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Home / Recipes / Keto Sides

Cauliflower Mac and Cheese in 4 Minutes

By Lisa MarcAurele · Jul 4, 2020 · 53 Comments

54.4K shares
Jump to Recipe
frozen cauliflower instant mac and cheese pinterest image

An instant low carb cauliflower mac and cheese recipe that is ready in less than 5 minutes. This quick keto meal only requires 3 ingredients!

instant low carb cauliflower mac and cheese recipe
Article Index
  • Instant Low Carb Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
  • Recipe

Are you cooking for one and hate making an entire casserole that takes you all week to finish? Lately, that's been the case for me with certain dishes.

My husband and older daughter refuse to eat cauliflower. So if my son isn't around, a big cheesy cauliflower casserole will take me up to a week to finish.

My youngest daughter just nibbles bites here and there so she never eats a full serving.

I've just started getting into the minute mug cakes so I decided to venture out a bit with this instant cauliflower mac and cheese recipe.

cauliflower in measuring cup

You can easily make this cheesy dish in less than 5 minutes. And, it only requires 3 ingredients that you probably already have.

I hope my son is reading this one because it's a great recipe for college kids doing their own cooking. It's so much healthier than the processed packaged instant foods, too!

I remember when I was living in an apartment near the University of Florida, I ate a lot of horrible convenient foods.

I like to use frozen florets in the instant cauliflower mac and cheese for convenience. But you can certainly use some fresh ones if you have it.

It's just easier to grab a handful of florets out of a bag for this recipe.

prepping cauliflower and cheese

You could also use pre-shredded cheese, but I prefer to freshly grate mine from a block of cheese so that no high carb fillers are added.

I have an inexpensive rotary cheese grater that I use for grating small amounts of cheese. It was perfect for this quick cauliflower mac-n-cheese for one!

I microwave the cauliflower in two steps. The first one is just to soften it from the frozen state so I can chop it up.

Then, I put it back into the microwave to cook and add the cheese in the last ten seconds.

cauliflower in microwave

Ten seconds is just long enough to melt up the cheese in my microwave.

Then, I stir the cheese to melt it a bit more before stirring in a little bit of heavy cream.

That's all there is to making this instant cauliflower mac and cheese.

adding cheese to cauliflower

I tried making this with coconut milk. But it's a lot creamier if you use heavy cream instead and it doesn't add much more to the carb count.

You can easily double or triple this recipe if you want a larger serving or cooking for more than one person.

There isn't much out there for healthy instant convenience foods. So I'm hoping to come up with a few more of these "instant" low carb recipes.

making sauce for cauliflower mac and cheese

I need to experiment more with the muffin in a minute recipes. It would be great to have more low carb bread options, especially for breakfast sandwiches.

Do you love finding new ways to enjoy low carb cauliflower? I've used it for all kinds of things, including a keto chocolate pudding. I bet you didn't know cauliflower desserts were a thing!

Instant low carb gluten free cauliflower mac and cheese

If you'd like to make more than one serving, just adjust the amounts accordingly. You may need to up the cooking time a little when using larger amounts, though.

Although this instant low carb cauliflower dish is a wonderful side dish, you can also enjoy it as a healthy snack in between meals.

I'm usually really hungry when I get home from work. This quick recipe will be the perfect snack to tie me over until dinner.

Instant Low Carb Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

Instant cauliflower mac and cheese on spoon

Enjoy this quick & easy keto recipe!

Follow us on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, and INSTAGRAM for even more tasty keto-friendly recipes!

Recipe

Instant low carb gluten free cauliflower mac-n-cheese

Cauliflower Mac and Cheese in 4 Minutes

4.58 from 14 votes
An instant low carb mac and cheese recipe that is ready in less than 5 minutes. This quick keto meal only requires 3 ingredients!
Prep Time:2 minutes mins
Cook Time:2 minutes mins
Total Time:4 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Print Pin Review Recipe Save Recipe View Collections
Servings: 1
Calories: 139

Video

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup frozen cauliflower florets or fresh with a bit of water
  • 1 ounce cheddar cheese shredded
  • 1 tablespoon heavy cream
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • In small microwavable dish with lid, microwave cauliflower covered for about a minute.
  • Remove from microwave and chop cauliflower into small pieces.
  • Microwave for another 50 seconds or so, then add shredded cheese.
  • Microwave for another 10 seconds or so.
  • Stir melted cheese in, then stir in heavy cream until sauce forms.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

Recipe can be increased to serve additional people. It can also be baked in the oven until heated throughout.

Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart

Nutrition

Serving: 128g | Calories: 139 | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 205mg | Potassium: 224mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 284IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 240mg | Iron: 1mg

Additional Info

Net Carbs: 3 g | % Carbs: 8.7 % | % Protein: 26.1 % | % Fat: 65.2 % | SmartPoints: 5
Values
Array
(
    [serving_size] => 128
    [calories] => 139
    [carbohydrates] => 5
    [protein] => 9
    [fat] => 10
    [sodium] => 205
    [fiber] => 2
    [saturated_fat] => 6
    [cholesterol] => 31
    [potassium] => 224
    [sugar] => 2
    [vitamin_a] => 284
    [vitamin_c] => 36
    [calcium] => 240
    [iron] => 1
    [serving_unit] => g
)

Notes on Nutritional Information

Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.

Copyright

© LowCarbYum.com - Unauthorized use of this material without written permission is strictly prohibited unless for personal offline purposes. Single photos may be used, provided that full credit is given to LowCarbYum.com along with a link back to the original content.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jane

    July 31, 2021 at 9:51 am

    “Recipe can be increased to serve additional…” I never thought of that! Wow! Thanks for the tip!

    Reply
  2. Cynthia C Reid

    March 15, 2021 at 8:04 pm

    5 stars
    Yes, yes and yes!!! Needed a quick and easy recipe with ingredients I always have on hand. Delicious stand alone, but added leftover pulled pork with sugar free bbq sauce Keto/low carb dinner.
    Thank you for sharing

    Reply
  3. Anne

    January 31, 2019 at 6:23 am

    I'm a little confused, where is the mac? I always thought mac and cheese contained macaroni, hence the mac? I do thank you though, because my son loves cauliflower cheese, and it never occurred to me to use frozen florets and to cook it in the microwave, this will save me so much time.

    Reply
    • Lisa MarcAurele

      January 31, 2019 at 9:34 am

      It probably should say "mac" and cheese since it's a mock mac.

      Reply
  4. Melissa F

    September 09, 2018 at 2:58 pm

    5 stars
    This was so good! It stopped me from eating the Mac and cheese I made for my kids.

    I used Mexican blend cheese because that’s what I had. We had leftover bacon from breakfast so I chopped some up and threw that in. Highly recommend adding bacon!!

    Reply
    • Lisa

      September 10, 2018 at 9:06 am

      Adding bacon is always a good idea!

      Reply
  5. Caitie

    August 10, 2018 at 10:43 pm

    5 stars
    Holy wow! I never comment on recipe pages ever but I find myself coming back to this recipe 2-3 nights a week for a side dish or a full dinner and I LOVE it! Reminds me of cauliflower cheese from when I was a kid only I never liked that - but this is DELICIOUS!

    Reply
    • Lisa

      August 11, 2018 at 6:25 am

      I never liked cauliflower as a kid, but it grows on you as you get older and eat healthier. I'm so glad you are enjoying this quick and easy recipe!

      Reply
  6. Sebastian

    April 10, 2018 at 4:12 pm

    5 stars
    Followed this to the letter. It will definitely be a new addition to my diet.

    Reply
  7. Alisha

    January 02, 2018 at 12:37 pm

    5 stars
    My kiddos eat mac & cheese w/hot dogs & peas once per week. I like it but don't want the carbs. Now, I can have something similar to them that keeps me from dipping my fork into their mac & cheese. I added mustard as a personal preference and put a chopped up hotdog (nitrate free, uncured of course). Doubled the recipe and made it for lunch. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Lisa

      January 02, 2018 at 2:44 pm

      Mustard is always a good add!

      Reply
  8. NightFox

    September 18, 2017 at 6:30 pm

    3 stars
    The recipe itself isn't bad. I wouldn't call it a replacement for mac n cheese though.
    But yeah, if you like steamed/cooked cauliflower and creamy cheese sauce, it's tasty. I'll probably amp it up next time by adding seasonings.

    Reply
    • Lisa

      September 19, 2017 at 7:02 am

      Extra seasoning is always a great way to up the flavor!

      Reply
  9. Yvonne van der WESTHUIZEN

    September 18, 2017 at 1:52 am

    What if I can't find heavy cream?

    Reply
    • Lisa

      September 18, 2017 at 4:04 pm

      You could use a low carb milk like almond or coconut.

      Reply
  10. Lisa Bapst

    April 30, 2017 at 3:10 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely loved this. Will be making an appearance in my rotation often. mmmm mmmm.

    Reply
    • Lisa

      April 30, 2017 at 4:13 pm

      So happy this one worked out for you Lisa!

      Reply
  11. Jessica

    February 27, 2017 at 7:11 pm

    Hi! Fellow Gator here! I'm new to low-carb and really needed a recipe like this to still feel like I'm getting my Mac n Cheese fix. Until recently I never ate cooked vegetable and HATED cooked cauliflower.

    I love this dish! I used fresh cauliflower. Since I didn't have heavy cream, I used half n half and a bit of butter. I would make sure to add salt and pepper to this as well. I also added a bit of smoked paprika, but that's a personal preference.

    Thanks for the great dish!

    Reply
    • Lisa

      March 01, 2017 at 6:00 am

      You're welcome Jessica. And, it's always nice to bump into UF alumni!

      Reply
  12. Ramona Ward

    November 07, 2016 at 6:08 pm

    Can you use greek cream cheese instead of heavy cream?

    Reply
    • Lisa

      November 07, 2016 at 6:42 pm

      I'm sure you can. It just may give a different taste.

      Reply
      • Susan

        January 14, 2017 at 9:30 pm

        So where's the 'mac'?

      • Lisa

        January 15, 2017 at 6:34 am

        It's the cauliflower!

    • Lauren

      November 21, 2016 at 7:08 am

      I've made it with Alfredo sauce instead of milk or cream and it's absolutely delish! When making an entire head of it I use whole jar + cheese, few shakes of dry mustard and a little hot sauce it's incredible!

      Reply
      • Lisa

        November 21, 2016 at 8:26 am

        Sounds fantastic!

  13. Hélène

    October 06, 2016 at 1:10 pm

    5 stars
    Remember yucky cauliflower wuth white sauce as a kid? This is it. Except you havent boiled the cauli to death, theres no need to make sauce as cream does it just fine and you add ChEESE. Ohemgee
    What your childhood nemesis COULD have been.
    Yum.

    Reply
  14. Betsy

    September 13, 2016 at 1:40 pm

    Just came across this recipe and will be trying it tonight. I also plan to try it using smokey gruyere cheese and crumbled bacon for a twist. My question is how well does it reheat? I want to make a couple of them and have one the next night when I won't have time to fix a side dish.

    Reply
    • Lisa

      September 13, 2016 at 5:30 pm

      Reheating should be be okay if you'd like to remake a few.

      Reply
  15. Rosanne

    July 08, 2016 at 1:32 am

    How would you suggest cooking this without a microwave?

    Reply
    • Lisa

      July 08, 2016 at 10:34 am

      You could use a regular or toaster oven and bake at 350F until heated.

      Reply
      • Rosanne

        July 08, 2016 at 10:37 am

        Thanks!

    • Julia

      July 22, 2016 at 2:11 pm

      Microwaving is really very unhealthy. Roasting as you suggested or even steaming would be the best option. Will definitely try this!

      Reply
      • Lisa

        July 22, 2016 at 2:29 pm

        It's a myth that microwaving is unhealthy. Do the research and you will see it's not much different from other cooking methods.

      • Hélène

        October 06, 2016 at 1:12 pm

        And regardless, its heckuva lot better than cheezie curls or a little debbie cake cuz ur starved!

      • Lisa

        October 06, 2016 at 1:13 pm

        Good point!

      • Sassy

        October 01, 2017 at 10:58 pm

        Agreed, and it tastes so much better NOT cooking in the microwave. We don't even own one.

  16. GretchenInTexas

    May 02, 2016 at 8:41 am

    My daughter and I tried this last night. We both think it's delicious and fast. We will be making it again. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

    Reply
    • Lisa

      May 02, 2016 at 2:17 pm

      So glad you and your daughter enjoyed the recipe!

      Reply
  17. Robert

    February 21, 2016 at 9:14 pm

    Going to try this, we love cauliflower and cauliflower pizza, rice, mash..I bet it be even better with some ground pork rinds sprinkled on top!!

    Reply
    • Lisa

      February 22, 2016 at 5:05 am

      The crushed pork rinds are a great addition. You can also brown the top using the oven broiler if desired.

      Reply
  18. Barbara B

    February 10, 2016 at 7:44 pm

    Made this tonight for hubby & I. We LOVED it ! He can be a picky eater, he started eating before I did and his words were "this is really delicious" I actually put my ramekins in the oven with the mini meat loaves to finish while I cooked some green beans in the micro (in case he didn't like it). Woo Hoo - another low carb success that hubby will eat !

    Reply
    • Lisa

      February 11, 2016 at 5:56 am

      I bet it's even better oven baked!

      Reply
  19. Barbara B

    February 06, 2016 at 10:46 am

    Thanks for this easy version -my husband and I are empty nesters, so this is perfect for weeknight meals !

    Reply
  20. Kacy

    December 01, 2015 at 11:13 am

    I love cooking with cauliflower and especially that this could be made so quickly. Sometimes a mac and cheese craving just must be satisfied after all 🙂

    Reply
    • Lisa

      December 01, 2015 at 11:14 am

      The benefits of modern cooking! Thanks for stopping in Kacy!

      Reply
    • K Morgan Capner

      January 05, 2016 at 11:35 am

      I read recipes, but do not follow them exactly. I did with this and the result is superb. So much better than my usual cauli and cheese sauce. I can vary the cheese....creamy or blue, and use up the bits from the cheese box. Keep going please, your ideas are grand.

      Reply
      • Lisa

        January 05, 2016 at 2:01 pm

        Glad it worked for you as-is! I may try a blue cheese version. I love all things cheese!

  21. Natalie @ A Fit Philosophy

    December 01, 2015 at 10:34 am

    We made something similar for Thanksgiving! It was so good, I'll totally have to try your recipe 🙂 YumM!

    Reply
    • Lisa

      December 01, 2015 at 11:15 am

      I bet your Thanksgiving dish was so delicious! Thanks for the visit!

      Reply
  22. Elly Leavitt

    December 01, 2015 at 9:30 am

    You had me at Mac and cheese... It's my favourite dish so I'm always looking for ways to make it healthier and switch it up! This sounds amazing, will definitely give it a try x

    Reply
    • Lisa

      December 01, 2015 at 11:14 am

      Hope you like it Elly!

      Reply
  23. Catherine

    November 30, 2015 at 6:51 am

    I absolutely love this quick and easy version...how wonderful in a pinch! Looks delicious too. xo, Catherine

    Reply
    • Lisa

      November 30, 2015 at 8:10 am

      Thanks Catherine! It is definitely a keeper 🙂

      Reply
4.58 from 14 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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