Cauliflower Mac and Cheese {Low Carb & 10 Minute Prep)

Low carb Cauliflower Mac and Cheese is a delicious pasta free substitute and only take 10 minutes prep-time! Keto friendly and will satisfy your macaroni and cheese cravings! 

Cauliflower Mac and Cheese Recipe

I’m a huge mac and cheese lover… But cauliflower mac and cheese was one of the last things I think I’d enjoy making (and eating!). Who would have thought a vegetable could be used as a pasta substitute in this cauliflower mac and cheese recipe!?

I was hugely skeptical about trying cauliflower macaroni and cheese but I had to see what all the fuss was about. Keto cauliflower mac and cheese is now one of my all-time favorite cauliflower recipes!

Ingredients

This super simple cauliflower mac and cheese recipe only takes eight ingredients. It’s just as easy to make as regular mac and cheese. I’m willing to bet you have most of the ingredients needed for cauliflower macaroni and cheese sitting in your pantry, just waiting to be used!

The ingredients and following recipe will serve six people as a main meal. As a side dish, you’ll be able to serve 12. But there’s no harm in having leftovers to stick in the freezer or for reheating the next day.

Ingredients:

• 1 head cauliflower
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ½ teaspoon mustard powder
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 4 oz cheddar cheese, freshly shredded
• 4 oz, colby jack, freshly shredded
• 2 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• Fresh chopped parsley

SEE FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD BELOW

How to Make Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

A creamy cheese sauce makes everything taste better and that’s certainly true when it comes to cauliflower mac n cheese. When simple, roasted cauliflower if covered in cheese sauce, you’ll be hard pushed to tell that there’s no pasta in this keto cauliflower mac and cheese recipe.

First, preheat your oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or I love a (affiliate) silicone baking mat.

Chop the cauliflower into bite-size pieces and toss with olive oil to evenly coat it. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste. Next, place the cauliflower pieces on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, or until tender.

Then, in a medium saucepan, over medium heat, whisk together the heavy cream, paprika, mustard powder, and cheeses.

Stir it frequently until the cheese is melted and smooth.

Add in roasted cauliflower.

Stir in the roasted cauliflower until the cauliflower is evenly coated in cheese sauce.

Top with freshly cracked black pepper and freshly chopped parsley. Serve warm.

Cauliflower Mac and Cheese – Great for Keto

A ketogenic diet is a high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. The diet forces the body to burn fat rather than carbohydrates. In medicine, the keto diet has been used primarily to treat difficult-to-control epilepsy in children.

By using cauliflower florets to replace pasta in this cauliflower mac and cheese recipe, you now have a low carb comfort food that you can eat, even on the keto diet. Whoever came up with this recipe is pure genius!

A Keto diet has certainly increased in popularity in recent years, so more and more people are coming up creative with low carb recipes just like this keto cauliflower mac and cheese recipe. I say keep them coming!

Any diet that says it’s okay to eat olive oil, heavy cream, and cheddar cheese is a winner in my books! I would have never thought you could have comfort food without pasta being involved before trying cauliflower macaroni and cheese.

Low Carb Recipe

In fact, cauliflower macaroni and cheese is good for more than just the keto diet. In an ever health-conscious society, swapping pasta for cauliflower pieces seems like a pretty easy switch to make.

Low carb diets have been proven to help reduce your appetite, increased levels of ‘good’ HDL cholesterol, reduced blood sugar and insulin levels and even lower blood pressure. There’s no wonder low carb recipes have increased in popularity. If all low carb dishes taste as good as this, then sign me up!

Cauliflower has been a big stand-in for me since I have been trying to cut my carbs. My entire family has loved our Cauliflower Pizza Crust, Roasted Cauliflower Popcorn, and our Cauliflower Fried Rice recipes!

Tips for Making Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

• I recommend using a large pot to make the cheese sauce for your cauliflower mac and cheese. This not only means that you can make lots of creamy cheese sauce, but you won’t struggle to mix the cauliflower florets into once they’ve been roasted.
• If you want a super quick cauliflower mac and cheese, you could cook the cauliflower pieces in boiling water instead of roasting them for 20-minutes in the oven. Be careful not to over boil them otherwise they’ll be too soft. You want the cauliflower to retain a bit of tenderness so it has a similar texture to boiled macaroni.
• I like to add some crunch to my mac n cheese. When I make the traditional recipe, I always transfer the macaroni and cheese to a baking dish, sprinkle bread crumbs on top and then bake for a few minutes so you get a nice crispy topping. There’s nothing to say you can’t do the same with this cauliflower mac and cheese recipe… Unless you’re strictly on the keto diet and cutting out those carbs! Another great alternative topping for keto cauliflower mac and cheese would be chopped up crispy bacon!
• Macaroni and cheese has always been an adaptable recipe. You can add almost anything and everything to a mac and cheese recipe to add your own spin on it. If you want to play it safe, you could try adding some garlic powder with the salt and pepper when you stir to combine your cauliflower and cheese sauce.

Mac and Cheese Add-In’s

For those who want to be a little more adventurous with their cauliflower macaroni and cheese recipe, meats such as shredded chicken, ground beef, bacon bits and cut up ham or sausage would go great with this recipe. And the keto diet says you need ‘adequate-protein’!

Peas, onions and broccoli can be added to cauliflower mac and cheese if you’re really craving your veggies! This is such a great way to get kids to love cauliflower. Anything covered in cheese sauce tastes delicious!

More Cheesy Recipes

• Beer Cheese Dip
• Sheet Pan Nachos
• Campfire Nachos
• Nacho Cheese Dip
• Instant Pot Lasagna
• Baked Mac & Cheese
• Crockpot Mac & Cheese
• Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Because cauliflower mac and cheese is a lot lighter than regular macaroni and cheese, it makes for a perfect side dish. Try serving this recipe alongside roast chicken, fish or a steak dish. There aren’t many dishes that cauliflower mac n cheese wouldn’t make a good accompaniment for!