliflower by using a nut milk bag or clean thin dish towel, then add to the food processor and blend until smooth.
7. If you don’t have a food processor you can also use an immersion blender.
8. Top cauliflower with more dill or other herbs and drizzle with olive oil to serve!

DO I HAVE TO ROAST THE GARLIC BEFORE ADDING TO THE CAULIFLOWER?

Yes, I highly recommend roasting the raw garlic before adding. If you try add it raw it will give off too strong of an aroma and burn.

As you cook the garlic, it becomes milder and more sweet. If you’re looking to burn off your tastebuds, by all means toss it in there raw, but for a milder garlic taste, you better be roasting it!

CAN YOU MAKE MASHED CAULIFLOWER AHEAD OF TIME?

Yes, just simply warm up the creamy cauliflower puree in the oven or microwave to serve again. It may just have a slightly “weird” smell to it.

CAN YOU MAKE CAULIFLOWER MASHED POTATOES WITHOUT A FOOD PROCESSOR? 

 Yes, it may be sightly less smooth. You can mash everything by hand with a potato masher, or using an immersion blender. 

HOW CAN I MAKE MY DELICIOUS SIE DISH THICKER?

 If you prefer your cauliflower mashed potatoes to be thick and hearty, there are some easy methods to make it happen, including:

• Using a potato masher instead of a food processor.
• Add in a couple potatoes to help thicken everything up.
• Make sure the cauliflower is no longer steaming before you start to puree. The steam will get trapped in the cuisanart food processor and cause too much excess moisture.
• Limit the amount of liquid you add in.
• Squeeze out the boiled or steamed cauliflower moisture like your life depends on it! Press as much water out as possible.

HOW TO STORE

1. Refrigerate: Roasted cauliflower mashed potatoes should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out.

2. Use within a few days: Leftover mashed potatoes should be consumed within 3-4 days of making them. After that, they may start to lose their texture and flavor.

3. Reheat before serving: Reheat the mashed potatoes before serving to ensure they are warm and flavorful. You can reheat them in the microwave, in a saucepan on the stove over low heat, or in the oven.

4. Avoid freezing: This creamy mashed cauliflower recipe is not suitable for freezing as it may become watery and lose it’s texture when thawed.

5. Store separately: If you have leftover roasted cauliflower and mashed potatoes separately, store them separately. The roasted cauliflower can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Other Low Carb Recipes You May Want To Try!

• Crispy Air Fryer Zucchini Fries
• Keto Chocolate Chip Almond Butter Cookies
• Easy 10 Minute Vegan Pesto
• Easy Low Carb Tortilla Pizza Recipe
• Low Carb Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe

IF YOU TRIED THIS RECIPE PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT IN THE COMMENT SECTION AND STAR RATING. I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR CREATIONS! YOU CAN PIN THIS RECIPE ON PINTEREST OR SHARE ON INSTAGRAM BY TAGGING @basicswithbails and #basicswithbails