This Instant Pot mashed cauliflower is a creamy, yet healthy, lower carb alternative to mashed potatoes. Made with cauliflower, parmesan cheese, greek yogurt, and seasoned with thyme.
The Instant Pot is a great way to prep easy side dishes ahead of time. Some of my favorite instant pot side dish recipes that would pair perfectly with this recipe are these Instant Pot brussels sprouts, or this Instant Pot wild rice pilaf.
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Is there anything as delicious as creamy mashed potatoes? This Instant Pot mashed cauliflower comes pretty close! The addition of parmesan cheese, greek yogurt, fresh garlic and thyme make this recipe so buttery, smooth and delicious.
Best of all, this creamy mashed cauliflower is basically "hands-free". Pop the whole head of cauliflower right in the Instant Pot, no need to break it down into florets.
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Reasons you'll ♡ this recipe
- the combination of parmesan cheese, garlic and thyme is classic and so flavorful
- it's creamy and light - and lower in carbs than traditional mashed potatoes
- there's very little prep work, all you have to do is add the ingredients to the Instant Pot, pressure cook, then blend!
Ingredient notes
- Cauliflower - cauliflower turns into the most delicious, creamy dish when cooked and mashed. Plus, there's less prep work than mashed potatoes - no peeling necessary!
- Parmesan cheese - parmesan cheese takes this mashed cauliflower to the next level - adding a rich cheesy flavor
- Greek yogurt - mashed cauliflower is creamy already, but the addition of greek yogurt helps to make it even creamier and more delicious. You can swap greek yogurt for regular plain yogurt if you'd like, though the texture may be slightly thinner.
Step by step directions
1. Prep Instant Pot - place the stock, garlic cloves and sprigs of thyme in the stainless steel inner pot of the Instant Pot.
TIP- this recipe works in both a 6 quart Instant Pot or an 8 quart Instant Pot!
2. Prep the cauliflower - wash the cauliflower and remove the leaves - no need to cut it up into florets. In the Instant Pot, place the trivet on top of the stock and garlic. And the whole cauliflower on top of the trivet.
3. Pressure cook - place the lid on the Instant Pot and set the valve to the 'sealing' position. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Do a quick pressure release (release the pressure immediately when the IP beeps). Allow the cauliflower to rest with the lid open for 10 or so minutes, until it cools slightly and it safer to handle (and allows extra moisture to drip off).
Tip - Make sure to let the cauliflower cool 5-10 minutes (with the Instant Pot lid removed) before mashing. This helps extra moisture drip down (and helps it get extra creamy!), and makes it easier to handle
3. Mash - transfer the cauliflower to a new pot with as little liquid as possible from the Instant Pot. Mash with the yogurt, cheese, salt and pepper.
TIP- for the silkiest mashed cauliflower, use a food processor. Here's my favorite food processor.
FAQ
You could try swapping the greek yogurt for dairy free yogurt (plain), and swap the parmesan for nutritional yeast, or a dairy free cheese.
Yes you can! Check out this post for parmesan mashed cauliflower that can be made on the stove top!
I bet that would work. I would try 2 minutes at high pressure with a quick pressure release. If your cauliflower needs more time, you can easily add more time and the Instant Pot will come back to pressure quickly.
Storage & reheating
Storage
- Cool completely.
- Portion into an air tight container.
- Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
This recipe should be freezer-friendly but has not been tested.
Reheating
- BEST: bake it in a casserole dish (covered) at 350°F for 20-30 minutes, or until heated through.
- In a pinch: heat in the microwave until steaming hot.
Keeping it warm
If you wish to make this recipe a couple of hours ahead of your meal, you can keep it in the Instant Pot on 'keep warm':
You'll want to keep the lid on to keep it from drying out.
More Instant Pot recipes
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Creamy Parmesan Instant Pot Mashed Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower leaves removed
- 1 cup stock see note 1
- 4 cloves garlic whole; smashed with the side of a knife
- 6 sprigs thyme fresh
Mash with
- ½ cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
- ½ cup greek yogurt plain
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Prep Instant Pot - place the stock, garlic cloves and sprigs of thyme in the stainless steel inner pot of the Instant Pot.
- Prep the cauliflower - wash the cauliflower and remove the leaves - no need to cut it up into florets. In the Instant Pot, place the trivet on top of the stock and garlic. And the whole cauliflower on top of the trivet.
- Pressure cook - place the lid on the Instant Pot and set the valve to the 'sealing' position. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Do a quick pressure release (release the pressure immediately when the IP beeps). Allow the cauliflower to rest with the lid open for 10 or so minutes, until it cools slightly and it safer to handle (and allows extra moisture to drip off). see note 2
- Mash - transfer the cauliflower to a new pot with as little liquid as possible from the Instant Pot. Mash with the yogurt, cheese, salt and pepper. see note 3
Tips:
- Cool completely.
- Portion into an air tight container.
- Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- BEST: bake it in a casserole dish (covered) at 350°F for 20-30 minutes, or until heated through.
- In a pinch: heat in the microwave until steaming hot.
Nutrition Information
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Jessie Neesmith says
Awesome love it
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Jessie, so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for leaving a rating and review!
Anna says
Hi! I would like to make this for Thanksgiving tomorrow. If I double the cauliflower, do I need to increase the stock amount for steaming? Thanks!
C. Parish says
I dislike cutting up cauliflower, so how great is this. You had me at rinse and put it in the pot.
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi there! Couldn't agree more - it makes such a mess!! This method definitely makes for easy clean up. Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a rating and review.
Mary Heidt says
I really like this recipe. I have used and continue to use so many of them. i am so thankful for the nutritional values. That really helps. I make cauliflower mash with cream and buttler but this is a great alternative when i want something more fancy and flavorful. I made it for a small dinner party and did not tell my guest until after they had all tasted it and raved about it what it was. Everyone asked for the recipe. That is confirmation on how wonderful this is. thanks again.
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Mary, we are so glad to hear you, and all your guests, enjoyed this recipe! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a rating and review.
Marianne S says
Thank you for this recipe. I have been making cauli mash in the microwave and that method works really well but can't be increased. Using this recipe I was able to double the usual batch and save a bunch of time. I appreciate you!
Denise Bustard says
Hi Marianne! I'm so happy to hear this recipe made your life a little easier. Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and let me know <3
Andrea says
I don’t have a trivet. Would it still turn out okay without? Could I ball up some foil and set the cauliflower on it instead?
Denise Bustard says
Hi Andrea, thank you for your patience with my late reply (holidays!). I think the foil idea is a brilliant solution that should work for you. Let me know how it goes!
Sarah says
Delish! We tried this tonight and both my husband and I enjoyed it very much. I added a tablespoon or two of powdered ranch mix for extra flavor. We will definitely make this again!
Denise Bustard says
Hi Sarah! I'm so happy to hear you and your husband enjoyed! Great idea with the ranch seasoning. Thanks for reporting back 🙂
Krystal says
Great recipe! I swapped non-dairy yogurt and cheese and still turned out great! Thank you!
Denise says
Hi Krystal! So happy to hear you enjoyed. Thank you for sharing your swaps, that's super helpful for others!
Celeste says
Thanks for the recipe, I was wondering why you don't use the stem? It's my favourite bit from the cauliflower and mashes really well. I also steam the good leaves and eat them - with melted butter 🙂 Delicious! I am not a fan of yoghurt with cauliflower though, I prefer a cheesy roux or just any dairy that isn't so tangy, including plain old milk!
Denise Bustard says
Hi Celeste, good point, I actually do use the stem but cut out any green parts. I should modify the directions.
Suzanne says
I can't wait to give this a try. I've been missing mashed potatoes, and this looks like a good substitute.
Denise says
I hope you enjoy, Suzanne!
Jennifer Miller says
It was not good. The yogurt gave it a really off putting sour taste, it was too runny, and it wasn’t like mashed potatoes at all. I followed directions exactly. I’ll try it without the yogurt next time.
Denise says
Sorry you didn't enjoy 🙁
hindi messages says
thank you for the recepie ..
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cori branco says
I followed the recipe exactly as written. It is so good! The texture is just like mashed potatoes. And it was so easy. This will definitely be a keeper.
Denise says
Hi Cori! I'm so happy to hear this! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a review 🙂
Dori says
I thought this was absolutely PERFECT! I'm not a huge fan of cauliflower but this flavor was excellent and it was super easy to make in the instant pot. I like the idea of putting it on the trivet to keep it out of broth and then letting it sit a few minutes. Mine lifted easily out of the pot on the trivet and into a bowl for mashing. Thanks for the great recipe!
Denise says
Yay! So happy you enjoyed, Dori! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a review 🙂
Bj says
Can you use
Broth instead of stock?
Denise says
Yes!
Kate says
I have a 4L instapot so I’m not sure if that is equivalent to a 6qt. I googled it and it tells me that it’s not equivalent so would I do anything differently with a 4L instapot? More or less stock? Keep it the same? I’m still fairly new to using my pot! Thanks.
Denise says
Hi Kate, I only have experience using an Instant Pot brand of pressure cooker, and to my knowledge, they do not make a 4L version. Unfortunately I can't help you out here, you will have to read your manual and figure out what amount of liquid you need to add. The Instant Pot brand has a minimum of 1 cup (for a 6 quart) to come to pressure, and has a max fill line as well.
Patti says
I liked the flavor on this, but was not a big fan of the texture. Came out more like a baby food puree than anything. Maybe next time I would not steam it for the full 15 minutes so the cauliflower is a little more al dente?
Denise says
Hi Patti! Did you allow the cauliflower to sit for a few minutes to the liquid drains off it properly? It shouldn't be like baby food, but mashed cauliflower is definitely softer than mashed potatoes so if that's what you were expecting you might be disappointed.
Sheena says
Can you use regular yogurt instead?
Denise says
Hi Sheena! You can use regular yogurt though it won't be as thick as greek yogurt. It still tastes great 🙂
Angie Hamilton says
By the far the best batch I've had! I subbed cream cheese and sprinkled some parm. This is definitely in my Pinterest saved list for everyday and all holiday dishes!
Great recipe!
Denise says
Woo hoo! So happy you enjoyed! Thanks for your review, Angie!