The Best Cauliflower Puree Recipe - Whole 30, Keto, & Paleo! (2024)

Home Recipes Sides Easy Cauliflower Puree {Whole 30, Keto, Paleo}

20 minutes minutes

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By: Britni Vigil

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This cauliflower puree is smooth, it’s silky, and it’s just downright delicious. It’s the side dish you didn’t know you loved until you tried it. And best of all, it’s on your table in minute! Plus, it’s a great side for a Whole 30, keto, or paleo diet!

The Best Cauliflower Puree Recipe - Whole 30, Keto, & Paleo! (1)

If you asked me ten years ago if I liked cauliflower, I would’ve responded that I liked raw cauliflower dipped in ranch dressing, almost as much as I liked raw broccoli dipped in ranch dressing. I don’t actually even remember eating cooked cauliflower, ever.

Then my husband introduced me to this cauliflower puree and all of my thoughts about cauliflower went out the window with one single bite. I had no idea that cauliflower could be so good.

That was about seven years ago and now many of the recipes that show up on my favorite Whole 30 meal plan are cauliflower recipes. And I eat this cauliflower puree with almond chicken weekly!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Easy to make – there’s really nothing to making this cauliflower puree other than cooking your cauliflower! Everything else is just pureeing the ingredients in the blender!
  • Smooth and creamy – unlike mashed cauliflower, this puree is smooth and creamy, making it perfect to enjoy with things like these coconut chicken tenders.
  • Whole 30 and keto friendly – this recipe works for pretty much any eating plan but we specifically used ingredients to make it work for both Whole 30 and keto!

Ingredients

This recipe only needs five simple ingredients. I’ve included the ingredients we used in this recipe as well as some alternative options if you’re not concerned with sticking to a keto or Whole 30 diet.

  • Chopped cauliflower – you can either buy a whole head of cauliflower and chop it up into florets yourself or just buy a bag of pre-chopped cauliflower florets.
  • Chicken bone broth – if you’re not doing whole 30 you can substitute chicken broth for the bone broth.
  • Kosher salt
  • Ghee – we prefer ghee in this cauliflower puree, but we’ve also made it with butter when we don’t have ghee available. Either one will make it silky and delicious.
  • Coconut cream – don’t worry, this doesn’t give the puree a coconut flavor, it just adds creaminess like in this Whole 30 zuppa toscana soup. You can also use regular heavy cream if you’re not doing Whole 30.

How to Make Cauliflower Puree

The best part about this cauliflower puree is that it’s simple well and no fail. Unlike mashed cauliflower where you could get it too creamy or too lumpy or just not good, this cauliflower puree blends everything up until it’s smooth.

All the flavors are mixed all together so they’re going to be well combined one way or another.

The only way to really screw it up is to add too much bone broth so it turns liquidy instead of creamy, but that’s pretty easy to avoid if you follow the recipe!

The recipe is as easy as 1, 2, 3.

The first thing you need to do is chop up your cauliflower into bite-size chunks if you didn’t buy pre-cut cauliflower.

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Next you’re going to steam the cauliflower in the chicken bone broth. Place the cauliflower and bone broth in a large pot and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low and simmer in the boiling broth for 10-15 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender.

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Once it’s tender, add both the cauliflower and the bone broth into a high-powered blender (we have a Vitamix!) along with the other ingredients.

Blend until silky smooth, typically 3-5 minutes depending on how big your cauliflower chunks were.

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Remove from the bowl and serve warm with additional melted ghee (or butter if not on Whole 30) on the side of your favorite dish!

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Expert Tips

Make sure to cook your cauliflower until it’s nice and tender. If it’s not tender and you put it in the blender, it’s not going to turn out smooth and silky like you want.

Add 1 TBS broth to the mixture if your blender can’t handle blending the ingredients together without additional liquid.

Store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to five days. Reheat in an oven safe dish at 350 degrees until the puree is warmed through, you may need to stir once or twice.

Double the recipe and use leftovers throughout the week to add a quick veggie to lunches.

Recipe FAQS

What makes this better than mashed cauliflower?

While mashed cauliflower can be delicious when done right, it typically just makes me want actual mashed potatoes. This puree doesn’t do that at all – it stands all on its own. It’s not a healthier substitute for something else – it’s a delicious healthy side dish that even your kids will love.

What’s different about cauliflower puree than mashed cauliflower?

Unlike mashed cauliflower, this puree is silky smooth because you puree all of the little kinks and bumps of the cauliflower out of it. If you’re looking for something more lumpy by all means makes mashed cauliflower. But if you want something smooth, go with this.

What to serve with cauliflower puree?

This puree would be good with anything you’d normally eat potatoes or mashed potatoes with. Some of our favorites are these garlic parmesan wings, baked turkey meatballs, and grilled balsamic chicken. You could add a side of strawberry spinach salad if you want more veggies.

The Best Cauliflower Puree Recipe - Whole 30, Keto, & Paleo! (6)

Print Rate

5 from 5 votes

Cauliflower Puree Recipe

An easy cauliflower puree recipe that's even better than mashed cauliflower! A whole 30 and keto friendly recipe that's silky smooth and delicious.

The Best Cauliflower Puree Recipe - Whole 30, Keto, & Paleo! (7)

Prep: 5 minutes minutes

Cook: 15 minutes minutes

Total: 20 minutes minutes

Serves4

Ingredients

  • 1 lb cauliflower chopped
  • 1 cup chicken bone broth
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 ½ TBS ghee
  • 1 TBS coconut cream

Instructions

  • Put chopped cauliflower in a large pot with cup of the bone broth liquid on the stove over medium-high heat until boiling.

  • Once bone broth is boiling, reduce heat to low-medium and let simmer until the cauliflower is tender, 10-15 minutes.

  • Pour cauliflower and bone broth into a high-powered blender. Add coconut cream, salt, and ghee to blender. Blend until silky smooth, 3-5 minutes.

  • Remove from blender and serve with additional ghee (optional).

Tips & Notes:

Make sure to cook your cauliflower until it’s nice and tender. If it’s not tender and you put it in the blender, it’s not going to turn out smooth and silky like you want.

Add 1 TBS broth to the mixture if your blender can’t handle blending the ingredients together without additional liquid.

Store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to five days. Reheat in an oven safe dish at 350 degrees until the puree is warmed through, you may need to stir once or twice.

Double the recipe and use leftovers throughout the week to add a quick veggie to lunches.

Ingredient Substitutions (recipe will no longer be Whole 30 compliant):

  • Chicken bone broth can be replaced with chicken broth.
  • Ghee can be replaced with regular melted butter.
  • Coconut cream be replaced with heavy whipping cream.

Nutrition Info

Calories: 93kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 14mg, Sodium: 831mg, Potassium: 398mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin C: 59mg, Calcium: 28mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

Author: Britni Vigil

Course:Side Dish

Cuisine:American

Did You Make This?Tag @PlayPartyPlan on Facebook and Instagram and hashtag it #playpartyplan so I can see your creations!

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Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment

  1. Wendy Smolinski says

    Absolutely delicious❤️ I will not be missing potatoes at all, I added parsley, onion and garlic. Thank you this recipe and the almond chicken coating, wOW

    Reply

  2. Liz says

    The Best Cauliflower Puree Recipe - Whole 30, Keto, & Paleo! (12)
    Perfectly creamy and delicious!! A top notch recipe!!!

    Reply

  3. Jane Saunders says

    The Best Cauliflower Puree Recipe - Whole 30, Keto, & Paleo! (13)
    It looks utterly indulgent – so creamy. But looking at the ingredients list I see it’s actually rather healthy – bonus. I’d love to try this out.

    Reply

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FAQs

How do you thicken cauliflower puree? ›

Using a blender or immersion blender, blend cauliflower and liquid to form a very smooth purée. Season with salt. (You can adjust purée consistency as needed: Thicken by cooking down further while stirring often over low heat in a wide nonstick skillet, or thin by whisking in liquid, such as stock, cream, or water.)

How many carbs are in pureed cauliflower? ›

Mashed Cauliflower Nutrition (per cup of mash): Calories: 57, Fat: 0g, Carbohydrates: 11g, Fiber: 4g, Protein: 4g. Recipe Notes: One head of cauliflower makes roughly 2 cups of mash, which only serves about 2 in my household.

How long does cauliflower puree last in the fridge? ›

Make ahead: Mashed cauliflower can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

What is cauliflower puree made of? ›

Simmering the cauliflower in chicken stock until tender lends it savory depth, while using a food processor to puree it makes it smooth and creamy. A touch of butter and sour cream (you can use Greek yogurt instead) lends richness and tang while still keeping this recipe on the nutritious side.

Why is my cauliflower puree grainy? ›

If you cook the cauliflower and there are some tiny pieces and some huge pieces, you will inevitably be left with some that are overcooked and shriveled, as well as some cauliflower pieces that are left raw in the middle – that will also result in a grainy puree.

How do you get the liquid out of cauliflower? ›

I've done it. It really is as simple as putting the cooked and cooled cauliflower on a clean flour sack towel , wrapping it up and squeezing all the water out. I like to use flour sack towels because they're large and really thin, which makes them easy to squeeze tight and get out as much water as possible.

Can I eat unlimited cauliflower on keto? ›

How Much Cauliflower Can You Eat on a Keto Diet? The Harvard School of Public Health recommends that people eat no more than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day while on a keto diet. You can eat up to 900 grams of cauliflower per day when on a ketogenic diet because 100 grams of it only contains 5 grams of carbohydrates.

Is pureed cauliflower easier to digest? ›

In this way, our intestines can pass them more easily and absorb what it needs, rather than allowing them to sit and produce gas. Alternatively, pureeing them is another great tip! Pairing your cauliflower with some herbs and spices might be quite helpful in aiding digestion and preventing the formation of gas.

Which is better for you, potatoes or cauliflower? ›

Nutritionally, cauliflower is lighter in calories and carbs than potatoes and is more nutrient-dense. That's why it's popular among the low carb and weight loss communities.

Can you freeze cauliflower puree? ›

Yes. Freeze the mashed cauliflower in serving-sized portions in zip-top bags or airtight, freezer safe containers for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

Is cauliflower carbs or protein? ›

Cauliflower is fat-free and cholesterol-free. And it's low in sodium. A one-cup serving contains only 25 calories, 5 grams of carbohydrates and 2 grams of dietary fiber.

Is it better to freeze raw or cooked cauliflower? ›

We'd strongly recommend blanching cauliflower first, otherwise the high water content in the veg will turn it mushy if you freeze raw. To prevent deterioration of texture and nutritional value, it is best to partly cook (blanch) cauliflower florets before freezing. Wash the cauliflower and chop into equal size florets.

What does cauliflower do to your gut? ›

As a cruciferous vegetable, cauliflower is an excellent source of fiber. Fiber helps maintain healthy digestion, reducing your risk of digestive disorders. It also promotes the growth of good bacteria in your gut.

Does boiling cauliflower remove the nutrients? ›

Another 2009 study found peas, cauliflower and zucchini to be particularly susceptible to a loss of nutrients through boiling, losing more than 50% of their antioxidants. “Water is not the cook's best friend when it comes to preparing vegetables,” the researchers summarized.

How do you make cauliflower rice less watery? ›

With both techniques you're aiming for little pieces the size of rice. One additional step I like is to press any excess moisture from the rice by transferring the cauliflower rice to a large paper towel or absorbent dish towel and squeeze/press to remove any remaining water.

Why is my cauliflower gratin watery? ›

Most recipes recommend blanching the cauliflower in boiling water for a few minutes for this initial stage, but it's important to pay close attention to this step. The watery problem happens when the cauliflower is either overcooked or not drained well enough after a quick blanching.

How do you thicken watery food? ›

The most readily available sauce-thickener is flour. For a too-thin sauce, try adding a slurry (equal parts flour and water, whisked together) or beurre manie (equal parts softened butter and flour, kneaded together to form a paste)—both are ideal thickeners for rich and creamy sauces, such as steak sauce recipes.

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