A creamy and delicious low-carb version of mac and cheese that will soon become your new favorite dinner.
Substituting cauliflower for grains has become a popular trend over the last couple of years. Cauliflower rice, cauliflower pizza crust, and now cauliflower mac and cheese. Cauliflower bakes similar to grains and has a similar texture as well. If you’ve never tried substituting cauliflower for grains, you’re going to be surprised by how well it tastes!
Cauliflower is a low-carb, low-calorie, and gluten-free substitute for grains. It’s so healthy and there’s nothing better than being able to enjoy yummy foods without breaking your diet!
This keto mac and cheese is loaded with healthy fats and flavor. Since this recipe has healthy fats, it’s going to help keep you full for a longer period of time.
The ingredients you’re going to need to make keto macaroni and cheese:
- 2 heads of cauliflower – Cauliflower is the main ingredient in this recipe and it’s what makes it keto mac and cheese. You cannot substitute for frozen cauliflower because it will not produce the same texture. For this recipe, you’re going to need to cut your cauliflower into florets.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil – Olive oil is going to help the seasoning stick to the cauliflower and it’s also going to help the cheeses come together. You can use regular olive oil or extra virgin olive oil.
- 1 tablespoon butter – Butter is going to add flavor to this recipe and also help the cheeses combine. Butter is a staple in almost every mac and cheese recipe.
- Salt & Pepper to taste – Depending on how much salt or pepper you like on your food, you can add as much or as little salt and pepper as you’d like.
- 1 cup heavy cream – To achieve an extra creamy keto mac and cheese, heavy cream is a must.
- 6 oz cream cheese – Just like heavy cream, you’re going to need cream cheese for an extra creamy mac and cheese. Cream cheese is low-carb and melts so well which is why it’s in most mac and cheese recipes.
- 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese – Cheddar cheese is going to give this recipe most of its flavor. Depending on how strong you want the cheddar flavor, you can buy sharp or extra sharp cheddar. The choice is up to you!
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese – Along with shredded cheese, mozzarella cheese adds a ton of flavor to this recipe as well. If you want this recipe to be lower-calorie, you can buy fat-free or low-fat mozzarella cheese.
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce – Adding 1 tablespoon of your favorite brand hot sauce is totally optional but it’s going to add an extra kick to your macaroni and cheese. If you don’t mind spicy things, we would definitely recommend adding it.
Ingredients for the topping:
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese – parmesan cheese bakes well on top of many dishes. It will create a harder outside while still leaving a creamy inside. Classic parmesan cheese will work best but you can use grated parmesan cheese if needed.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil – Olive oil is going to add extra moisture and help the parmesan stick to the rest of the dish. You can use exrta virgin olive oil or classic olive oil.
- 2 tablespoons parsley – Parsley adds so much flavor and acts as a nice garnish on this recipe. You can use fresh or dry parsley. For more spice options, scroll to the tips section of this post.
Steps to prepare keto macaroni and cheese:
Step 1:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Step 2:
Toss cauliflower with 2 tablespoons olive oil and salt & pepper
Step 3:
Roast in oven until golden brown
Step 4:
In a small bowl, combine topping ingredients and set aside
Step 5:
In a large pot bring heavy cream to a simmer over medium heat
Step 6:
Reduce to low and stir in cheeses, hot sauce, and salt & pepper
Step 7:
Fold in roasted cauliflower until well combined
Step 8:
Pour cauliflower mixture into a buttered baking dish, sprinkle on the topping mixture, and bake for 15-20 minutes until bubbly, then broil for just a few minutes to brown and crisp the top
Step 9:
Garnish with parsley, serve and enjoy!
Tips for making keto maccaroni and cheese:
Store in the refrigerator – You can store this low-carb mac and cheese in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For maximum freshness, store in an air-tight container.
Reheating – After storing keto mac and cheese, you can reheat it in the oven or the microwave. If you’re reheating in the microwave, make sure you cover the mac and cheese so it does not dirty your microwave.
Add other spices – If you would like to add more spices, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, and other Italian style spices would go great in this recipe.
Related Recipes:
We have many low-carb Italian style recipes such as keto spaghetti squash alfredo, creamy balsamic dressing, and keto chicken parmesan. Italian style food can be difficult to fit into a keto diet because of all of the grains included. All of our recipes are keto-friendly which means you can enjoy your favorite foods without breaking your diet!
What to serve with keto mac and cheese:
There are a few of our recipes that would pair amazingly with this recipe! Our favorites are oven baked zucchini fries, oven roasted Brussels sprouts, and oven roasted asparagus. Since this recipe is fairly high in calories, we would recommend serving with a low-calorie side dish like vegetables.
Best Keto Cauliflower Mac And Cheese Recipe
When you can't have pasta in your diet, using cauliflower to make mac and cheese is the way to go. Let's make a yummy meal!
Ingredients
- 2 heads of cauliflower, cut to florets
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoons butter
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 6 oz cream cheese
- 4 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce – your favorite brand
Topping:
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons parsley – fresh or dry
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Toss cauliflower with 2 tablespoons olive oil and salt & pepper.
- Roast in oven until golden brownIn a small bowl, combine topping ingredients and set aside.
- In a large pot bring heavy cream to a simmer over medium heat.
- Reduce to low and stir in cheeses, hot sauce, and salt & pepper.
- Fold in roasted cauliflower until well combined.
- Pour cauliflower mixture into a buttered baking dish, sprinkle on the topping mixture, and bake for 15-20 minutes until bubbly, then broil for just a few minutes to brown and crisp the top.
- Garnish with parsley, serve and enjoy!
