This delicious cauliflower and pumpkin mash is a savory and creamy side dish that is perfect for large family dinners!
The Best Cauliflower and Pumpkin Mash
Cauliflower mash is one of the best keto substitutes for mashed potatoes. If you do it right, it almost has the same consistency and texture. Since they are two different plants, it is really difficult to get a perfect match, but it’s so close!
With this recipe, I elevated your typical cauliflower mash and added some pumpkin and cream cheese (along with some other tasty ingredients). This is even thicker and creamier than my low-carb garlic mashed cauliflower. In fact, if you don’t tell anyone that it is made with cauliflower, they might not even know.
Cauliflower and Pumpkin Side Dish
This recipe makes enough to feed your entire family!
Instead of the typically sweet pumpkin recipe, when you add cauliflower and garlic, you get something that is much more savory and a bit salty.
It’s the best side dish to serve with your main course, whether it is turkey breast, keto turkey pot pie, or some oven-baked chicken thighs. In fact, this is such a versatile side dish that it will go with almost anything you can make.
Cauliflower Mash Keto
Cauliflower mash is super easy to make. I used a head of cauliflower and steamed it.
To save time, you can steam a large bag of frozen cauliflower florets instead.
If you don’t have an immersion blender or a food processor, I suggest getting one. It creates a super-smooth texture that closely resembles potatoes.
Pumpkin Side Dish
Pay close attention to what you are using in this recipe. Use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
Pumpkin pie filling has added sugar and spices that are not keto-friendly.
What about fresh pumpkin? You can try to make your own pumpkin puree if you want. It might not have the same texture as canned puree. It is also a lot more time-consuming and I’m all about finding shortcuts.
Whipped Cauliflower
I suggest using full-fat cream cheese. When you go to whip the entire recipe together it will have a thicker and better texture overall.
You should also use fresh ingredients whenever possible. I used fresh thyme and loved how aromatic and full-flavored it was.
Even though I think garlic powder can work instead of garlic cloves, in this recipe you should definitely use garlic cloves. It will enhance the taste in a huge way! You can also add your favorite toppings on top too!
I like fresh herbs as garnishes. Sprinkle some flat-leaf parsley on top. For a little crunch, you can also add a few chopped nuts.
Mashed Cauliflower With Cream Cheese
This is a wonderful recipe to make ahead and store in your refrigerator.
If you keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator, it will stay fresh for about 3-5 days.
The longer it sets in the refrigerator, the more solid it will feel. This is because of the cream cheese in it. All you have to do is reheat it in a saucepan on the stove and it will go back to its original soft and creamy texture.
Low-Carb Pumpkin Cauliflower Mash Recipe
The recipe for this low-carb pumpkin cauliflower mash is in the printable recipe card, just a little bit further below. First, I have some photos of the entire process so you can see how I made it. Don’t forget to pin this to your keto side dish recipes board on Pinterest so you can find it later.
INGREDIENTS:
Cauliflower
Pumpkin puree
Cream cheese
Garlic cloves
Onion powder
Fresh thyme
Salt & pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
Place the chopped cauliflower in a large pot; Cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for approximately 15 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender.
Drain water from the pot. Using an immersion blender (or food processor) break down the cooked cauliflower.
Add pumpkin and cream cheese. Blend once again.
Add garlic, onion, thyme and salt/pepper. Blend until everything is well mixed and you have a creamy texture.
Garnish with additional fresh thyme, if desired.
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Low-Carb Pumpkin Cauliflower Mash
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Large Pot
Ingredients
- 1 Head Cauliflower roughly chopped
- 1/2 can Pumpkin Puree 8 ounces
- 1/4 cup Cream Cheese
- 3 Garlic Cloves mashed
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 2 tsp Fresh Thyme
Instructions
- Place the chopped cauliflower in a large pot; Cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for approximately 15 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender.
- Drain water from the pot. Using an immersion blender (or food processor) break down the cooked cauliflower.
- Add pumpkin and cream cheese. Blend once again.
- Add garlic, onion, thyme and salt/pepper. Blend until everything is well mixed and you have a creamy texture.
- Garnish with additional fresh thyme, if desired.
Notes
Net Carbs: 5 Net Carbs Per Serving
The nutritional information for this recipe is calculated as a courtesy and is approximate only. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipes on this site.
More Keto Cauliflower Recipes
If you enjoyed this pumpkin cauliflower mash, here are some more low-carb cauliflower recipes you will enjoy next.