Got a craving for starch? Missing the good ol’ meat and mashed potatoes?
One quick search for the carbs in potatoes, and you’ll know exactly why mashed potatoes should be avoided on the keto diet. One serving is typically all it takes to push you over your carb limit for the day, spike your blood sugar levels, and kick you out of ketosis.
By simply swapping out the white potato for cauliflower, this keto recipe reduces the net carbs in mashed potatoes substantially — from ~25 grams to only 7g per serving!
That being said, you are probably wondering if it’s even possible to achieve the right consistency with cauliflower, but this seems to be a wonder vegetable. As long as you treat it right, it can be transformed into so many different textures.
The trick here is to hand blend the cauliflower so that it is still chunky and keeps a texture resembling mashed potatoes. You don’t want to use a blender, otherwise you will have a soggy and lumpy mess on your hands. This is a low-carb MASH alternative after all, not a baby food puree.
If you’re missing your other high-carb potato-based favorites as well, we’ve included links to keto versions of popular dishes below:
Yields servings 4 of Low Carb Mashed Potatoes.
The Preparation
- 1 large head cauliflower
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
- Pinch freshly ground black pepper
- Optional toppings: bacon, cheese, and chives
The Execution
1. Grab a pan and put about 1 cup of water in it.
2. Set to medium heat and bring water to a simmer.
3. Separate the cauliflower into florets. Save the cores!
4. Chop the cauliflower cores into small pieces (dice it).
5. Add all the cauliflower to the pot, and cover.
6. Cook for 12-15 minutes, until cauliflower is very tender.
7. Drain all water and add milk, butter, sour cream, salt and pepper.
8. Grab your masher and go to town on these tasty, tender morsels.
9. Top with chives, cheese, or bacon.
These low carb mashed potatoes are a fantastic side item for pretty much any meat dish you have in mind. They’re not loaded with carbs, have a lot of nutrition, and are extremely tasty.
This makes a total of 4 servings of Low Carb “Mashed Potatoes”. Each serving comes out to be 95.75 Calories, 4.85g Fats, 7.1g Net Carbs, and 4.61g Protein.
| Low Carb “Mashed Potatoes” | Calories | Fats(g) | Carbs(g) | Fiber(g) | Net Carbs(g) | Protein(g) |
| 1 large head cauliflower (840 g) | 210 | 2.35 | 41.75 | 16.8 | 24.95 | 16.13 |
| 3 tablespoons milk | 23 | 0.88 | 2.28 | 0 | 2.28 | 1.59 |
| 1 tablespoon butter | 102 | 11.52 | 0.01 | 0 | 0.01 | 0.12 |
| 2 tablespoons sour cream | 48 | 4.64 | 1.11 | 0 | 1.11 | 0.59 |
| ¼ teaspoon garlic salt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pinch freshly ground black pepper | 0 | 0 | 0.06 | 0 | 0.06 | 0.01 |
| Totals | 383 | 19.39 | 45.21 | 16.8 | 28.41 | 18.44 |
| Per serving(/4) | 95.75 | 4.85 | 11.3 | 4.2 | 7.1 | 4.61 |
This makes a total of 4 servings of Low Carb "Mashed Potatoes". Each serving comes out to be 95.75 Calories, 4.85g Fats, 7.1g Net Carbs, and 4.61g Protein.
The Preparation
- 1 large head cauliflower
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
- Pinch freshly ground black pepper
- Optional toppings: bacon, cheese, and chives
The Execution
- Bring 1 cup water to simmer over medium heat
- Separate cauliflower into florets – save the cores
- Dice cauliflower cores and add all the cauliflower to the pot, covering it.
- Cook 12-15 minutes until cauliflower is very tender.
- Drain all water and add milk, butter, sour cream, salt, and pepper.
- Grab your masher and mash.
- Add optional toppings, serve, and enjoy.
For more keto friendly recipes similar to mashed potatoes, see our creamy potato salad.
