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The pressure cooker makes this Instant Pot Mashed Cauliflower recipe quick and simple. Our recipe is a great alternative if you are longing for the creamy deliciousness of mashed potatoes but don’t want to pack on the extra starch. It’s delicious and with the added greek yogurt, your guests won’t even know that there are no potatoes involved!
Thanksgiving and the winter Holidays can always be a stressful time of the year. We all want to enjoy delicious food, without throwing us off of our healthy eating goals. In the past, I’ve noticed that going the healthier route at a holiday meal sometimes means giving up flavor.
This stops now. This Creamy Instant Pot Mashed Cauliflower recipe is made with simple ingredients and is the perfect low carb alternative to the traditional Thanksgiving fare. It is possible to feel gratification and enjoyment while eating healthier.
Whether you’re on the 21 Day Fix or Weight Watchers or just watching what you eat, our great recipe is an easy peasy alternative that will meet your healthy eating goals and allow you to enjoy food without worry.
As a mother of two, I love making recipes that camouflage veggies from my kids and other picky eaters. Our low-carb side dish is full of vegetables, but tastes like you are eating your Grandma’s favorite creamy mashed potatoes.
Where’s the recipe?
Here at My Crazy Good Life we write our recipes so that anyone can follow them. We love it when our readers feel empowered, confident, and triumphant in the kitchen. The post below has detailed instructions, ingredients, recipe tips, and nutrition facts.
If you’d like to skip past the ingredient details, recipe tips, and nutrition & diet information, simply scroll down to the bottom where you’ll find the easy to print Creamy Instant Pot Mashed Cauliflower recipe.
Ingredients in Creamy Instant Pot Mashed Cauliflower
- Cauliflower: Fresh cauliflower is best for this recipe, if you are looking to save time you can purchase cauliflower florets. A typical 2 lb head of cauliflower yields about four cups of florets.
- Chicken stock: low sodium is best for this recipe.
- Garlic salt: If you don’t have any garlic salt on hand you can use garlic powder and add additional salt to the recipe.
- Onion powder
- Greek yogurt: Plain greek yogurt is a lighter alternative to sour cream.
- Pepper: We prefer black pepper
- Ghee: Ghee is a type of clarified butter, which has had milk solids removed. Regular butter or even olive oil would work fine too.
- Green onions: green onions add nice flavor and a color punch to an otherwise drab dish.
How to make Creamy Instant Pot Mashed Cauliflower in the Instant Pot
- Pour the chicken stock into the inner pot of the Instant Pot. Place a steamer basket at the bottom of the Instant Pot and add the chopped cauliflower on top of it.
- Add the lid to Instant Pot and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes using the manual function. When done, release the pressure using the quick release function. See this chart for cook time adjustments at higher altitudes.
- Transfer the cooked cauliflower from the Instant Pot to a food processor or blender. Add the garlic salt, onion powder, pepper, Greek yogurt, and green onions. At this point you can also add the melted ghee or pour the ghee over the top the mashed cauliflower later.
- Blend the cauliflower until it is smooth. If the mashed cauliflower it too thick, you can thin it by mixing in a tbsp. or two of the chicken stock from the Instant Pot. Scoop the mashed cauliflower into a serving dish or serving bowl, drizzle with melted ghee, and garnish with more green onions.
How to make Creamy Instant Pot Mashed Cauliflower on the Stove Top
- Bring one and a half cups of water and a half a cup of chicken broth to a simmer, then add the cauliflower.
- Next, cover the pan and turn heat to medium. Cook for 12-15 minutes – we want the cauliflower to be super tender.
- Follow instructions from Step 3-4 above.
Recipes Tips
- If you don’t have access to an immersion blender or food processor you can use a potato masher. You’ll need to work at mashing the cauliflower to a creamy consistency and being sure that no chunks remain.
- If the instant pot cauliflower mash isn’t cooked properly, you won’t get that creamy texture that is needed in order to make this delicious side dish.
- My favorite topping for my mashed cauliflower is a quick sprinkling of parmesan cheese – be sure to recalculate any healthy eating plans if you add this as a topping.
- Let the mashed cauliflower cool to room temperature before storing any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Our creamy cauliflower reheats well in the microwave.
Healthy Eating Plans
21 Day Fix Container Count:
Entire recipe equals 8 green containers, 2 teaspoons, and just over 1/8 red container.
Per 1/2 cup serving = 1/2 green container. The teaspoon and red containers are negligible, which honestly means I don’t count those containers in this recipe.
Weight Watchers Points:
1 2025 Point | 2023 Points: 1 | 1 Blue Plan Point | 1 Green Plan Point | 1 Purple Plan Point per serving
Looking for more healthy Thanksgiving Recipes?
- Low Carb Cauliflower Stuffing Recipe
- Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole
- My Healthy Thanksgiving Menu
- Perfect Instant Pot Turkey Breast Recipe
- Garlic and Rosemary Smashed Potatoes
- Skinny Cranberry Margarita
Creamy Instant Pot Mashed Cauliflower Recipe
Equipment
- Instant Pot 6 qt
- Food processor
- Sealing Rings
Ingredients
- ½ cup chicken broth low sodium
- 1 head cauliflower chopped
- ½ tsp garlic salt
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 2 tbsp Greek yogurt plain
- 2 tbsp chives chopped
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp ghee melted
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Pour the chicken stock into the Instant Pot. Place a steaming basket at the bottom of the Instant Pot and add the chopped cauliflower on top of it.1/2 cup chicken broth, 1 head cauliflower
- Add the lid to Instant Pot and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes using the manual function. When done release the pressure using a quick release.
- Transfer the cauliflower from the Instant Pot to a food processor or blender. Add the garlic salt, onion powder, pepper, Greek yogurt, and chives. At this point you can also add the melted ghee or pour the ghee over the top the mashed cauliflower later. 1/2 tsp garlic salt, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 2 tbsp Greek yogurt, 2 tbsp chives, 2 tsp ghee
- Blend the cauliflower until it is smooth. If the mashed cauliflower it too thick, you can thin it by mixing in a tbsp. or two of the chicken stock from the Instant Pot. Scoop the mashed cauliflower into a dish, drizzle with melted ghee, and garnish with more chives.
Stove Top Instructions:
- Bring 1 1/2 cups water and 1/2 cup chicken broth to a simmer, then add cauliflower.
- Cover the pan and turn heat to medium. Cook 12-15–we want the cauliflower to be super tender.
- Follow instructions from Step 3-4 above :)
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Make This Recipe?
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What brand / model food processor do you use in cauliflower mashed potato video?
Heather, it’s a Ninja Mega Kitchen system :)
Came out great!
I love mashed cauliflower, and I am so glad to have found an Instant Pot version! I can’t wait to try it!
These were excellent, my first time to have mashed cauliflower as potatoes – But – a little too thin. Do you have a suggestion for thickening? I’m on WW so need to be careful of my points.
I’d just use less liquid :)