Loaded Cauliflower Mash (Video)

Loaded Cauliflower Mash is a delicious low-carb and Keto side dish made in the Instant Pot that’s inspired by loaded baked potatoes! And you can adjust the toppings any way you prefer for this tasty cauliflower mash! See notes in the recipe to make this in a pan on the stove.

PIN the Loaded Cauliflower Mash to try it later!

My recipe for Loaded Cauliflower Soup is probably the most popular Instant Pot recipe on the blog. But soon it’s going to be warm weather so today I’m reminding you about this Instant Pot Loaded Cauliflower Mash that’s also 100% delicious and perfect for a low-carb or Keto side dish any time of year. And this mashed cauliflower reheats beautifully too, so it’s a perfect recipe for Weekend Food Prep as well!

I love the loaded cauliflower mash with plenty of bacon, but you can make a tasty vegetarian version by subbing the chicken stock for vegetable stock and skipping the bacon if you prefer. And experiment with different types of cheese too if you’d like! But if you’re a fan of loaded baked potatoes I hope you’ll try this cauliflower mash recipe with similar flavors!

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

• chopped cauliflower
• chicken stock or canned chicken broth (affiliate link)
• butter (optional, but good)
• cream cheese, cut into cubes
• sharp cheddar cheese
• bacon
• green onions
• salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

What is Loaded Cauliflower?

The title of this recipe is a play on loaded baked potatoes, where baked potatoes are topped with butter, cheese, sour cream, and bacon. Those same flavors make loaded cauliflower such a treat.

How can you make Loaded Cauliflower Mash on the stove?

If you haven’t joined The Church of Instant Pot yet, I want to make it perfectly clear that you can also make this delicious Loaded Cauliflower Mash in a pan on the stove using the instructions from Pureed Cauliflower with Garlic, Parmesan, and Goat Cheese. Just switch out the ingredients for this recipe and the results will be just as good! So take your choice on the method, but if you like the idea of mashed cauliflower with butter, sharp cheddar, cream cheese, bacon, and green onion, I hope you’ll give this a try!

Is the Loaded Cauliflower Mash really low in carbs?

This recipe is a perfect low-carb or Keto side dish, with only about 5 net carbs per serving.

What Size Instant Pot did I use?

I use a 6 Quart Instant Pot (affiliate link) for all my Instant Pot Recipes. Check out my growing collection of Instant Pot Recipes!

How to make Loaded Cauliflower Mash:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. You need 2 pounds of chopped cauliflower and this is the perfect time to use one of those 2 lb. bags from Costco!
2. Use a steamer basket (affiliate link) with 1 cup of chicken stock or water in the Instant Pot and the chopped cauliflower on top of the basket.
3. Cook on MANUAL, HIGH PRESSURE, 2 minutes, let it natural release for 1 minute, and then quick release. Keep the Instant Pot on KEEP WARM setting.
4. While the cauliflower cooks, cook the bacon, slice green onions, and prepare the cubed cream cheese and grated cheese.
5. Drain the cauliflower into a colander placed in the sink and let it drain well. Then put back into the Instant Pot with the butter and use an Immersion Blender (affiliate link) to puree to your desired consistency. (Be careful not to scratch the Instant Pot inner pot.)
6. When the cauliflower is as mashed or pureed as you prefer, add the cream cheese and 1 cup grated sharp cheddar and stir into the cauliflower until it’s mostly melted.
7. Then add the 6 slices bacon (cooked and crumbled) and 1/4 cup green onions, and stir into the cauliflower.
8. Season to taste with salt and fresh-ground black pepper, top with a little more cheese, bacon, and green onions, and serve.

Make it a Low-Carb Meal:

Loaded Cauliflower Mash would be a great side dish for Roasted Barramundi with Tomato and Olive Relish, Spicy Roasted Shrimp, Skillet Chicken with Lemon, Green Olives, and Capers, or Sauteed Scallops with Garlic!

More Recipes for Cheesy Cauliflower:

• Cauliflower Gratin
• Twice-Baked Cauliflower
• Cheesy Baked Cauliflower Tots 

Weekend Food Prep:

This recipe for Loaded Cauliflower Mash has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

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Yield: 6 servings

Loaded Cauliflower Mash

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 2 minutes

Total Time 12 minutes

Loaded Cauliflower Mash is a quick and delicious low-carb side dish made in the Instant Pot that everyone will love. You can make this on the stove if you prefer.

Ingredients

• 2 lb. chopped cauliflower (see notes)
• 1 cup chicken stock or water
• 2 T butter (optional, but good)
• 1/4 cup cream cheese, cut into cubes
• 1 cup + 3 T grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 6 slices + 1 slice bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/4 cup + 1 T diagonally sliced green onions
• salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Chop the cauliflower into largish pieces that are all close to the same size. (You can use them stem and core for this too.)
2. Put steamer basket (affiliate link) or other insert that will hold the cauliflower into the Instant Pot with 1 cup chicken stock or water. Put cauliflower on top of the basket.
3. Cook on MANUAL, HIGH PRESSURE, 2 minutes, let it natural release for 1 minute, and then quick release. Keep the Instant Pot on KEEP WARM setting.
4. While the cauliflower cooks, cut the bacon into small pieces and cook until crisp, draining well and blotting off the fat as much as you prefer when it’s done. (I used pre-cooked bacon from Costco and cooked it for a little over a minute in the microwave, then blotted off most of the fat.)
5. Measure out the butter, cubed cream cheese, and grated cheese, and thinly slice the green onion.
6. Set aside some of the grated cheese, bacon, and green onions to garnish the finished dish.
7. Drain the cooked cauliflower into a colander placed in the sink and put the stainless steel inner pot back into the Instant pot. Let the cauliflower drain well, then put it back into the inner pot with the butter.
8. Use an Immersion Blender (affiliate link) to puree cauliflower to your desired consistency. (You can probably do this with a hand mixer (affiliate link), or even mash with a potato masher (affiliate link), but I have only tried it with the Immersion Blender.)
9. When the cauliflower is as mashed as you prefer, add the cream cheese and 1 cup of grated sharp cheddar and stir them into the cauliflower until cream cheese and cheese is mostly melted. Season to taste with salt and fresh-ground black pepper.
10. Then add most of the crumbled bacon and the 1/4 cup green onions and stir into the cauliflower. Check to see if the cauliflower is as hot as you’d like it, and if not cook for a minute or two on SAUTE/LOW to heat the cauliflower. (Be careful; if you heat too long or use too high of heat it will scorch on the bottom of the stainless steel pot.)
11. Serve hot, with the rest of the grated cheese, bacon, and green onion sprinkled over the top

Notes

Two pounds is about 9 cups chopped cauliflower.

TO COOK IN A PAN ON TOP OF THE STOVE: Follow the cauliflower cooking instructions for The BEST Pureed Cauliflower with Garlic, Parmesan, and Goat Cheese to make this in a pan on the stovetop.

This recipe created by Kalyn and inspired by Instant Pot Low-Carb Loaded Cauliflower Soup.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 156Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 317mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 4gSugar: 4gProtein: 7g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Everything used in the Loaded Cauliflower Mash is a low-carb ingredient and this recipe should be approved for low-carb or Keto eating plans. If you’re strictly following the original South Beach Diet, this would be high in fat, although you could use low-fat cheese and cream cheese and go easy on the butter and bacon (or use turkey bacon) to make a version that might be okay for an occasional treat on South Beach.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Check out Instant Pot Recipes for more ideas like this one! Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe for mashed loaded cauliflower made in the Instant Pot was first posted in 2017. It was last updated with more information in 2024.

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