Creamy Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

Tammy
Aug 6
7 min read

Updated: Aug 8

Keto, Low-Carb, Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free Healthy Option

"✨ Make my easy Cauliflower mac & cheese that’s cheesy, buttery, and sooo comforting… in just 30 minutes... you won’t even miss the pasta!" 🥦🧀💛

Close-up of creamy cauliflower mac and cheese in a baking dish

Cauliflower Mac & Cheese That’ll Make You Forget All About the “Mac” 😍🧀✨

This ooey-gooey, cheesy, buttery bowl of comfort is everything you love about mac & cheese… but with a fun, veggie-packed twist! 🥦💛 You seriously won’t miss the pasta—promise! It’s rich, creamy, and the perfect way to sneak in extra veggies without skimping on flavor (or that cheesy fix we all crave 🙌😋).

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Cauliflower = the ultimate glow-up veggie 🥦💫Okay, yes, it’s obviously a cauliflower recipe—but hear me out! Cauliflower has totally changed the game in my kitchen. It’s sooo versatile and swaps in for pasta, potatoes, and rice like a champ. Mixing things up with this veggie not only keeps meals fun, but also adds a sneaky extra serving of veggies (win-win!).

Hand-shredded cheese = melty magic 🧀✨Trust me on this: skip the pre-shredded stuff. That powdery coating they use? It keeps the cheese from melting into that dreamy, smooth sauce. Grating it yourself = extra melty, creamy, cheesy goodness AND it’s budget-friendly too! 🙌💛

The roux makes it WOW 👩‍🍳🔥Don’t skip the roux (aka the buttery flour mixture that makes the sauce super luscious). It’s the secret sauce to getting everything smooth and dreamy. No clumpy cheese bits here—just velvety, creamy love in every bite 😍🍽️

Leftovers = happiness for days 🥳🧀If you somehow don’t finish the whole thing (good luck with that 😅), it reheats like a dream! Perfect for lunch, dinner, or even a midnight snack. Cauliflower mac & cheese on repeat? Yes, please! 💃✨

🧀 Best Cheeses for Cauli Mac & Cheese

Sharp cheddar is my go-to, but don’t be afraid to mix things up! Here are some tasty cheese options that melt like a dream:

🧡 Mild or medium cheddar

🧀 Parmesan (great paired with others!)

🌶️ Pepper jack (adds a lil kick!)

🧡 Gouda

🧀 Gruyere

🐐 Goat cheese (yum in a mix!)

🧀 Brie (melty, creamy, and dreamy—but go light!)

🧡 Monterey jack

Mix & match to your cheesy heart’s content—just make sure it all adds up to about 2 cups!

💡 CWT Pro Tip from the Cauli-Mac Queen 👩🏻‍🍳👑

✨ Grate your own cheese! Use a box grater or food processor. I love sharp cheddar but feel free to mix in your faves like pepper jack or gouda.

🥦 Pick the best cauliflower! Look for heads that are heavy, tight, and vibrant with green leaves. Skip any with lots of browning or soft spots.

🧻 Avoid watery mac! After steaming, pat your cauliflower dry with a towel. I like to toss mine on a kitchen towel while I prep the sauce—easy peasy!

This cauliflower mac & cheese is cozy, cheesy, and totally crave-worthy—and it’s bringing the veggie love in the tastiest way possible 😍🧀🥦 Let’s get cooking! 💃🔥

Creamy Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

Servings – 6 Prep Time – 10

Cook Time – 20-30 minutes

Ingredients:

6-8 cups cauliflower - chopped into 1-inch pieces fresh or frozen = to one large head or 24oz bag of frozen cauliflower florets.
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons almond flour, or equivalent of your choice
1/4 teaspoon of Xanthan gum
2 cups heavy cream or half and half
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup pork rinds, crushed or semi chunky - crispiness is to your desire
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded for top
salt and pepper to taste

Additional optional toppings or mix-ins:

Crispy cooked bacon
Grilled or boiled hot dogs
Browned ground beef, or turkey

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375°F 🔥 — it’s time to get that cheesy goodness nice and bubbly!

Prepare a baking sheet with a slipat or parchment paper; set aside.

In a microwave-safe bowl, add about 1 inch of water, then toss in your cauliflower florets 🥦. Microwave on high for 8 minutes, until tender. Drain the water and set the cauliflower aside to cool slightly. If using frozen heat to defrost for 2-3 minutes in a microwave safe bowl.

Drain cauliflower if needed. Spread out on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired.

Bake/roast for 15-20 minutes, until edges start to brown.

While cauliflower is roasting; In a large saucepan, melt your butter over medium heat 🧈.

Sprinkle in the flour and stir it around for about 3 minutes, until it starts to smell a little nutty and turns golden 🌾.

Slowly whisk in the cream, a little at a time, making sure it’s super smooth and creamy as it thickens up 🥛✨.

Remove from heat, then season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Stir in your freshly shredded cheese until it’s all melted and dreamy 🧄🧀💛.

Gently fold in your roasted cauliflower, coating every piece in that cheesy sauce 🥦🧀.

Pour everything into a 9×13 inch baking dish and spread it out evenly.

Add in any toppings you desire now.

Sprinkle with additional cheddar and mozzarella cheese, (or cheeses of your choice) Sprinkle over crushed pork rinds, if desired.

Bake for 25 minutes until the top is bubbly and golden. Want it extra crispy? Flip your oven to broil for 2–4 minutes to get that golden-brown finish 😋 (but keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn!). - Been there DONE that! 🔥

Let it cool for a few minutes before diving in — it’ll be hot hot HOT! 🔥🥄

💨 To Make in the Instant Pot:

Add your cauliflower to the Instant Pot along with 2 tablespoons of water 🥦💧.

Seal it up and cook on Manual (High Pressure) for 5 minutes ⏱️.

Once done, quick release the pressure and open the lid carefully.

Stir in all the remaining ingredients (cheese, butter, seasonings, milk, etc.) 🧀🧈✨.

Switch the Instant Pot to “Keep Warm” and let everything sit for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Keep stirring and letting it warm until the cheese is fully melted, creamy, and everything is heated through.

Top with extra cheese and crushed pork rinds.

Serve and enjoy! 😋💛

Notes:

🧀 A Quick Cheese Tip!

Whatever you do, skip the pre-shredded cheese...please! 🧀 I totally get that it's convenient, but trust me—grating it yourself is 100% worth it. Pre-shredded cheese is coated with a substance that keeps it from clumping in the bag, but unfortunately, that same coating prevents it from melting smoothly (it also has carbs in it, where brick cheese does not). Instead of a creamy, dreamy sauce, you'll end up with a grainy texture—and nobody wants that!

Want to mix things up? 🎉 You totally can! Try swapping out some (or all!) of the cheese for other varieties. I've made this with white cheddar and it was so good. Feeling bold? Go half white cheddar, half pepper jack for a little extra kick 🌶️😋.

Give the cauliflower enough space when roasting. You want each floret touching the pan to get those browned edges — and to make this process fast.

Sauce too thick or too thin? It’s easy to adjust the consistency before mixing with the cauliflower. Keep in mind it will thicken more as it cools from piping hot to warm. But if you need to adjust, add more shredded cheese to make it thicker, or cream to thin it out. Easy!

Fold in the sauce gently. The tender cauliflower can break apart if you’re too rough with it.

Want an extra cheesy finish, crumb topping, or bacon? Just transfer your cauliflower mac and cheese to a baking dish at the end (I use this oneand it’s the perfect size). Sprinkle with more cheddar if you want a melty top, crushed pork rinds for a crumb topping, or crumbled oven baked bacon. Pop under the broiler for a couple of minutes to brown the top.

💜 Storage, reheating and meal prepping:

To Store: Pop any leftovers into an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 4 days. I wouldn’t recommend freezing it—cheesy cauliflower doesn’t love the freezer, and the sauce can get a bit weird in texture after thawing.

To Reheat: Just a heads-up: reheated cauliflower mac might be a little softer, but it's still so tasty! 😋 You can warm it up in the microwave or pop it in the oven at 350°F until heated through.

For Meal Prep: Want to get ahead? 🙌 Roast your cauliflower and make the cheese sauce ahead of time, then store them separately in the fridge. When you're ready to eat, just reheat both (I usually use the microwave for a quick lunch!) and toss them together for a super easy meal.

Nutrition:

This website is the project of an unpaid hobby, fully maintained and supported by CWT. There are NO paid affiliations, professional photographers, nutritionists or paid product reviews associated. CWT is not a certified artist, dietician or nutritionist. Any nutritional information shared on this site is an estimate counted through measurements and package nutritional information used in each recipe at that given time. If calorie, macro counting and other nutritional values are important to you and your health, CWT recommends running the ingredients through your choice of nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can and will vary depending on national brands used per recipe. Anything created by using CWT's recipes, or tutorials is fully the readers responsibility. CWT is not responsible or will be held liable for the outcome of the readers completed project or recipe(s).

"This cheesy cauliflower mac and cheese is everything you love about the classic comfort dish—without the pasta! Super creamy, low-carb, and packed with flavor, it’s the perfect cozy meal for dinner. Great reheated too!"