• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Low Carb Yum
Easy Gluten-Free & Keto-Friendly Recipes
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • Start Keto
    • What Is The Keto Diet?
    • The Benefits Of A Keto Diet
    • What Are Macros In Keto?
    • Best Keto Fruits
    • Best Keto Vegetables
    • 5 Types Of Keto Diets
    • Low Carb vs Keto?
    • The Keto Food Pyramid
    • Keto Supplements
  • Recipes
    • By Course
      • Keto Appetizers
      • Keto Drinks
      • Low Carb Breads
      • Keto Casserole Recipes
      • Keto Salads
      • Sauces & Dressings
      • Keto Sides
      • Low Carb Snacks
      • Low Carb Soups
    • By Cuisines
      • Asian
      • Italian
      • Mexican
      • Southern
    • By Diet
      • Dairy-Free
      • Paleo
      • AIP
      • Nut-Free
      • Egg-Free
      • Vegetarian
      • Vegan
      • Kid Friendly
    • By Cooking Style
      • Air Fryer
      • Crock Pot
      • Instant Pot
      • One Pan
      • Freezer Friendly
      • 30 Minutes or Less
  • Fast Food Menus
  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
    • Beef
    • Casseroles
    • Chicken
    • Eggs
    • Pork
    • Seafood
    • Turkey
  • Desserts
    • Cakes
    • Candy
    • Cheesecakes
    • Cookies
    • Frosting
    • Frozen Desserts
    • Fruit
    • Pies
    • Puddings
  • Shop
    • 5-Ingredient Keto Cookbook
    • Simple Keto Meals Cookbook
    • Low Carb Casseroles eCookbook
    • Low Carb Keto Products
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Starting a Keto Diet
  • Keto Recipes
    • Breakfasts
    • Dinners
    • Desserts
  • Membership
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    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.

    Follow my blog with Bloglovin

    « Gingerbread Bread Loaf - Gluten Free
    Crock Pot Ham Cauliflower "Potato" Stew »

    Related Posts

    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)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Homemade Take Out Food

    Here are some of our most popular keto homemade take out options for enjoying all your take-out foods, but with a unique low-carb twist! From Chinese food to Starbucks copycats, all of our recipes are gluten-free and perfect for your low-carb lifestyle!

    • orange chicken on square rimmed white plate
      Keto Orange Chicken (Panda Express Copycat)
    • bang bang shrimp on white platter with sauce
      Keto Bang Bang Shrimp (Bonefish Grill Copycat)
    • cheese and herb bread rolls featured image
      Keto Cheddar Biscuits (Red Lobster Copycat)
    • keto caramel macchiato featured image.
      Keto Caramel Macchiato (Starbucks Copycat)
    • keto burrito bowl with ingredients.
      Keto Burrito Bowls

    Popular Desserts

    Desserts can be a challenge while on a keto or low-carb diet. We have wonderful recipes to satisfy your sweet tooth, while watching those macros.

    • keto chocolate cake slice on white plate
      Best Keto Chocolate Cake Recipe
    • peanut butter balls buckeyes on white square plate
      Keto Peanut Butter Balls (Buckeyes)
    • cheesecake mousse keto dessert with cream cheese
      Keto Cheesecake Fluff (Sugar-Free Recipe)
    • oreo chaffle featured image
      Easy Oreo Chaffles Recipe

    Footer

    Featured On:

    Parade FitnessHuffington PostHealthLineBuzzFeedThe KitchnShapeWomen's HealthCountry Living Men's Health

    Keto

    • Get Started
    • Keto Calculator
    • Low Carb vs Keto
    • Low Carb Food List

    Recipes

    • Breakfast
    • Desserts
    • Dinners
    • Salads
    • Sides

    About

    • About
    • Contact
    • Newsletter
    • Work With Us

    ↑ back to top

    LowCarbYum.com makes money through affiliate partner links: If you click on a link, we may earn a commission. Our writers create all reviews, recipes, and other content to inform readers, with no influence from our advertisers. LowCarbYum.com may earn from qualifying purchased made on Amazon.com. Learn more about our policies and disclosures.

    Copyright © 2025. Low Carb Yum. All Rights Reserved.

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.